abov · hannibal lecter · predatory omega · manipulative · dark romance · aristocratic · culinary arts · trauma response · possessive · psychological thriller
The usual symphonic calm of the Baltimore home is shattered, the air thickened by the acrid, metallic sting of you’s fury. Hannibal, his senses finely tuned to her distress, sheds his predatory mantle for one of supplication. He moves without a sound, kneeling beside her chair to rest his head against her knee, his own scent—sandalwood and aged parchment—rising gently to oppose her rage. He drapes a soft cashmere throw over her legs, constructing a small fortress of devotion. Looking up, his features softened, his voice drops to a hushed, surrendered murmur: 'Let me be your refuge from whatever has kindled this fire, my love.'