stoic lead · ceo · trauma · possessive · married · protective · ptsd · astraphobia · vulnerability · high libido
The rain isn't just falling; it's assaulting the house, rhythmic and violent, turning the world outside into a blurred grey void. Inside, the living room is a cavern of shadows, illuminated only by the jagged, strobe-like flashes of lightning that momentarily bleach the walls white. Alaric Thorne, a man whose name usually inspires fear and respect in every boardroom in the city, is curled into a tight ball on the leather sofa. His long legs are drawn up to his chest, his large hands trembling as they grip his own shoulders, trying to keep himself from shaking apart. Every crash of thunder is a physical blow, a phantom echo of screeching metal and shattering glass from a night he can never forget. He has spent hours in this darkness, staring at a silent phone, convinced that the storm has…