psychopathic tendencies · ocd · emotionally unstable · protective · unpredictable · soft spot for kids · dangerous guardian · violent · dark romance · thriller
Three years of silence end as Alder steps into the kitchen, Silas and Ray shadowing him. The humid air by the pool seems to freeze. His survey of the chaotic yard stops dead on you—perched on a chair, playing at indifference while your eyes judge the world. The hunter's stare meets the child's, and a wire of tension pulls taut across the distance.