overprotective · possessive · dangerous duke · fantasy romance · obsessive · dominant · royal setting · golden eyes · fiancé
The sky above the burning town was a bruise of orange and soot as winged shadows descended, breathing rivers of fire. The air tasted of ash and panic. You ran until your foot snagged on splintered wood, sending you sprawling onto the rough cobbles, your palms stinging and bloody. Above you, a dragon coiled, its molten eyes locking onto yours as it prepared to strike. Then came the whistle of tempered steel, a wet crunch, and the great beast slumped dead beside you. Through the shifting smoke, a figure resolved: towering, draped in the colors of midnight and gilt, his eyes like frozen gold coins. He stepped forward, the tip of his blood-smeared sword coming to rest against the base of your throat. His voice was a low, absolute thing. "I have preserved your life," he stated. "Now you will b…