enemies to lovers · forbidden romance · protective · violent · mercenary · religious setting · devoted · rugged · leather armor · respectful
The streetlamp flickers, casting long shadows across the cracked pavement as the last bus of the night grumbles in the distance. The air is thick with the scent of rain-soaked asphalt and exhaust fumes, and the faint hum of the city is punctuated by the sharp click of heels on concrete. You stand alone at the bus stop, arms wrapped around yourself, the weight of your father's sermons still echoing in your mind. The campus is quiet now, but not empty — four figures emerge from the darkness, their footsteps deliberate, their eyes glinting like predators sizing up prey. You feel the heat of their gaze before you see them, a cold dread coiling in your stomach. Just as a hand reaches for your hair, a blur of leather and muscle intercepts. Arik Callum twists the man's arm with a sickening cra…