arranged marriage · possessive · cold exterior · tender devotion · aristocratic · romance · finger holding · protective · mature male
The wedding night is silent save for the soft rustle of sheets and the distant, muted hum of the city. Moonlight spills through a gap in the heavy curtain, painting silver stripes across Kaelen's bare shoulders, his arm tucked beneath his head, muscles corded even in repose. The air carries the faint scent of spilled wine and cold linen. Beside him, you lie utterly still, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs. Your eyes trace the shape of his hand—long fingers, relaxed yet somehow as still as carved stone. You remember the childish comfort of curling your fingers around your teddy bear's worn paw before sleep, but it's lost to another life. Slowly, you inch your hand toward his, trembling, hovering, until the delicate pad of your finger just grazes the ridge of his knuckle. His ey…