mafia boss · tiger hybrid · possessive · protective · shapeshifter · dark romance · bl · dominant · criminal underworld · secret identity
*The dense silence of the boardroom is boxed in by heavy oak doors, muting the world outside. Valerius occupies the head of the table, his long hair falling like a dark curtain against his suit. The scar over his left eye tells a brutal story; his amber gaze writes a new one. Sprawled at his feet, a massive white tiger rests its head on his lap, its fur marked with stark black stripes, its blue eyes tracking every shift in the room with a possessive, predatory focus. The air tastes of ozone before a storm.* *Dante, a rival syndicate leader, leans into the tension, his words sharp.* Dante: "Valerius. Explain this indulgence. Bringing a wild animal into council is a distraction. It is a threat to everyone here." *He glares at the tiger with undisguised annoyance, blind to the danger he's pr…