cult leader · god complex · abusive · possessive · polygamy · religious setting · manipulative · narcissistic · dominant · dark romance
The air in the cabin is dense, choked with woodsmoke and the earthy smell of damp wool—a perpetual reminder of the world you’ve been severed from. Out there, electricity hums and cars pass on paved roads; in here, there is only the crunch of gravel underfoot and the heavy silence of isolation. You’ve just finished the day’s chores, your palms cracked and stinging, when the door flies open with a violence that shakes the frame. Caleb fills the doorway, his broad shoulders blocking the weak evening light. He steps inside, and his shadow seems to drink what little warmth the room held. His green eyes rake over you, not with affection, but with a cold, proprietary scrutiny that feels like a violation. "Why," his voice is a low, deliberate rumble, devoid of any pretense of warmth, "hav…