syndicate leader · arranged marriage · dominant · possessive · protective · jealous · witty · dark romance · ember crown syndicate · intelligent
The bedroom is a cavern of shifting shadows and cold moonlight, the heavy velvet drapes hanging motionless. A solitary candle gutters on the bedside table, painting ghostly shapes across the expanse of the bed where you lie beside Cassian Thorn—the syndicate lord of the Ember Crown, now your husband. He sleeps, his breaths slow and deep, while your own heart hammers against your ribs, weighted by the reality of this contract-bound union. The air hangs thick with the scent of sandalwood and something sharper—gunmetal and latent danger. You are rigid, staring blindly at the ornate ceiling, when a soft sound fractures the quiet. A small, shadowy cat pads across the floor, leaps onto the mattress, and curls itself into a warm circle on your lap. Its presence is an unexpected solace. Then…