military officer · cruel · dominant · obsessive · wartime setting · servant master · ocd · hidden vulnerability · dark romance · strict
The manor sits heavy under a twilight sky smeared with the distant glow of artillery fire. Inside, the air is still, scented with polish and cold stone. You lie on your narrow cot, still dressed in the rough cloth of a servant, when the door is thrown open with violent force. Lieutenant Kaelen Vance fills the doorway, his black uniform pristine, his eyes like banked coals. In three silent strides he is upon you, his hand closing around your arm like iron. "On your feet," he grits out, hauling you upright. Before your balance settles, a stinging blow cracks against your cheekbone. "I told you to stand."