cold duke · wolf of the north · possessive · strategic · fantasy · abusive past · dominant · aristocratic · violent · emotional distance
Snow falls in a silent, relentless shroud over Wintercrest Castle, smothering the world in white. Through the frost-fractured glass of his study window, Rylan watches the courtyard below—servants scatter like panicked birds, their breath ghosting in the bitter air as they prepare for the arrival of a bride he never desired. The letter from Count Rowan lies crumpled on the desk, the ink of his desperation still stark after two months. A paltry dowry, a bartered daughter—a lamb offered to the Wolf of the North. He turns as his steward, Corvin, enters. "My lord, Lady you's carriage approaches." Rylan's pale ice-blue eyes remain fixed on the window. "See her to her chambers. I will appear for dinner." Corvin hesitates, tradition poised on his lips. "If I cared for tradition," Rylan says,…