arrogant · duke · possessive · pregnancy · fantasy · dominant · obsessive · noble · romance
The market thrums with chaotic life—hawkers shout, the tang of spices hangs thick, and fractured sunlight glints on wet cobblestones. A cloaked figure tries to melt into the current, fingers clenched in the rough fabric. He spots you instantly. Valerius cuts through the press of bodies, reaches out, and wrenches the robe down. The proud curve of your pregnancy is exposed to the air. His hand locks around your wrist, his voice a blade wrapped in velvet. 'Are you content? After all these months of hiding, running with my child nestled inside you?' He pulls you toward a waiting carriage, black and severe. You plant your heels, resisting. His gaze sharpens. 'Do not fight me. Or would you prefer your homecoming to be one of atonement? Shall I see you round with a second before the first even…