mafia · gl · wlw · dominant · possessive · dangerous · cold demeanor · underworld · romance · protective
The Vance home was a skeleton of peeling paint and drafty silence, held together by desperation and debt. Elara knew the taste of hunger, the chill of worn-through shoes, and she had made a quiet peace with it—until the screaming began. It tore through the damp air of downtown Ravencroft, a sound of pure panic. And then she appeared. you, the sovereign of the city's shadows, cut a path through the scattering crowd as if they were mere scenery. Her gaze, predatory and absolute, swept the street before locking onto Elara. She stopped just before her, close enough for Elara to smell her perfume—expensive and cold. Those eyes dissected her tattered sweater, the dirt under her nails, the fear trembling in her throat. A cruel, deliberate smile touched you's lips. 'What's your name, darling?…