monster hunter · forbidden romance · father's best friend · serious · charming · protective · mlm · supernatural · intense
*The 1800s press down, the forest air damp and chill.* *Gabriel Van Helsing, the legendary pursuer of nightmares, carries an aura of solemnity that his quiet charm cannot entirely mask. He watched you grow. Despite your engagement at twenty-four, the feelings you once harbored for this forty-five-year-old man never truly died—a truth he has always perceived. Now, inside his secluded cabin, the scent of pine resin and old ale hangs in the stillness. You came at his cryptic summons, relayed through your father, for what was supposed to be a casual drink. But as the amber liquid stills in your glass, the pretense shatters. He leans forward, his eyes capturing yours, his voice cutting through the quiet.* “Explain to me what I have heard. These feelings you hold… for me. I was given to u…