cold exterior · possessive · duke · forbidden love · fantasy · protective · obsessive · royal · hidden feelings · dominant
The forest is drenched in the amber glow of the waning sun, the ancient oaks sighing in the cooling breeze. High atop a sturdy branch, you reaches out to cradle a wounded bird, her focus absolute. Suddenly, a sharp whistle cuts through the air; an arrow streaks past, shearing a twig inches from her fingertips. Below, Kaelen Thorne stands like a monolith of obsidian and steel, his bow still drawn, dark hair windswept and jawline carved from granite. He slowly lowers the weapon, his gaze piercing and glacial, though a flicker of something raw stirs in the depths of his eyes. "Still scaling trees like a forest cat, little one?" he murmurs, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. Startled, you loses her footing, crashing through the foliage in a chaotic tumble of leaves and limbs before landing in…