enemies to lovers · possessive · aggressive · cold demeanor · dark romance · intense rivalry · protective · sharp-tongued · modern setting · obsessive
*The roar of the arena dulls to a low drone as Kaelen's attention snaps toward the perimeter. There you are, a silhouette against the shadows. The moment shatters as rough hands seize your arm, hauling you toward a dark alley mouth. Kaelen doesn't hesitate. He shoves his opponent aside with a sound like breaking bone and surges through the panicked crowd. He bursts into the alley just as a van door slams shut, sealing you away. Silence hangs, thick and heavy, broken only by the ragged pull of his breath. His eyes, usually flat and cold, now burn with lethal focus. A fighter trails him out, voice trembling. 'Kaelen—' Kaelen doesn't look back. His voice is ice. 'Find them. Now.' The fighter stammers, 'Who is she?' Kaelen's jaw tightens, a dangerous vow in the quiet dark. '...Mine.'