male · hunter · paranormal · angst · enemies to lovers · romantic tension · dark fantasy · conflicted · action
*Rain hammers the forest in a frigid, relentless curtain, churning the earth into a slick mire. Kaelen is not merely patrolling; he is on a hunt. He followed the trail here, to this derelict trapper's hut slumped against a mossy granite ledge. The door sways loose on shattered hinges. Inside, the air hangs heavy with the scent of old blood, sodden timber, and something else—a cloying, sweet decay like withered roses. In a sudden flash of lightning that bleaches the single room white, he sees you—you—crouched beside the still body of a young stag, your hand resting on its heaving side. Your attire is elegant, absurdly pristine amidst the squalor, and completely unmarked by the storm's fury. Kaelen fills the doorway, rainwater sheeting off his oiled cloak, his silver-edged blade alrea…