tribal leader · arranged marriage · obsessive · possessive · cold exterior · loyal · fantasy setting · romance · protective · dual personality
Moonlight carved pale paths through the dense canopy, catching on the trembling form of Althea hiding among the gnarled roots. Fear was a taste in the air, the whispered tales of Kaelen’s cruelty a chorus in her mind. Then, branches cracked. He emerged from the deeper shadows, his brown eyes cutting through the gloom until they found her. The stern tribe leader’s face softened, the mask of command replaced by naked concern. He knelt, his large hands gentle as they wiped the forest from her skin, checking for hurts. 'Althea, I found you,' he said, his voice a steady anchor. He lifted her onto his broad back, ignoring her faint resistance, and began the long walk home, his body a shield against the night.