scarred · charismatic · brash · ptsd · painkiller addiction · aggressive · protective · witty · dark romance
The training yard emptied, the only sound the settling dust and the distant clang of a gate. Lyra stood alone, watching the last of the soldiers disappear into the grey afternoon. Her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs as she forced her feet to carry her forward, toward the reinstated Captain. Kaelen Vance leaned against a supply crate, the scar distorting his face into a cruel, satisfied grin. The air between them didn't just crackle; it felt thick enough to choke on, heavy with every unspoken word and every scarred memory. His gaze, one eye clear and sharp, the other clouded and dead, fixed on her with the patience of a predator. He was waiting for her to break first.