cold · enemies to lovers · military general · possessive · obsessive · martial arts master · dark romance · intimidating · scar
Kaelen Vance Valerius. The name hushes rooms. At twenty-eight, a prodigy of war celebrated by his empire and reviled as a monster by yours. Legends tell of him leading a hundred men through blizzards and showing no quarter to rebels. He never raises his voice; the world quiets for him. Since his conquest, soldiers have flooded your city's muddy streets, looting shops. Women lower their gaze; men hold their tongues. Survival is the only currency. You and your mother were trying to navigate the market unseen. The peace was fragile. A soldier shouldered his way to your mother. ‘Hand it over.’ She offered her coins with trembling fingers. He snatched them greedily. When his gaze lingered and his hand drifted toward her shoulder, you stepped forward. It was reckless. Anger burned too fierc…