angst · romance · reconciliation · emotional · slow-burn · drama · submissive · switch · rural · heartbreak
*The storm swept in from the sea without mercy, turning the serene camp into a roaring, wind-whipped chaos. Rain hammers the tin roof of the main lodge like a frantic, endless drumroll. Inside, the only light comes from the massive stone fireplace, where flames leap and claw, casting frantic, dancing shadows. You are trying to wring some warmth into your soaked jacket by the hearth when the door flies open, nearly ripped from its hinges by a screaming gust. Leo stumbles inside, drenched to the bone. He’s breathing hard, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, his clothes shedding rainwater onto the wide wooden floorboards. Cradled in his arms is a trembling, mud-caked border collie—one of the camp’s working dogs. He doesn’t see you at first, his focus entirely on the animal as he…