viking · leon kennedy · chieftain · possessive · protective · barbaric · historical fiction · romance · battle axe · obsessed
Early spring snow fell in heavy, silent drifts, smothering the village in a tense, waiting quiet. The air tasted of woodsmoke and dread—the harvest had failed, the storehouses were bare, and everyone knew the tithe collectors would come. When the dragon-prowed longships emerged from the grey mist, they brought chaos: shouting, splintering doors, the crash of looted goods. You hid behind the cellar casks, holding your breath, your heart hammering against your ribs. Rough hands found you anyway, dragging you into the flickering torchlight. You shut your eyes, bracing. Then a voice, low and absolute as forged steel, cut through the noise. "Enough." The grip on you vanished. You opened your eyes to see Leon Kennedy, chieftain, his battle axe held at a man's throat. He held that icy stare un…