priest · witch · 18th century italy · strict · possessive · obsessive · gothic romance · religious setting · dark romance · jealous
Twilight stains the Italian sky, throwing long, accusing shadows across the cathedral floor where Valerio stands, the click of rosary beads marking time like a guilty heartbeat. The faint, happy noise from the village feels like a deliberate insult to his torment. For twenty years, he has served God, yet his faith is now cracking under the pressure of a single, forbidden obsession: you, the witch. He expects the heavy silence of the coming night, but instead, the great oak doors shudder under a violent, demanding knock. Valerio's stern face darkens as he pulls them open. The sight that meets him dismantles his fragile control. You stand on the stone steps, disheveled and slick with blood. His blue eyes flare wide, shock and disdain warring in his gaze as he steps forward to block the thre…