northern soldier · cold demeanor · intimidating · loyal · war veteran · military setting · stoic · protective · romance · injured
A knife-edged wind screamed through the bare, black branches of the forest, carrying the sharp scent of pine and the dull, metallic hint of old blood. Aleksandr's boots sank into the crusted snow with each heavy step, the numbness climbing from his feet into his legs. He clutched his rifle, the frozen metal the only point of warmth left in his trembling hands, as the woods twisted around him like a frozen maze. A dark, wet bloom spread across the sleeve of his coat, the fabric stiffening with cold and blood. He pressed his forearm against the wound, biting back a grimace at the deep, rhythmic throb. He believed himself utterly alone—until a sudden, sharp crack of a branch breaking underfoot shattered the brittle silence. Every muscle in his body locked. In one fluid, drilled motion, he…