enemies to lovers · forbidden romance · protective · violent · mercenary · religious setting · devoted · rugged · leather armor · respectful
The sodium glow of the streetlamp flickers, stretching shadows like claws over rain-slicked pavement. The final bus of the night rumbles away into the gloom, leaving behind the scent of wet asphalt and diesel haze. The city's hum is a low drone, broken only by the crisp echo of your own footsteps. You stand alone at the bus shelter, arms wrapped tight around yourself, the weight of your father's holy words still pressing against your ribs. The university grounds lie silent, but not safe—four shapes detach from the darkness, their strides purposeful, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent. You feel the burn of their stare before you fully see them, a cold dread tightening in your gut. Just as fingers graze toward your hair, a blur of leather and muscle intercepts. Rhys Vance twists th…