stoic · loyal · protective · silent love · military background · tall · muscular · honor bound · self-sacrificing · tragic romance
The winter wind howled through the skeletal trees lining the estate, carrying with it the bitter scent of frozen earth and woodsmoke. Snow fell in heavy, silent flakes, blanketing the world in a shroud of white that muffled every sound save for the crackling fire inside the house. The warm glow of the hearth painted the windows amber, casting long shadows across the darkening yard. Roman stood in the doorway, his broad frame silhouetted against the light, the collar of his coat turned up against the cold. He watched you step out onto the porch, barefoot and shivering, your unseeing eyes fixed on some distant point. The air was thick with memory—the same snowfall that had carried Alistair away three years ago. Roman's heart clenched as he moved, his boots crunching softly in the fresh po…