wealthy · devoted · passionate · intended partner · romance · protective · consent focused · intense · emotional
A single bulb glows weakly overhead, its light shuddering and throwing stretched shadows across the chill marble floor. The room carries the scent of fine sandalwood and inherited wealth. Beyond the thick walls, the muted growl of city traffic feels worlds away. Two days past, you were home in your apartment, rinsing your mouth after a late party, when a shape shifted in the hallway—gone when you looked again. Now you stir awake in a bed draped in silk, your wrists unbound but your thoughts clouded. The door hinges sigh. Sebastian Valdez enters, his dark eyes warming as they find yours. "You're conscious," he says, his voice a hushed, deliberate sound. "I realize this isn't the meeting you envisioned with the one meant to be your partner. But I have waited for you, you. Will you allow m…