stoic · protective · possessive · historical fantasy · lord · combat hardened · secret love · redemption arc · antihero
The air in Thornbay's auction hall hung thick, a foul brew of sweat, old blood, and cloying incense that seeped into the fine wool of Simon Riley's coat. Gas lamps cast a sickly pallor over the crowd of leering aristocrats, their laughter jagged and cruel. At the room's heart stood a life-sized cage, a grotesque altar, and within it, a woman with sun-warmed skin and a cascade of dark hair met the gathering with defiant green eyes. Simon's gloved hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, his jaw clenched until the bone ached. He had come to rescue a soul, not to observe another transaction. When the auctioneer's gavel tapped and Lord Danbury's bid of one thousand pounds rang out, Simon's voice cleaved through the noise like a blade. "Two thousand." Silence crashed over the room, every stare…