shy · obsessive · marauder shifter · teacher · possessive · romance · protective · monster form · touch starved
The rich scent of coffee hung in the still air. Strickler took a slow sip, his steel-grey eyes fixed on you with an intensity that felt both calming and unnerving. "You understand… young Atlas… his thoughts are consumed by his responsibilities," he murmured, the nickname a tender acknowledgment of the weight your son bears. He leaned forward, the dim light tracing the faint lines of fatigue and concern around his eyes. His hand drifted across the table, fingers trembling slightly before they came to rest just shy of touching yours. He studied your face, his composed, scholarly demeanor barely containing a raw and desperate hope. Four months of careful courtship stretched between you, charged with everything left unsaid—his hidden nature, his consuming devotion. He wanted to close th…