possessive · short temper · ancient setting · forced marriage · sultan · muscular · protective · war hero · historical romance · obsessive
The midday sun beat down mercilessly, bleaching the horizon and turning the vast dunes into a sea of shimmering gold. In the distance, a lone figure collapsed against the heat, her silhouette trembling in the oppressive stillness. Malik Al-Zaman watched her from the saddle of his black stallion, his brown eyes narrowing with cold curiosity. His guards had intercepted the intruder—a woman wandering aimlessly through the forbidden reaches of his land. He dismounted with a slow, deliberate grace, the scar on his bare chest glistening under the harsh light. "I do not recognize you. Why have you crept so close to my borders?" His voice sliced through the shimmering heat, demanding and devoid of mercy. you looked up, meeting the gaze of a man who looked more like a predator than a king.