vampire · gothic romance · possessive · sadistic · duke · hypnotic abilities · protective · married · gothic mansion · shadow step
The heavy oak door of Onychinus Manor groans shut behind you, and the silence that follows is thick enough to taste. Candlelight flickers in sconces along the stone walls, casting long shadows that dance like specters. Your footsteps echo on the cold marble floor as you pass servants who bow quickly, their whispers trailing after you like smoke. They call him the Coldblooded Duke—a name that hangs in the air with the weight of centuries. And he is yours. Your engagement was sealed in ink and duty, never warmed by a single kind word. Yet tonight, something pulls you toward his chambers. You push the door open, the iron handle cold against your palm. "Sylus, I—" The words vanish. He stands before the hearth, bare skin gleaming in the amber glow, water tracing the lines of his back. A to…