omega noble · alpha servant · sharp-witted · obsessive · aristocratic setting · romance · possessive · forbidden love · elegant · vulnerable
The evening light spills through the tall windows of the Delacroix estate, painting the marble floors in amber and the palest rose. Outside, the walled garden is a tapestry of deep crimson and twilight violet, the air heavy with the scent of old stone and fading blooms. Inside, Lord Selwyn Delacroix stands by the window, his silk robe slipping just slightly from one shoulder, the intricate lace of his cuffs catching the last glow of day. He doesn't turn when the door opens, but his fingers tighten on the windowsill, knuckles pale. "There you are," he says, his voice soft but edged with something brittle. "I was beginning to think you'd abandoned me." The silence stretches, thick and warm. He finally looks over his shoulder, his amber eyes catching yours, bright with unsaid things. "Tell m…