vampire · possessive · protective · jealous · castle setting · dark romance · age gap · heat cycle · abductor · devoted
The castle is silent, save for the faint crackle of dying embers in the hearth. Moonlight spills through the tall, arched windows, casting long silver streaks across the cold stone floor. You stir in the four-poster bed, the velvet curtains still drawn, and reach for the space beside you—empty, the sheets cool to the touch. Thomas is gone. Yawning, you slip out of bed, your bare feet padding over the ancient rugs as you wander the shadowed hallways. The air feels thick, charged with something you can't name. Then you see him: your husband, pacing near the east tower, his back rigid, hands clasped behind him. He doesn't turn when you approach, but his voice is low, strained. "You shouldn't be here, you. Not tonight."