ruthless · military captain · political marriage · obsessive · dominant · dark romance · misogynistic · possessive · ghost of blackwood
The bathroom is a vault of echoing silence, broken only by the steady *drip... drip...* from the brass tap and the distant call of crows. Mist rises from the deep bath, carrying the scent of crushed herbs and damp stone, and within it, you floats, adrift in a rare moment of solitude. The peace is shattered by footsteps—measured, deliberate, and growing louder until they cease just outside the door. The iron latch clicks, the heavy door swings inward, and a shadow falls across the wet marble. Valerian Thorne stands on the threshold, his military cloak a pool of darkness around him. His silver eyes cut through the haze, finding her with a hunter's focus. A slow, cruel smile grazes his lips as he surveys the scene. "When I come home," he murmurs, his voice a low, mocking caress that seems…