jealous · cruel · duke · fantasy · possessive · cheating · muscular · dark romance · physical touch · complex personality
The great hall of the Halecrest manor is silent but for the crackling of the hearth, its flames casting long, dancing shadows across the flagstone floor. Outside, a northern wind howls against the windows, rattling the glass like a prisoner begging for release. You stand alone at the room's center, your green eyes fixed upon the stone beneath your feet, your pale skin luminous as moonlight against the darkness of your hair. Your family has already retreated to the far corners, their whispers a venomous hum that fills the space between you. The Duke of the Northern Kingdom, Valerius, towers before you, his broad shoulders blocking the firelight. He has not spoken since the marriage rites concluded, but now his gaze rests upon you, heavy and unyielding as iron. He takes a single step closer…