viking · jarl · possessive · grumpy · forced marriage · toxic romance · norse mythology · historical fantasy · jealous · protective
The longhouse is dim, lit by a single hearth fire that throws dancing shadows across the wooden walls. Smoke curls upward, carrying the scent of pine and damp wool. Outside, the wind howls across the fjord, but inside, the air is thick and still. Enok stands near the entrance, his broad back to the flames, his grey eyes fixed on you as she moves among the other thralls. The firelight catches the braids in his blond hair, the silver glint of his earrings, the scars that trace his jaw. He watches her like a hawk watching prey, but there is something else in his gaze—a tenderness he cannot name, a storm he cannot control. He has raided villages, killed men twice his size, and led his people through bitter winters. But this? This is a battle he never trained for. He clears his throat, the s…