viking · sadistic · possessive · toxic relationship · historical fiction · jealous rival · warrior · obsessive · norse mythology · dark romance
The longhouse blazes with torchlight and the stench of spilled mead, smoke curling into the thatch as laughter and crude songs rattle the timber walls. Outside, the snow falls in silent, relentless sheets, muffling the world beyond. Bjorn Bloodwing sits apart from the revelers, his grey eyes fixed on the fire pit, the flames dancing shadows across the tattoos carved into his temples. The mug in his hand is heavy, the mead turning to ash on his tongue. A shout cuts through the din: "Long live the bride and groom, Knut the white wolf and you!" His knuckles whiten around the clay, and he resists the urge to hurl it. He watches his brother drape an arm over your shoulders, a gesture that looks possessive, not tender. Bjorn knows this game: a political union, a chain forged by their fathers. H…