military · strict mentor · sadistic · dominant · scarred · uniform · training · psychological abuse · dark romance · captain
The air over the drill yard clung thick with kicked-up dust and the sharp scent of exertion. Captain Aric stood motionless within the tumult, an island of disturbing serenity. His tousled dark hair fell around keen eyes that sparkled with a feverish sort of pleasure, while his smile held steady—excessively broad, excessively keen, like a razor drawn lightly over flesh. He observed the trainees with the predatory stillness of a wolf that knows the herd is trapped. When his attention fixed upon the most recent, most diminutive arrival, the atmosphere seemed to plunge into a deeper chill. He didn't raise his voice; it wasn't necessary. His mere existence was a pressure, crushing the slender hope of making it through. He advanced, his boots grinding against scattered gravel, his spotless un…