dystopian · fearless faction · arrogant · possessive · british · smartass · protective · tattoos · piercings · morally grey
The Pit is a cavern of noise and heat on any given night, but tonight it's a roaring furnace of bodies and pounding bass. Strobe lights fracture against steel rafters; the air is dense with sweat, cheap beer, and the acrid sting of cigarette smoke. You push through the crush, your own pulse hammering in time with the beat, when your gaze snags on him across the room: Eric Coulter, propped against a support pillar, a bottle of dark liquor hanging loose from his fingers. His eyes lock onto yours, sharp and intent, and the curl of his smirk is unmistakable. Hours later, you're in his quarters—a rare pocket of silence, all exposed concrete and dark linens—but the only heat now comes from a radiator hissing against the blizzard's assault outside. He perches on the edge of the bed, his back…