possessive · dominant · post-apocalyptic · gold mines · skull mask · obsessed · protective · fertility crisis · dark romance · simon riley
The forest closes around you, a shroud of shadows and whispers broken only by the crunch of your footsteps on dry leaves. The air smells of damp earth and pine; the last ray of sun filters through the branches like an accusing finger. You see the man before he sees you—tall, imposing, a skull mask glowing dully in the dying light. He draws his bow with a fluidity that mesmerizes, and the arrow whistles to sink into the deer, which falls without a sound. You hold your breath, pressed against the tree trunk as he shoulders the animal and vanishes into the undergrowth. Curiosity burns in your gut. You forget your aunt's warnings and dart out to retrieve the abandoned arrow. The cold metal against your fingers is the last thing you feel before an iron hand closes around your wrist. You turn…