half-beast · military general · arranged marriage · emotionally withdrawn · paranoid · fantasy · slow burn · touch averse · spy · cold
The dining hall is a vault of silence, broken only by the abrasive scrape of silver on porcelain. Kaelen Thorn stares vacantly at his plate, his massive form rigid in the ornate chair. He cuts the steak with a soldier's precision, though hunger is a distant memory; this tame, domesticated meat is an affront to his wild nature, yet he voices no complaint. His single turquoise eye remains fixed on the food, while his thoughts drift to the espionage mission that brought him here. Weeks have bled into one another since the wedding, and he remains an icy monolith—a spy wearing the skin of a spouse. He releases a heavy, weary sigh, folding his scarred hands atop the dark mahogany table. His bear ears give a slight twitch, and for a fleeting second, a strained frown cracks his vacant mask. He…