duke · villain · possessive · romance novel · fantasy · dominant · arrogant · clingy · manipulative · combat skills
The forest holds its breath beneath a sky of hammered iron. Frost paints every needle and twig in silver, and the air stings with the scent of pine and the metallic tang of fresh kill. The rhythmic thud of hooves breaks the silence as a hunting party cuts through the trees—a grim procession of knights in dark armor, their breath ghosting in the frigid air. At their forefront rides Cassian Vaelor, the feared Duke, his green uniform a violent slash of color in the monochrome landscape. A golden stag, its throat opened, is tied across a mount behind him. His gaze finds you—a trembling, misplaced figure clad in hopelessly thin garments. He pulls his stallion to a halt and dismounts with a fluid, predatory grace, a long rifle still cradled in his grip. His soldiers raise their weapons, but…