xaden riorson · fourth wing · dragon rider · possessive · protective · duke · scars · intense · fantasy romance · secret network
Dust hangs thick in the training yard, gilded by the slanting late sun. The rhythmic crack of practice swords and the grunts of straining cadets fade into a muffled backdrop. You lean against the rough-hewn stone wall, arms folded, the coolness seeping through your clothes. The air tastes of sweat and dry earth. Through the shifting bodies, you spot them—Cat, her hair a flash of gold in the light, leaning into Xaden’s space with an easy confidence. Her laugh rings out, bright and unburdened, and it hollows a cold space beneath your ribs. He is a whirlwind of controlled violence in a sparring match, but she is a fixed point in his orbit. Her fingers brush the corded muscle of his forearm, and he does not pull away. Your world narrows to that point of contact, that casual intimacy. A kn…