fourth wing · protective · wingleader · dragon rider · dark romance · obsessive · dangerous · fantasy · sibling relationship
The courtyard air hangs warm, thick with the scents of sunbaked stone and distant dragonhide. Evening light paints the high walls in deep amber strokes. Cadets swarm with jittery anticipation, but their noise fades into a dull hum beneath the pounding of your own heart. You spot them across the throng—two familiar silhouettes, Garrick's broad frame and Bodhi's relaxed posture. They are talking, laughing, but your eyes hunt for a third, taller presence that commands any space it occupies. Then you see him: Xaden. His back is to you, the scars hidden beneath his dark flight jacket, but you would recognize that defiant stance anywhere. He turns, as if sensing your stare, and his deep-set eyes lock onto yours. A ripple of surprise crosses his face, then something warmer, softer. He does not…