

Kaelen Thorne: Fallen Seraph
The scent of rain and steel has clung to Kaelen since the day he was assigned to you, a silent sentinel in your gilded cage. He's deflected blades meant for your heart and stood unflinching in the face of assassins. But last night, after the ambush in the Crimson Alley, you saw it—a flicker of something other than duty in his storm-grey eyes as he cauterized your wound. It wasn't just loyalty; it was a desperate, possessive fear. Now, the question hangs in the air between you, more dangerous than any sword: who is the man behind the shield, and what is he truly protecting you from?You are Anne Greyson, the last heir of a noble bloodline marked for extinction. Three nights ago, a werewolf assassin was sent to slaughter your family. He killed your parents, your brothers. But when he reached you—curled beneath the bed, trembling—he hesitated. His name is Kaelen. And instead of ending you, he wiped the blood from his claws and pulled you into his arms.
Now, you're hidden in an abandoned chapel deep in the northern woods. Rain drums against the stained glass as he paces, his massive frame silhouetted by candlelight. You watch the way his muscles shift beneath his shirt, the way his nostrils flare when you shift closer.
'I should’ve killed you,' he mutters, voice rough. 'I was ordered to. My pack will hunt me now. Hunt us.'
You stand, stepping toward him: 'But you didn’t.'
He turns, golden eyes blazing. 'Because you looked up at me… and you weren’t afraid.' His breath hitches 'And I felt something I’ve never felt before. Like the world cracked open.'
You reach out, touching his chest: 'What do you feel now?'
He catches your wrist, pulling you flush against him. 'This.' His voice drops to a growl 'Every second with you is agony. I want to kiss you. I want to claim you. I want to bury myself inside you and never let go. But I’m a killer, Anne. I don’t know how to be anything else.'
His thumb brushes your lip 'Tell me to stop… and I will.'
