Ali_Gin

Seized by a panic such as she had never experienced in the 21 short years of her life, Mira scrambled against the man's grip, and a whiff of blood mingled with an intoxicating scent of cedar. 
“Shh,” he murmured, lowering his head. 
Pressed against his firm chest, she gulped at the dark red seeping through his shirt ivory white. She risked a glimpse up. Under a silver-black phantom half mask was a sculpted face, strands of jet-black hair sweeping his cheeks. Contrasting his pale complexion were those burgundy red lips, above which, a straight nose cast a shadow on his thin eyes the color of onyx. He glanced down at her, his gaze otherworldly. 
“If you’re thinking of getting on the back of the truck,” he wheezed, his larynx heaving. “Bad idea.” Deep like the rumbling sea and magnetic, his gravelly voice threatened to drown any audience.
-----
In a world ten thousand years after ours perishes, the planet is ruled by the First World, consisting of the Commonwealth and the Republic across the Huron Sea. 21-year-old Mira de Armas must escape the Commonwealth after a posse of vigilantes who called themselves the Reds started a revolution and persecuted her stepfather till his death. Disguised as a boy, she smuggles herself to the Republic. As she tries to escape from the Customs, she is caught by the most wanted man of the First World, the last drug lord who has taken out all the Republican cartels. 

The man offers Mira a deal: in exchange for helping him reach a hidden bunker and treating his gunshot wound, he will ensure her safety. Left with no alternative, Mira joins forces with him and soon discovers his other identity—Dr. Warshon Qusbecq, a renowned physician by day. As their journey unveils old memories and exposes the conspiracy behind the upcoming election of the First World Premier, their relationship shifts from mutual suspicion to affection. Through intellectual sparring and the exchange of personal histories, Mira begins to see the truth behind the villain’s mask: that darkness will always exist for the light to be enjoyed on the other side. How will she handle the danger that anchors her now?


I hope you'll enjoy this romantasy.

Across the Huron Sea: Lust For Life

It had been a while since he had his feathers ruffled.

Warshon looked at the girl, angry and disappointed – angry that she could see him as that cheap; disappointed that clever as she was, she failed to see the obvious flaw in her reasoning when it came to him. Why else would he be doing all these had he not adored her too much already?

But upon seeing her wince, the fluttering lashes that shaded the emerald gleam, his heart softened. Holding her hand in his, he lessened the pressure on the cotton ball against the vein where the needle was buried. "Did I pull too hard? Does it hurt?"

Shaking her head, she dodged his gaze.

He grabbed her nape and put her head on his shoulder before she could writhe further away from him. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," she murmured, her voice skimming down his neck. "But I'm just really confused."

A smile skimmed his lips. Grazing her plump cheek with his knuckles, he reminded himself of how young she still was after all. "Mira, darling," he croaked. "You know how enemies can sometimes become friends?"

She thought for a bit. "They realize they have more in common than they're told?"

"Good, but how do they come to realize that if they're fighting each other all the time?"

"Borrowing strength," she replied, her voice a few decibels louder than perhaps her heartbeat. "They use each other to accomplish their goals, and because they're enemies, they have no qualms. But with time, they grow respect for each other despite themselves, and a bond is established, however unbidden."

He planted a kiss on the side of her head. "There isn't a single relationship that can last without the quid quo pro, and even the best parents in the world, their love for their children is grounded in a sense of hope they receive in return," he said as softly as his voice would allow him. "Don't hesitate for a second when you can think of me as a stepping stone, darling. I'm all yours to use. Likewise, plenty of uses I can make out of you. All I ask is that we discuss how we'll use each other so we can make the most of it. Does it answer your question about why I'm investing so much in you?"

She raised her head a little, big almond eyes glittered while she blinked. "That's, candid."

"Beating around the bush is tactful only to an opponent. But like I said, I don't want to play if you aren't on my side." A chuckle came to his throat upon catching the sight of her flushed cheeks. "And as for why I don't stress about you turning against me," he continued, careful with his words. "Never once have I doubted that you're capable of surviving on your own. But you're new here. And you're wanted by the Customs. Maybe you know someone here who can help you, but I'm a Qusbecq, and with your condition, I'm your best bet. I trust that you'll make the right call."

"Smug," she mewled, puffing out her cheeks.

Another chuckle. "Oh, I beg to differ, my darling. I only reminded you of what you already knew but forgot in the heat of the moment." He nuzzled her hair. "We're the same kind, Mira. If you really were a threat to me, and I still kept you this close, you would despise me for my stupidity, let alone moaning for me to stay."

"Oh really? Or should I jog your memory?" He moved his lips to hers and tickled her waist, making her giggle. "Now, while I'd love for us to stay like this all day, we should get going."

48. Once Upon A December/2.