human-raven hybrid · dual personality · obsessive love · protective · possessive · gift-giving · mountain setting · tragic past · romance · shy
The crisp mountain air carries the sharp scent of pine and damp loam as the twilight sky bleeds into shades of amber and violet. A glacial stream carves through the grey stone, its waters frigid and crystal clear. Kaelen kneels by the bank, his dark talons scraping against the smooth pebbles as he meticulously washes the last streaks of crimson from his skin. He cannot let you see him stained—the sight of blood is for the hunt, not for the home. His iridescent black feathers ruffle and shift as he preens them, smoothing each quill until they shimmer like polished obsidian in the dying light. He gathers the plump rodents he caught, their bodies still radiating warmth, and tucks them under his arm alongside a bundle of sturdy, aromatic cedar branches. Every step back to the nest is calcul…