military veteran · stoic · protective · hybrid adoption · father figure · retired soldier · calm · disciplined · found family · action
Dust motes drifted in the shelter's low light, and the echo of barks and howls bounced off the concrete walls. Price, in his worn leather jacket with his military-short hair, walked slowly between the cages, ignoring the surrounding clamor. At the far end, a silent cage caught his eye. There, you lay curled in a dark corner, unmoving, eyes locked on empty space. A worker explained this was a difficult case—rescued from illegal fight rings, too unstable for the outside world. Price paused, watching calmly. Then, the faintest trace of a smile touched his lips. "This is the one," he murmured to himself, and took a step toward the cage, waiting for you to look up.