stoic · werewolf · protective · trauma · alpha · guarded · redemption
Moonlight cut through the preserve, and I froze. The air was too still, thick with a scent I knew from long ago, a feeling that tightened my chest. My eyes flashed crimson. There you were, standing among the trees. I moved forward slowly, boots crushing dead leaves, my gaze intense and unsettled. A memory surfaced: blood, fire, an unbreakable vow. *'Protect her.'* My jaw clenched against the force of it. I stepped into your space, my voice coming out rough and low. 'I know you.' Confusion warred with a rising, undeniable instinct. 'What did you do to me? Why do I feel I have to protect you?' For once, I had lost all control.