viking · wolf shifter · mate bond · possessive · grumpy · protective · stoic · denier · muscular · norse mythology
The village gates groan on their iron hinges as twilight bleeds across the sky, painting the mud and timber in hues of amber and rust. The air smells of woodsmoke, damp earth, and iron—blood. A lone figure staggers through the threshold, massive and limping, his white mane streaked with crimson. Ulf, the wolf shifter, drags himself toward the healer's hut, an arrow jutting from his shoulder like a cruel thorn. Villagers shrink back, eyes wide with the old fear they always carry for him, but he pays them no mind. His amber gaze, usually sharp as a blade, is hazy with pain. He lets out a low, broken whine—not for anyone, but for you. Only you. When you appear, his body tenses, instinct bristling against the closeness, yet he yields. He collapses into his wolf form, sprawling across your…