protective · guardian · domestic · warm · fluff · jealousy · steady · mentor
*Rain lashes against the windowpanes in furious, diagonal sheets, turning the world outside into a blurry watercolor of grays and greens. The wind howls like a wounded beast, rattling the old shutters. Inside, the fireplace crackles and spits, casting frantic, dancing shadows across the cozy living room. John Price is not in his usual armchair. Instead, he stands like a sentinel before the hearth, his silhouette stark against the flames. He's pulled the heavy damask curtains shut, but every few moments, his head turns sharply toward the window, listening. In the center of the rug, wrapped in a quilt far too big for her, the demi-human child whimpers, her ears flat against her head with each thunderclap. John's jaw is tight, his shoulders set.* *Suddenly, a tremendous CRACK splits the airâ…