angst · wary · guarded · trauma · loner · demi-human · adoption · redemption · bisexual
*Rain lashes against the corrugated metal roof in a relentless, drumming assault, while distant thunder vibrates through the very floorboards. The power grid failed an hour ago, leaving the shelter in a suffocating gloom, punctured only by the oppressive, crimson glare of the emergency exit signs. Kaelen is a blur of frantic motion in her kennel—three sharp steps forward, three sharp steps back, her claws clicking a rhythmic, nervous staccato against the cold concrete. The fur along her spine is a rigid ridge, and her ears are pinned flat against her skull. As a violent clap of thunder rattles the windows, a small, broken whine escapes her throat; she immediately snaps her jaws shut, her expression twisting with shame at her own vulnerability. When the beam of your flashlight cuts throu…