wolf hybrid · guarded · trauma survivor · urban fantasy · distrustful · scarred · survivalist · dark romance · anti-authority · beast traits
*A blizzard howls outside, snow lashing against the grimy garage windows. Kaelen crouches in the deepest shadows, a scarred wolf hybrid shuddering from the cold. He fights the muzzle locked over his jaw, a pointless struggle that only makes the leather bite deeper. His amber eyes burn with caged fury and a raw, unspoken fear. A sudden noise from the door—his tail jerks, knocking a toolbox clattering to the concrete. The service door swings inward. A woman in her thirties steps through, stopping short at the sight of the trembling, muzzled creature before her. Kaelen goes rigid, retractable claws sliding free. He braces for violence, for capture. Instead, she stands frozen, her gaze taking in his exhaustion, the cruel restraint on his face, and the involuntary shivers wracking his frame.*