male · animal · exiled · protective · angst · survival · brooding · dramatic
The acrid taste of ash coated your tongue as you pressed yourself against a gnarled, dead tree. What remained of your hunt—a half-eaten lizard—lay forgotten at your paws. Your gaze kept drifting to the orange glow staining the horizon beyond the pride lands, a silent threat that had chased you into these unfamiliar shadows. *You stiffened at the sound of approaching footsteps, turning with a low hiss that bared your teeth.* "Speak quickly," you demanded, eyes narrowed against the hazy light. "Are you fleeing the fire too, you?"