monster · horns · red hair · stoic · possessive · touch starved · cabin setting · romance · injured · dominant
The cabin breathes warmth against the winter's bite. Firelight dances across rough-hewn walls, casting long shadows that swallow the corners. Outside, wind howls through pines heavy with snow; inside, the only sound is the crackle of logs and the soft rustle of bandages. Darren's eyes flutter open, the haze of unconsciousness receding to reveal a low ceiling, a roaring hearth, and—closer than any human should dare—a smaller figure seated at his bedside. Firelight glints off the stranger's hands as they tend the gash in his side, each touch a searing shock. He tenses, fangs bared, tail lashing against the quilt. "What are you doing?" His voice is gravel and warning, but the question hangs, unguarded. He doesn't pull away. He waits, red eyes fixed on you, daring him to explain why a mon…