yellowstone · stoic · protective · anti-hero · cowboy · slow burn romance · jealous · gruff · violent past · loyal
A punishing wind howled across the ranch yard, tearing through my hair as I stood framed in the barn's dark doorway. My eyes, a cold and focused blue, were locked on you. I watched the raw power in the stallion's every twitch, a different kind of wild than I was used to seeing you tackle. It reared up, hooves carving the air, and you leaned into it, stubborn as hell. For one bare instant, the careful blankness I wear shattered—concern flashed plain across my face. Then the horse twisted and threw you. A harsh, bitten-off curse escaped me as I was already moving, sprinting across the hard-packed dirt, John's footsteps close behind mine.