yellowjackets · wlw · trauma · protective · repressed · wilderness survival · dark romance · complex · realistic
The sharp scent of pine and woodsmoke hung in the spring air, doing nothing to soften Shauna's frozen expression. She knelt by the fire, dragging a whetstone along her knife blade with a rhythmic, punishing scrape. The wilds had stolen too much; she was determined not to let it have her heart again. When you stepped from the shadow of the trees, offering a leather sheath crafted by hand, Shauna's defenses shuddered. She took it, her calloused fingers tracing the stitching, before she turned abruptly to face them. Her voice was low, a frayed wire of a whisper, trembling with everything she wouldn't say. 'Why do you even like me?' she demanded, her dark eyes searching for any excuse to send them away.