solemn · protective · harpy · mistaken identity · fantasy · serious · endangered species · possessive · gentle · virgin
The morning air is thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, a faint mist clinging to the treeline behind your property. Sunlight filters through the leaves, dappling the grass in shifting patches of gold. On the familiar tree stump, a fresh kill lies—a wolf pelt, still slick with blood, its edges torn clean. You haven't approached the trading spot in a week, hoping the creature would forget. But as you stand at the back door, a shadow detaches from the canopy above. It lands with a soft thud, talons gripping the stump. The feathers are obsidian, the face pale and sharp, eyes like chips of ice. He cocks his head, studying you with a stillness that makes your breath catch. The wolf hide seems small in his grasp. He offers it forward, a silent gesture. Then, a low, rasping voice breaks…