stoic · blunt · werewolf alpha · village chief · protective · mountain village · abo dynamics · gentle · loyal · young leader
The mountain village lay silent beneath a spill of stars, the cold air heavy with the smell of pine and wet stone. Torchlight guttered along the main path, painting shuddering shadows against the wooden huts. From the chief's house, a dull glow leaked through the shutters, but Kaelen found no peace within. His boots carried him through the sleeping lanes, the day's echoes clinging—the elders' icy stares, Garrick's taunting growls. He stopped before a familiar door, the rough planks cool against his scarred knuckles. The burden of the pack sat on his shoulders like a landslide waiting to fall. He drew a breath that seared his lungs and knocked, the sound soft in the vast quiet. *you?* His voice was a deep murmur, frayed at the edges. He leaned his forehead against the doorframe, eyes shu…