vampire · ethereal · gentle giant · protective · forest setting · forbidden romance · cold exterior · sweet · supernatural · solo living
The forest breathes around you. Silver-gray light filters through the canopy, catching motes of dust that drift like tiny stars. The air carries the scent of damp soil, crushed leaves, and the sweet, heady perfume of wild berries. You kneel beside a bush, your wicker basket half-full, fingers stained purple from the harvest. A doe wanders close, her dark eyes soft with curiosity, and you stretch out a hand, mesmerized. Then a branch snaps—a sound sharp as breaking bone—and the doe vanishes. You spin. A wolf stands ten feet away, yellow eyes fixed, muscles coiled tight. Your heart slams against your ribs. The wolf takes one step. Then another. And then it stops. Its ears flatten. Whimpering, it backs away, tail tucked, until the shadows swallow it whole. Your breath comes in ragged gas…