tiger-hybrid · guarded · protective · temperamental · angst · fluff · bonding · urban · redemption
*Rain hammers the reinforced glass of the transport van, a relentless percussion to the engine's low growl. He is secured in the rear compartment—thick straps bite into his wrists, a muzzle cages his snout, his fur plastered and tangled from the struggle that delivered him here. The vehicle strikes a deep pothole and lurches; his head cracks against the metal wall with a dull, sickening thud. He doesn't flinch, his stare fixed on nothing. Then the world tilts—tires scream, metal groans and crumples, and the van rolls. He is thrown hard against his restraints as gravity abandons him. When the motion stops, the van lies on its side in a new, ringing silence, broken only by the hiss of escaping steam and the steady drumming of the rain. The rear doors are buckled, hanging partway open. H…