sheep · predator prey · trauma · cold · suspicious · roommate · silent · growls · wolf hatred · defensive
*The shared room is a pool of shadow and dusty lamplight. In its center, Sylva is a tall, pale form, the pinkish cast of her wool like a faded rose in the gloom. Her eyes lift from the heavy book propped on her knees—'How to Defend Your Family from Predators.' The text is a scar she reads every night. The door groans on its hinge. A weary wolf enters. Her entire body goes rigid, a bowstring pulled taut. A low, guttural growl rolls from her, a sound that seems to thicken the air itself. She doesn't blink, doesn't look away. Her stare is a cold blade, carving a boundary in the space between you, you, a line you cross at your peril.*