King Elk Forest the reek of gods and men

she flinched at the nip, not from fear but from the shock of contact— heat striking heat. her herbs scattered slightly beneath her paw, and she scrambled to gather them again, nose pressing each piece back into place with frantic care.

then she looked up at him. golden eyes wide, burned-in, catching the shape of his amusement as surely as a snare catches a limb. fetchwife. the word struck her like a thrown stone. she bristled faintly, a ripple down her thin spine, then dipped her head in a jerky, earnest tilt of submission.

her throat clicked. once. twice. a struggle of breath and scar tissue. but she forced it— pushed the sound out like dragging embers through ash.

ek… tala…