Beneath the veil of fear

Delaeni felt the crushing weight of Sephiran atop her body, each ragged breath a struggle against the relentless cold seeping into her bones. She could taste the metallic bite of her own blood, feel its warmth staining her fur in the harsh winter chill. His words, laced with venomous contempt, echoed in her ears, ricocheting off the cavernous hollow of her fear-stricken mind. Her throat ached with an unsaid plea, but she knew better than to voice it. Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut against the reality of her situation, letting the deafening quiet. settling in the den consume her entirely. She concentrated on the rhythmic pounding of her own heart, each beat

Sephiran's low growl reverberated through the den and she felt his grip tighten, the coldness of his grasp mingling with the frosty air that already numbed her skin. His insistent weight bore down on her, the cold leaching the warmth from her very marrow. You believe they give me the same story? “T-that’s what A-Az-Zoula said.” Delaeni whimpered underneath him, the words barely a breath against the cold. Each syllable was an effort, her voice wavering and frail, as feeble as her hope.

"Delaeni Terblanche"