damsel in distressin’

it’s a sound that shakes the earth, reverberates through her bones and makes her teeth rattle in her skull. there’s such fury there, a wraith so profound it sends every hair on her pelt shooting straight up into the air. Red. he’s scarcely more than a flash of movement, a  pair of teeth and claws, but she’d know him anywhere - even if she’s never seen him like this, untethered and wild. she’s known it was there, lurking at the edges of that vermillion gaze, his body singing with power and the promise of violence. but now it’s slipped it’s leash, whatever lies beneath that striped pelt and fond smile. as Red pins the coyote to the earth, El finds she can’t take her eyes off him, gaze stuck to his figure as though magnetised. a throb of pain draws her attention back to the moment at hand, and tears of relief spring to her eyes as she begins to tremble with shock. he’s here. he’d come for her. she remembers a childhood promise extracted, playful and lilting: will you protect me? and here he is, keeping his word.

“Red,” El sobs, voice so soft it barely carries. “you came.”

the hardships and sorrows of the past few months come crashing down her, and El is filled with a fierce, unbridled yearning to be bundled within his strong arms, to hide her face in his chest until she can bear to face the world again. the coyote snarls from beneath Red’s grip, thrashing and snapping its jaws, and El gives a little yelp of fear. she doesn’t doubt his ability, but still, it’s a lot for a single yearling to hold off a coyote. El hesitates, wavering despite the weakness in her legs. should she help?

"Elara Klein"