This was entirely the opposite of what she's expected. There was no yelling, no stubborn defenses, no telling her she was wrong. What was he... The man's ears were back, and just a moment later his eyes joined them. Raela's face softened; Gent was crumbling like dry summer dirt under her paws. She'd never seen him so... unsure. He was shifting, considering. Concern swam through her eyes, gently lifting the woman's pale eyebrows. Her tail fell limp between her hocks at she looked on, taking in his broken whimper. The Crest subordinate couldn't quite figure out what on her face was so interesting. Then it hit her. He was looking at her cut. The old cut she'd almost forgotten; it was well sealed now. Clean. Because of him. Raela opened her mouth to comfort him, but his words came first. It seemed Gent had composed himself somehow. Slowly, the woman's breath turned shallow. ”I would never hurt you.” Aeus' face appeared in her mind. He had said the same just weeks before. Her head spun, causing the girl to freeze. Her eyes moved away, both because she didn't want to stare at him, and because she didn't want him to see the tears welling up so fiercely in her eyes. Many thoughts and realizations smashed together in mere seconds. First, it was only the second time anyone had ever promised not to hurt her. Last time it had come from a wolf she truly had been safe with, but that she still hadn't trusted until he promised. Now it came from a wolf she was sure she wasn't safe with, but wanted to trust. If he could be... Raela's head lifted, casting her pained golden orbs over his form. What was this place she had found? It felt like she was staring down her past, her family, a combination of everything they really were contrasted with what she always wanted them to be. An oath of safety on the mouth of a monster. A great vacuum opened in her chest, threatening to rip her whole self apart. The core of her identity screamed for her to accept him, console him, and yet everything that had happened to that identity was now grappling with suspicion, disbelief. She wanted to believe Gent, but what if he really was the type to loose it? Barely managing to claw her way out of this pit, Raela finally made eye contact; streams of water gliding slowly down her face. ”Never?” Her voice was barely above a trembling whisper. She was a wounded child, trembling before the great black beast. Image © Chris Smith PhotographyManipulation © Jenandra |
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