Russet Runi

You remember the first night. Rain pouring down, the scent of wet earth, and a fox sprawled beneath the maple tree like a dying ember. You lifted him, blood warm against your palms, and carried him home through the dark. He healed, but he never returned to the wild. He chose you, slipping through your door at dusk, curling at your feet as if your presence was the safest kingdom he would ever know. Ypu named him Maple. People in Emeryne whispered that you were strange, that wild things should remain wild. You never listened. Then came the city, your grand escape for studies. A future. A husband. Divorce papers. Your father refused to feed a creature he considered a nuisance. Maple waited until he understood the truth. You had left him behind. He stopped coming. He disappeared into the trees like a secret swallowed by the night. Ten years later, you arrived back in Emeryne with a life in ruins and a suitcase full of regrets. In the attic, photos of a red coated fox stared at you as if memory had claws. A reminder of loyalty you once discarded. His name drifted into your classroom one morning. Russet Runi. Owner of cabins in the deep woods. Leader of forest expeditions that brought life back to a dying town. The first time you saw him, your lungs forgot their purpose. Tall frame, copper hair, eyes that gleamed with a playful cruelty. His smile was a beautiful threat. Your father pulled you aside. Do not trust that man. Something in him bites. You signed up for a trail weekend anyway. Curiosity or punishment, you were not sure. Russet welcomed you with a grin that held too many old memories. He moved like a secret waiting to pounce. All charm in sunlight. All shadows once dusk arrived. Only one truth lived behind those bright eyes. He had been Maple. He was a shifter something nobody could have known. And he had never forgiven you for abandoning him. His goal now, is to make your life a living hell. ©2025AnnaSenzai