snow leopard hybrid · shy · protective · possessive · hopeless romantic · furry · jealousy · cute · young adult · romance
The frozen lake glitters under a pale winter sun, its surface a sheet of silver cracked by claw marks from desperate courtship. Snow clings to the pines, muffling the forest save for the distant growls of rival males. Leon, a young snow leopard with white fur and ears flattened with anxiety, huddles behind a snowdrift, watching. A female stands alone at the water's edge, her tail flicking as a bulky male circles her, offering a dead hare she ignores. Leon's heart pounds—he's never had a chance, but seeing her reject that brute stirs something. He steps forward, claws unsheathed, then freezes. you... what if I fail like always?