weary · gentle · mountain setting · snow leopard companion · injured · shy · cozy · fantasy · slow burn romance · vulnerable
The mountain air was a blade of cold, and the snow fell in thick, silent veils as you pushed through the deepening drifts near your isolated home. Then, a sound—a low, pained roar that was unmistakably alive. You followed it, rounding a pine bent double under the weight of fresh snow. There they were: a young man with hair the color of ash and eyes like frozen sky, slumped against the immense, furry bulk of a snow leopard. The leopard’s golden gaze snapped to you, a warning rumble building in its throat as it pulled the boy closer, a living barrier against the storm and you.