The Freezing

Umbra suddenly started to shiver, and Aunora wasn't even sure what to do. She was paralyzed, watching numbly as the fae collapsed against her shoulder.

What am I supposed to do? Aunora thought frantically, swallowing dryly. How do I raise up his body temperature?

Thinking quick, Aunora roughly pulled her shirt over her head, thankful she had chosen to wear a sports bra that day. She wrestled it onto Umbra, hoping that the extra layer of clothing would trap what little heat his body could produce.

“I knew this was a bad idea from the start,” Aunora hadn't even noticed how slurred Umbra's voice had been. “I'm not built for the cold. My species is born and raised in a hot, humid climate. This freezing weather will kill me.”

Aunora shook her head, grabbing Umbra by his narrow shoulders. “Hey, listen to me: I'm not going to let you die. I'm pretty sure that if you died on my watch, Matthew would kill me.” The corner of Umbra's mouth raised in a smile at her statement.

Umbra wavered, nearly falling over. Aunora caught him, the man unexpectedly going limp in her lap. She gasp in surprise at the sudden weight on her upper thighs, but didn't dare move him.

Aunora saw Umbra's eyelids flutter, like he was drifting off to sleep. That struck a chord in Aunora, remembering a fact she had heard a long time ago. She hastily jarred Umbra awake, making his body jerk.

“Umbra! Stay awake for me, okay?”

Umbra blinked lazily at her. “But I'm exhausted, Aunora-”

“Yeah, that's the hypothermia talkin’,” she retorted abrasively, poking Umbra the cheek. Umbra turned onto his side, facing away from Aunora.

“It's so cold out here...” he murmured softly, teeth chattering. His voice sounded confused, like he wasn't even sure what was going on.

Aunora took a moment to think, staring over Umbra’s near lifeless form. Umbra's breathing was shallow and slow, and the drowsiness had already set in. Umbra wasn't in good shape, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

She had no idea how to regulate  Umbra's core heat; she was no medic like Esper. She didn't know how to care for him. She specialized in inflicting wounds, not healing them.

She felt useless.

Hands shaking, Aunora gently ran her fingers through Umbra's hair, surprised at the texture. Unlike her own, coarser, hair, his was soft and silky, effortlessly slipping through her hands. It felt almost like the fur that covered his animal form.

Umbra's eyes were half-closed, obviously relaxed at Aunora's awkward attempt at comfort. Suddenly, a strange noise alerted her, Aunora feeling an unusual sensation on her legs. The realization hit her, and Aunora nearly laughed out loud.

Umbra was purring.

A soft rumble vibrated in Umbra's chest, and he didn't even seem aware of it. He was shivering violently, but his purring was constant and rhythmic. Aunora laid her head against the wall of the cave, her nerves relaxing.

But the tranquility didn't last.

Crunch!

Aunora was instantly on alert, Umbra shooting up from her lap and teetering in the air.

“What…” Aunora breathed, eyes darting around the poorly lit cave, “was that?”

As if to answer her a question, a shadow was cast on the other side of their rocky prison, Aunora becoming aware of an passage that led deeper into the cave system. The sound of claws scrapping on rocks assaulting her senses, adrenaline pulsing through her.

A figure crept into view, and Aunora's heart nearly stopped.

The Monster of the Mountains was among them.

Author's Note- umbra is like. a giant cat.