Page 10 of Abdominal Snowman

Would it be better if she froze to death?

Soren groaned silently to himself and eyed her layers of soaking wet, ice-cold clothes. If he wanted to help her, he’d have to undress her.

Soren lifted his head to the ceiling, searching for patience or forgiveness or something. Then he lowered his head, stared at the human, and gently began to rid her of the wet clothes, starting with her puffy jacket.

It was only then Soren got a look at the human as he pulled the fur lined hood back from her face.

Warm, golden skin, though pale from her circumstances, was revealed along with a sheet of soft, auburn hair.

She took his breath away, and he froze for a handful of seconds, just staring.

A chill visibly shook her body, and Soren chastised himself. She needed help and here he was ogling her. Stupid.

“In case you can hear me,” he said softly, sliding the jacket down her arms. “I promise I’m just trying to help. But to do that, you must be naked. Sorry.” He winced. It had been a while since he’d spoken to someone, but couldn’t he have softened that up a bit? He sighed. “What I mean is that you need body warmth, and skin to skin contact is the best. Forgive me.”

Soren thought of himself as a good person, even though he wasn’t a person per se. That was why he averted his eyes as much as possible as he removed the woman’s clothing. However, he was an abominable, and the creamy strips of skin he saw were delectable.

Several minutes later, her socks landed with a wet plop, and he pulled a fur blanket over her. With the thermostat cranked up, Soren was beginning to sweat. He shed his layers and eyed his… patient. Guest? Human.

No, not his human. A human. Yes.

He pressed his pointer and forefinger against her neck, and felt for the softly beating rhythm against his fingertips. Were they usually this slow?

Worry filled him. He didn’t know much about humans, since he tried to avoid them at all costs. He needed to warm her up. But he knew he shouldn’t put her in a hot bath, because that would shock her—or something. That sounded about right.

It needed to be gradual. Natural.

So. It would have to be skin to skin.

He eyed the bed and the tiny little human in the middle, still shivering. As an abominable, Soren ran hotter than the average human temperature, even if he was in his human form. But it was considerably higher when he was a beast, which, for once, was coming in handy.

His human form only generated heat a little bit warmer than the average human’s. His beast form would get the job done a lot faster.

He’d just have to make sure to be human when she woke up.

“Ah, shit,” he whispered, and grabbed her clothes. He ran downstairs to put them in the dryer and raced back to the human’s side.

With a huff, he pulled his layers off. This was to help her.

Once he was bare, Soren took a deep breath, and on his exhale, he felt his body shift and change. When he opened his eyes, he was staring at the room from a much higher point of view. Soren made sure his talons were tucked away and gently knelt on the bed. He tried not to jostle the woman too much as he situated himself in the covers and pulled her close.

He’d lay here until the woman was warm and safe, and then shift back before she woke up.

She’d be okay, and she’d be none the wiser.

Accidentally outing himself to humans wasn’t on his agenda. The last thing he needed was a witch hunt in these mountains. Where would he go?

This was all he had.

As Soren lay there, the woman shifted close against him, seeking his warmth, and he wondered how long it had been since he’d felt this.

The closeness of another being.

He huffed. Years, at the least.

Soren would never expect anything in return for helping this human, but what she didn’t know was that she was helping him too. This was… nice. The dip of the bed where her body lay, the weight of her rolled against him. Simply the presence of another being.

Something he’d almost forgotten.