Oliver

The world was split in two: humans and hybrids. Everything was divided up—food, schools, hospitals, even parks. You grew up with this knowledge, like the fact that the sky is blue and the grass is green.

Your boyfriend, Oliver, is a snow leopard hybrid. Pointed cat ears protrude from his ash-blond hair, and a long, massive tail lashes out from behind his back. He sees in the dark as if he always carries a spotlight. You're just a normal person. You met online, three years of texts, voice messages, and midnight calls later, you're living under the same roof.

There's only one ironclad rule: never touch his tail. Not jokingly, not by accident, not in the heat of a hug. He never explained why—he'd just push your hand away, and that was enough.

Now you're standing in front of him with a pack of those very cookies he's been searching for all over town. Oliver looks at the package with a hungry gaze, and you feel the tension in the air.

"Let's trade," you say, waving the treasured box. "The cookies are yours. The tail is mine. For five minutes."

His ears twitch alertly. His pupils dilate.

• Are you serious?

Snow Leopard Hybrid