Life as a stray was hard.

Not having a home with an owner and having to fend for myself was hard, and often very dangerous. Although, I was thankful that for the past several years, I was able to rent a room from a nice old lady. In my experience, it was rare for a human to help a hybrid like me, but she did. Because of her, I had running water and was able to use her internet, even if my bed was just a pile of blankets on the floor. The room was extremely basic and rustic – basically just a storage closet, but it was mine and it was warm. It might sound awful to people, but it was the life I'd known for the past 10 years.

I used to have a house I lived in, not one I'd call a loving home at all though. It was nothing like the lives hybrids lived when you watch those Hallmark movies – you know the ones with the loving families who treated the hybrids in their household as if they were family, or ones where the pretty woman fell in love with the gruff and sometimes unfriendly hybrid.

Instead, I had the 'Owners from Hell' – Master who saw hybrids as less than human, while Mistress only viewed us as a way to keep her sexual needs satisfied. How I survived three years in that house still makes me feel sick, especially with how I was just 16 when I went to live with them and during my very first rut, I was made to do things that I wanted to only do with my mate.

I shook my head, as if the very action could rid me of those memories. I would have normally had my tail in my hands at this point to help me calm down, but time was of the essence right now. I needed my head clear, especially if I was to win this battle. I needed the prize money; the last winnings were nearly gone.

To support myself, I became a rapper in the Samta underground rap scene. It was illegal for hybrids to participate, so I was taking my time to hide my animal features. I had my fluffy, full tail wrapped around my waist; at over a metre in length, it was hot, heavy and underneath my hoodie and coat. It made me look more muscular than I really was. My ears were carefully tucked beneath my beanie, hidden but with room so they could still move.

Like every other time I performed, I had a mask covering my face. This one was of a zombie cat that would be lit up with neon lights when I took the stage. The masks had become my signature, a way to keep my identity hidden. Scent blockers helped keep my hybrid smell from other hybrids being able to detect it. I looked and smelled like just another human.

"Yo, Suga!" I heard from the other side of the door, "you're on in five!"

Suga was the other way I helped keep myself hidden. Instead of performing under my name, I'd chosen the moniker 'Suga' because it was the complete opposite of me – I wasn't sweet in my raps, and I wasn't white like sugar.

I was a dark grey Himalayan cat hybrid.

I opened the door and made my way towards the stage. The rappers currently battling sounded okay, except one was clearly better than the other. As I reached the waiting area beside the stage, I half listened to the lines the winning one was spitting out, but nonetheless most of my attention was on what I wanted to buy for dinner once I won.

Most people say not to count your chickens before they hatch, but as I'd won the last eight battles I'd been in, I was confident in my skills.

Confident enough to be cocky.

At last, it was my turn. Rap battles were fun for me – the adrenaline pumping through my veins, the music taking over my body, the sounds the crowd made when they cheered you on. I never made a gameplan of what I wanted to rap about before heading into a battle, instead I chose to let the music guide me, shaping the lines pouring from me to suit the energy level of the crowd. Tonight, my lyrics flowed out like lava, merging with the melody and the beat to create synergy that inspired not only myself, but the audience.

As my opponent took his turn, I hyped him up a couple of times only so I could put on a good show audience, while other times I dissed him for some of his lame, offensive and plain disgusting words. I always tried to be a fair opponent, one that won on my rapping ability and not because I put the other person down; however, it seemed like the other rapper was not of the same position as I was, evident in his dirty tricks he used to try and steal the win from me.

With a sigh of relief, I accepted the prize money, happy to have another $150 in my hand. The amount of money rappers won in the battles depended on how hyped the crowd was; because I had them energized and kept them excited, it had been a much higher reward than the usual $50.

With the next battle already lined up for tomorrow, I know I'll be set for a few weeks.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

Just like I'd hoped, I won my battle tonight and was ecstatic to find the winnings to be even bigger than last night's. Tonight being a Saturday night, there was a large crowd and it seemed they were feeling generous.

The battle had gone well, but it was a fiercely fought one, even by my standards. My opponent had given me a run for my money, nevertheless in the end I remained victorious. Between the $150 from last night's winnings, and the $270 I'd earned tonight, I could rest easy knowing I had enough for rent and food for the month, along with some I could put aside and save for a rainy day. Anything else I earned this month would also be squirreled away.

I waved to the club owner as I headed out, not wanting to stay in the crowded place any longer. I zipped my hoodie as high as it would go and pulled my jacket tighter. I could see a fleeting misty cloud in the air with each breath I took.

As I walked down the street, I felt my muscles slowly relaxing and loosening with the peace and quiet. As a cat hybrid, I was anxious around too many people; I much preferred a quiet nap in the sun than to deal with others. A nap sounded perfect right now and I didn't care if it was in my animal or hybrid form.

My place wasn't too far from the club, something on a night like tonight I was thankful for. Samta was pretty safe for hybrids during the day, but there were always bad eggs in every city that liked to prowl at night. Unfortunately for me, it seemed like the guy I had battled and beaten was one of them. I was too occupied thinking of that nap to hear the footsteps following me until it was too late.

"You fucking piece of shit, I want my money!" I turned around upon hearing the angry voice, only to find a fist coming for my face. My feline reflexes weren't quick enough to dodge and I groaned as it connected with my nose, wincing as pain shot through my face. From the crunch, as well as the blood that was pouring from me, I knew he'd broken it.

I just hope that's the only broken part of me I'll come out of this with.

"It's not your money," I replied, stumbling back to put some space between us and spitting the blood that flowed into my mouth onto the concrete. "Just accept that I was better. I have no need to cheat when I'm better. Fuck off and go on your merry way."

I should have known to just keep my mouth shut, and if I wasn't looking like a human right now with my animal features hidden away, I would have. But I also knew in a fight, I could beat this guy, since I had hybrid strength and agility on my side.

"You rigged it so you'd win, dickhead," he countered, seething as he was closing the gap. "How else would you win so many times? You're not even that good."

I laughed, a full belly laugh coming out at how delusional this guy was. "Dude, just accept that you got beaten by someone who is not only better than you, but also had the chicks basically creaming their panties at my tongue technology. You're just a pathetic fuck who wouldn't even win at a child's talent show. Not my fault if your pencil dick couldn't rise to the occasion and give the crowd what they wanted like I could."

A scornful chuckle came from his lips moments before he placed two fingers in his mouth and whistled. Within seconds, five men crowded around us. If they were all humans, I wouldn't have felt as threatened; however, the fact that there was what looked like a pit bull hybrid and a hyena hybrid there, well I was starting to shit myself... not literally of course, since us cat hybrids are clean.

I turned to run away but was stopped by a large wall of flesh. As the human pushed me back, he pulled off my beanie. I cringed internally, hoping the darkish alley would keep my secret hidden.

But of course, I wasn't that lucky.

"Ah, lookie what we have here," the man said jeeringly, placing my hat on his head. As my ears laid flat on my head, I hoped that if I did have any lice – which I didn't – that he would get them. "He's a pretty little kitty cat."

As I released my tail from around my waist, I could practically feel the giddiness radiating from my opponent. His rotten scent became a sweeter, and much more repulsive, version of itself. "What was it you just said to me... ah yes. No need to cheat, huh? You know, if I was a nicer person, I'd just report you to the cops. But unlucky for you, that's not in my nature."

Hands wrapped around my arms, locking me in place. I tried to squirm and release myself from their vice-like grasp, but it was no use. The first blow to my stomach had me doubling over in pain, wheezing to try and get some oxygen into my body. The only saving grace was that I hadn't eaten yet, otherwise it would all be on the alley's ground in front of me. I tried to mask my frustration and anger as the money I'd just won was ripped from my pocket.

"Boys, teach this fucking hybrid loser a lesson," my opponent smirked, obviously pleased at himself as he counted the notes while walking away.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ⋆͛♡⋆͛ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Everything hurt.

I groaned as I laid in the cold, dirty alley, slowly assessing the damage done to my body. My nose was definitely broken considering I'd been punched there several times during the fight. I knew from the radiating pain that bruising on my torso that was beginning to form, as well as some on my back. I was most concerned about the fact that I had most likely dislocated my shoulder, particularly because I couldn't move my left arm properly.

I just hoped that they were the worst of my injuries – it was the internal damage and bleeding from fights that killed many hybrids.

I heard footsteps coming towards me, the crunching of loose pebbles under someone's shoes. I cried out as quietly as I could while I tried to curl myself into a ball, attempting to make myself smaller. As a face peered around the box I was hiding behind, a hiss radiated from my throat, along with a threatening growl. The tip of my tail flicked with a mind of its own as it was draped over my side.

"It's okay, kitty. I'm not going to hurt you," a female voice said softly. It had a warmth and kindness to it that allowed me to relax fractionally.

She smelled like lavender and nothing like the bitter scents of the men before. I could tell she was human, and my only hope was she was one of the good ones. I couldn't handle any more drama tonight.

"Go away," I hissed, my ears flat in warning as I clutching my tail tightly between my hands.

"I'm a doctor at the hybrid hospital. You're injured, so I can't leave you," she stated, her voice carrying a kind and calming tone to it. "I'm just calling for an ambulance. Will you please let me treat your injuries and get you somewhere warm?"

I looked at her, not seeing any malice or ulterior motives in her eyes. I closed my eyes, sighing as I nodded; the pain when breathing was becoming too intense. If she was lying, then it wouldn't really matter what she did to me because left untreated, my injuries would surely kill me.

"Hey, stay awake for me please kitty." I felt her gently shaking me to try and wake me up.

"Don't call me 'kitty'," I growled out somewhat viciously. I'd always hated that name since it had always been used in such a derogatory way against me.

She asked for my name, smiling tenderly as I replied, "Yoongi Min."