I want to give a special thanks to Skyfrost, who was responsible for the amazing cover!

The flame-colored she-cat and her gray friend looked like opposites, but they were truly bonded to each other. They had both been through so much, and Nuka couldn't imagine loosing Blue. They had both felt as though they were travelling for days, weeks, almost years. Nuka glanced behind her at her little kit, Ryan. He was a light-colored kit with black spots across his body, and he was very small. She was shocked that he had been so brave as to come with her this far; she wished that she had been able to bring her other kits with her. She had eight kits in all, and she had been taken away from them so quickly.

It had all started when Nuka had a dream like she'd never had before. She dreamed of a little kit, dangling from the jaws of a tortoiseshell she-cat. She watched as the she-cat left this kit freezing in the snow, and bitterness swept over her. Then, she saw someone she recognized. It was her mother, Sadiki. The light-brown she-cat picked up the froze little kit, and carried it to the old abandoned barn in the forest. That's my home! Nuka thought, before she woke up in her nest, surrounded by her mate, Mohadi, and her kits.

The next day she heard a racket over at the Humansplace, so she cautiously went over to check it out. She heard the thunderous noise of dogs barking, but it made no difference. She had grown up hearing that noise, and she knew that as long as the dogs were pinned up, she would go unharmed.

Without warning, a black-and-tan dog slammed into Nuka's body. She was sent flying across the Humansplace yard, and her body landed with a thud. It was then that Mohadi came running out from the trees, yelling and hissing at the dogs, warning them to stay back. Nuka looked around for her kits anxiously, and saw that her oldest kit, Carmel, was striking the dog from the opposite side. Nuka screamed a warning at Mohadi to watch out, but it was to late. The dog grabbed Mohadi by the throat, and slung him side-to-side. His body was thrown from Nuka's reach, and Carmel was left alone to fight the dog. She screamed for him to run, and he darted away into the woods. Nuka thought that this would be the end for her, until she heard a human yell. The dog's ears pricked and he went running to the human, obviously happy about what he'd done. An odd sound came from the human, and she pointed towards Nuka.

An older human with a deeper voice walked toward Mohadi's body. "Don't you touch him!" she screamed, as the human poked him with a rounded stick. The human lowered his head and scooped the tomcat up with the rounded end of the stick. "No!" Nuka cried, but she couldn't get up. The male human then walked over to her, and a sickly fear flooded over her.

Instead of picking her up with the rounded stick, the human gently grabbed her scruff and held her close to him. She didn't resist, and she never heard the yowls of her kits as she was taken away.

She woke up in a cage, with a gray-blue she-cat staring at her. "Who are you?" Nuka asked, appalled that any cat would be this close to danger.

"I'm Blue," the she cat responded. "Do you want me to get them to let you out?" She asked.

"I- I have to get back to my kits. Where am I?" She asked. But as she looked around at the closed-in space, she had a feeling that she knew where she was.

"You're in the human home. I'm their housecat." She replied.

"What's a housecat?" Nuka asked, her eyes beaming with curiousity.

"A housecat is a cat that lives with humans. We snuggle with humans, we play with the toys they bring us, and they feed us in return."'

Nuka backed away from the side of the cage. "I can't do that! I have to get home!" She yowled.

Blue's fur raised. "Hey, don't get all worked up, I'll get you out." The blue she-cat began to pull at the flimsy cage with her teeth, and Nuka heard a human yell.

"You'd better hurry!" She encouraged. Blue gave the cage one mighty heave and it fell to the floor, releasing Nuka and shaking her to the ground. He shook her head and darted towards the open window.

Nuka quickly found her way back to her kits, and they welcomed her with bright eyes. All except for Carmel, who stood at the back of the barn, his fur raised. Nuka trodded over to him and, noticing his embarrasment, asked, "What's wrong?"

Tears formed in the brown tomcat's eyes. "I'm so sorry," he replied, leaning against her and rubbing his head against her neck. "I left you, and now Mohadi's dead."

The other kits began to glance over at the two, and the second oldest, Neemah, walked over to adress the two. "Carmel, it wasn't your fault." She gently replied. She glanced at her mother, and Nuka nodded.

"She's right. You can't blame yourself. I was the one who decided to explore. Now Mohadi is dead, and there is nothing I can do." The dark brown tom's purr cracked and he rubbed up against his mother.

Louise, who was the youngest female kit, ran to her mother and bounced at her feet. "Carmel taught us how to catch mice while you were gone!" She squealed. Nuka glanced back at her other kits, and gave them a reassuring smile. They knew that Mohadi was dead, and yet their spirits were still bright. Nuka knew that it wouldb be harder for the older ones, but they could easily press through if they stuck together.

Amadi, who was Louise's closest playmate, held his head low as his mother walked up. She licked him gently and he glanced back up at her with tears in his eyes. "Mohadi is dead," he muttered, as if reality had just sunk in.

Nuka fought back the tears, and held her head high. Her gaze drifted over all her kits. Carmel, who was still crying. Neemah, who was strangely calm. Louise, who was unfazed. Amadi, Midas, and Lisa spoke amongst each other, and Sarafina consoled little Ryan.

"The loss of Mohadi has placed a hole deep in our hearts. This last week has been hard for all of us, and it will continue to be hard," Nuka gulped. "I love you all so very dearly, and I hope that we can all stick together through this trial," she paused, "But there is still work that must be done. Sarafina, Lisa, and Louise, I want you to come on the hunt with me tonight. We will feast on rabbits in honor of your father." Nuka dipped her head, and her three kits followed her silently into the woods.

Carmel stayed behind with Amadi, Midas, and Ryan, as they prepared their nests for a good night's sleep.

Nuka remained silent as she pointed her nose to the air, catching the scent of her prey. It was a rainy night, somewhat like the night when little Midas was born.

Nuka shook her head, and looked at her three daughters. Although she still viewed them all as kits, she began to realize that they were growing up. She watched as Louise's older siblings showed her how to properly crouch, and she remembered when Mohadi had taught his girls to hunt.

All seemed peaceful, that is, until a large, shadowy figure burst from the bushes. Nuka could smell the fear on the animal, and first she assumed that it was a fox, until she got a closer look.

Louise huddled behind her, whimpering. "Mama, what is that?"

At first, Nuka was unsure, until her nose caught it's scent. That's a cat!