MAY CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING: SWEARING, VIOLENCE, SUGGESTIVE THEMES.
PROLOGUE
It was dark. A small kit lay mewling loudly, fear and desperation echoing through the empty and dark streets. His eyes were shut tight and he didn't know what was going on. Just a few minutes before he was wrapped up in his mother's warmth. Now the only thing he recognized was the faint smell of his siblings.
They all seemed to be plucked off one by one, leaving him behind as they cried out in protest. There was the slightest smell of something strange that seemed to overwhelm the little tom as big, crashing pawsteps of some large being rang in his ears every time his littermates were taken away from him. The last bit of familiarity to the young tom was but another tiny bundle whimpering beside him, clearly just as terrified as he was. The two could only huddle up and cry out into the cold, dark night. It was the only thing they were capable of doing. Perhaps someone might possibly hear their cries... or maybe they'd just be left to die a cruel and lonely death.
A pair of dark green eyes shifted from one side of the street to the other. Long, white fur was buffeted by the cold wind as every breath came out in white fog. An average-sized tom stepped out of the shadows of a large structure and into the moonlight. He was tense, and tasted the awful stench of human on the air.
He snarled, shaking his head. "This is stupid. Who in this world is dumb enough to choose to live in the human territory? It smells horrible!" The tom spat, and a beautiful silver dappled she-cat came up behind him, shaking her head in annoyance. "Cut it out, Snow Track. You know this place was very important to Owl Wing." She scolded, and Snow Track hissed. "Do I look like I care, Silver Eyes? The cat was a coward anyhow." The white tom muttered carelessly.
Silver Eyes snarled, bristling her fur as she jumped in the tom's path, blocking his way. "My brother was no coward! He was forced into the city, you know he had no other choice!" She spat ominously. Snow Track raised his head in offense. "He could have fought the bastard and died in honor, rather than hide with the humans to be hunted down and murdered!" He yowled at the she-cat, fury in his eyes.
Silver Eyes hissed and leaped at the tom, claws outstretched. She whipped past him, tearing at his thick fur as she went along. Snow Track lashed his back legs out, hitting the other cat back as she landed with a thump.
He jumped on top of her, pinning her back to the ground, his flaming eyes meeting hers. He let out a fearsome screech, and Silver Eyes extended her claws to claw him in the throat, and he gasped in pain. Half of Snow Track's snow white fur was now stained red, and he decided he wouldn't be the only one leaving with battle scars.
Snow Track opened his mouth wide to show his sharp, deadly teeth, and was about to lunge down at Silver Eyes. But then he stopped dead at what she said next. "I didn't expect someone like you to understand in the first place! At least I'm not a deadly monster who murdered his own brother!"
Snow Track, as tough and strong as he may act, was stung by what she had just said. His eyes were wide with regret, and he swayed on his paws. "M-monster…" he repeated, voice drowned by sorrow. He stared down at Silver Eyes, tears suddenly streaming down his face.
Silver Eyes was shocked by the sudden change in this cat. Tears that seemed to be so cold that they froze when they touched her fur. She realized she had hurt this cat more than she'd meant to. She almost felt sorry, but then hurt raged through her when she remembered what this very tom had said about her brother. She knew he didn't mean it, but…
"Maybe… maybe I am just a monster. Maybe I shouldn't even be alive." Snow Track managed to croak, and twisted around and bounded down the streets until Silver Eyes couldn't even see him anymore. "I didn't mean it like that…" She murmured.
Snow Track made his way into an alleyway to clean himself. He settled down, and licked the blood off his fur, cringing at the awful taste. He was just almost finished licking the blood off his perfect white coat, but the sounds of distressed mewling had caught his attention. He saw a small box. What did the lazy kittypets call it… cardboard? He walked up to it, and he tilted his head when he saw two small, newborn kits.
He perked his ears, staring down at the little scraps with interest. Who had left them here? Why would a mother just abandon newborn kits? Or was this a human's doing? He shook his head slowly and sighed. He stared at the two kits- one was a female dark gray tabby, and the other was a male silver tabby. He looked around. No one was there. Maybe their mother would come back soon…? But when he looked down at the kits, he realized they must have been left out for awhile. They were shivering cold, and very skinny.
He looked down at them with soft, worried eyes. This situation felt familiar… he couldn't remember what it was, though. Quickly and awkwardly, Snow Track grabbed both the kits by their scruffs and headed back. He hated watching cats suffer, but was this too far? Taking in some poor lost kits that don't even belong to him? What else can I do, other than leave them behind and starve?
