Light lay curled around her three kits, her mate by her side and her older daughter not far away.
She was warm and happy, knowing that this was how life would always be, that she would always be free with her family.
Her mate Pine stirred beside her as the suns first weak rays shone into the hollow tree they used as a den.
"Light...?" he mumbled, blinking open his green eyes to look into her bright blue ones.
"Hey sleepy," she purred quietly, as to not wake her sleeping kits, "since when did you miss the start of the sunrise?"
The dark ginger tom purred and sat up, "well," he mewed, briskly, shaking scraps of moss from his pelt, "our kits will be up soon and they'll be hungry."
Light nodded and allowed Pine to stand and stretch before licking his nose, "be back soon," she purred, gently, "always," he replied, walking out of the den with a final flick of his tail.
The creamy she-cat sighed contentedly and began to groom her ruffled fur.
Before long a little voice broke into her silence, "mamma?" it whined, making Light look down at her only tom kit, Flame.
"Yes, Flame?" she mewed, licking his head, "what do you want?" the little ginger tom frowned, "food!" he squeaked finally, kit blue eyes locking onto the empty prey spot.
"When will daddy be back with food?" he mewled, "I'm hungry!" Light nuzzled him, "he'll be back soon little one, he's gone hunting," she purred, "for now, why not play?"
The bright ginger tom nodded before prodding his sisters, "wake up sleepies!" he giggled, "time to play!"
Two pairs of wide eyes blinked blearily at Flame before leaping to their paws.
Light chuckled to herself as her kits began to play a rambunctious game involving pouncing on each other.
Her two lithe pretty daughters seemed to be holding their own quite well against their bigger brother, soon Flame was pinned to the ground beneath two laughing she-kits.
"Alright, Mist, Butterfly, off your brother now," mewed Light sternly, "I don't think he'll want to play with you if you squish him!"
The silver and cream kits tumbled off their brother and ran to their mother, who began to groom them quietly.
Soon a shadow loomed over the entrance, Light looked up, a purr building in her throat as she saw her mate holding prey.
"I'm back!" he called, "and I think I have something you little kits may want!" Flame, Mist and Butterfly ran over at once, shoving each other to get at the prey first, "I want the mouse!" squealed Mist, only to be shoved aside by Flame, "no I want!" he wailed.
Pine laughed and set the mouse down, "how about you share it?" he suggested, Mist and Flame looked at each other before nodding, "OK daddy!" they chirped, dragging the mouse away to eat.
"What about you Butterfly?" asked the dark ginger tom, "would you like something?" the littlest kit looked at the leftover prey and nodded, then whispered, "the shrew please," Pine nodded and placed the piece of prey on the ground.
"I guess that leaves us the thrush," he mewed to Light, "indeed," she replied, a smile settling on her face, "Storm? Would you like something?" the dark grey she-cat looked up from her nest, amber eyes shining, "sure," she mewed, cheerfully, padding over.
"I never turn down prey!" Storm purred, stretching luxuriously, "besides, my kits make me hungrier then ever!" the young she-cat glanced warmly at her swollen stomach.
Soon all the prey was gone and nothing was left but bones, "Pine," mewed Light, "do you mind watching the kits while I go for a walk?" her mate nodded and flicked his tail motioning that he was fine with it.
Light trotted out of the tree trunk and purred, relishing the warm sunlight on her thick pelt, she decided to head for the twolegplace were her old friend Scylla lived.
Soon she arrived at the little twolegplace, with sure feet she walked across the empty thunderpath to the small den that Scylla lived in, Light jumped onto the fence and mewled loudly to tell Scylla she was there.
Not long after a small brown shape slid out from the den and padded over to the fence.
Light jumped down and touched noses with the wiry she-cat, "good to see you Light," Scylla mewed, with a smile, " you haven't visited in a long time!" Light purred, "I know Scylla, but my kits have been taking up all me time lately!"
The brown she-cat nodded in understanding, "tell me about them," she mewed, sitting down with her tail wrapped over her paws, "well," replied Light, "there's Flame, my only tom, he's a bit clingy but loves to think he is big and tough like his dad, Mist is obviously the leader of the threesome, she is bossy and loud but enjoys playing with her littermates, Butterfly is the shy one, she never does anything unless Flame or Mist do it first."
Scylla purred at Light's descriptions, then launched into a story of own about a rat that dared to enter her mistresses house.
Much later Light bid her friend farewell and began to head back to her den and kits, but something made her hurry, some sense of forbidding.
When she reached her hollow tree, a sickening scent reached her nose, the harsh salty tang of blood.
With a scared yelp she rushed into the den, a tall, well muscled white tom was picking up Flame, he turned and the blood lust in his empty golden eyes frightened her.
"Mamma!" cried Flame struggling in the toms mouth, "help me!" the tom scowled and then tossed the crying kit to another tom, this one black as night.
"Take the kit out to the others then come back," he snarled, the black tom dipped his head and disappeared with her wailing son, the white tom placed one paw on the Light's chest and pushed her to the ground, "listen she-cat," he hissed, "I'll let you live cause your pretty, but, you must come with me and be my mate, forever."
Light pulled away, panic rising in her chest, "I-I have a mate!" she cried, eyes wide with fear, the white tom smirked, "who? The ginger fool?" he asked, "I killed him, so my dear you are mate-less," with a choked sob Light tried to pull away, "sweet, if you value your life and your kits, I would suggest that you obey me."
Light realised that this white menace of a tom meant his words, if she refused he would kill her and her kits, so taking a final breath she spoke the five words that sealed her fate, "I will be your mate."
"Good," smiled the tom, "now follow me," Light stood and numbly began to walk away from the life she had known for a long time.