Chapter One

Song clenched her jaw in pain as her mate stood beside her.

"Just one more to go," he whispered into her ear. Song hurt too much to respond. Instead, she looked down at the two kits she had already given birth to. One was a creamy white she-cat, the other a solid gray tom. Both were just beautiful.

Song yowled in pain as another small bundle was added to the nest of kits. Her mate nipped the sack open and gave it to Song to lick. She licked like she had never licked before.

"You're done," he soothed her. "You're all done."

"Please stay with me," pleaded Song. "The kits and I need you." The tom shook his head.

"My Clan needs me more," he said. "You can take care of the kits until they're old enough to come won't you? Then you'll bring them?"

"Of course," meowed Song.

"Let's name the kits before I go," said her mate, softly. Song looked at the creamy she-cat.

"Flower," she decided. "She looks as delicate as a flower."

"This one could be Storm," the tom suggested nodding to the gray kit. Song nodded her head, then turned to the last kit. She was a tortoiseshell. Both grown cats remained silent for a while.

"Echo," Song decided finally.

"Echo," her mate agreed.

` "Have a safe passage back," meowed Song sadly.

"I will."

The tom gave her one last lick and bounded away into the forest.