Prologue
Growling and snarling, resonated from down the hall, rousing Emily from her bed and waking the, two month old, leopard cub from it's sleep. Emily didn't like this…something was wrong, she slid out of the, so called bed her parents had put in the room she and her baby sister were confined in…it was more like a damn cage. They kept her cub sister, in a cage….her sister, who was only two months old! Emily froze, when the door to the room was swung open…revealing her mother. "You! You abomination!" Her mother snarled, pulling out a dagger, lunging for her seven year old Arcadian daughter. "You should never have been born! Never! I curse the Fates, the day they mated me to your filthy, Katagaria father and the day I birthed you!"
Emily scrambled to get away, she needed to get her baby sister and herself out of here. Where was her father? She knew he cared for her, at least for her baby sister. She rushed to the cage that confined her cub sister, the leopard kit…meowing in distress, she knew her sister could sense what was going on. Barely having opened her eyes a month ago, grayish blue eyes stared back at Emily, from the inside of it. Emily grinded her teeth, struggled to open the door of the cage. "Sara…" She whispered her sister's name…she yelped when someone, or rather, something, smacked and tackled her to the wooden floor.
A sharp, stinging pain emitted on her thigh….she could feel, something warm, flowing down her leg. She shook her head, and looked up…her mother had changed into her leopard form…growling and slashing at her. Emily whimpered…as her mother raked her claws on her shoulder. "Stop! M…Mother!" She cried out…trying to shake her off…she reached out, grasping her mother by the neck, with shaky, trembling hands. She couldn't understand why her mother distasted her, she was her flesh and blood…her cub….was it because she was…different.
She felt her mother's sharp fangs grasp her by the throat, tensing…and waiting for her to tear her throat out, and for death to take her. Emily shut her eyes tightly, but she suddenly felt the leopard's weight and fangs off of her, and yowl. She opened them, noticing her Uncle Leo, father's brother. "Uncle Leo…" She whispered, she almost mistook him for her father. She knew they were twins, he stood a good six foot three in height, his jet black hair cut short, and like her father…he had those same piercing hazel green eyes. "Emi, take Sara and run!" He said, and she blinked, "What about…?"
"My brothers gone. I'm sorry." He said in a thick voice, Emily felt the tears prick at the corner of her eyes, blinking them away, she could hear the pain in his voice. "Now, go!" He shouted, making her jump, and scramble to her feet….she ignored the pain on her thigh and shoulder…and went to the cage, yanking the door open. She gather the leopard cub, wrapping her in a blanket, who had by then, started meowing and crying from the commotion.
Her mother rushed for her, only to get knocked down by her Uncle Leo….the large, white tiger snarled, keeping her pinned to the ground. She told herself not to look back…running out of the room, and down the hall. She knew her Uncle could take care of himself, it showed…by the many scars he bore on his body. Tigers were fierce and solitary creatures. Emily blinked the tears that threatened to fall down her face, her father was dead…and now….she had no where to go. She glanced down at her sister, the leopard cub crying. She'd made it out of the house, and froze when she heard something, she hadn't been expecting….there was a loud bang, along with it a cry…before it was silent. She looked back….and noticing something bright flickering from the room, that had been her prison. Her eyes widen….fire! "Uncle Leo!" She shouted, her throat tightened…the flames quickly consumed and spread through the house…the smoke rising in the air, and drawing the ambulances and fire trucks. She heard the sirens, quickly making a run for the forest to hide and get away…she didn't want to get question for having a leopard cub in her arms. Emily froze, when she felt that familiar tingling she knew, when someone was there….she whirled around, tightening her grip around the leopard cub.
She'd been walking through the forest, for at least over an hour…searching for that road she knew…that lead to the city. Emily stared at the man in front of her…he stood a good, six foot eight, and power, poured from his pores. Lavender eyes stared at her, "Leo's niece. Am I right?" He said, Emily jumped when he spoke, taking a nervous step back. "Relax. Leo sent me, to take you somewhere safe." He said to her, Emily didn't trust him…not one bit, the animal in her was on high alert, and warning her to stay away from this man…or whatever he was. He walked over to her, and touched her shoulder…and flashed them over to the one place he knew would take good care of her, and her baby sister, The Sanctuary.
He flashed, right inside of the Peltier's home, Nicolette and Papa rising when they saw who it was. "Savitar? What brings you here?" Nicolette asked, and her daughter Aimee appeared from the door, halting. "Nicolette. I have someone who needs protection." He said, stepping aside to reveal Emily with the leopard cub in her arms. Emily dropped her gaze down immediately, tightening her hold on her baby sister, she knew they could smell and sense something different about her. "Aimee, cher, take them to Carson." Nicolette said, and glanced at Savitar, who flashed back to his home…probably to catch another wave.
Aimee nodded, "I will, Maman." She said, moving over to Emily, and her baby sister Sara. Emily took a nervous step back, as Aimee crouched down in front of her. "I won't hurt you, cher." She whispered, offering Emily a gently smile. Emily noticed how pretty she was, her blonde hair braided back into a braid down her back, and her bright blue eyes.
"Emily." She whispered low, Aimee blinked, "Huh?" She had a confused look on her face.
"My names….Emily….my sister…is..Sara." She whispered, and indicated the leopard cub in her arms. The leopard cub started it meowing and crying again…squirming and struggling in Emily's arms. "Come on, cher. Let's go have a friend of mine check you and your sister out. Maybe give your baby sister a bottle…you two are probably hungry." Aimee said, standing up…and holding her hand out to her. Emily blinked, and reached out hesitantly…before Aimee led her out of the room they'd been…and up a flight of stars. They halted in front of a wooden door, Aimee knocking gently…Emily could hear footsteps on the other side. The door swinging open to reveal Carson, the resident vet and medical doctor at the Sanctuary. His hazel green eyes fell upon Emily and the leopard cub in her arms. Aimee led her inside, "Savitar brought them…he didn't mentioned anything about where they came from." Aimee explained,
"Emily, can I take Sara from you for a second. Carson needs to check on your sister quickly…make sure nothings wrong with her. He won't hurt her, I promise…and once he's done. I'll give her, a warm bottle, okay, cher." Aimee said, kneeling down in front of her…Emily dropped her gaze down to the leopard cub, tightening her grip. She nodded, and slowly passed the fussy leopard cub to Aimee. The leopard cub, sensed a difference in the one holding her….hissed weakly, and squirming…her little leopard ears pinning back. Aimee laid her down on the examine table, Carson grabbing some rubber gloves, and going over to the examine table. Emily followed, making sure they didn't do anything to her sister. Sara squirmed on the table, hissing and growling as Carson picked her up…and looked her over.
He checked her gums, noticing the slightly pale color, in them. He checked her temperature and weight, before he set her back down on the table. He removed the gloves, tossing them away. "She's a little malnourished, with a little TLC, she'll be back to normal in a few days." He explained, making a note of it…for his files. "You can give her a bottle now Aimee, I'll check on this one, while you feed the cub." He said, Aimee nodded, and wrapping the leopard cub back up. "I'll be back with her, cher, okay." Aimee promised her, leaving the room with Sara. "Now it's your turn little one." Carson said, moving over to her…Emily growled low, and when she moved…she winced, feeling the sharp pain on her shoulder and thigh.
"I won't hurt you…" He said, holding his hands up in defense. Emily relaxed, and he helped her up onto the examine table, and pulled on a fresh pair of gloves. He immediately caught sight of the scratches on her shoulder and thigh, noticing how deep they were, he phoned Margie. "I'm going to have to put you under, little one." Emily froze…under….no! She flashed to her tiger form…growling and hissing…as she scrambled off of the metal table. Her fur was soaked with blood…keeping her weight off of her left, hind leg.
Carson called for one of the Peltier bears….Dev flashing into the room. Margie came threw the door, halting when she spotted the young tiger…hissing and growling in the corner of the room. Carson turned to her, "I need you to set up the surgical room." He whispered to her, Margie nodded, and looked at the tiger…before disappeared through the door to another room.
Emily snarled, ears flattening against her head…she knew she wouldn't last long in this form. She glanced at the open door….before she changed into her leopard form…making a run for it. Dev was caught off guard, as well as Carson…surprised that she was a Tigard like Wren, there current Katagaria Tigard, living at the Sanctuary. Emily was about to make it through the door…when she felt a sharp, stinging pain on her thigh…she hissed, and noticed the dart sticking from her leg. She felt everything go dark, before she collapsed…and changed back to her human form. "Carson, I've got everything set up for you." Margie said, as Dev picked up the unconscious girl…and placed her on the surgical table. "If there's trouble Carson, just call." Dev said, flashing back downstairs.
Carson nodded, and watched as Margie set her up…he immediately set to work. Stitching up the wounds on her thigh and shoulder…he wanted to make sure, no blood vessels had been torn…seeing how badly she'd been bleeding. It took him a good hour and a half, to fix her up…covering the wounds, and flashing the girl a pair of clean clothes on. Aimee helped him set her up in a room for herself, before Carson left to go back to his office.
Emily woke up with a dull pain on her shoulder and thigh, opening her eyes…and seeing everything, groggy. She grimaced when she felt the pain hit her full force, and sat up slowly…feeling the tug of the tape on her skin. "Get up slowly, Emily." Aimee said in a soft voice, holding a sleeping Sara in her arms. Emily turned, and looked at her….seeing her sister asleep, and sighed.
"D…Did she eat?" She asked, Aimee nodded, and smiled down at the leopard cub, snuggled up in a clean, pink blanket. "She refused at first, but once the taste and smell of milk hit her….she latched on quickly, she had two bottles." She explained to Emily. Emily nodded, and glanced down at her hands, "I…I can't stay here…" She whispered, "I…I need to leave….Promise me, you'll…protect my baby sister, Sara…please. She's all…I've got left…" Emily said, bringing the back of her hand up to rub at her eyes.
Aimee sat up from the chair she'd been on, "Emily. You can't leave, your planning to abandon your younger sister, and go, who knows where." Aimee said, staring at the girl. "You won't survive out there for one minute, Emily. Your sister need you, you're all she has, too." Aimee said to her, Emily shook her head…and moved off of the bed. "I don't care….my sister will understand…I can't stay here. My mother's family will surely seek me here, and I can't have them finding Sara." Emily said, growling in warning when Aimee moved towards her.
"Don't stop me. I'm leaving, eventually I'll come back for Sara, when I'm stronger, but I can't stay." Emily said, leaving quickly before Aimee could stop her…she made sure no one noticed her, as she snuck out of Sanctuary…leaving Aimee with the leopard in her arms. Aimee glanced down at Sara, the leopard cub squirming in her arms for a second, before settling down, snuggling into the warm pink blanket. "I'll keep you safe, Sara. I'll make sure my brothers do too." She whispered to the leopard cub, promising herself…as she lifted up the sleeping leopard cub to her chest.