Part Two: A Killer in the Making

"Show me what you've got," King said, his white tail tip twitching as he sized Silk up.

It was almost a ritual by now. Since the first day Silk arrived here, King would take her away from the others and to a secluded part of the Park. Every one of their training sessions began the same way— "Show me what you've got." Then there was a flurry of movement, the slashing of claws, the clashing of fangs. King always won.

But, Silk was getting better.

Silk remembered how nervous she was the first time, when King told her to follow as he led her deep into the Park, and she didn't know what King wanted from her.

She couldn't just say no though; no one refuses King.

Silk sprang at King, baring her teeth. The massive black and white tom ducked, Silk flying harmlessly over his head. She was prepared for that though, and as soon as she landed, she pivoted, rearing up on her hind legs and slashing at him with her fore-claws. Her paws clashed with King's—he had been rearing up behind her after she landed, and would have had her pinned if she had not spun and slashed at him so quickly.

"Good," King growled in a deep, pleased voice.

They sprung apart for only a heartbeat before they clashed back together.

"No, go for the throat," King hissed as Silk's strikes bounced off his wide shoulders. "How do you expect to kill a cat by batting at his shoulders?"

"You want me to strike at your throat?" Silk meowed, her eyes wide. "Do you want me to try to kill you?"

"You won't kill me," King said, a mildly amused look in his blue eyes. "I would never let you."

Silk sprang forward with a renewed ferocity, claws slashing at King's throat. But they grazed only fur as King feinted out of her reach, moving with great speed for such a large cat. Silk leapt forward to follow him, but suddenly his paw was slamming down on her side, swatting her away like she was a pesky kit. Silk hit the ground hard, the shock of it vibrating through her bones, making her gasp as her breath was driven out of her mouth.

"That's enough," King meowed in his deep voice.

To Silk's annoyance, he looked unruffled, glancing at Silk as she wheezed from the ground, desperately trying to suck air back into her lungs. King padded over to her, standing next to her crumpled form, tail twitching impatiently as Silk finally caught her breath and managed to stagger back to her paws.

"You're too hesitant," King said, bending his head to look her right in the eye.

He was so close to Silk that she could feel his warm breath on her face. It smelt oddly sweet.

"Never back down. Strike to kill," King said. "Always. Any other blow is just wasting energy when you could have ended the fight from the beginning. Think about where to strike like you are hunting prey."

"The throat."

King lay his big paw against Silk's neck. Silk could feel her heart hammering in her throat against his paw as he applied some pressure. King lowered his paw back to the ground, moving to prowl around Silk. He was so close that his fur brushed against hers as he circled her.

"And, the back of the neck," King murmured.

Silk could feel his breath stirring the fur on the back of her neck. King pressed his muzzle to her fur there, and Silk had to repress a shiver, squashing the urge to shy away from his touch. After a lingering moment, he lifted his muzzle, and Silk gave a imperceivable sigh of relief.

"Our lesson is done for the day," King said.

His tone was dismissive, but his body still pressed closely to Silk's. Silk hesitated, her gaze flickering nervously from the trees around her to King's beautiful and frightening ice-blue eyes and back to the trees. She wanted to leave, but was unsure if she should. King angled an ear towards her questioningly.

"Unless you want to learn more…" King said, his smooth voice becoming a deep purr as he draped his tail over Silk's back, his eyes becoming half-lidded.

Silk swallowed, feeling that tug of his dark attraction, but she managed to give her head a quick shake.

"Sorry. I think I better go," Silk said, silently cursing herself at how breathless her voice sounded.

Silk disentangled herself from him in a careful, but brisk and firm manner. King's bright blue eyes reopened fully, and he straightened.

"Another time perhaps," King said.

The words he used left room for an option, but the tone in his rich voice was so certain, that Silk imagined it was only used by cats used to always getting their way.

No way, Silk thought.

"Perhaps," Silk agreed neutrally.

She turned and padded away from King and into the trees, grateful that he didn't follow. Silk first had been grateful for the special attention King paid her because it allowed her to quickly gain the respect of the other rogues, but now she was beginning to worry that he maybe liked her a bit too much.

Her tail twitched anxiously.

But, no one refuses King.

Silk rose early from her nest right before the break of dawn. From her nest, she could spot the nests of some other cats. Dragon, King, and Lancer slept within a few tail-lengths from each other under a massive bramble bush. The other rogues slept spread out here and there around their leaders. Silk's nest was rather close to the Brothers'— tucked against a tree, under a patch of ferns. King had told her to sleep there when she had first arrived, and Silk remembered that she had gotten some looks for it. Silk didn't understand at the time, but now that she had been there longer and gotten a feel for the structure within the rogue group, she realized that the higher ranking rogues, the ones that were friends with or were more favored by the Brothers, got to sleep closer to them. Apparently it had ruffled some pelts that Silk was allowed such a close spot to the Brothers as a newcomer.

Is it even really a good thing to sleep this close to them though? The Brothers are powerful, but they also seem liable to turn on you if you aren't careful.

Silk shook her head, dislodging the thoughts. It was not good to think such things. Silk sometimes even worried that King might be able to read her mind. After giving herself a quick grooming, she turned and headed into the trees to do her hunting for the day.

Silk had the forest all to herself right now. Not even the birds had begun to sing yet. She prowled towards the Eastern part of the Park, deciding to hunt there for the day. As she rounded a tree, she almost ran into another rogue.

"O'Malley," Silk said, immediately drawing herself up to her full height and dismissively blinking at the orange tom. "I'm hunting in this area this morning."

"Oh, forest not big enough for two cats, Silk?" O'Malley retorted, blinking back at Silk.

Silk swallowed. In truth, she didn't mind hunting somewhere else, and leaving O'Malley to hunt here for the morning. But, she knew backing down from this argument would be taken as a sign of weakness. Weakness that the other rogues… and King, would quickly exploit.

"Never back down," King's voice echoed in her head.

"This part of the forest isn't," Silk said, taking a step towards him. "No one else is wake yet. Go hunt somewhere else."

"Why should I?" O'Malley asked, holding his ground. "Why don't you?"

"Fine," Silk said with a sniff. "I'll just go back to camp, get King, then come back here to hunt with him."

O'Malley gave a quiet growl, but a hint of fear crept into his eyes at the mention of King, letting Silk know that he was beaten.

"Fine, I'll hunt somewhere else," he said, but his eyes glinting threateningly in the low light. "But, you won't be able to hide behind your mate forever, Silk."

King's not my mate, Silk thought.

But, she didn't correct him as he turned and padded away. Some rogues had been noticing the closeness between King and Silk, and they had started to assume that the two were mates. Silk knew she couldn't let the deception go on indefinitely, but for now, it was proving a useful tool for getting her way.

Silk waited a few moments to be sure that the rogue was gone, before she turned and continued through the woods, heading closer to the edge of the Park.

As she walked, Silk practiced her battle moves, swiping at the air, leaping and twisting, warming up her muscles for the hunt and refining her silks. King always wanted to see improvement, and Silk knew she had to keep her skills sharp in case O'Malley or one of the many other rogues decided to turn on her one day.

Silk pounced on a piece of bracken, giving the plant a bite, imagining that she was sinking her teeth into the back of a cat's neck, snapping its spine.

I bet a real cat would fight back more than that though, Silk thought, spitting leaves out of her mouth.

A loud purr of amusement echoed through the trees. Silk jerked her head up quickly in surprise, unsheathing her claws and whirling towards the noise. She blinked in surprise as an unfamiliar tom causally padded over to her. He was not one of the Brothers' rogues. She had never seen him before.

He was a large light brown tabby tom with leaf-green eyes that twinkled in the pale light of dawn.

"Geez, what did that poor plant do to you?" the unfamiliar tom asked, a purr still in his voice.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Silk demanded, baring her teeth at him.

The tom cocked his head at her.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," the tom said, looking slightly bemused. "I just saw you hunting that plant, and I thought I'd give some advice. Plants have really good noses, so next time, you should probably try approaching the plant from downwind—"

"I was practicing battle moves," Silk huffed, interrupting him, and drawing herself up to her full height to look as commanding as possible. "And, besides, this is not a joke. Leave this Park now."

"Why?" the cat asked, looking at her curiously.

"You are trespassing on the territory of the Brothers. King, Dragon and Lancer," Silk said in a low, grave voice. "They will kill you if they see you."

The tom purred, making Silk's eyes widen in shock at his unconcern.

"No, they wouldn't kill me if they see me," he said. "They'd have to catch me first."

Silk blinked several times, her brain trying to process his relaxed attitude. She flattened her bristling fur and studied him curiously.

"Who are you?" Silk repeated, but this time her voice was curious instead of demanding.

"My name is Whiskey," the tabby tom said cheerfully. "And, to answer your other question about what I'm doing here; I was hunting."

"King will kill you for that," Silk said flatly.

Whiskey purred again.

"But, you'll protect me right?" he said, blinking his green eyes earnestly at her. "I know you're a great fighter. I saw what you did to that plant. It didn't stand a chance."

"Oh, shut up," Silk said, but she had to swallow back a purr to get the words out. "I'm being serious. If it was up to me, you could stay and hunt in the Park. But, the fact is that the longer you stay here, the more likely it is that you die."

Whiskey twitched his whiskers.

"Well, I have to say that I am flattered that you care so much about my safety, considering you just met me," he said teasingly.

Silk snorted.

"I don't care about you," she said. "I'd just prefer that a cat doesn't get torn to shreds if I can help it."

Whiskey recoiled back, placing a paw on his chest like Silk had viciously slashed him there.

"I'm hurt," Whiskey said in a mock pout, his green eyes wide. "I thought we had something special going here."

"The only 'special' thing about you is how mouse-brained you are if you think you can take on the three Brothers," Silk retorted, but there was a faint purr in her voice.

Whiskey shook his head, a look of fake misery on his face. Silk's ears pricked as she heard the faint sound of a twig snapping in the distance. Silk felt the amusement drain out of her, as fear crept back in when she remembered how dangerous it was for her to be her, casually talking with a trespasser intent on stealing prey.

"You should leave," Silk insisted, her voice becoming low and serious again.

"Alright…" Whiskey finally agreed. "But, only because you look so pretty when you ask like that."

Silk felt her fur flush with heat at the compliment.

"Get going quickly," she mumbled, fiercely trying to ignore the heat.

She turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Whiskey meowed. "What's your name?"

Silk stopped, turning to look back at him.

"Silk," she said.

"Silk," he repeated slowly. "I like it… Silk, will I ever see you again?"

Silk shrugged, but she felt a small pang of disappointment at the thought of never seeing this strange, funny tom again.

"Not if you do what is good for you, and stay out of this Park," Silk warned.

"I never do what is good for me," Whiskey said with a mischievous purr. "It drove my poor mother crazy."

"Then maybe I will see you again," Silk said briskly with a nod, and she turned away again.

"How about tomorrow?"

Silk froze as she heard Whiskey ask from over her shoulder.

"Here? At dawn?" he meowed.

Silk felt her stomach flip like she had eaten a bunch of butterflies.

"Alright," Silk said, feeling surprise with herself at her reply.

Whiskey began to purr which made the excited fluttering worse. Silk swallowed hard to try to squash the feeling, and she turned to fix the handsome tom with the most scorching orange gaze she could manage.

"Now, mouse-brain," she said in a firm voice. "Leave!"

"Oh, you are such a mouse-brain," Silk said, as she swallowed back purrs of amusement.

"How so?" Whiskey huffed, a purr also in his voice.

The two of them were curled up closely in the crook of where a wide branch met the trunk of a tree at the very edge of the Park— through the twigs and the leaves, Silk could see the road where two-legs walked past. But, the denseness of the canopy hid them well from the two-legs… and from any other cats. Whiskey turned his head to look at Silk, and she could see the golden light of dawn glimmering in his eyes.

"You're being ridiculous! How exactly would you lead a pack of dogs to over throw the Brothers?" Silk managed to meow through the purrs that vibrated through her body.

Whiskey rolled his eyes like the answer should be obvious.

"Well, you grew up with a dog right?" Whiskey said, managing to stifle his purrs enough that he sounded at least passably serious. "That's why you can talk to them. We just ask them nicely to come chase King out of the Park, then bam! He's gone."

"And, why would the dogs do what we ask?" Silk said, shaking her head, but she was still purring.

"Duh," Whiskey said with a sigh of exasperation. "Dogs love chasing cats. They would jump at the chance, no questions asked."

Whiskey shot Silk a scrutinizing look.

"You know, for a cat that grew up with a dog, you sure know nothing about them," he said hauntingly.

"You take that back," Silk said with a playful growl, poking his soft-furred belly with a paw.

"No," Whiskey sniffed, narrowing his eyes at her.

With a growl, Silk grasped Whiskey with her paws, claws carefully sheathed, and she began to wrestle with him. Whiskey's serious composure broke, and he was soon vibrating with loud purrs as the two writhed on the branch.

"You're going to knock me out of the tree!" Whiskey gasped between purrs as Silk shoved him closer to the edge of the branch.

"Take it back!" Silk threatened, doing her best to swallow back her purrs to make herself sound more threatening.

"Never!" Whiskey proclaimed, but he squeaked rather undignifiedly as Silk gave him another shove, and he teetered closer to the edge.

"Alright!" he conceded, his green eyes wide.

"Alright what?" Silk said, stopping her shoving for a moment.

"I'm sorry. You know lots of stuff about dogs," Whiskey said.

Silk paused, flicking her ears thoughtfully like she was really considering the apology.

"And…?" Silk prompted.

"And, you're so smart and beautiful and I shouldn't ever doubt you ever?" Whiskey suggested, putting on his most winning expression.

Silk purred, feeling warmth spread through her chest.

"Okay. That's acceptable," Silk meowed, scooting back to allow Whiskey room to come back onto the center of the branch.

Whiskey moved back over to her, purring loudly, and he pressed himself closely to Silk, burying his face in her fur and sighing happily. Silk affectionately swiped her tongue over his cheek fur, but she felt her mind starting to drift.

It had been around a moon since she first met Whiskey. They had been meeting up daily ever since. Mostly at dawn, but sometimes during the night. Silk really liked the tom. In fact, she was worried that she might be starting to love him.

But, it was dangerous. Whiskey wasn't a part of the Brother's gang, and he showed no interest in joining them. The Brothers still didn't know that he was hunting secretly in the Park, and they would kill him if they caught him.

"I'm worried that the Brothers are starting to notice your scent around the Park. They're starting to recognize that the trespasser is just one cat," Silk murmured.

Whiskey stirred and blinked, he had been starting to nod off on Silk's flank.

"Really?" he asked through a yawn.

Silk's tail twitched. He still seemed just as unconcerned about the Brothers as he did the first day she met him.

"Yes," Silk said. "I'm worried."

"Don't be," Whiskey said, pressing his muzzle to Silk's cheek. "I'll hunt somewhere else for a bit, and we can meet up at a different edge of the Park. It'll throw them off."

"It's not just that," Silk said, tail twitching anxiously. "I think King is getting suspicious of me leaving on my own for so long. I tell him I'm hunting, but he knows that it shouldn't take me that much time. The other day he said he was surprised that I wasn't getting fat, for all of the hunting that I do. But, he wasn't being serious. He said it in this snide way, and there was this look in his eyes… he knows something is up."

Whiskey studied Silk silently as she talked. Silk sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know, Whiskey. King's also getting more persistent about… pursuing me," Silk said. "He doesn't understand why I don't want to be his mate."

Whiskey let out a quiet growl of jealousy.

"Because you don't love him," Whiskey said.

Silk pressed herself closer to him.

"I don't," she agreed in a soft voice, and Whiskey relaxed some. "But, I don't know if I can keep rejecting him forever. He might kill me out of spite. And, he's already beginning to doubt my loyalty."

"Why do you even stay here?" Whiskey said, straightening suddenly. "Why don't we just leave? You and me. We will go to the other side of the city, out of his territory."

Silk looked at him sadly.

"But, what if two-legs find us and capture us? The Park is safe from them. And, you know there is no better hunting grounds in the city than the Park," Silk said. "The Brother's territory gets bigger with every sunrise, and their gang grows bigger too. And, King has cats everywhere, even outside of his territory. If he wanted to find us and kill us, he would. Do you wanted to live a life being hunted?"

"Okay, well what about beyond the city!" Whiskey said earnestly. "Where King can't get us."

"Beyond the city?" Silk echoed, her eyes wide with nervousness as she thought about the wide world. "Whiskey… I don't know. Who knows what's out there."

"But, we would be together," Whiskey said softly, gently bumping his brown-striped head to hers.

Silk's orange eyes stared into his leaf-green ones.

"I know," she murmured, dropping her gaze. "I just need sometime to think about it."

"I understand," Whiskey said.

Silk closed her eyes, giving a quiet, miserable sigh.

"Hey," Whiskey said gently, softly nudging her with his muzzle. "It'll be okay, Silk. I will love you either way."

Silk's eyes flickered open in surprise.

"Either way? Even if I choose to stay here in the Park?" Silk asked.

Whiskey nodded.

"As long as…" Whiskey swallowed, looking a bit nervous. "As long as you love me too."

"Of course, Whiskey," Silk breathed, pressing her face to his.

Soon though, the sun was above the horizon, and Silk had to say goodbye to Whiskey. After a brief hunt, Silk headed back to camp, hoping that King had been sleeping in and had missed her absence. But, luck was not in her favor, and as she padded out of the undergrowth, Silk spotted him, sitting by her nest.

"Ah, Silk. I've been looking for you," King said.

He sat with his tail curled around his paws, looking deceptively calm, and his voice was as smooth as poisoned honey.

"Oh?" Silk meowed, looking as unconcerned as she could manage, although her stomach twisted nervously. "What do you need?"

"To speak with you," King said, his icy blue eyes shimmering. "I've heard some strange rumors from some cats about you…"

Silk held her breath.

Oh no… Whiskey.

"You and I being mates," King finished, and Silk had to stifle a sigh of relief, although nervousness quickly returned as Silk realized that she was still in dangerous territory.

"However," King continued. "We both know that's not true."

King studied her with icy eyes that seemed to tear away at her walls, peering into the secrets within her.

"Unless you've changed your mind?" King asked.

"No, sorry," Silk said, shaking her head.

"May I ask why not?" King said, his blue eyes still holding her frozen in his gaze. "The others seem to already think it's true. I've seen them do what you say because they think you are mine."

"I just…" Silk stammered. "I don't know."

"Is there another tom?" King asked, his eyes still transfixing her. "One who you fancy more than me?"

Silk blinked, and she felt the spell of his blue eyes break.

"No," she lied.

Her voice came out surprisingly calm and steady. King blinked at her.

Does he believe me?

"Now, if we are done here…" Silk meowed, brushing past King like she was completely unconcerned with his presence.

"Where have you been this morning?" King asked in a calm voice, stopping Silk in her tracks.

"Hunting," Silk replied casually

"And, grooming?" he drawled.

Silk felt a pinprick of nervousness. After leaving Whiskey, she gave herself a complete and through grooming to remove any scent of him from her.

"Yes," Silk said, in an unconcerned voice, turning back to look at him.

"I see. Who have you been meeting?" King asked, in that same, calm tone.

That calm was somehow more terrifying than anger.

Silk felt icy cold tricking in her bones, but she kept her face neutral.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, tilting her head at him like she was confused.

"Don't play dumb," King said, and Silk could hear a hint of anger creeping into his voice. "Don't you think I've noticed your little disappearances at the strangest times? And, your scentless, immaculately groomed pelt when you return?"

Silk's throat became dry. She didn't know what to say, but she was spared replying because King continued.

"Let me show you something," King said, rising to his paws.

Silk followed him, and King led her through the trees and to a gathering of his rogues. Silk gazed at the group nervously, trying to figure out what was going on. Dragon and Lancer where there, along with dozens of other cats. More than Silk had ever seen in one place. Silk hadn't realized that so many rogues were in the gang.

All of these cats have joined with the Brothers? There are so many, Silk thought, her eyes wide.

The cats formed a loose circle around another cat… a tabby pelt that Silk recognized.

"Delilah," Silk breathed, her orange eyes going wide.

Delilah's dark tabby pelt hung loosely off her frame. Her bones jutted out from under her fur, and her amber eyes looked hollow. She looked that she barely had the strength to stand on her paws, but that didn't stop her from shooting vicious looks at the cats surrounding her. It didn't look like she had noticed Silk yet though.

"Lancer caught her trespassing on our territory this morning," King said to Silk.

Silk looked away from Delilah's emaciated form and up at King.

"She's your little friend from before isn't she?" King asked. "Doesn't look like she's been doing too well on her own, after we took her territory from her. Have you been meeting up with her and stealing prey for her?"

"No," Silk meowed firmly. "I've not been meeting anyone."

"Alright," King said, but Silk knew he didn't believe her from how his blue eyes glinted dangerously. "Then how shall we punish her for trespassing and stealing?"

Silk swallowed.

This is a test.

Silk gazed at Delilah.

He thinks I've been meeting her. I wants me to prove that I'm loyal to him. I have to do it, otherwise he will kill me, and it will put Whiskey in danger.

Delilah's eyes finally drifted up and met Silk's. Delilah's amber eyes widened in surprise at seeing her.

I'm sorry, Delilah.

"Kill her," Silk said, her voice coming out flat and icy. "That's your law."

King glanced down at Silk. Silk looked up at him, her face impassive. King gave her one nod, then strode forward, pushing past the cats that formed a ring around Delilah.

"You have been sentenced to death for stealing and trespassing," King said to Delilah, looming over her.

She crouched down, her fur bristling on her skeletal frame.

"No, I wasn't!" Delilah said, her eyes wide with fear, but her lips curled back in a snarl. "Wait— gauhk."

King's claws slashed across her throat, an arc of deep red blood flying through the air. Delilah gasped as she choked on her own blood, the scarlet liquid bubbling at her throat and out of her mouth. She collapsed to the ground, her body convulsing weakly. After a matter of heartbeats, it was all over.

King turned and padded back over to Silk, ignoring the stares of his subordinates. Silk looked away from Delilah's glassy eyes and the steadily increasing scarlet pool. She felt some of the gazes of the rogues shift from King to her as King stood at her side.

"Come with me," King murmured to Silk.

The anger and the icy calm were both gone from his voice. Now there seemed to be a hint of warmth.

I must have passed the test, Silk thought.

Silk turned and obeyed King, following him back away from the group of cats, and Delilah's crumpled and bleeding form.

At least it's not mine or Whiskey's, Silk reminded herself.

She looked down at King's one red-stained paw. King led her away a bit so they were out of ear-shot of the group of cats. Then he settled down, wrapping his tail over his feet, masking the blood on his one paw. He gestured for Silk to sit as well with a nod of his head. Silk obeyed.

"Silk," King said. "You are a smart cat. I've known that since the moment I met you. And, you have a strength in you. It's the same strength I see in myself."

King turned and looked at her, and Silk got the feeling that he might be being honest with her for the first time ever.

"You are a fighter. You are a survivor," King continued. "The same as me. Dragon, Lancer and I, we started with nothing. Just three kits, trying to survive on the streets. Now look at us."

King gestured with his tail, indicating the Park and the cats there and everything else around him.

"Now we have a Kingdom," King said, his eyes shining with power and pride. "I have everything I could ever want… but you."

"Me?" Silk echoed, her eyes wide.

She felt off balance by King's bluntness. She was used to navigating his clever remarks and offhand flirtations. She was not equipped for this.

"Why do you want me?" Silk managed to ask.

"No other cat in the city would be a finer mate," King said simply. "I want you as my Queen."

Silk was silent, her mind whirling.

"You will have everything that you've ever wanted," King insisted. "My gang will follow you. My Kingdom will be your Kingdom. All you have to do is accept."

Silk gazed at King. She had to admit, a part of herself found the offer tempting. She would have security with King's protection. She would have prey and shelter and power. Her eye-lids fluttered uneasily.

But, what about Whiskey?

Silk opened her mouth.

"Before you say anything," King said quickly, his eyes becoming a dangerous half-lidded gaze. "I must warn you… if you refuse me again, I will not ask another time. And, if I can't have you… then no one can."

Silk feel her blood become cold. She looked away from King, staring blankly out into the forest.

"I accept," Silk said.

Silk padded through the black forest, her paw-steps slow. Dawn wasn't far off, but for now the forest was still as dark as it was during the night. Silk tripped over a root she didn't see, and she cursed herself, stumbling back to her feet. Silk gazed down at her swollen belly, her brow furrowed.

Pregnancy made her paws slow and clumsy. She felt like a fat, bumblingly dog, stumbling through the trees.

Silk slowly continued her journey. She only made it a few more fox-lengths before she jammed her paw on a rock, causing her to stumble again.

"Mousedung!" Silk cursed.

"Silk?" a voice called from not too far off, causing Silk's ears to prick suddenly.

"Whiskey?" Silk called back, forgetting about her throbbing paw and rushing towards the voice.

Silk rounded a bush and found him there, wreathed in grey shadows. Purring, Silk pressed herself to him, and she felt his purr vibrate through his body as he pressed back against her. Whiskey turned so that he was able to cover her face and ears in concerned, soothing licks.

"How have you been? How are you feeling?" Whiskey asked.

"I'm alright," Silk said quietly. "Sorry that I haven't been able to meet up with you for a couple sunrises. I didn't mean to worry you, I just couldn't get away."

Whiskey pressed himself against her more tightly.

"I was worried about you and the kits," he murmured. "I thought you may have gone into labor early."

Silk sighed.

"No, it's King," she said. "He's become super overprotective. He's barely left my side or slept at all for five sunrises. I only was able to get away now because his exhaustion finally caught up with him, and he collapsed."

Whiskey's brow furrowed, and he looked worried.

"You don't think he'll wake up and track you here?" Whiskey asked. "I don't want him to… you and the kits…"

Silk shook his head.

"He's dead to the world right now, don't worry," Silk said. "But, I'll go back soon, just in case."

Silk buried her face in Whiskey's light tabby fur, feeling dread settling over her at the thought of returning to King.

"Oh what was I thinking," Silk said, screwing her eyes shut. "I should have run away with you when I had the chance."

"No need to dwell on 'what if's'; it's too late for that now," Whiskey said in a brisk tone. "From how overprotective King sounds right now, if you run off, it seems like he will chase you right across the city to get you and the kits back."

"I hope they're yours," Silk murmured. "The kits. Not his."

Whiskey was silent for a moment.

"I wish that I didn't hope that," Whiskey muttered. "Because that would put you at risk, both you and the kits. It'll be safer for all of you, if they are all his."

Whiskey fell silent for a moment.

"But, I do hope they are too," Whiskey said.

He nuzzled Silk's face.

"Please be safe, Silk," Whiskey said. "If King finds out about me, not only will he kill me, but he'll kill you too for your betrayal."

"I know," Silk said quietly. "I know it's not safe for me to keep seeing you. But, I can't leave you. I can't forgot you. I love you."

"I love you too," Whiskey said. "And, I'll love your kits too, no matter what."

"Either way?" Silk asked.

"Either way," Whiskey agreed.