Whisp turned his glare on Frost, eyes glinting. He lashed his tail, letting his lip curl as he stared at Frost, anger welling up in his chest. He dared to threaten and attack his family. And immediately after trying to befriend Whisp.

He took another step forward, a low rumble erupting from his throat, but Truth stood up, positioning herself in between her son and Frost.

"That will be enough, Whisp," she said sternly, deep blue eyes piercing into Whisp's soul. "You will not harm this cat. He didn't mean to do what he did."

Whisp whipped around, snarling, as Frost slipped through his legs and darted into the small den. As Frost wiggled in, Lamentis let out a small yip as she was pushed to the side, making room for the large feline. As Frost settled, his body shivering in fear, Lamentis lifted her head to rest on Frost's back, her little nose twitching.

She let out a purr-like rumble, before licking his back reassuringly.

Truth shot past her son, who was stalking towards the den and stood over the hole. Her lips curled back in a ferocious snarl, and a rumbling built up in her throat. Her dark eyes flashed angrily, her motherly side taking over.

Whisp's fur bristled, and he took a step back. Despite being angry, his mother's dominance greatly outweighed his own, and he quickly grew submissive. His lips were stilled curled though, but he didn't advance on her any.

"He could kill you, Mother," Whisp spat, tail lashing. "He may not mean it, but he could."

Lamentis yawned, before closing her eyes. In moments, she was asleep and snoring.

Truth lifted her chin, her calm disposition taking over once more.

"I am willing to take that risk. Go home, my son. Now."

Whisp's fur bristled, and his eyes widened. He hesitated, before letting out a growl, whipping around, and padding home. Truth stood for a moment, watching the spot where her son disappeared, ears swiveling.

Once she was satisfied he was truly gone, she let out a soft sigh and sat down. She ducked her head, peering into the den, and smiled at the sight of Lamentis and Frost curled together. How sweet.

"I will protect you two, even if it's from my own children," she promised, curling her tail around her paws. She was growing sleepy; the day had been eventful. She let out a yawn and blinked sleepily, but she didn't give in to the beckoning of sleep. Not yet.

After Whisp had left, Frost didnt dare move as he didnt want to wake the sleeping pup. He peered out at Truth, nodding when she made the promise.

Frost hoped it never happened again.

The gentle sound of birdsong overhead woke Truth. She was sitting atop the boulder, covered by the bush's brambles. She picked her head from her paws, blinking away the sleep, and shook her head.

Yawning, she picked herself up and stretched, shaking off the rest of the leaves, and lept down from the boulder to peer into the den.

They were still there. She let out a silent sigh of relief, before feeling her stomach gurgle angrily. She looked at her gut in surprise, before remembering she hadn't eaten dinner last night. She picked her head up, debating on whether or not to return to the camp and grab some food for herself, Frost, and Lamentis, but she decided against it. They would be much safer if she remained close to the den.

She trotted away, pausing to sniff the ground and air. She mentally shifted through each scent, searching for something edible...

There. The sharp, panicked scent of a rabbit. She could practically hear its heart beating frantically. She licked her maw, before glancing back at the den. They would be alright for a little bit. She turned and followed the scent of the rabbit, disappearing into the shadows of the forest.

As Frost wiggled his way out of the cramped area, Lamentis grumbled and yawned sleepily, turning over in her sleep.

"Five more minutes, Mama," she mumbled, curling into a tight little ball, her tail resting on the tip of her nose.

...

Truth crouched down low, the fur on her belly brushing the blades of grass. Her dark eyes were locked onto a gray rabbit, whose ears were swiveling around as it fed on grass. Truth's whole body was tensed, not a single part of her moving. The rabbit looked down...

Truth leaped out of the shadows, jaws opened wide as she crashed down on the rabbit, who squeaked and terror and made to bolt. It got about a tail's length away before Truth slammed her paws down on its neck. Swiftly, she grabbed the base of its neck and clamped down hard, feeling bones crack beneath her canines.

Shaking her head violently until the rabbit was fully limp, she set it down and licked her fur smooth again, proud of herself. She grabbed the rabbit by the throat again and began the short trip back, leaves crunching beneath her pawpads.

Frost crouched and peered back inside to make sure Lamentis was still asleep. He then sat down next to the boulder and waited for Truth to return. The feline got to thinking..

Marmalade quickly rushed off the sidewalk and into the human park. Gasping she immediately ran the other direction, in a zig zag hoping that the humans didnt follow her. A car passed and Mara jumped backward to scatter her way through the dense trees.