[OLD] Inna

Chapter 4

The eagle dived down just after Wish got away. Wish was shaking with fear.

I got up, trying to not disturb my cubs.

"Stay here," I told them. "I'll be back. If you hear a shriek like that again, huddle to the end of the den."

The cubs were confused. A couple of minutes later, I came back with a rabbit.

"Yay!" shouted Sparki. "Mama has food!"

Three of the cubs quickly ate the rabbit, but Luna was just watching.

"Don't worry Wish, I brought you a vole," I said quietly.

I knew Wish didn't like rabbit. Really, Wish liked anything but rabbit. I brought two more rabbits and two more voles until my cubs were brave enough to follow me. My cubs stepped out of the den. I could tell Wish was fascinated.

"Isn't it cool, runt!" mocked Sparki.

"That's mean, Sparki." hissed Starfall.

"Yeah," replied Cream.

"It's not my fault she doesn't talk!!" yowled Sparki, bearing a mocking face.

I took a step toward my cubs and dropped the bird I had hunted.

"What's going on, Sparki?"

Sparki told me that Wish started biting her.

"Is this true, Starfall, or Cream?"

Starfall was angry.

"No, mom!! Sparki called Wish a runt, and then said a mean thing about her not talking, and now she lied about Wish biting her."

I shot a warning look at Sparki.

"Is this true, Cream and Wish?"

They both nodded their heads. I picked up Sparki by her scruff. I told my other kits to play.

"Sparki," I said to her, looking at her with a stern look on my furry white face. "Why did you call your little sister a runt?"

Sparki stared at me for a second. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"I-I...." she trailed off for a second.

"Cause she is!"

My mouth gaped open.

"She doesn't talk, and she's smaller than the rest of us!"

I was shocked by my daughter. I wanted to show her my sharp fangs and yowl at her not to do that. But that shot of energy could not take me over, though it was close to doing that.

"Just..."

I looked at her and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Just...Just don't do that again." I told her as she rolled her eyes at me and padded off.

I hissed and sniffed for food. I noticed a small vole looking around. I saw its small beady eyes, its small ears swiveling around rapidly. I stalked it, the warm peppery smell of its meat flooding my nose. I pounced, landing on it with a thump. This was my favorite part. A wave of the vole's peppery smell flew up and flooded my nose once again. It made me jolt. I carried it back, bringing it back for Luna. She softly mewed a 'Thank you mother' before plunging into the plump vole's body. I looked at her and then looked at my other beautiful cubs. No matter what Sparki said to Wish, I would still love her.