"My little darlings."

Chapter 4

"The past always catches up with the present."

Shira walked towards the source of the smell with all her senses on high alert.

She knew who that was, she knew why he was here, what she didn't know was why he decided to revile himself right now.

He had plenty opportunities to do so before she joined Diego and his little pack, as well as started a happy family.

The tigress snarled, her sharp claws scratching the ground beneath her paws.

He's got some nerve, showing up here now. Shira though emitting a soft growl, careful not to alert him to her presence.

The bastard was near, she could smell his smugness and arrogance in the air that surrounded her.

And he wasn't alone.

The scent that accompanied him was received just as badly, for the male was supposed to be dead after his little encounter with mermaids.

Both the tiger mother and Peaches hoped to never see that sea tyrant, ever again.

"I know you're there, bastards!" Shira yelled at the forest before her, getting tired of the quietness of the place and their unwillingness to show themselves. "Show yourselves, cowards!"

A loud laugh sounding like a mix between two deep, male voices answered her, and soon two of her biggest mistakes, came back to her life.

"Challenging and bold as ever are we, Ira?" A dark-brown tiger with soft black stripes and easily recognizable purple eyes, chuckled as he walked out from behind a rock.

Shira blistered at the old, hated nickname.

The new male tiger was about a head taller than Diego and looked twice as strong. His sharp-looking claws than never seem to hide, gave him an impression of a dangerous predator that not many can take down.

The tigress growled at him, the fur on her back standing up as another irritating smile graced his muzzle.

Her irritation only grew once she realized the obvious similarities between him and her son, Shibann. The bastard could be easily mistaken for the cub's father and that only made him all the more dangerous, to her family.

"What do you want, Seth?" Shira spat his name, gathering all the hurt he ever inflicted upon her and her clan, in to that one drop of saliva.

The bronze tiger only laughed at her display of disgust.

"Why, Shira darling." He cooed in that charming voice of his, the voice that could make her do whatever he wanted all those years ago, before the tragedy happened. Before the SilverFur tiger clan new the abomination of hell, that was Seth. "Is this how you greet all your old friends?" She didn't answer. "Why, I was kind of expecting a warmer welcome but if you want to be this way…"

"Cut the crap, Seth." The tigress snarled, flashing her teeth. "I have two hungry kids, I need to feed. I can't stand here all day, listening to that snake of a tongue that you have."

The purple eyed male flinched at the growling tone, but remained calm when answering her.

"You ask me what I want? Well, the answer should be quite obvious." Whitin the blink of an eye he miraculously found himself millimeters from Shira's face, earning a loud, disapproving growl from the tigress. She forgot how fast the bastard was. "A long time ago we made a promise to each other…" He purred as the white tiger backed away, her fangs flashing. "I wish only to fulfil that little agreement. After all, your father approved."

"That was before you killed him!" Shira snarled jumping away from the other tiger.

Seth sighted dramatically.

"Ira, honey you are sadly mistaken." He said with fake sadness plastered on his muzzle. "I did not kill, Sylvein." The psychotic sparkle in his eyes, made Shira's fur stand up. "Now the cuts, bruises, broken bones, as well as the drastically cold weather, are the ones you should suspect. I hear they are quite good in killing living beings." He winked at her playfully, making the young mother sick in the stomach.

"You sadistic, bastard!" Shira yelled. "My father died from the wounds, you inflicted upon him!"

Seth nearly shrugged, not bothered at all.

"He died because he was weak, Shira." He corrected in the matter-of-fact kind of tone. "I still don't get why everybody was so mad at me, for offing the guy." The tiger added, generously curious. "I just made all of you a favor, getting rid of that pathetic weakling-of-a-leader and making way for a new, stronger one. Really, darling you should be thanking me."

"You really are sick in the head, if you thought we would thank you for killing our clan leader." She snarled. "My father was a fair alpha, beloved by everyone for his gentle leadership and compassion."

"Sylvein was a coward!" Seth suddenly yelled, showing more of his psychotic side. "He never had the strength to do, what needed to be done!" He huffed, shaking his large head. "What kind of leader leaves his enemies breathing?! They should be run to the ground for their crimes, not offered a place in the colony!" After a moment the rabid tiger calmed himself a bit, returning back to his charming state. "But, even back then, that didn't matter. For I still would have made 'clan leader' even if Sylvein was still among the living. After all…" Shira blinked and there he was again, inches from her nose. "I was in love with his beloved daughter, was I not?"

The white tigress jumped back again in disgust.

"The only thing you loved back then, was power and my parents new that. They all did." Her voice waivered, a sob escaping her throat. "They…they tried to warn me but…I was too stubborn to listen." Her words then became nothing but a whisper. "And that's why you killed them. All of them. Even the baby cubs." She let out a small cry as her brain envisioned Sheira and Shibann, among the dead children. "I was a fool for not realizing it sooner." She met his creepy, calm gaze with a cold stare of her own. "I should have killed you, in your sleep."

"Perhaps." Seth said, his voice sounding bored with the conversation. "But the promise still counts." He added with a twisted smile on her face, and began to slowly make his way over to her. "You belong to me, Princess. You and those little cubs of yours." He purred, purple eyes flashing with insanity. "We will be a family, together. With you as my lovely mate, Shibann as heir to my throne and Sheira as daddy's little girl."

Shira snapped her teeth against his chest in anger.

"You stay the hell away from my cubs!" Sheira screamed backing away, only to run into a familiar looking badger and kangaroo, grinning at her.

"There is nowhere for you to run, Princess." Seth cooed, getting to close to her for comfort. "Just give in to me, Ira." He whispered. "And we'll be the family you always wanted."

"Even if, by some miracle I were to go along with that sick plan of yours." She chuckled. "You forget that my mate, is the most stubborn cat walking on this planet." Shira emphasized the word 'mate', enjoying the angry look that appeared on the male tiger's face afterwards. "He won't stop searching for us, until he has you neatly skinned for the birds to feed on." She said, smirking. "And the mammoths will help too." Added knowingly, perfectly aware that Manny and his family would very much like to join Diego's little escapade.

"Oh you mean, Diego?" Seth asked, something in his voice making the tigresses stomach turn to ice. "Oh don't worry about him, darling." He then snapped his claws together and Gutt began pulling something from behind a large rock.

Once it was fully in sight…Shira's heart nearly stopped.

It was a mutilated, broken-beyond-repair, without a single spot not covered in blood, body of what was once a proud cat.

"He won't be bothering us, anymore."

JA107: Hi, guys! Sorry for the wait! I promise I'll update more regularly from now on, after all… We're just getting into the fun part ^^