Prologue.

"That's what I like to see. A girl with a bit of meat on her!"

The comment earned an eye roll and the barest hint of a smile.

"Very funny George."

"I thought so too,"

And it probably would have been if Katie Kennedy had not been hearing the same line every morning for the last thirteen months as she struggled back to the big cat enclosure from the storage fridges with a boxful of raw off-cuts that was so heavy it left bruises on her forearms. She sighed heavily as she lowered the package down onto the counter-top, standing for a moment to regain her breath,

"Everyone okay this morning?"

"Certainly seem that way," George replied, scratching a hand through the dwindling supply of grey hair topping his head as his eyes sparkled in excitement. Katie regarded him with a curious frown,

"What?"

"Missy's nesting,"

Her mouth dropped open wide, a smile turning up the corners of her lips,

"No!"

"Yes sir," George sang back casually, full of Southern old-boy charm, "Could be any day now."

Beginning to sort out the rations, Katie let a wide grin cross her face, her heart thumping in excitement. Since the day she'd started work at the zoo, she'd been waiting for one of her charges to give birth. A triumph for any establishment with captive tigers, and certainly a boost to the international breeding programme. The thought of her Missy being part of such a campaign was both moving and thrilling. George caught her expression with similar joy, shaking his head warmly,

"Guess that's going to make us Grandparents, huh?"

"Maybe in your case," Katie shot back cheerfully, "But I refuse to have grand-cubs at my age. I'll settle for being a cool Aunt."

George laughed, repositioning his staff cap and heading towards the door,

"Point taken. Right, I'll get them up and out. See you in a minute."

"Sure thing."

The door flapped once behind him and then slammed, leaving Katie all alone.

Tiger cubs. She grinned again, hardly daring to believe it was so close. Cheerfully she started to hum, concentrating on sectioning up the meat and remaining completely oblivious to all else. Even as a dark stream of smoke started to seep in from the air vents above her, finding her out like a beacon and invading her airways. It took only a matter of seconds for once hazel eyes to blink solid black.

"Katie?" called a voice from outside, "You coming? Don't forget their breakfast!"

"Oh, don't worry Georgie," came the reply, suddenly sounding silky and dark as she picked up the meat cleaver and traced a fingertip across the sharp blade, "I won't."

Here we go again everyone! Prologue? Check. Demon Possession? Check. And now just because I'm kind and because there wouldn't even be a section without them, here's chapter one...and the boys!