A New Pack Pet

[Zadora]

Body crotched low to the ground, hidden the the heavy brush of bright green leaves. All four paws pressed firmly around the ground. Body angled just like a feline ready to pounce. Body large and covered in fur that was colored mainly white with large black strips. Strips thick on their back as they met from either side. Becoming thinner as they traveled away from their back and down their appendages. A tigress beast. A long black and white tail flicked around rapidly in either impatientances or excitement.

What had the tigress excited or impatient. A large doe stood grazing in the small meadow that she was just outside just twenty feet from where she was hiding. Thick claws dug into the gravel. What was keeping the tigress from attacking? Bright gold orbs that resembled that of molten gold flicked from hunger to sorrow. She didn’t want to kill it. But her pack needed the meat. She felt like cracking her knuckles but didn't want to scare of her prey.

What happened next, the doe couldn’t expect. Within just a few seconds, Zadora crossed the distances and latched into the deer. Few grass blades were ripped from the ground by the speed she ran out. Just a mere blink and she was on the deer. Claws digging the flesh, brown fur falling as her claws scratched along the does ribcage. Retracting her claws for a brief moment before she wrapped her padded hands around the does thick neck. Her heavy body weight had the deer’s thin bonily legs buckling before her weight won of the deer’s strength. Its body collapsing under her weight.

Eyes closing tighty before she wrenched her paws to the right. Her large round ears pinned back at the sickly sound of bone joints dislocating. She snapped the deer’s neck before the deer had the chance to even run or the strength to buck her off its back. Her eyes slowly cracked open to look at the limp head of the doe. Dark eyes slowly glazing off with death. She released a heavy breath that she seemed to have held.

“Rafael will be happy now.” She muttered as she lifted herself off the deer’s body. She keep her glaze on the now dead deer body, watching the once dark eyes glaze over to a dull murky color of death. She didn’t want to kill it. But her pack needed to eat and it was her turn to hunt for them. Slowly her ears slowly perked up and swivel around, listening to her surrounds making sure she drew no attention for on looking predators who are hungry.

The sound of the brush to her far right moving made her shift her stance, Right foot planted firmly before her with the other slide behind her in a small bend. She lowered herself slightly as she extended one arm out in front of her and the other closer to her body, bent at the elbow. Claws extended, ready to attack if needed. She waited to see what she would be going against to keep her kill. She watched the bush continue to move, what ever it was, was having trouble getting out of the bushes confinements.

What she was expecting was a predator that wants her deer. Like a wolf or even a bear. But this was not was she was expecting. Tumbling from the thick brush a small white fur dark gray striped cub that was just like herself. A tiger. A white tiger to be exact. The cub looked no older than four weeks old. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the cub. “Cute!” She spoke excitedly towards the cub. She looked to the sky blue eyes of the cub that was more focused on the carcass that herself.

With it focused on the deer, she looked over the cub. Ribs shown through the striped fur. The cub was skinny.. She slouched at the sight of the hungry cub. She looked at the deer before bending down and hooking her paws around the deer’s front legs. She didn’t have Rafael with her so she will have to carry it herself. After a few tries a heaving it up, she finally managed to get it up and on her shoulders. Turning to the cub, She approached it in a slow manner.

“Its okay.. I won't hurt you..” She whispered softly to the cub. She watched as the cub took stumbling steps backwards from her. She keep whispering soft words to the cub until she was close enough. Bending down near the cub and quickly snatched it up into her arms. She nearly stumbled with the deer on her shoulders but she managed to keep the deer carcass on her shoulders. The cubs small but sharp claws dug into her fur with attempts to get away from her.

Keep an arm around the tiger kitten, the other wrapped around the deer’s legs. Situating herself as she tried to keep the cub calm. A deep sound vibrated in her throat. She blinked. Where did that need to make such a sound come from? The sound had the cub stilling her chuffing. This seemed to calm it so she keep making the deep sound until the cub was calmly laying in her grasp. She leaned her head down. Not sure why she felt the need but she felt like she had to nuzzle the cub.

She wasn’t sure why she felt this sudden motherly feeling for the cub but she did. Maybe this is what Lolth feeling for her baby spiders. She wasn’t sure. But she felt the need to protect and mother the little tiger cub. She hoped Rafael won’t mind the cub. But she was determined to keep and help the cub. Maybe she will have to get snippy with the larger panther for her to keep the cub. Or maybe he will let her without a say? Who knows until she approached him about it when she gets back home.

Her muzzle brushed a crossed the cubs head. She smiled feeling the cub bump its head back into her nuzzle, a small purr vibrating in its small body. It was leaning into her nuzzle like it would do if she were its mother. She continued to nuzzle the cub as she made her away back to her home. Maybe Rafael will let her mother the cub? She felt a purr rumble in her throat as the cub bumped its head back once more into her muzzle.

[Rafael]

2 Hours Later

"You're sure about this Zadora? You're positive you're going to be able to take care of it? That the little one won't simply wonder off while you're asleep." Rafael questioned Zadora for perhaps the tenth time since she had returned from hunting. The sun was still high in the sky and Rafael had been asleep when she had returned from hunting. She had been right the fact that she had found and caught such a nice size of meat was one that Rafael was thankful for since all four of them ate more than a professional football player did everyday. He wasn't really opposed to the idea of Zadora keeping the little tiger cub as her own pet and friend, but feeding another mouth wouldn't make their lives any easier.

[Zadora]

Ever since she had returned with the nice size doe and the cube. Rafael was getting on her nerves asking the same question. Her padded fingers twitched against the cube's back. With his six question, she sharply turned towards him. Her head cocked up looking at him with narrowed eyes. Once small pupils, now dilated to large round ones that nearly took up all of the color of her eyes. "Rafael... How many times are we gonna repeat ourselves?" She snapped out as she ran her claws gently through the cubes fur.

She lifted a brow as she took a breath to calm herself. She didnt want to hurt the cube because of her frustration that he was causing. She stood in her spot waiting for his answer, her pawed feet tapping against the ground before bending down to place the cube on the ground. Dipping her tail down swaying in back and forth. She turned her head down to watch the cube as she rose back up. Her eyes following the cube as it made attempts to tackle her tail before she flicked it away from the cube.

Just watching the cube was making her relax. Her anger fading away at the cuteness of the cube. She looked back up at Rafael then huffed. "I told you. There was no mother around. Either the mother died or abandoned her cube. And it was skinny. I was not gonna leave it there." She spoke as she glanced down to the cube then looked back up at him. Would you left this little cube alone Rafael?" She asked, her voice changed from its gently tone to a more stern or hard voice.

[Rafael]

Well it seemed that his questions were getting on the nerve of Zadora despite everything that Rafael wanted to do to keep everyone safe from those that sought to do them all harm it didn't matter when it came down to getting a pet. Although Rafael didn't really know what that meant simply because . . . well he hadn't ever owned a pet. He had lived his entire human life in turmoil although his memories may be fading many of them were still there and still hurt him emotionally. As Zadora questioned whether or not they were just going to keep going over the same questions again and again Rafael just gave up there was no point she was going to keep the little thing anyway.

Letting out a sigh. Rafael had given up. "Alright fine. What're you going to call it?" Rafael asked just skipping over the statement that Zadora would be the one primarily looking after it, feeding it and it would stay with her as he was sure she was already aware that those would be things for her to take responsibility of if she wanted to keep it. "Also make sure it knows not to go down and see Lolth otherwise it might kill her children and that'll just cause more problems. Got it?" He gave her a questioning look signifying that he wanted to hear her say it.

[Lolth Orbweaver]

Deep inside the pack's cave home, Lolth Orbweaver slumbered with her little ones. Spiders of all shapes and sizes laid around her, some even laying on top of her body. She was getting hungry, and wanted to hunt, but she was content with waiting for Zadora to get back with her hunt. Until then she slumbered. Her dreams during her nap were interesting to say the least. She was a musician playing several instruments at once to a crowd in the Rukongai. The stringed instrument that she saw that one time, some kind of metal pipe, and other's that she couldn't name, she played to the applause of her audience. Then the applause got louder and louder, and off rhythm becoming loud pattering of the stone floor. 

Her eyes milky eyes would slowly open, as the noise roused her. She would yawn and start to stretch her many arms and back. The little ones would scuttle away from her, some climbing off their perch to give her room to move around. She straightened her silk dress and moved closer to the entrance of the cave where Zadora and Rafael resided. She liked to keep her little ones happy and safe in the darker parts of the cave. She resided farther back which kept things quiet for her when she wanted to relax. She could hear the two arguing about something. She was not awake enough to know what exactly. She yawned again walking through the cavern 

"Also make sure it knows not to go down and see Lolth otherwise it might kill her children and that'll just cause more problems. Got it?" Rafael was sounding concerned about something, what was here? Zadora was aggravated by Rafael or, was it what she brought into the cave? "Don't let what see me?" She asked wiping her eyes with two of her four hands. Now that she was more awake, she noticed the scent of something else. The patter of paws on the stone ground was louder too something small, and on all fours. "Zadora, what did you bring into the cave?" She asked curiously smelling the air with a slight flair of her nose. "What is behind you?"

[Zadora]

She flicked her golden orbs from the playing cub as Rafael began to speak after a moment of silence finally given into her keeping and caring for the cub. She smiled towards him before kneeling down to the ground. Dragging her paw gently along the cubs back, stopping it’s play to lean into the petting. “ I think I will call the cub Mia.” She spoke as she lifted her head to look up at him. Listening to his next sentence. Speaking of what she already knew as she nodded her head to him,

Too busy with having her conversation with Rafael and playing with the tiger cu, she didn’t notice that Lolth was up and near then until she spoke up. She wiped her head towards Lolth’s direction. Watching her wipe her eyes as she spoke. She grinned as she looked at the other female. “I brought a abandoned cub home when I was hunting.” She spoke as she hooked her paws up and under the cub and pulled the cub into her lap.

[Lolth Orbweaver]

Lolth looked at Zadora, as the spider woman took in, and got used to the new scent that now covered the feline woman, and the air around her. Truth be told, she was a bit worried. The cub was still a baby after all, and babies were hard to control. Young were not something that Lolth had to really deal with even from her own little ones. Most spider species scatter as young, and Lolth knew that was the best way for a young spider to grow was free, even if that left it in peril. Mammalian young on the other hand were different, to her understanding. They needed much more care and nurturing while they are small in order for them to grow, and they could be get mischievous.

Still, it would be unfair for Lolth to disapprove, since Zadora had accepted her little ones despite Zadora's fear of them. Lolth simply smiled and knelt down to be level with the cub getting close to it slowly. She would run one of her slender hands on the cubs head feeling the soft fur. She would use another hand to move along its back. She wanted to see the cub more accurately. Plus, this allowed the cub to get used to her, if not show Lolth part of its temperament. "I do hope that it behaves, otherwise, I would have to harvest its soft fur for another of my silk dresses." A creepy, uncomfortable smile would spread across her face before a soft giggle would single the end of the jest, and her face softening to again.