I hear the mewling of my brother and sister. They are as hungry as I am. Our mother obliges us. When we are done she cleans us. Then rubs us to make sure others know that we are hers. It's rather boring, I make practice as I pounce on my siblings. That's not as boring.
-----
The winds of cold end. Mother takes us out and we learn to hunt. I fail at it, mother brings us something fresh. Next time I will succeed. I caught a flying thing, I present it to mother. She grooms me first, I stand tall over my brother and sister.
-----
Sister is gone, she attempted something too close to her size. Mother keeps closer watch over me and brother. When she lessen her vigilance, brother and I roam. We are at the edge of mother scent. I open my mouth and smell more markings of others, my brother is doing the same. He wanders off pass mother scent, I stay behind. I never see him again. I find his scent every once awhile and I give him room.
-----
The wind begins to get cold again. Mother goes into heat and I am ejected from her area of scent.
-----
I hunt and grow larger, another season of cold passes. I've established my area of scent. It is mine alone and I defend it from trespassers. There is a clearing at the edge of my scent, there are many scents that pass through it. I watch them go by, their being greater than mine. I remember my sister, I watch them go by.
-----
The wind grows cold, I am in heat, no suitors come by. They judge me too early. I am unsatisfied, I must grow larger.
-----
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
A lone scent travels by the edge of my scent. Their being is only slightly larger than my own. They are unaware of me. When they do become aware of me, it's too late for them. I grow larger, my being with it. I am not bored.
-----
The wind grows cold again, I am in heat. A suitor brings me his kill, I judge satisfactory. There is yowling in the night, the better to express contentment and to keep others away. My suitor brings back more kills as the life inside me grows. There are two of them. I purr and am sluggish. When I bring out the life my yowls signal its time for him to move on. I nurse my young and clean them and eat what's left of the birthing. I move to a different location with my young. They can't see yet but soon enough they will be annoying. I purr to let them know I am near.
They grow larger and when their teeth come in I start to show them how to hunt. They are clumsy but they learn. It is not long until they both wander off.
I grow larger both in body and being. The cold wind returns, so does my suitor.
-----
It’s three cubs this time. I have matched my mother. I haven't smelled her scent on the edge of my own anymore. One leaves early, the other two stay until the wind grows cold again. I chase my daughters away in case there is a new suitor. Can't be competing against the young.
My heat is unanswered this year.
-----
There is another lone prey walking by himself up the clearing. His being is far greater than I but he does not see me. I leap for his throat, I am suddenly back in my scent area. The side of my head hurts greatly. The predator continues walking as if nothing happened. I slink off and remember to only hunt beings of similar size to myself.
When the wind grows cold again a new suitor arrives. The prey he brought is adequate. I bear him four cubs
-----
Another cold wind and I bring him only two cubs. Only one survives.
-----
The next cold wind my suitor moves on, another does not approach.
-----
The smallest one is pulling something, the things in the something smell enticing. The smallest ones hands are full and it's being the greatest, it's more enticing than the meat it pulls. The other of their pack are not paying attention, they are bigger but their beings far smaller. When they are all looking away I pounce. The small one notices me and puts their limb into my jaws. I bite down ready to snap the readily provided limb. It's my fangs that snap, the small one blood mixes with my own. The small one claws had pierced my neck but I claw the small one in turn. This is turning out to be worse than expected. Right before I can flee the taller one is behind me.
