Fox's Glade lush life

"Eat," he commanded. Regipre's stomach turned. Her appetite was nonexistent. However, she did as she was told, tentatively nosing at the slain goose tossed her way and then mechanically beginning to devour it. It was the first meat she had eaten in weeks, aside from the occasional fish. Her body needed the nourishment, especially as it healed. The coyote flinched ever so slightly as she heard the cougar begin to slaver over his own goose, though she kept eating. She continued to nibble at the stringy goose flesh when he polished off his repast and began to regale her with his master plan.

The whelp remained silent after he finished, listening to the rasp of the cougar's tongue over his pelt and the quiet spatter of rain beyond. She had no choice in the matter, so he could take her silence as acceptance if he wished. She now belonged to the large cat; she was his zafra. When she had some time to overcome her fear somewhat, she would accept this more easily than servitude to the wolves. She would have no qualms with helping to lure and slay her larger cousins. They had wronged her deeply and, in time, she might even come to enjoy the cat's game.

As her life as the cougar's slave began and Regipre grew into her new role, she might even think of Saena and how she could one day get sweet revenge for the life and limb that had nearly been torn from her. For now, though, her mind remained blank and her future rose up before her like a bleak question mark. She had reduced the carcass to sharp little bones and drew back, folding herself into a tiny ball at the cave's rear.