Phoenix Maplewood Pillars of colonial homes

Rain pattered the leaves of the maples, a sort of drumbeat that Saena walked in time to. Her legs moved with a structured tempo as her task consumed her focus. Her narrow head was thrust between her shoulders, ears poised forward, and hackles slightly lifted as the scent of a deer mouse flooded her senses. Even with her belly slung low and her body heavy and aching, the petite female was a hunter at heart and the draw of fresh prey was intense. Living off the caches was both inconvenient and gross. Everything tasted the same and it drained the pack of resources that they needed. Chasing down her own prey was preferable.

Her shoulders rippled under her coat as she prowled through the woods, body sliding smoothly into a crouch when she picked up the sound of rustling litter. She nudged a paw forward slowly, adjusted her weight, and then bounded several steps forward with jaws gaping. She was still unable to compensate for the added weight of pregnancy, however, and undershot her target. She managed to scuff the mouse with a paw and managed a few further bounds in pursuit, but in the end, she watched with wilted ears as its grey body darted away into the depths of the wood.