She panted and ran as fast as she could, hearing the dogs bark. She looked to her mate and said: "I cannot stay here much longer, for soon I will fall of exhaustion and our kits will die." Her mate looked horrified. They soon came to a small cave and ran inside. "I will not let you die," said the tom. He ran out blindly and led two dogs and a wolf hybrid out into the forest. The dogs snapped at him and soon he fell, dead. The queen was very tired but she knew that if she gave up hope, her unborn kits would die.
A few days later, the queen gave birth to four kittens. Two died and the third froze to death. The queen cried and cried but protect