"Hm?" Janette opened her eyes, bringing her attention to the gentle squeak of the open window facing the bed. A cold breeze snuck inside, grazing her skin. Wrapping a bnket around her, she pnted her feet down on the wooden floor before stepping lightly toward the parted gss, sealing it with a soft push and turning the tch to secure it in pce. She sighed, her breath fogging up the gss. A chill ran down her exposed shoulders, causing her to tighten the bnket and hold it firmly in pce with one hand. Her hand slid down the soft fabric before sneaking through, her fingertips dancing around the edges of her wound. It stung from the touch, and a quick gnce showed a purple bruise forming around the puncture mark.

  "Hss." She sucked in her breath, pulling away and covering herself again. She reached out and lit a candle, setting it atop the drawer near the bedroom before sitting back in pce. She winced from the pain but snuggled up, reaching around the cat girl and holding her in her arms. Amidst the cold night, feeling her naked body against hers kept her feeling safe and warm, unaware of the shadowy presence crawling from under the bed.

  Felix double-checked the front door lock, gncing through the gss before turning his attention to everyone else in the room. "Something's in the house, we need to look around."

  "You're not saying we split up?" Dimyri's voice quivered with a look of concern, "Better to split up in pairs. We can cover more rooms at a faster pace while having someone with us."

  "Fine, but no stupid ideas." He said, his eyes dancing around from face to face. "KuliKuli and I will check the first floor."

  "Then Na'Vi and I can check upstairs." Dimyri volunteered, "Mom can stay here with Tootsie."

  "Fine by me!" Tootsie squeaked, jumping down onto the dining table.

  "What about Syri?" Emyri brought up. "She's with Janette upstairs."

  "Damn," Na'Vi hissed, running up the stairs.

  "Wait, we don't know if someone is up there!" Dimyri cried out, racing to catch up. That left the other three alone.

  "C'mon," Felix muttered, moving down the hallway.

  KuliKuli moved in but hesitated by the frame, looking back at her mother. "Mom, you're okay here, yes?"

  "Just go, sweetie. I'll be here when you get back." Emyri replied, offering a nod and a smile. Kuli smiled back and ran off, letting Emyri breath in silence. She turned around, pressing her back against the wall and gncing around. At a time when she preferred isotion for some peace and quiet, now she found the ck of noise unsettling. A quick sniff made her feel uneasy, that scent seemed familiar. The pixie shared a nervous smile, knowing at least they had each other for company.

  Na'Vi pushed the door wide open, bargaining in. Janette's eyes opened wide upon the intrusion, turning around with Syri now sitting up with an audible yawn. In her groggy state, the Nekomata was unaware of her topless form, sharing the bedroom with a naked Janette by her side. Na'Vi was stunned, now aware of the sight and catching on to the smell of sex in the air. Her face scrunched up as she covered her nose, looking away as Dimyri caught up to her, panting.

  "Hey Sis-oh wow!" She yelped, stammering her words and shoving Na'Vi away from the door. A quick gnce showed the window was locked, leaving her with a feeling of relied. "S-Sorry about that, a-a-and congratutions! How was it?"

  "Shut the bloody door!" Janette hollered, throwing a shoe in her direction.

  "EEEP!" She smmed the door shut just in time, shielding herself from the incoming projectile.

  Janette huffed and shimmied back under the covers, cozying up. Syri rubbed her eyes and flopped beside her, nuzzling against her shoulder and purring lightly. The young woman didn't seem to have a clue what just happened, much to Janette's amusement. She turned around, parting the locks of silver hair away from Syri's pretty face and kissing her lips before closing her eyes once more.

  Dimyri leaned against the door, running a hand over her face and combing her light brown hair back. "That just happened. They're safe."

  She accompanied Na'Vi as the pair inspected another bedroom, checking under the bed and making sure the window was locked.

  "Why didn't you tell her?" Na'Vi mentioned.

  Dimyri frowned. "Hesitated. They had a fun night, didn't want to ruin it."

  "It's a dumb choice."

  "Maybe, we'll see. It might be nothing for all we know, or maybe we're chasing a stray animal."

  Na'Vi shook her head. "That wasn't the scent of a stray."

  "Just help me look around."

  Felix shut the door behind him and shook his head. "Nothing here. That leaves the washroom."

  KuliKuli nodded, biting her lip as she pushed the door ajar, peaking inside. In the dark, her eyes adjusted well enough to peer through, gncing from one corner to the next. A small tub sat in the center, with her and Felix acknowledging each other with a look of agreement. Shutting the door, Felix licked his lips and tightened his fists, tiptoeing around with KuliKuli at the opposite side. The room was so quiet that he could hear her breathing, sucking in air the moment they checked behind the tub.

  Still nothing. Gncing around, the room left very little options for hiding. No cupboards, just a countertop, a bucket, and a tub. Not even a window for insution it seemed.

  Emyri stepped into the kitchen, pacing around the central furnace and closing the door. "See? The pce is clear, and nobody got hurt."

  "Yea, for now." Tootsie whined, clinging to her shoulder. "Pixies are no good in a fight. Last tussle left me with a crooked wing, what kind of physical advantage can a pixie bring?"

  "Right, just needed to make sure. You know, clear my head. It's the least I can do." She sighed, leaning against the counter.

  Tootsie hopped onto the table, holding her paw for comfort. "Cheer up! Just us two for now, maybe the others will be back soon?"

  Emyri didn't reply, her eyebrows burrowed together as she slowly lifted her head.

  "What?" Tootsie asked, staring as the Nekomata turned to gre at the pantry door.

  "That door should have been closed." She whispered, approaching the door with unease.

  "W-Wait! Maybe we should inform the rest? Yes, I think that action would be best!"

  She didn't reply, wrapping her tail around the handle and twisting. Pulling the door wide open, she stepped inside and scanned the pce, spotting nothing but crates of fruit and vegetables organized and stored in numerous shelves.

  "Empty." She said under her breath.

  Tootsie breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat off her green brow. "You see, you see? All of this tension, all of this suspense. And for what, an empty room? I swear, believing yourself brave and daring to look for the intruder rather than to coop up in safety. That wouldn't be me, couldn't be me."

  The pixie wrapped herself around with her translucent wings, brushing them softly to calm her nerves. "Look at me, all this is keeping me rattled! I should have stayed at the Den, away from this nasty battle."

  Perched up from the cupboard above, a pair of scarlet eyes remained fixated on the tiny pixie. Just as Tootsie calmed herself, a gray cat pounced from above, trapping her in her paws. Emyri snapped her head back, gasping as the cat girl locked eyes with her. The Nekomata stood a few inches beneath her height, her fur and medium length matching in a gray color with bck stripes. The red in her eyes briefly faded away as her natural green eyes widened with recognition. She looked to be younger than Syri, shivering with a pale tone to her exposed body, wearing rags to cover her breasts and a brown skirt made from rags. Her hair was damp and her forehead glistening with sweat, giving her a sickly appearance paired with her sniffling runny nose.

  Her paws were pressed together, keeping the pixie trapped in her grasp.

  Emyri stared back at the poor girl, taken aback momentarily. "MiMi, is that you?"

  MiMi felt her body soften as she stepped toward her, instinctively drawn in by her voice. But the colr fastened around her held a red ruby at the center which emitted a soft glow, causing the Nekomata to throw her head back in pain. She hissed and released the pixie, dropping her as she recoiled and fell to one knee. Tootsie scurried off, running into Emyri's tail to be swooped up and dropped on her shoulder, catching her breath.

  "What in the hells, she tried to kill me!"

  Emyri stepped back, watching the young girl grab her head and twist her body around. She stiffened and her arms slumped down, her posture rexing as she turned to face her. Her eyes now matched the same red color as the stone secured on the colr she wore.

  "Not good." Tootsie said, hiding behind Emyri's hair.

  "MiMi, don't!" Emyri cried out, moments before the cat girl leaped at her.

  "What was that about?" Syri mumbled, pressing back against her lover.

  Janette closed her eyes and smiled. "Nothing important."

  "Mm, good." She yawned, smacking her lips. "Nighty night."

  "Sleep well." Janette whispered back, kissing her shoulder and dropping her head. Her eyes fshed open as she looked over Syri's shoulder again, spotting the pair of red eyes ahead.

  It was a Nekomata, a cat girl with ginger hair and orange fur. She had a freckled face and body simir to Syri's, only she was taller with fair skin and a colr around her neck.

  "S-SYRI!" She shouted, staring as the cat girl raised her paw up and swiped down at her.

  CHINK!

  Janette fell out of bed, hitting the ground hard as Syri pushed her out. She managed to block the attack with her own cws, staring back at their assaint. She blinked twice, cocking her head as she got a clear look at her face. "VeeVee?"

  VeeVee hissed, shing out with another cw. This time Syri rolled out of bed, cutting open a pillow and throwing it into her face. A cloud of feathers kept her vision obscured, only for her to leap through and tackle Syri to the ground. Both girls wrestled along the floor, with VeeVee using her size to her advantage and kicking Syri against the wall. She mewed painfully as her head recoiled from impact, sliding down. She looked up and uttered a low hiss, throwing herself towards Vee.

  Janette rolled to her arms, crawling away from the fight as a dresser was knocked down, followed by loud thuds and hissing. She reached for the door and winced, feeling her wound sh back. When she finally pulled the door open, Syri was thrown against it to keep them confined. Pressed against the wall, Janette watched as VeeVee pulled Syri up, strangling her from behind. Panicking, Janette reached for the crumbled bnket and rolled it up, forcing herself on her feet before wrapping it around Vee's face from the back.

  "MRAWR!" She shrieked and swung around, striking Janette and sending her back.

  "Uhn!" Janette groaned, falling on her side and recoiling from the sting she felt on her chest.

  Syri's eyes fred up, enraged as her muscles tensed. She drew her arm back, impaling her elbow against Vee's ribs.

  "Nya!" Vee pulled away, gripping her side. Syri didn't hesitate, grabbing Vee by the hair and twisting her so that she was against the window. She resisted but a kick to the chest forced Vee into the gss, cracking the window on impact. But there was still plenty of fight left in her, shing out with her cws in a frontal assault. Syri was startled and nearly lost bance, nervously meeting her blow for blow as their cws repelled one another.

  CHINK!

  CHINKI-CHINK-CHINK!

  CHINK!

  Syri fell over the drawer, rolling around in time to dodge a swipe that cut across the furniture. She pushed Vee back, then pulled away as Vee's cws sliced an inch away from her face.

  CHINK-CHINK!

  Syri pressed her paws together and swung them down, striking against Vee's head. The blow made her bounce from the wall, staggering her enough for Syri to crouch on all four, ensnare her tails around Vee's ankles, and topple her over, hitting the dresser on impact. Her cheek was bruised but she turned around and swung her foot up, kicking Syri from under her chin. She fell back on her butt, giving Vee the momentum for her to sh out with her cws.

  CHINK! CHINK!

  Vee's longer arms gave her the edge as she reached out and cut Syri's shoulder, then swiped at her right thigh and another cut to her cheek. Panicked, Syri grabbed her paws to stop her only for Vee to snarl and headbutt her, falling on top as the two rolled around once more.

  Dimyri and Na'Vi heard the commotion from down the hall but were quickly alerted by a loud yell downstairs followed by crashing noises.

  "You check downstairs, I'll go check on Syri!" Dimyri ordered, the two of them running down the hall urgently.