Daddy!" The twins yelled and bounced around him, nuzzling his legs before running out of the den.

"He discusts me." Vitani spat, watching her twin lap from the water hole. "I'm surprised you even got him to say yes." Niva stopped and looked up at Vitani. "Yes, and the price is going to be harsh, but it will be well worth it if we get a baby brother." She said, looking thoughtful. "And then what if it's a girl? Our beautiful plan will be shattered into a million tiny pieces right before our eyes!" Vitani wailed. "And then we'll never get rid of him!" Niva looked at her sternly. "We have to think positive, Vitani, and then we will have a baby brother! And if we don't, fine, girls are smarter anyway. We can still train her, and she might not even need our help. After all, our stepfather will be very old, and he should go down easily. And we'll be watching in case we need to help." Vitani nodded, and took a drink, letting the cool, wet liquid slide gracefully down her throat.

Soon the twins noticed their mother beginning to look big, and grew excited again. Not just about their plan, but about having a younger sibling to love and care for. Plus, they could get rid of their stepfather because he had to go out and hunt, so they got to spend time with Lilly again. Vitani and Niva took it in turns to collect any heather they found growing to make it more comfortable, and soon the cave began to smell like it used to, with the lack of Derrick around. After three months, the twins were shooed out of the cave as Aunt Petal arrived and stayed in with their stepfather, leaving Vitani and Niva to play with the triplets.

"Vitani!" A voice suddenly called out. "Niva! Come and see your new baby sibling!"

Vitani and Niva were off into the cave after the words "Come and see" with Harmony, Melody and Destiny hot on their tails. They crept up to their mother and peered into her arms. There lay an adorable bundle of fluff, extracting a few quiet "awws" from the cubs when it turned to look at them.

"Girls, meet your new baby brother, Joseph." Lilly smiled. Vitani's heart melted at the sight of him. He was a mixture of his parents, but looked a lot like Lilly and Vitani, and carried her sweet scent of heather, too. As Lilly fell asleep from exhaustion, Vitani gently nuzzled her baby brother lying in her arms and whispered to him. "I promise I will always protect you, little Joseph."

Later the twins met outside after Aunt Petal had gone. "A little brother! Just what we were hoping for!" Niva cheered. "Oh, I can't wait till he's a teen!" Vitani squeeled. "Our plan is running smoothly. See, I told you to have faith!" Niva laughed. "Oh shut up." Vitani giggled, then stopped. "Wait, what if our stepdad attacks him after he doesn't need Mother any more and accidently kills him?" She groaned. Niva's face was firm. "Then we will protect Joseph until he reaches adulthood, when all of us, us and Mother, will be free of him."

All too soon, Joseph didn't need Lilly's milk anymore, and she went back to hunting continuously, which meant the den began to reek again. What's more, Derrick seemed to be itching to get Joseph on his own, always trying to send them out to play or get a drink. Vitani still refused to trust him and so, if they were thirsty, went one at a time, leaving one to keep an eye on little Joseph.

However, as days went by, the two began to get tired, and wanted to sleep during their watches, but Vitani still feared for Joseph's life, and refused. She grew more and more tired but determination kept her going.

"Vitani, please, I need to sleep." Niva whispered in her ear one day. She looked awful, her ears were drooping and there were bags under her eyes, to say nothing of the fact that her paws could barely hold her up. Yet, as sorry as she felt for her, Vitani would not give in. "No, we need to keep an eye on Joseph. We promised Mother." She replied firmly. "Then let's take it in turns." Niva yawned. "You sleep, and then when I feel like I'm gonna drop to my paws and can't even stay awake for ten more seconds, I'll wake you up then you can take watch while I sleep." Vitani nodded and collapsed, sleep taking over her. She didn't realise it at the time, but she was more tired than Niva was, working her little tail off to keep Joseph safe.

All too soon Niva woke her up again, but Vitani didn't grumble. She sat up and kept an eye on Joseph while Niva slept, feeling quite refreshed. Derrick tried to tempt her into sleeping while he watched Joseph, but Vitani refused. At last, when she was so tired she could barely lift her tail, she woke Niva up and let sleep wash over her.

The two did this all day and found that it worked so well, that they didn't need to do it the next day. Or the one after that. Or the one after that. Or the one after that.

However, a week later, Vitani was deathly tired. Niva had only just fallen asleep so she couldn't wake her up, but Vitani could only just keep her eyes open as she lay on the floor, watching her brother through half-lidded eyes. She suddenly felt warm, and realised her stepfather was nuzzling her, the tip of his tail gently stroking her back. "Go on, Vitani, sleep." He purred. "I... can't...." Vitani said, struggling to stay awake. His tail stroking her back was so soothing.... no! She had to stay awake! "Yes you can." Derrick soothed. "It's easy. Close your eyes and sleep." "But, what about.... Joseph..." Vitani gasped. Her eyes felt like dead weights, and she was fighting to keep them open. "I will look after him. Just close your eyes and sleep." The gentle voice cooed. Vitani lost and closed her eyes, letting sleep wash over her. The last thing she heard was, "Good girl, Vitani. You've done me proud."

Vitani jolted awake, hearing a scream. She snapped her head up with one thought - JOSEPH!

The young cub leapt to her paws, waking Niva up, and darted over to her screaming mother and sobbing stepfather. Tears that she knew were fake, even looking back on it. Vitani prayed he was still alive but her eyes met with Joseph's body, beaten and bruised, and his neck snapped. One thought came to her mind: This was her fault.

"Hyena's entered the cave, a whole pack, I managed to protect Vitani and Niva but I couldn't save Joseph..." Derrick sobbed. Whenever Vitani thought about it, she remembered that Derrick even put scars on himself to make it look like there was a fight. No wonder her mother believed it.

The rest of the day was depressing. Everyone spent the entire time sobbing. Vitani was the worst, carrying the guilt on her shoulders. It was her fault little Joseph was dead, and she knew it. No one, not even Niva, could make her think any differently.

That night she heard Niva whisper over to her. "That's it. Derrick has gone too far." She mumbled. Vitani was suddenly hit by a wave of rage. "That monster." She hissed. "One day I'm gonna rip him apart. For now, though, lets run away, and leave at dawn." Although she couldn't see, Vitani knew that Niva was nodding her head.

At dawn the two snuck out of the den. Vitani was by far more careful then her sister when she heard a twig snap.

Vitani paused.

Her sharp ears pricked as she heard a rustling in the grass. Vitani knew who it was and what they had to do.

"NIVA RUN!" She yelled and darted forward, Niva just slightly in front of her. With an almighty roar Vitani heard her stepfather's heavy paws pound at the ground as he began to catch up. With one clean, swipe of his paw Vitani was knocked off of her feet and flown into the air. She screamed as pain seeped through her when Derrick caught her in his mouth, biting down into her side.

Suddenly she was on the floor, with Derrick towering above her, roaring in pain. She saw a little brown figure growling and snarling as it bit down harder on his paw.

Niva.

Derrick grabbed her roughly by her neck and slammed her onto the ground. "I'll teach you, you little brat." He roared. Before her eyes Vitani's sister had blood beginning to flow freely from her belly and neck. Niva screamed as she tried to kick him off, but she was too small and weak. "Niva no!" Vitani yelled and raced towards them, only to be flung back by his paw. "Stay out of this for now, fool." He growled. "Or your death will be much more painful."

What happened next was Vitani's nightmare before her very eyes. Derrick lifted Niva up and slammed her head first into a rock. Soon her neck was all floppy, and there was faint, ragged breathing coming from her chest. Derrick grabbed her chest with his teeth and bent her head backwards until there was a snap. There was a short gasp from Niva as her chest fell and never rose, being forced into eternal slumber. Lilly ran up, screamed then attacked Derrick. Her stepfather roared and grabbed her by the neck before slamming her head down onto the ground. He used one paw to keep her head under the pool as his other paw and teeth, as well as his back legs, tore her back open. Vitani watched her mother scream underwater, unable to take a breath- and then she was snatched up.Vitani screamed unti she saw it was her Aunt Petal carrying her.

The two raced along the lands, Vitani's mother soon out of sight. The lush, green land turned hard and cracked, with hyenas patrolling the boarders, but never noticed them. Petal suddenly saw a lioness in sight and ran up to her, placing a sleeping Vitani on a rock.