Chapter one

Phantom- The dominant female of the group,
Jockey: Dominant male
Mouse: One of Phantom eldest daughters
Copycat and Mimic: Same litter as Mouse, babysitters
Jester, Joker, Mask, and Hearts: Phantom's latest litter
Hedgehog: Mouse's surving pup

The morning is beautiful and peaceful at the Pale Sands' burrow, the group earned their name because of their territory, pale white sand with some bush, trees, and dry grass.

Phantom is the dominant female of the group, she is a young dominant female but she isn't a push over and she is glad to remind her rivals of that, Phantom runs her mob with strict disapline and with this things tend to run very smoothly.

However, this morning Phantom notices that one of her eldest daughters is absent, Mouse is from Phantom's very first litter and she was named for her timid and otherwise, gentle nature. However, this isn't the first time Phantom has noticed anything different, Mouse has been gaining weight over the last few months and that isn't normal.

Phantom looks at the burrow wondering why her daughter is sleeping in, although there isn't anything bad since today is her own litter's first day out of the burrow, the pups called Jester, Joker, Mask, and Hearts aren't hesitating as they emerge and soon join their family.

Mouse soom comes above ground and Phantom notices she is walking oddly, She can tell that her wayward daughter has broken the rules. Mouse must be pregnant and this makes Phantom outraged, Mouse, who should have known better, had choosen her pleasures over her common sense.

But, Phantom decided to deal with the troublesome female later, right now she would wait, it seems Mouse will be having her litter and then the dominant female would give her daughter some tough medicine.

Phantom sent lead calls and led the group out to forage, her four pups tried to follow but the two babysitters, sisters Copycat and Mimic quickly herded the pups back to the burrow.

Around midday Phantom noticed Mouse was sneaking back into the group, while the young female was foraging Phantom went back to the burrow, she snuck into the burrow and investigated she soon found the pups and went into the chamber.

Mouse returned to the burrow and went underground she went to see her pups and found them all dead, well almost all of them, one little pup was still alive and breathing.

Mouse picked little Hedgehog up and carried her out of the burrow where she was attacked by Phantom, in fear Mouse and her pup fled running as fast as they could, With her point made clear Phantom trotted back to her group and settled beside her mate, Jockey.

Jockey was a large male meerkat and he was a bruiser, he was also very protective over Phantom especially when she was ready to mate. The dominant paired groomed each other to make their bond stronger, meanwhile, Mouse was miserable.

The young mother had found a unused bolt hole that was far from the group and burrow and settled herself inside, but she felt lonely and sad. Mouse was also ashamed of herself for falling for the rover's advances but she couldn't change the clock and no matter what she couldn't leave Hedgehog either, Mouse was now putting her life and the life of her pup at risk, but the young meerkat doesn't want to try to rejoin the group yet.