Chapter Twenty Three

Where's mother? Where's Dusk and Luna?

Panic flashed through Smoke as she realized her mother hadn't returned for her.

She wasn't expecting to wake up alone. When she had, she found herself back in that same den she had woken up in a few days ago. Back when that strange cat was telling her off. Smoke was still fuming over the fact that he didn't think she was worth much. He'd called her a worthless waste of herbs, and worse names. To make matters even worse, the wounds she had received earlier weren't recovering like she was hoping.

Smoke had never felt more alone than now. She longed to feel the warmth of her mother's tongue as she washed her kits. She longed to hear the voices of Luna and Dusk as they argued. Being stuck in this den was boring.

"Would you quit squirming?" grunted the black she-cat from earlier. "I can't get these cobwebs removed if you keep that up." Smoke only narrowed her eyes once the she-cat let out a sigh of satisfaction before backing away. "You're wounds aren