The night air bit at my fur, sharper than usual, the kind that crept into my bones no matter how tightly I curled myself. My paws ached from wandering, pads rough from endless concrete. Hunger clawed at my stomach, and though I told myself I’d grown used to it, the truth was it never got easier.

I slipped along fences and shadows, nose twitching at the strange mix of smells this part of the city carried—fresh grass, food I’d never get close enough to taste, and the faint warmth of lives that weren’t mine. My paws carried me farther than I intended, until I stopped dead in my tracks.

There, sitting on a porch like royalty, was a cat. His fur was sleek, well-kept, and She carried the soft, full scent of comfort. A house cat. her green eyes locked on me the second I perched on the fence, and for a moment, I thought about running. But pride kept me still. My grey and black fur glimmering in moonlight

My tail lashed once behind me, and I dipped my head just slightly while approaching the girl cat, voice low. “Didn’t mean to trespass. Just… looking for a place to rest my paws awhile.”