     Jenn squirmed nervously in her seat. The chair was padded leather, but shaped for someone 
almost twice the squirrel's size. The desk she was sitting behind was equally large, to the point that 
she was forced to stretch her back in order to see its owner sitting on the opposite side. 
     'Impressive.' The man said, eying the sheets of paper she had given him. 'You have a rather 
extensive education. I'm surprised to see you applying at a place like this.' He was a well-dressed 
Felid a little over twice Jenn's size, his grey striped fur pattern identifying him as a desert cat. 
     'Thank you.' Jenn replied. 'My parents have offered me a more lucrative job working for their 
business, but I want to prove to them and myself that I can hold down a job on my own for a while 
first. Any entry level position is fine with me, Mr. Edras.' 
     'I see.' Edras replied. 'You worked at Donny's for a while, the one in the Central District Mall? Do 
you mind if I ask what ceased your employment there?' 
     'Oh...' Jenn winced. 'It was actually a difference of... opinion, I guess. With another co-worker. We 
had a few disagreements. She was fired, and I felt it was better if I sought work elsewhere.' 
     'Fair enough, I won't pry.' Edras shrugged. 'The important thing is that you know how to barista. I 
think our restaurant will benefit greatly from your help here. Are you able to start Monday?' 
     'Sure thing.' Jenn replied with a smile, far less nervous now that she was no longer being 
scrutinised by a carnivore. 'What time do you need me to show up?' 
     'Seven should be early enough.' Edras answered. 'That... gives you enough time, right?'
     'I think so.' Jenn nodded. 'If there's a chance I'm going to be late I'll be sure to call.' 

     Having made it successfully through the after-lunch job interview, Jenn decided to spend the rest 
of her Friday afternoon relaxing in the city's park after a brief stop by her home to change. The sight 
of trees and a small artificial lake relaxed the more primitive part of her mind and she found herself 
a spot near the edge of the water. With simple jeans and a plain white shirt, she sat with her finger 
and toes curling through the grass. 
     The sound of water lapping at the bank was more soothing than Jenn remembered, and she 
found herself lightly dozing as she laid herself back. Other people passed by now and then, but she 
paid them no heed as the tip of her tail dipped slightly into the water. She didn't come here as often 
as she used to. Ever since her rift with her former co-worker, the cat Therese, she had not felt as 
safe being out here alone. But it had been almost four months now since she'd left that job, and her 
nerves had settled. 
     It wasn't her plan, but her light dozing turned into a deeper nap before she realized it. 

     She awoke with a start, her eyes widening in shock and alarm as she noticed the colour of the sky. 
It was early evening, maybe too late to worry but she scrambled for her phone regardless. She was 
still in the same spot which suggested that she was still safe but that wouldn't be the case for much 
longer. 
     'Oh no...' Her heart sank as she read the time on her phone's screen. It was ten minutes until 
8pm, when legal hunting hours would begin and the carnivorous denizens of Leona City would be 
permitted to hunt and consume their smaller counterparts. Her home district was half an hour away 
by train, an impossible journey on foot through streets of prowling predators. Her phone was also 
reading two missed calls in the last five minutes, possibly the reason she had woken up. Both calls 
were from her mother. 
     Part of her wanted to call back, but her first concern was getting somewhere safe. Though there 
were fewer people still outside, the park was far from empty. Several of the benches further towards 
the edge were occupied, one by a lynx couple, the others by lone felids who unashamedly had eyes 
on Jenn. 
     Panic gripped her as she realized she'd already been marked. There was a hotel in the Central 
district, roughly fifteen minutes away if she ran. It was a long shot, but it was all she had. As soon as 
she began moving, one of the felids was on their feet. Jenn tried her best to ignore the faint sound of 
the predator's footsteps following her as she left the park and stepped back onto the streets. A pair 
of leopards stopped short as she ran past, sparing a curious glance but thankfully having no further 
interest in her. 
     The only other people on the street were either felid or one of the larger breeds of mustelid. She 
found her way to the main street of the market section. A clock on one of the nearby buildings read 
two minutes until her deadline, and her ears twitched at the sound of those same footsteps still 
pacing behind her. 
     'Psst.' A whisper caught her attention from a nearby alley. She turned and saw the form of a 
young-looking polecat man beckoning to her. He looked to be around her age, greyish fur with a 
black and white mask pattern on his face typical of his kind. His black hair was short and combed 
straight back and he wore a darker grey hood sweater with a pair of dark blue sweatpants. 'Get off 
the street. You're being followed. Over here, now.' 
     Jenn was mistrustful. Polecats, though a type of weasel rather than a true cat, were still 
carnivores much like felids themselves. Though it was doubtful his intentions were completely pure, 
she also had no doubt that her pursuer would be far less kind. With a sigh of resignation, she dashed 
into the alley beside the stranger. 
     'Stay quiet.' He said softly, pressing her against the wall and nudging her tail with his foot. 
     She complied with his instructions, crouching low and clutching her bushy tail to her chest to keep 
it from moving. Her breath caught as her pursuer stepped into view. It was a savannah cat, gold and 
brown dappled fur partially covered by a blue vest top and denim shorts. His eyes were a glimmering 
gold, and they panned into the alley to rest on Jenn with a slow glare before rising to meet the gaze 
of the polecat between them. 
     'Keep walking.' The polecat spoke, louder than he had to Jenn and with the barest hint of a growl 
beneath his voice. 'You look a little out of breath.' 
     The cat sighed but let a slight snarl crease his lips. 'Still hunting from the shadows, Ezra?' 
     Ezra simply smirked and glanced backwards down at Jenn. 'This one? Just a damsel in distress. 
Maybe I'll use her to escape a leopard on the way home. But that's none of your business anymore.' 
     The cat didn't bother to waste any more words, leaving with another shake of his head. When he 
was gone far enough for his footsteps to be too far to hear, Ezra turned to the squirrel and crouched 
so that his height was closer to hers. 'So, squirrel. What's your name?' 
     'I'm Jenn.' She replied. 'So, um... What are you gonna do with me?'  
     'Let me put it this way...' Ezra muttered. 'If you want any chance at surviving this night, you should 
follow me home. Trying to make it back to your own district alive is gonna be impossible. I can 
command some respect from smaller felids, but what I said about leopards and bigger wasn't exactly 
a lie.' 
     'I-I understand.' Jenn nodded nervously. 'I-it was Ezra, right?' 
     'Yea.' The polecat nodded with a grin. 'So, let's get running then huh?'

     The journey was nerve wracking, every shadow and extra pair of footfalls was enough to make 
Jenn jump in fear. Ezra assured her that if another felid was going to capture her at this point, she 
was unlikely to hear it coming. The comment did nothing to relax her as the last vestiges of daylight 
gave way to the dark of night.  
     Weaving their way out of the Central District, the pair entered the fifth residential zone, where 
streets and buildings were designed for citizens sized around smaller felids and the larger mustelids. 
Jenn had been here before, brought here forcibly by the white cat she had once worked with. The 
trek had been longer than she would have liked but still much closer than trying to reach her own 
home. 
     'Wait.' Ezra called back to her. 'Stay there.' Before she could ask what was happening, the polecat 
had darted off into the dark. Her vision was only good for short distances in the lack of daylight and 
the streetlights in this district were more sparsely spaced than in her own residential area. A startled 
cry and a scuffle of footsteps was heard, followed by a different voice crying out in distress. 
     Moments later, Jenn heard panicked footsteps and the second voice getting closer until another 
squirrel came darting out of the shadows straight towards her. Neither of them saw the other until it 
was too late, and the pair collided heavily and fell to the ground. 
     Before either could clear the stars from their vision, they were both picked up by a firm yet gentle 
hand followed by Ezra's voice. 'Don't try to run from me. Not here.'  
     'Are you okay?' Jenn asked the other squirrel once they were both back on her feet. 
     'What happened?' She asked. The other squirrel was a lighter shade of brown furred than Jenn 
was, her hair was dyed blue and she wore a pale cream dress that suggested she'd been on a date 
with an ill-chosen partner. 
     'I saved you from a cat.' Ezra smirked. 'Tiffany is too timid for her own good. One day I really hope 
she learns to fight back. Anyway, let's go, we're almost at my place. Then you'll-!' 
     He stopped speaking mid-sentence, sniffing the air before taking a few steps forward. The 
squirrels watched his odd behaviour, trying to keep quiet as he glanced back at them and raised a 
finger to his lips. As they watched in trepidation, he approached one of the nearby bushes slowly 
and quietly. With one final careful motion, he crouched and then dived into the bush with a soft 
growl. 
     Another yelp sounded, before a figure came flying out of the bush and landed with a thud and a 
grunt on the concrete beside the two girls. As Ezra stood and approached his catch, there was an 
amused smirk on his face. 'Danny boy, what the hell are you doing back here again?' 
     'Ow...' The rabbit replied, his white fur dirty and his clothes torn. Much like Ezra, the rabbit was 
wearing a simple sweatsuit with a hood, dark grey in colour as though he was intent on being 
outside. Now that he was closer, Jenn could tell that his scent was also far from fresh. It was actually 
an impressive show that Ezra had distinguished him from the dirt he'd been hiding in. 
     'I guess that makes three.' Ezra shrugged, grabbing Danny by his sweater and lifting him to his 
feet. Unlike with the squirrels, he didn't release this prisoner, if that was indeed what they were. 
'Now let's get inside.' 
     A few more houses up, Ezra dragged Danny to the front door of his house and opened the door. 
He pushed the rabbit inside and beckoned for the squirrels to follow. Once all three were indoors he 
stepped in behind them and closed his door. A second click made it apparent to all of them that the 
door was now deadlocked, and Jenn took notice that the release knob was higher than her ability to 
reach.  
     'Alright.' Ezra pointed to the right. 'Living room's through there. Make yourselves comfortable for 
the time being. I'll be there in a few minutes. Need anything, ask Danny. He's... been here before.' 
     'Wait...' Danny looked back up at Ezra. 'Is this... are you...?' 
     'Yes.' Ezra interrupted, the polecat looking back at him in amusement. 'Three again. Just like last 
time huh? How lucky do you feel this time?' 
     The words filled Jenn with a sense of impending dread, a feeling that was mirrored on Danny's 
wide green eyes. Ezra left, leaving the three of them alone in his hallway. 
     'S-should we try to leave?' The other squirrel asked. 'D-Danny, is it? What's he going to do?' 
     Danny looked back at her with a look of hopelessness and simply shook his head. 'There's 
nowhere out there to go. This is small cat zone. If prey escapes, it's usually from here. And plenty of 
them keep their ears open for the sounds of rabbits or... or squirrels, trying to run home.' 
     'I thought I was safe...' The squirrel sobbed. 'Tiffany seemed so genuinely nice...' 
     'Tiffany is nice.' Ezra said, reappearing in the hallway. He had removed his sweater and was now 
in a simple vest top and loose-fitting shorts. 'And personally, I think that's her problem. She should 
be able to kick my ass but she's too timid to lift a claw. Hell, even you might have been able to get 
out of being her food if you raised your voice loud enough. She has no idea how to be a cat.' He 
pressed a hand on Jenn and Danny's backs, pressing all three of them into his living room. It was a 
relatively large room, though mostly bare of furniture. A single sofa sat opposite a television cabinet 
and a hutch was on the far wall. Another doorway was to their left leading into a white tiled kitchen 
and a third led to somewhere else near the hutch. 
     'What are you doing?' Tiffany's former prey asked. 
     'What's your name, squirrel?' Ezra asked in response. 'We have Jenn, Danny and...?' 
     'L-Liza.' The girl replied. 'My name's Liza.' 
     'Ezra.' The polecat replied, tapping his chest. 'Take a seat. Danny, you use the floor. Don't get dirt 
on my couch.' 
     Danny sighed and sat himself down on the floor between the television setup and the sofa. Jenn 
and Liza climbed onto the sofa cushions, not willing to go against the polecat's instructions. 
     'Alright then.' Ezra began. 'Did you know that on average, a captured prey has one in three odds 
of surviving their encounter with the predator?' 
     'Wait, really?' Liza asked. 'I've never heard of anyone getting away...' 
     'Well lucky for the three of you, your odds are a little better.' Ezra continued. 'By a whole number 
in fact. Each of you has two out of three odds of going home tomorrow.' 
     'Oh...' Liza's expression turned to fear as she realized what Ezra was saying. Jenn likewise felt her 
mouth go dry and her breathing turn shallow. Ezra had saved her from certain death at the jaws of a 
felid, but there remained a chance that she would still end the night on the other side of a predator's 
fur. 
     Danny was resting his head on his knees, hugging them close to his chest. His reaction to the 
situation seemed to be amusing Ezra to no end, making Jenn slightly wonder what had happened 
last time. In any case, it appeared that Danny was a previous survivor of the polecat's game, making 
her wonder if he would be as lucky the second time. 
     'Does anyone want a drink?' Ezra offered suddenly. 'I do have some pretty strong stuff if you're 
feeling a bit tense?' He stepped across the living room and took a seat between the two squirrels, 
resting a hand on each of their heads. 'Liza, you seem a bit shaky?' 
     'You're gonna eat one of us!' She retorted, batting his hand away and pushing herself to the far 
end of the sofa. 
     'Only one.' Ezra replied. 'There's no need to stress yourself out before you know if it will even be 
you or not. Well, unless someone volunteers. If one of you wants to step forward, be a hero and 
save the other two I won't say no. Otherwise I'll decide soon. So anyway, drinks?' 
     Jenn felt his hand brush through her hair and the fur of the back of her neck, gentle and careful 
despite his claws. She found herself unwittingly leaning into the motion slightly before she regained 
her bearing and cleared her throat awkwardly. 'U-umm, maybe a light... whiskey?' 
     'Oh?' Ezra turned to face her. 'Good taste. Knew I liked you.' He stood and left the room, stepping 
through the doorway on the opposite end and returning moments later with a pair of tumbler 
glasses. He opened the hutch and pulled out a bottle of amber liquid that had the label mostly 
peeled off. He handed one of the glasses to Jenn and popped the lid off the bottle. After pouring her 
drink, he poured her own and sat back down, leaving the bottle on the cabinet beside the TV. 
     Silence followed as the pair drank. Danny continued to shiver and shake on the floor, and Liza was 
curled up on the far end of the sofa. Jenn felt herself slowly relaxing, sip after sip of the strong-
tasting drink instilling a gentle buzz in her mind. If she could numb herself, maybe the death she was 
about to experience wouldn't be so bad. Before she realized it, she was leaning against him, feeling 
his arm wrap around her shoulder and hold her close.  
     'Is it... going to be me?' She whispered, taking another sip. 
     'Not telling.' He whispered back. He leaned his head down and nuzzled her ear slightly, before 
taking a whiff of her scent and giving the tip of her ear a small lick. 'I'm gonna step away for a few 
minutes. Feel free to pour yourself another drink.' As he stood, Danny and Liza watched, both of 
their gazes falling on her when the polecat was out of the room.     
     'I-I'm sorry to say...' Danny said softly to her. 'It doesn't look good for you. He was really into the 
cutest girl last time out of the three of us as well. And... she was the one he chose.' His voice 
conveyed absolute terror despite the seeming implication that he would be safe. 
     Jenn was surprisingly calm despite her predicament. She'd had a feeling it would be her. She was 
probably doomed the moment Ezra had rescued her in the Central District, using the act as a 
pretence to lure her to his home. 'So, Danny...' She mumbled, trying to change the subject. 'What 
were you doing out there on your own?' 
     'I... I like someone who lives near here.' He confessed. 'I guess I was hoping she'd be out here 
tonight. I know it's risky, and I might just end up as her dinner, but...' 
     'You feel like you had to try?' Jenn asked. 
     Danny simply sighed and nodded. 'I've been out here four nights. Ezra's caught me twice now.' 
     Ezra stepped back into the room with a laugh. 'Four nights? Well, that's still a fifty percent success 
rate at hiding from carnivores. Not too shabby, Danny boy.' 
     'T-thanks...' Danny replied, letting his head sink back to his knees. 'Are you about to...?' 
     'Yea.' Ezra nodded. His eyes rested back on Jenn. Liza and Danny both shot her a sympathetic 
look, but neither could muster anything to say. The polecat crouched in front of the sofa and leaned 
in close to her.   
     'Can I... finish this?' Jenn asked, lifting her half-finished drink and feeling tears well in her eyes. 
     'Sure.' Ezra nodded, staring back with his intense blue eyes. As she lifted her glass and took a few 
more slow sips, not wanting to finish but not wanting to try his patience either, Jenn found herself 
wondering if there was anything she could say or do to change his mind. The thought was 
interrupted as he rested a hand on her thigh for a moment, before lifting it to lightly caress her 
cheek. 'You are surprisingly attractive for a rodent. Can I ask your opinion on something?' 
     'Umm... Sure?' Jenn quivered at his touch, starting to take deep slow breaths. Something about 
his eyes was striking her differently than she expected, it was definitely hunger but also something 
else. 
     'What is the least cruel way to do this?' He asked. 'What's the least painful way to die?' As he 
asked the question, he leaned in closer, his jaw muscle working slowly as he seemed to struggle with 
the urge to devour her on the spot. She caught glimpses of his teeth, his quivering tongue and the 
glistening flesh of his throat as the flesh undulated with his every breath. The stench of whiskey was 
on is breath, stinging her nose and eyes. 
     The tears fell. Jenn closed her eyes and lifted the glass, draining the last of her own whiskey 
before dropping the glass to one side. 'Quickly.' She replied. 'Snap... the neck.' 
     'Alright.' Ezra leaned closer and whispered so softly that only Jenn could hear. 'I hope Liza will 
appreciate that mercy for the brief moment she can.' 
     'Wha-?' Jenn opened her eyes, trying to blink through the tears but the polecat was already gone. 
There was a brief cry of fear before Liza was gone from the sofa. Jenn glanced across, just barely in 
time to see the squirrel's torso between Ezra's jaws over her left shoulder. A mortified look of 
disbelief was plastered across her face for a split moment before his clawed hand reached across her 
face and wrenched her head swiftly to one side. 
     The crack was sickening and the effect was instant. The squirrel's body slowly went limp in the 
polecat's jaws and he briefly met Jenn's fearful stare before dragging his quarry into the kitchen 
behind him. 
     Jenn heard something thud. The next sound was that of bones breaking and flesh being torn clean 
off them. It continued for some three minutes as the polecat ate, biting chunks of meat from Liza's 
body and gulping them down swiftly. Jenn had expected Ezra to try and swallow his prey whole, but 
it was now apparent that not every predator was prone to such a feeding habit. 
     Therese had doubtlessly intended that fate for her before she managed to escape. It was a 
terrible thing to comprehend, to be alive and whole as a carnivore's stomach churned your body and 
pressed acids into your skin and fur until they dissolved through to the flesh beneath. It was a habit 
so many predators seemed to consider normal despite its horrific implications. 
     But Ezra? He'd ended his prey's life in a heartbeat. Expressed a desire to avoid cruelty. Jenn had 
heard plenty of predators share the sentiment that hunting was a psychological necessity, but this 
felt different. Even through the absolutely mortifying sounds of him crunching chunks of bone and 
slurping up viscera and blood, she had the impression that he never wished to cause Liza 
unnecessary suffering. 
     Another five minutes passed. Ezra slowly leaned through the doorway. He held a hand in front of 
his face, failing to completely hide the deep red that stained his cheeks and undoubtedly covered his 
chin and teeth as well. The hand he held up was likewise coloured a deep red and dripping with 
glistening blood. The scent of blood had followed him here. 
     'I'm... sorry.' He stammered, his breathing deep and ragged. 'I'm sorry you had to hear all that. 
Don't come into this room until I say so, I have to clean this up. In the meantime, umm... Maybe... I 
don't know. You can shower if you want to? I promise you that you're completely safe here now.' 
     Danny shivered at the sight of the blood-soaked mustelid but nodded. 'T-thank you.' 
     Jenn could only stare in shock and fascination. A fellow squirrel had been reduced to stains on a 
predator's fur in the very room next to the one she was in, and she had heard the whole thing. What 
was left of Liza outside Ezra's stomach? Would there be enough to recognize? 
     A sound beside her snapped her out of her trance and she turned to see that Danny had stood 
and was refilling her glass from the bottle. 'Here.' He offered it to her. 'He's telling the truth. We're 
safe now, but that wasn't easy to hear... either time.' 
     'Right...' Jenn nodded slowly as she took the drink. 'I forgot you already went through this. What 
happens now?' 
     'I'll probably just sleep on the floor here.' He shrugged slowly. 'If I sleep at all that is. The couch 
looks much more comfortable, but I don't want to get it dirty and make him angry.' 
     
     Half an hour passed and the second drink had left Jenn buzzing. Had she not been so close to the 
gruesome death of a fellow squirrel, the feeling may have even been pleasant. She almost didn't 
notice Ezra step back into the room, now topless and wearing a different pair of shorts. The smell of 
blood was no longer in the air and there were no traces of it left on Ezra's fur or presumably his 
teeth. 
     'You look better.' Jenn managed to remark. 
     'Thanks.' The polecat smiled. 'And you still look gorgeous in your odd rodent way.' 
     'Are you... flirting with me?' Jenn asked incredulously. 'Right after you ate one of my species?' 
     'I am.' Ezra confirmed. 'Jenn I'll confess the truth. It was going to be you. But the way you reacted 
to it was just so... different. You were willing to accept it and I don't know why.' 
     'Neither do I.' Jenn admitted. 'I just thought... At least you were willing to make it quick? I've 
never seen a predator think about their prey's feelings like that before. It was just so...' 
     'I understand.' Ezra replied. 'I don't know for sure what this will mean. But maybe there's 
something else we can find in all this.' He slowly sat down on the sofa beside her and wrapped his 
arm around her again. His breathing was unsteady this time, and Jenn noticed it immediately. 
     But it wasn't just his. Her own heart was racing at being so close to this carnivore, so close to the 
man that had reduced one of her own to scraps of slowly digesting meat in his stomach. How could 
she possibly feel anything towards him after that? Yet she was, and this wasn't fear, not anymore. 
     She pulled her legs in and stood up, her body feeling dizzy after the two strong drinks she'd had. 
Standing put her head height almost equal to his, and she leaned on him for balance before locking 
her eyes with his. 
     'What is this?' She asked, feeling her heartbeat and breathing quicken again. 'How can I feel like 
this? You're a killer...' 
     'I saved you.' He whispered back. 'Twice...' 
     'Can we do this?' She asked. She leaned in for a kiss. He leaned back, only to feel his jaws parting 
before they could connect. 
     'Uh?' He blinked as he felt her head between his teeth. Despite her position, Jenn remained still. 
His hunger was sated, his belly full and his hunting instinct satisfied and suppressed for now, and yet 
at the same time it could never vanish completely. 
     Jenn stared forward, his deadly mouth encompassing all she could see and his breath stinging her 
nose and eyes as it had before. She couldn't explain her lack of fear this time. Even as he slowly 
pulled his jaws off her head, she kept still and silent. 
     'This is dangerous.' He muttered. 'Passion drags my instinct back up. I don't know if we should...' 
     'I want to.' Jenn pressed, resting her hands on his shoulders. 'I'm terrified of what may happen, 
but I know that if I run from this... I'll keep wondering about it until I come back. I just...' She spared a 
glance sideways at a bewildered Danny before she finished what she was saying. 'I feel like I have to 
try...'  
     'My gods you're a strange one.' Ezra grinned. 'Upstairs?' 
     'Carry me.' Jenn nodded. 

     Ezra stood, clutching Jenn's form close to his chest as he walked towards the doorway near the 
hutch. Through there was the stairway to the second floor and the bedroom. There they would find 
out together if this was possible. 
     Downstairs, Danny tried his best to drown out the sounds he heard coming from the upper floor 
of the house. He couldn't tell what was going on, but he was absolutely sure he didn't want to 
know... 
