Thunder rumbled and struck the Ming Kingdoms palace. The wind blew harshly as a consort of Duke Xue Cheng's in labor.

Her husband waits outside of her palace room where she is just his one of his two consorts. Awaiting the birth of the child, the woman had finally yelled a painful scream then came a child's cry after.

Entering Consort Ling Fe's room, she saw her husband looking at her. He looks to see her weak figure holding his newborn child that had his black hair but his wife's amber eyes.

"Congratulations Duke Xue, it's a girl." An old granny said. Who remained bowing her head down to Duke Xue Cheng.

"You may leave now." He soon told them all as they left. He sat beside Consort Ling Fe looking down at his smiling daughter.

"What do you wish to name her, Husband?" Consort Ling Fe asked. He pondered while Consort Ling Fe listened but had to keep an eye on her daughter closely. They had a hidden secret that ran in their blood.

"Her name will be Xue Liang. Our daughter will be raised well and one day she will be married off to a good family." He replied to Consort Ling Fe who could only agree when he didn't know that their daughter was special. She laid her head down on the pillow beside her daughter.

"Duke Xue, the emperor has called you." A messenger of the emperor had shown up meaning Duke Xue Cheng had to leave for the emperor's palace.

"Go ahead, Husband. We will wait for your return." Duke Xue Cheng pressed his lips to her forehead since he couldn't stop loving her. Consort Ling Fe rubbed her daughter's cheek looking down to see a white and black tiger symbol on her right chest.

"Mother's little Liang will have to learn soon. Mother will be there for you. Lei come here."

"What does Madam Ling wish to ask this maid?" A maid came in, looking down to see Xue Liang. The little infant smiled looking at Su Lei with her amber eyes.

"Lei, you've seen my daughter. She is just like us. Those born with these symbols are the next generation of ours. You understand, don't you?" Su Lei had followed Consort Ling Fe from their village that was hidden far and deep within a forest but it was destroyed leading them to find a new home.

In their feline tribe, they can shift into any feline that shows as a symbol on their right side of the chest at birth.

"I understand Madam Ling. I have vowed already that I would follow and protect you and do the same. I am a mother now with a daughter of my own but I will treat your daughter as my own also." Consort Ling Fe smiled at her. They knew they had to keep an eye for their children since their blood runs with the ability to shift into a feline.

"Liang is like me but a new kind. We both must keep an eye on her." Consort Ling Fe was a white tiger but her daughter they have yet to see.

"I understand. My daughter was just born a week ago. I will be sure to teach her well." Consort Ling Fe family has been with the Su Lei family for generations with their family knowing each other for generations.

_____

Xue Liang was now creeping around climbing a tree. At the bottom of the tree stood Su Rong, her maid. "Miss Liang! Come down or else Madame Ling will punish us!"

"It's okay. It's just me, not you." Xue Liang told her.

"Miss Liang!" Su Rong yelled at her. Xue Liang slipped on the tree branch, but she shifted into a black striped white baby tiger. Landing on her four paws, quickly shifting back to her human self before anyone could see.

Su Rong and Xue Liang looked around, they only saw Consort Ling Fe and Su Lei. Both girls were discovered by their mothers when their mothers came up to them. "What have I told you before?" Consort Ling Fe looked at her daughter wanting an answer.

"I shouldn't climb trees and anywhere else that can hurt me. I'm sorry, mother. It's not Rong's fault, but my fault because she tried to stop me." Her mother picked her up just as Su Lei also picked up Su Rong.

"You both are very important to us. You both know what will happen if we are found." Su Lei told the both of them in return they nodded. If they were to ever be found as Feline shifters then they would be seen like dangerous monsters or demons and killed. "Now for punishment, I guess we'll just have to see." Consort Ling Fe then started tickling Xue Liang, making her laugh and giggle.

"Okay! Haha! I got it, mother! Stop tickling me mother! Haha!" She laughed but Madame Shen and Madame Wan showed up to them.

"What does Madam Ling think she is doing? Shouldn't you be trying to have a son?" Madame Shen was the main wife of the Xue family then Madam Wan Bao the first Consort.

"Madame Shen, Madam Wan. What brings you both here?" Bowing slightly to them, Consort Ling Fe had carefully set Xue Liang down.

"You gave birth to a daughter but you still have yet to give birth to a son. Your daughter will one day be at a marriageable age in nine to ten years. You have yet to give a son if you could." Madam Shen told Consort Ling Fe before leaving. Consort Wan Bao was the first consort walking along with Madam Shen who was the main wife of the Xue family going elsewhere.

"Mother, if I was a boy then they would not even talk at all. Why did you marry your father even though he already had two wives?" Xue Liang asked her mother looking up to her.

"Liang, mother found her fated one that's why. When you find your fated one then you would do anything to stay with them. One day you will understand."

"How will I know I found him?" Both stared at one another for a while. Her mother smiled rubbing her head.

"Your heart will tell you. Remember don't shift like you did just earlier, it's not safe to do it in public. Got it?" Xue Liang nodded, hugging her mother.

Going to Su Rong with a smile. "Let's go pick some flowers for our mothers. Mother, I'll be back!" Xue Liang yelled.

"Same here mother!" Su Rong said. They went to find a field of flowers.

"Madam Ling, tonight you have to?" Su Lei mentioned seeing Consort Ling Fe only nodded in response. She had to try and have a son with the Duke.

_____

Xue Liang found a patch of flowers above a hill, starting to pick the flowers around. Just then, she was pushed down. Falling onto her back but rolling down the hill. Along with Su Rong, they were both pushed down landing somewhere unknown. They both fell looking around first to see they had fallen into a deep pit which they weren't tall enough to climb out.

"We'll see you both in the morning. If you survive." Knowing the voices were Xue Liang's two half sisters. Xue Liang was crying now with Su Rong being worried.

"Miss Liang, are you okay?!" Su Rong questioned seeing Xue Liang shaking her head, they both saw her dislocated wrist. The impact of the fall had dislocated her wrist.

Xue Liang was crying now but hearing footsteps coming closer from above. They were scared thinking it could be slave hunters or animal hunters. "Miss Liang shift, we have to stay safe. I'll protect you." Both nodded as Xue Liang held in her scream from the pain.

Her body shifted into a black striped white baby tiger. Su Rong shifted into a baby clouded leopard. Xue Liang was panting trying to resist the pain now while Su Rong was licking her head with both in a cub form.

"Gang there's something down here!" Su Rong saw a young hazel-eyed, white hair boy feeling odd about him but she still stood to protect Xue Liang.

Liu Gang had purple eyes, black hair and his face showed nothing but a cold expression. Two boys who looked to be about twelve were looking down the pit.

"I'm going down first." Liu Gang had tied a rope to a tree then climbed down. The two boys were young but they looked with amazement of two baby felines together.

Su Rong was growling now, she didn't want them to get close to Xue Liang. They came close seeing the white baby tiger with the most pained expression.

"Can you let us take a look at your friend? We can see that you truly care about them but we want to help." Xue Liang looked towards Liu Gang and felt somewhat... safe.

"Rong, it's okay, let them." Xue Liang said in their beast language. Su Rong sat down and waited for the boys. Liu Gang went up close to Xue Liang seeing she got up weakly and tried to use her right paw. Feeling the bone pressed harshly falling to her side. Liu Gang went to her, seeing her right paw and felt the bone around.

"Lim, let's get these two up there first and then we'll see what we can do." Liu Gang carried Xue Liang up. Su Rong was more difficult, moving and struggling to be held by Peng Lim.

"If you don't stop moving then I'll drop you!" Peng Lim said firmly. Su Rong stopped struggling since the main reason was that she didn't want to leave Xue Liang. Peng Lim smiled, he felt good that she stopped moving and listened.

Liu Gang had set Xue Liang down while Peng Lim observed her wrist. "It's dislocated. I can easily fix it. I need wood and a rope." Liu Gang grabbed the things Peng Lim needed.

Peng Lim had soon quickly popped the bones back together, having Xue Liang roar a little with pain. Soon after they set the wood onto her wrist and paw using the rope from the tree and tied it to make it a cast. "It should heal within two weeks." Peng Lim then said.

"Where did these two come from? Liu Gang then asked. He looked at them. Petting Xue Liang's head and licking his hand.

"Miss Liang, don't just easily lick them!" Su Rong growled angrily. Xue Liang couldn't thank them in any other way.

"You should thank them somehow. Go ahead." Su Rong sighed, licking Peng Lim on the cheek. He was surprised, wiping his cheek with a surprised look.

"Where are your parents?" Liu Gang looked at Xue Liang, she needed to get home but the hill was a high cliff. Liu Gang assumed that they fell from the cliff. "You two can stay with us and we'll come here everyday to wait for your parents." Liu Gang said, carrying her.

Peng Lim carried Su Rong as they made it to a tent. Looking around, the girls then fell asleep on the floor while the boys slept on separate beds. Xue Liang suddenly got up and carefully slept beside Liu Gang.

Morning came, the sun was slightly up. Liu Gang woke up to see the little tiger sleeping as a ball beside him with her cast on. He rubbed his hand against her soft fur head, she soon woke up and looked at him. He smiled at her, she got up and saw Su Rong sleeping beside Peng Lim. Yawning, Xue Liang's stomach growled with Liu Gang looking at her.

"Let's get you something to eat." They all woke up as Su Rong stayed close to Xue Liang. Servants brought food for the two boys themselves but Xue Liang and Su Rong were given boiled meat and they both knew they had to eat it or starve.