They Came for My Eight Cubs

A black cat dyed red to pass as a fox, Ash is given to a jackal on her wedding night. Eight years later, she lives on the frontier with eight cubs from powerful beast houses. When the royal family comes to kill them, Ash endures eight brands to save the cubs. Their parents arrive, the truth unravels, and Ash rises to become Chief of the Cross-Species Council. They were never hers. They chose her. A story of chosen family, betrayal, and a black cat who refuses to be owned.