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be a struggle. King Ronald had eaten up the story without much suspicion. He gave her permission to leave the island under the hooting and the insults of Tendai and the other Jaguars. It didn’t matter to Josie. She was free of the island and the Hunters had given her permission to return when the matter was resolved.
    Her exile had been anything but a walk in the park. Draining most of her savings, Josie had traveled while she was pregnant, never staying in one spot for too long. When she did give birth, it was in the company of a midwife who didn’t know anything about her and who would work with her on short notice.
    It had been painful, terrifying, and the loneliest she’d ever been. She had wanted nothing more than to have Kheem there with her, but it wasn’t possible. If he left, suspicions would be raised and the ruse would be up.
    Now, months later, it was time for little Onyeko to finally come back to his family. It was time for him to know where it was that he belonged. For Josie, she had been on the run for most of her life and having that simple answer had meant so much to her. She wanted him to know what it was like to be a part of something peaceful and enduring.
    She wanted him to know what it was like to be part of the Clans. Ony, bright eyed and still unable to talk, was the best child Josie had ever encountered. He was silent and understanding. He rarely cried or threw a fit with her. He was the best child that she could ever ask for. She was so grateful for him and there was never a day that passed that she didn’t thank the heavens that she had him.
    But today was the most terrifying day of her life. Ony was darker than she was and reminded her of Kheem so much. When she arrived on the island, King Ronald and the other heads of the Clans were waiting for her with bright smiles on their lips and excitement in their eyes. She had worked hard to maintain her figure and to get into even better shape after Ony was born. They stayed in hotels that had gyms and she would always watch what she ate.
    She couldn’t risk having them discover the truth. So she made the sacrifices she needed to. Everything had to be in order when they arrived. Everything had to look like nothing had changed and that nothing had altered over the course of her absence. In fact, if at all possible, there needed to be an appearance that there was nothing different and nothing had changed.
    “It is wonderful to see you again,” King Ronald said, stretching out his arms as Josie approached him, holding Ony in her arms as firmly as she could.
    There was no way she was going to trust any of these mongrels with her child. She hugged Ronald, but made sure to keep it civil and not let his hands wander all over her body while she was holding her child.
    “You are as radiant as the day you left us. It was a sad day when you left our circle.” Ronald looked from her face to the face of Ony who was barely keeping it together.
    The poor child had been through such a long journey that Josie felt like a monster still keeping him up. He was tired and wanted to sleep, nothing more.
    “You’re too kind,” she said with a forced, sweet smile to King Ronald, not wanting to offend him or put him on edge. The last thing she needed was him getting suspicious toward her. As she pulled away, she offered smiles and nods to all the other heads of the Clans. She didn’t want to make anyone unhappy right now.
    “We’re glad you’re back,” King Ronald said finally with much delight in his voice.
    It was good to have been missed, but there was something sinister and disturbing about this whole meeting. It was in this moment that she realized that she hadn’t come back here for the clans or the safety that they offered, but rather she was here because she wanted to show Kheem the son that they had made together. It was obvious to her that Ony would wake up one day and be a Panther, usually around when he hit puberty, but before then, he needed to know