The morning was hushed, broken only by the faint rustle of the human moving around. Serena stretched on the arm of the couch, ears turning toward the sound of boxes being shifted. Petunia peeked out from under her blanket nest, eyes wide. Peanut perched on the sill, tail lashing in short, sharp beats.

“She’s loading things again,” Serena said, her voice carrying the weight of authority.

“Carriers,” Peanut muttered. “I saw them lined by the door. That means someone’s moving.”

Petunia tilted her head. “But who? Us again? We just got settled here.”

Before Serena could answer, the phone rang. The human’s voice was sharp, weary. They all listened.

“Bonnie, I’ll be there soon,” the Human said, sounding exhausted.

The girls went still. Bonnie’s laugh echoed faintly, then her voice slipped through. “Just hurry. If you want these cats moved, you’d better come now. Lily’s sulking, Raven keeps trying to push doors, and Tokyo knocked over another lamp. I’ve got errands to run and I can’t leave them like this.”

Serena sat up straighter. “There it is. Reinforcements.”

“Or invaders,” Peanut countered, eyes narrowing.

Petunia’s ears drooped. “She said Lily. And Raven. And Tokyo. That’s… a lot of cats.”

The human’s sigh drifted through the apartment. “I’ll bring crates. We’ll figure it out.”

Silence followed the call. The council convened in the living room, each settling into their chosen spot like warriors at a war table.

Serena flicked her tail. “We need to be ready. Lily is older, sharper, and won’t be impressed by any of us. Tokyo is wild, unpredictable. Raven—” she paused, eyes narrowing, “Raven is trouble. He’ll try to stake claims.”

“And Precious?” Petunia asked. “Didn’t I hear her name once?”

“Yes,” Serena said. “Soft and Tortie. Don’t underestimate her. She hides strength in stillness.”

Peanut let out a hiss of frustration. “This isn’t a rescue. It’s an occupation. We were three, and now… how many did she say?”

“Seven,” Serena answered grimly. “Lily, Olive, Sai, Raven, Eddie, Precious, and Tokyo.”

Petunia’s eyes widened. “Seven? That’s more than double us.”

Serena’s voice dropped low. “The question isn’t whether they’re coming. The question is whether we can hold the fort once they do.”

Peanut jumped down from the sill, claws catching the rug. “Then we need strategy. Mapping wasn’t just a game. It was training. We’ll need to know every corner, every ledge, every blind spot before they arrive.”

Petunia kneaded her blanket nervously. “But what if they don’t want to fight? What if they just… want space?”

Serena’s gaze softened for a heartbeat. “Then we give them space. But if they want more than that, if they want what’s ours, we’ll remind them who was here first.”

The council sat in silence, each lost in thought as the human returned to her packing. The sound of boxes sliding across the floor and the low thump of crates settling by the door were reminders that the day ahead would change everything.

For the first time since they had formed their alliance, the girls weren’t just defending their place. They were about to face an incoming storm of fur and claws—and none of them knew if the walls of their new kingdom were strong enough to hold.