The she-cats explained to Nicolas and Esta that weaning the babies when they were young helped keep them safe. The women chewed small bits of meat and fed the children once they shifted to tiny mountain lions with sharp claws. When it was time to travel again, the women pinched their noses and the young beastkind changed to human.

Nicolas wondered if this trick would work with Sierra and Roland, but figured they were too old to start this type of training. The two young boys ...