The Whiskers of Hope

Book three in the Tails of Little Flower series follows the Chenzira family after the unexpected and surprising results of Little Flower's sentience and rape trial as they build a new home for the survivors from Earth. Not even an adult, if she's done the math right, by her own species reconning, Jessica O'Neil suddenly finds herself with a new family, name, and title, and has successfully won freedom for her people, and proven their sentience. Now as Councilor Little Flower Chenzira, she must defend the decisions and actions she took to earn that freedom, help her people become better than their past, and prove that her people deserve the chance they were given, before the Council, or someone else, decides they're too dangerous of a species to keep around, and has very little time to do so. She must also decide if she's going to continue with the high-risk pregnancy that was forced upon her. With so few members of her species left, can she risk their very survival by not going through with the pregnancy, or will that just allow her rapists violent tendencies to be passed along in his genetic offspring. How much of their history was nature versus nurture? Who were the people rescued from Earth? She knows nothing about them or where they came from, their culture, religion, or beliefs. How many more rescued were like her rapist, and how can she protect people like herself and her grandfather from the crimes of their past? As the first person to have ever survived an advanced case of psychosis, Marsee Chenzira must now learn how to remain in balance with her hunter's instinct, while proving to the Council and Guard that she's safe enough to be allowed to live, and like the rest of the Consortium, come to grips with a Senior Council that has lost her trust by even considering to punish her for her mother's crimes. An introvert by nature, she now finds her home full of the last of humanity and thousands of others who want to visit and meet the newest species. Feeling overwhelmed with all of the changes and new responsibilities in her life, she has no way to express what she's feeling or experiencing with her instinct, because even the slightest hint of being out of control could be too much and mean her death. Myra Chenzira fully expected to die at the Trial, and would have gladly done so to pay for the crime she unwittingly committed, but she'd been terrified that the Council would go with precedent, and her children and grandchildren would have been killed for her crimes. Somehow her new daughter saved them all, and instead Myra's punishment is one she would gladly give, even without a council edict. She hopes that with time, the Hue-mans will forgive her for her actions, like her new daughter has, and prays that she will have enough time to become an expert in Hue-man care, so she will be able to save her daughter, should something go wrong with her pregnancy. Expecting to die at the Trial, prepared to commit treason to protect the Hue-mans from genocide, and terrified he'd have to execute his partner, Councilor Jeran Chenzira suddenly finds himself both a new father and elected Senior Councilor for what's left of the Hue-man species, without lifting a single claw. He must now build a home for his new people and prove that they can become honorable members of his society, but how can he counsel a species he barely understands, and earn their trust in only a few months? Should Little Flower decide to go through with her high-risk pregnancy and die from it, he will have no choice but to bring his partner before the Council again for resentencing. On top of that, no one knows for sure if Marsee's psychosis is truly cured, or if it's only a reprieve. Will he be able to fulfill his sworn oath to keep his new people safe, even if it means executing members of his own family?