Chapter One

In a corner of the vast desert, two groups of meerkats are locked in a daily struggle for survival. To the south lies the Valentine Mob, nine members strong and about to expand for the dominant female is clearly pregnant and will give birth soon. Her name is Aphrodite and like her namesake is considered by many in the area to be a rather lovely meerkat. Don't let her sweet looks fool you, however, for Aphrodite is not afraid to fight dirty in order to stay on top.

At her side stands this fierce-looking male who is named Ares, after the Greek God of War. Like his mate, he has definitely earned his name and has a reputation for being very aggressive when it comes to defending his family and territory from unwelcome visitors. With parents like these, one would expect that the rest of the Valentine is bad news. 

That couldn't be further from the truth.

This handsome fellow is Eros. He and Anteros were the first litter born to Ares and Aphrodite not long after their parents took dominance. It wasn't an easy childhood, but both boys survived to adulthood and turned out fine. At two years old, Eros and Anteros are old enough to help out around the house and this has allowed their mother to focus on more pressing matters.

If you are on the lookout for some drama, then is this the family for you. The Sun Mob has been around for a while, but they have a reputation for bad luck. Circe and Telemachus are the current dominant pair, but their union hasn’t been the most fruitful. Circe has proven to be a good leader when it comes to ensuring that her family finds enough food each day and will have a safe place to sleep each night, yet this is only half of what needs to be done as the dominant female.

Fortunately, Circe is also pregnant and the Sun is eager for the pups to be born. In more ways than one. While the group looks for food, one member is living on the edge. Penelope is one of Circe’s biggest rivals, and this makes her a target for eviction. Having already received a beating this morning, Penelope is doing her best to keep her distance from the group, but yet be close enough to hear warnings.

Most of the group ignores Penelope’s presence, but one meerkat is keeping tabs on the lone female. This is Psyche, the youngest daughter of Circe and Telemachus. Out of the three sisters, she has proven to be the most responsible when it comes to caring for her mother’s babies. Sadly she has been unable to prevent the litters from being lost, but maybe they will get lucky this time.

Today is the big day for both the Valentine and the Sun. Both Aphrodite and Circe have spent most of the day looking for food, trying to get all they can before giving birth. Now it is evening and the sun is going down. At their respective burrow and surrounded by their family, the two dominant females enjoy the view of the sunset before each goes down below. One by one, the rest of the family follow suite and the day finally comes to a close.