A soft mew woke him.
He jerked up his head, blinking.
A silver she-cat stood at the edge of his nest, her eyes glittering in the starlight.
“Storm?” He kept his mew low. Star Flower stirred beside him but didn’t wake.
What was the spirit cat doing here? He felt a flash of guilt. His hunger for power had driven
Storm away while she carried his kits. Now he was nestled beside Star Flower, happier with his life than he had been with Storm. Had she come to reproach him?
“I’m sorry,” he began.
Her eyes widened. “What for?” Her mew was rich with affection. “You have everything you want, and it pleases me to see you settled at last.”
Clear Sky’s throat tightened. “I just wish I’d given you happiness when I had the chance.”
Unwanted memories began to flit through his mind: Jagged Peak’s accident, his quarrels with Thunder, the battle with Gray Wing. “I have let every cat down. Even Quiet Rain.” He saw again the look of disgust his mother had flashed at him.
“Clear Sky.” Fondness filled Storm’s gaze. “Forgive yourself.”
That’s what Quiet Rain told me.
“You’ve made mistakes,” she went on. “But that is part of living.”
“I’ve driven every cat away.” Clear Sky gazed forlornly at her.
She nodded toward Star Flower. “Not every cat.”
He dropped his gaze. “Star Flower understands me.”
Silver light washed Clear Sky’s nest, and when he looked up, Storm’s pelt glowed like the moon.
“The others understand you more than you think. You didn’t drive them away—they had their own paths to follow, and they are right to follow them. You will see this, in time.” She glanced up at the stars. “We are all where we belong.”
“Don’t you all belong with me?”
Storm purred. “Oh, Clear Sky,” she murmured. “Do you really want your future filled with your past? It’s time for you to look forward.” She reached out a forepaw and laid it gently on Star
Flower’s flank. “Your future lies in here, with these kits. Take care of them.”
Clear Sky felt a chill at his side and blinked open his eyes.
I was sleeping! Storm had been a dream. He turned to nuzzle Star Flower’s belly, his heart filling with love for his unborn kits.
Star Flower! Where was she? The nest was empty beside him, the moss growing chilly where she’d been.
“Star Flower?” he called under his breath. Had she gone to make dirt? Unease pricking in his pelt, he clambered to his paws and hopped out of his nest.
He stood at the edge of the bracken and pricked his ears. “Star Flower!”
A wail sounded from the trees.
Was she hurt? Were the kits coming too soon?
He plunged through the bracken and raced between the trees. “Star Flower?” Ears pricked, he listened for another cry.
“She’s over here.” A nasty yowl rang from the gloom.
The claw of dread hollowed Clear Sky’s belly. He jerked his head toward the voice.
Eyes gleamed from the shadows.
“Who is it?” he hissed.
Shapes moved between the trees. He recognized the glow of Star Flower’s pelt. Around her clustered three mangy, scarred toms.
Clear Sky unsheathed his claws. “Let her go,” he growled.
“She can leave if she wants.” One of the toms stepped forward. He was a brown tabby with broad shoulders, torn ears, and half a set of whiskers. A flash of white fur showed across his front legs.
Clear Sky peered past him at Star Flower. Why wasn’t she trying to escape? She stood meek as a kit between the ginger tom and his brown tabby ally. “Come to me, Star Flower. I won’t let them hurt you.”
She didn’t move. Fear showed in her eyes.
“Star Flower always was sensible,” the gray tom sneered.
“You know these cats?” Clear Sky stared in surprise at Star Flower.
“We grew up together.” The gray tom threw a glance back at Star Flower. “I always thought she’d be my mate, but now she’s carrying your kits.”
Fury pulsed in Clear Sky’s chest. “Who are you?”
“I’m Slash.” The tom’s eyes glittered with self-satisfaction. “An old friend of One Eye’s.”
Clear Sky’s anger rose, roaring in his ears. “Star Flower is coming with me.” He reared, hissing, but Slash leaped back and grabbed Star Flower. Hooking his claws into her shoulders he hauled her to the ground and pinned her there. The tabby and the ginger tom crouched on either side, their teeth bared.
Star Flower groaned, her eyes wild with terror.
Clear Sky froze. How could he fight them off without Star Flower getting hurt?
“That’s better,” Slash snarled. “It would be a shame to wound such a pretty cat… and with kits in her belly. The thought of harming them breaks my heart.” His whiskers twitched cruelly.
The ginger tom hissed, his eyes gleaming. “Poor little kitties.”
A chill ran along Clear Sky’s spine. He met Slash’s gaze, trying to hide the fear in his own. “What do you want?”
“I told you,” Slash hissed. “Star Flower and I go back a long way. I was One Eye’s closest friend.”
Anger sparked in Star Flower’s eyes. “Get off me!” She struggled, her paws slithering over the ground as Slash pushed her harder into the soggy leaves. “I never knew what One Eye saw in you!” she hissed. “You’re not fit to say his name.”
Slash’s ear flattened. “Oh, really?” With a flick of his claws, he sliced her cheek. “Then why did you promise him that you would be my mate?”
“That was a long time ago!” Star Flower struggled harder.
Clear Sky felt panic rising as blood welled on her fur. He didn’t understand what was happening.
He just wanted it to end. “Stop! Tell me why you’re here and what you want!”
Slash turned his head slowly toward Clear Sky. He let go of Star Flower and stalked forward, his lip curling. “Don’t think we haven’t noticed you mountain cats recruiting all the strays you can find.”
He tipped his head, his gaze menacing. “Why are you building such big groups? Everywhere we go now, we smell scent markers and see where you’ve been hunting.”
“So?” Clear Sky tried not to look at Star Flower as she dabbed a paw at her cheek.
“This territory used to be ours,” Slash snarled. “The strays caught prey and shared it with us. So we left them alone. Now they are part of your groups. They think they’re safe. They think they don’t need to share their catch with us anymore.” He glanced back at the toms. “We’re getting hungry, aren’t we?”
“If you want prey, take prey!” Clear Sky growled. “There’s enough food in the forest to feed three extra mouths.”
“But we’re not just three extra mouths.” Slash’s eyes narrowed to slits. “There are many of us.
Rogues from the Twolegplace. Rogues from beyond the pines and the river. We’re more than you could ever imagine.”
“Then why have we never seen you before?” Fear wormed in Clear Sky’s belly.
“You never had to,” Slash snarled. “We only had to wander the edges of this land to collect enough prey. The strays who lived here knew how to keep us happy. They’d lay out fresh-kill for us to find. They’d leave the borders unhunted. There was no need to come looking for food here. But the strays hunt for you now. And we go hungry.” He eyed Clear Sky with menace. “Why did you mountain cats have to come and spoil everything?”
“We were hungry,” Clear Sky told him.
“That’s not good enough.” Slash paced around Star Flower, his sharp eyes flicking over her pelt.
“We need to put things back the way they were.”
“We’re not leaving!” Clear Sky hissed.