“Hey.”
Fur brushed her flank, and she turned her head to see Finleap beside her. Her heart ached. Would she ever be able to stand this close to him again? “Hey.”
He gazed at her, his yellow eyes glittering with uncertainty. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” She blinked at him. “What for?”
“For saying you were getting too close to Tree.” He glanced back to where Violetshine was making nests for the SkyClan apprentices. Flypaw was helping, excitedly showing Nectarpaw how to shape the ferns with her paws. “I was just angry. I never really thought—”
“It’s okay.” She cut him off. “It doesn’t matter now.”
He tipped his head questioningly. “Now that Violetshine’s back?”
“Now that we’ve found SkyClan.” She turned her face to the woods. “You’ll be going back to them, I guess.”
“Back to SkyClan?”
“If I’m not going to have your kits, you might as well return to your kin.” Sadness pricked Twigbranch’s eyes. Should she change her mind? Having kits now might not be so bad.
“But I thought you loved me.” He sounded surprised. “You told Violetshine you loved me very much.”
“I do,” she mewed softly. “But not enough to have your kits. Not now. Maybe not ever.”
Finleap glanced at his paws. “Let’s forget about kits, huh?”
She blinked in surprise. “Forget?”
“I was wrong, Twigbranch. Seeing SkyClan again made me realize . . . however much I love my kin, I love you more. I don’t want you to have kits if you don’t want to. I can live without them. But I can’t live without you.”
Twigbranch stared at him. “Do you mean that?”
“Yes.” Finleap’s eyes shimmered with love. “I’ve been so wrapped up in feeling hurt, I didn’t realize how much I was hurting you—or how much I was hurting our relationship.”
“And what happens next time you’re upset?” Twigbranch’s mouth was dry. “Will you stop talking to me again?”
“No. Next time we’ll discuss things properly. No more arguments.” Finleap met her gaze solemnly. “Watching you over the past few days has reminded me how amazing you are, Twigbranch. You persuaded Bramblestar to let you bring a patrol here. You found a way of getting SkyClan back to the lake. I’m lucky to have you. I promise I’ll never hurt you again.”
She stared at him, hope surging in her chest. “So you’re really okay with me not having your kits yet?”
“Yes.” He leaned closer. “I’m so sorry I put you through that. I guess it was harder leaving SkyClan than I expected. It took me a while to realize I had no kin in ThunderClan, and then I couldn’t stop thinking of everything I’d left behind. I forgot to value what I had. Look.” He jerked his nose toward SkyClan once more. Tree was holding the side of a nest firmly while Nectarpaw wove an extra bracken stem between the fronds. Violetshine was leaning over the edge to press moss inside. “I know now that having kin isn’t the only way to fit in. I’ll find another way to feel part of ThunderClan.”
“Does that mean you’re not going back to SkyClan?” Her paws trembled.
“Why would I, when you’re in ThunderClan?” He blinked at her. “Let’s enjoy being warriors and mentors for now.”
“If I have kits with any cat, it will be you,” she murmured. Would she ever be ready?
“Okay,” he purred. “But only if we both want them.”
Twigbranch pressed her muzzle against his, happiness warming her pelt for the first time in days. “I love you so much, Finleap.”
“And I love you.”
Tree padded from the woods, a squirrel between his jaws. Macgyver and Sandynose followed him, each carrying a pigeon. They dropped them inside the cave entrance.
Macgyver blinked at Twigbranch. “There’s good hunting here.”
“Harrybrook and Dewspring are bringing more,” Sandynose told her.
Finleap sniffed one of the pigeons. “It smells good.”
Macgyver pushed it toward him. “Take it.”
“We can hunt for ourselves,” Twigbranch told him quickly. She didn’t want to take his catch when there were so many mouths to feed.
“Why bother? By the time both patrols are back, there’ll be enough for everyone,” Tree purred.
Macgyver winked at her. “Besides, it looks like you two have more talking to do.”
Twigbranch looked away, her ears burning.
Macgyver purred. “Don’t be embarrassed. . . . We’ve all been in love before.”
“Are you teasing my sister?” Violetshine padded from the back of the cave and gave Macgyver a stern look.
“Just a little.” Macgyver picked up his catch and nudged Sandynose away.
Tree shook the rain from his pelt and settled beside the pigeon they’d left behind. “It would be a shame to waste it.”
Violetshine lay down and leaned against him. She tugged the pigeon closer with her paw and took a bite. “I’m too hungry to argue.”
Finleap caught Twigbranch’s eye. “Let’s eat,” he told her. “I think we’ve both earned our meal tonight.”
“Do you think we should?” Twigbranch glanced guiltily toward SkyClan.
“Of course.” He followed her gaze. Harrybrook and Dewspring were back from their hunt, and the Clan looked happy, giving out prey. Leafstar lay on a pile of bracken, her eyes weary but content as she watched. Flypaw was demonstrating a hunting crouch to some of the other apprentices. Hawkwing was hurrying up the slope, three mice hanging from his jaws. Reedclaw and Plumwillow followed, carrying more.
Relieved to see every cat so relaxed, Twigbranch settled beside Finleap. He tore a wing from the pigeon and passed her the carcass. Her mouth watered as she smelled its warm scent. She sank her teeth into its soft breast and tore away a juicy mouthful. Chewing, she looked at Tree. “Finleap was right. You do know where all the best prey lives.”
Tree’s eyes sparkled. “There’s a difference between knowing where it lives and being able to catch it.” He glanced teasingly at Finleap. “Do you want to catch another scrawny sparrow? Twigbranch might get hungry in the night.”
Finleap huffed. “I was having a bad day.”
Tree purred. “Perhaps you should try fishing instead of hunting. You’re a natural swimmer.” He glanced at Leafstar. “I don’t know how you managed to pull her out of that flood. You were amazing.”
“I guess StarClan guided my paws.” Cheerfully, Finleap tore a bite from the pigeon wing.
Violetshine flicked a feather from her nose with her paw. “How did you find us? We were so far from the lake.”
“We still are,” Tree grunted, his mouth full.
“The search patrol was Twigbranch’s idea,” Finleap explained.
“Tree led the way,” Twigbranch chimed in. “We’d never have known which trail to follow without him.”
“He’s smart for a loner.” Violetshine’s eyes flashed playfully.
“He’ll make a good Clan cat.” Twigbranch took another bite of pigeon.
Violetshine pricked her ears. “You sound as though you approve.”
Twigbranch swallowed. “I do.”
They finished their meal in contented silence. As they began to wash afterward, Hawkwing padded toward them. He was licking his lips. “There’s good hunting around here.” He stopped beside them. “I haven’t tasted squirrel that delicious since the gorge.”
Violetshine rolled her eyes. “Don’t talk about the gorge. We’re not going back there. You’ll have to get used to lake squirrels.”
He touched his nose to her head and settled beside her. The woods were dark now. Night had fallen. Behind him, the other SkyClan cats were climbing into their nests. Harrybrook was already snoring.