𝒞𝙰𝚂𝙲𝙰𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝒟𝙰𝚁𝙺𝙽𝙴𝚂𝚂 ─── 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 1.

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟼

The scent of Foxclaw overwhelmed her. It was dizzying, having the sickly scent wreath around her again. The brown tabby's eyes shone with delight. "Dovepaw," he breathed.

Dovepaw unsheathed her claws. "Get away from me," she hissed, "fox-heart. You kept your dark secret from me until Lynxstar finally exiled you. Why would I trust you ever again?"

Foxclaw stepped forward and let his tail run over her spine. A tendril of ice ran up it. "Dovepaw . . ."

Dovepaw drew back, hissing. "Don't touch me!" She bared her teeth.

Foxclaw didn't flinch. He gazed at her steadily. "Dovepaw, think about all those times we spent by the stream . . . don't you miss those days? Don't you want to go back to what we were? I sure do miss the days when you liked me. I wish they were back because you were all I had."

Dovepaw flinched as Leafpaw's explanation ran through her mind again. She looked Foxclaw in the eyes, her ears flattened and teeth bared. "There is no 'we' anymore. I'm not yours anymore, and you are not mine. So leave. I don't want to see you ever again. I thought you knew that." She backed towards the shadows. "I have to get back to camp."

Foxclaw shook his head. "No, you don't. I know you don't. You just want to get away from me, right?" A flash of hurt crossed his gaze. Dovepaw's heart lurched as his face became as serious as it ever was. "Why don't we go to the stream again, like we always did?"

An image of herself and Foxclaw flashed across Dovepaw's mind. Her anger becoming overwhelming, she leaped at Foxclaw, claws unsheathed and outstretched. She succeeded in making a perfect blow to Foxclaw's muzzle. He yelped with sudden pain and rounded on Dovepaw. He jumped and unbalanced her. Then he held her down with one strong paw. "I don't want to hurt you, Dovepaw, but you obviously want to hurt me. What has gotten into you?"

Dovepaw growled. "The question is, what has gotten into you? You're a fox-hearted, dung-faced, crow-food-eating, snake-tongued traitor!" She kicked upward to his belly, flinging him off her and into the bushes. Her hind paws were stained with his blood. She stood up and faced him when he steadied himself again. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Foxclaw's gaze darkened. "Why do you hate me so much all of a sudden?"

Dovepaw growled again. "You know why! Tell me, what has driven you to betray me, your littermates, your leader, and your Clan?"

Foxclaw didn't answer. He looked speechless for once. "Dovepaw, I . . ."

"And you're still keeping secrets from me! You said you loved me. You said you cared for me, for the Clan! And look at you now. You refuse to tell me—the cat you thought would be willing to be your mate—and then leave. What kind of loyal cat does that?"

"It wasn't me who made the choice to leave, it was Lynxstar's."

Dovepaw curled her lip in a snarl. "That's not the point! See, you try to get out of conversations like this! What kind of warrior are you? Now leave or I'll make you!"