(Warriors) 🌹Flower In The Shadows🌹 Volume I: ✳Dark Seeds✳

Chapter Ten

    Shadeflower was completely shocked. He wants to be mates? I know we have gotten close., but I don't know if I'm ready for a mate yet... She was confused and embarrassed. Stoneshadow looked at her lovingly and his eyes were filled with concern, love, and caring.

    "I...I'm not sure if I'm ready for a mate yet. I have Fernpaw to take care of and train...and do think I feel something for you, but I don't know what it is yet. But I don't want to ruin our friendship either..." Shadeflower was rambling now, her thoughts immediately turning into spoken words.

    "I understand. I'll wait for you. I love you, Shadeflower. We will always be friends. " he dipped his head and touched his tail to her shoulder. Shadeflower nodded and she felt her heart try to escape from her chest. Her rubbed against her before returning back to camp. I know I feel something strongly for him, I just don't know what it is yet. Shadeflower looked up to the sky and wished StarClan had the answers for her. But she got no response from them. She shook her head. I have to talk to Aspenberry, then to Oakbriar. Shadeflower turned around, and with a heavy heart, she padded back to camp. Her paws felt like stone as she entered the camp. She forced herself to take another step, and she made it into Aspenberry's den.

    "You alright, Shadeflower ? " the pretty she cat looked up from her herb sorting. "You look troubled. Come sit." Shadeflower nodded and she padded over and sat down next to her.

    "Stormfall asked me to be his mate." Shadeflower meowed, looking at her paws.

    "Wow! That's wonderful!" Aspenberry then noticed Shadeflower's demeanor. "Wait, why aren't you excited?"

    "I told him I wasn't ready for a mate." She sighed, looking at her paws. "Now I feel horrible."

    "Oh, Shadeflower , don't feel bad! It's okay to not be ready." She reassured her. "What did he say?"

    "He said he'd wait for me." She meowed. "I just feel like I've ruined it all."

    "You didn't, believe me. When you're ready, you tell him. I can tell by how you're acting, that you do feel something, right?"

    "Well yeah, but-"

    "Then it's okay! When you're ready, you tell him!" Aspenberry purred. "It will be alright, I promise." Shadeflower smiled. Aspenberry always knew how to help Shadeflower and how to cheer her up. She's more of a mother to me than Flowerdapple ever was. She touched noses with Aspenberry before heading off to find her sister, Oakbriar. She sighed when she spotted her with Stormheart again.

    "Hey, Oakbriar? Can I talk to you?" Shadeflower asked, swishing her tail behind her nervously. The brown tabby she cat nodded and quickly touched noses with Stormheart. She walked with Shadeflower until they were alone.

    "What did you and Stormfall talk about?"

    "He asked me to be his mate."

    "He did?! Oh my StarClan that's awesome!" Oakbriar had gotten over her jealousy really quickly.

    "I said no because I wasn't ready." Shadeflower sighed. Oakbriar's tail drooped in sadness.

    "Oh Shadeflower , why won't you let yourself be happy?" Oakbriar had sadness in her voice. Oakbriar was the only one besides Aspenberry who knew the most about what happened with Flowerdapple and Shadeflower.

    "Oakbriar..."

    "You deserve to be happy!" Oakbriar insisted.

    "I am happy! I'm a mentor now!" Shadeflower insisted. Oakbriar shook her head.