Warriors #1: Kittypet Clanborn

Chapter 21

"Ow! Great StarClan!" I hissed under my breath as another sharp pain shot through my stomach. Each one had always seemed worse than the last.

It had now been at least a moon since I had first moved to the nursery and joined Daisy and Millie, and these kits could come at any time now, to my complete fear and excitement.

Soon after I had let out my latest yowl, I saw Thornclaw's head pop into the nursery, his eyes wide pale blue moons.

"Are you okay?" he asked, crawling into the den to bend over and lick my head.

I let out a pained sigh. "Yes, I am as okay as I can be," I insisted to my mate as I touched my muzzle to his cheek. "Wait... aren't you supposed to be leading a hunting patrol?"

I purred with amusement as Thornclaw shook his head urgently, his eyes still wide. "Well, yes, but I couldn't stay away," he answered. "I asked Sandstorm to take over for me."

"Oh my goodness," I muttered, rolling my eyes, but a smile emerging on my face and a purr rumbling in my throat. "Thornclaw, the kits aren't here yet! I don't want to keep you from your duties!"

Although I was sincere in saying that I wanted Thornclaw to feel like he could continue on as a warrior while I was in the nursery, I couldn't help but greatly appreciate his support and his worries. About a quarter moon ago, I think that he knew as well as I did that, at that point, the kits could come at any time. Since then, he had barely been able to let himself leave the ThunderClan camp.

"You'd think that a cat had just told him that ten badgers hungry for cat blood were out there waiting for him in the forest!" Mistpelt had joked one day when she visited me in the nursery.

I mean, what my mother had said seemed true. Thornclaw was either in the nursery with me, or outside in the ThunderClan clearing glancing over at the nursery. When he wasn't in the nursery, it was because I had insisted that he support his Clan as well as me.

But I had basically concluded now that that wasn't going to work as I watched Thornclaw shake his head at me again. "You know what?" he meowed, nodding his head definitively. "I'm staying right here until the kits are born."

I let out a mrrow of laughter as love and humor welled up in my heart. "I wouldn't want anyone else by my side," I whispered, my meow full of emotion. "But are you sure?"

Thornclaw nodded again, his pale blue gaze determined and warm. "Yes! I want to be here for you, and be on call if you need anything," he explained as he nuzzled his head into my neck fur and ran his tail across my stomach. As pulled away, he then asked. "Are you hungry? Can I get you some fresh-kill?"

I had to admit, I was starving. So, I nodded to Thornclaw as I touched my nose to his. "That would be lovely," I meowed weakly as another light cramp shot through my stomach. "Thank you."

Thornclaw gave me one last sympathetic and loving look before turning around and rushing out of the den.

I let out a suppressed groan as soon as he was out of sight. I didn't want to admit it to Thornclaw, but I was not having a good time right now. I was in immense pain, I felt as big as ever, and I was dizzy beyond belief. These kits can't stay in any longer.

Of course I wanted to seek comfort in my mate, but I also didn't want Thornclaw to explode with worry. Any time now... any time now...

As another unbearable cramp shot through me, I thought, Maybe I should get Leaf-

Suddenly, almost as if my anticipation had given the kits a signal, the weirdest, the most painful, and the strangest feeling ran through my body. It was so awful that I couldn't suppress the loudest screech I had ever heard myself screech. I'm sure it was loud enough to scare all the prey from here to WindClan.