SandClan's Shame

Chapter 9

Fireflower felt ill; terribly, terribly ill. Cuckooleaf told her that her kits were due any day now, but she needed closure. She needed something. So late at night, when the halfmoon bobbed in the sky and Cuckooleaf herself was off not able to tell her what she was doing was stupid, Fireflower snuck out and waddled out to the Skystone.

To her surprise, Fennelfang was there, but he was facing back out into DustClan territory. She waited for a few seconds before sniffing, "Funny to see you here."

He jumped up in shock and looked at her. "Funny seeing you as well," he snarled. "StarClan, look at that belly," he growled. "It looks like a melon ready to pop."

Fireflower shrugged, looking at her proud distended belly. "They're due any day now," she said. "You know, it's not too late for them to know you. It's not too late for you to confess. I have my Warrior Name now."

"But your Clan would tell Ternstar, and then what?" He growled. "I'd be punished for it."

Fireflower flattened her ears. "Should've thought about that before using your teensy tiny pebble of a prick on an apprentice."

Fennelfang sat up straight and turned around. "My what?" he growled, looking vicious. "You didn't seem to think it was so teensy tiny when it happened. Have you even had anyone else since then?"

"Of course not. I've been pregnant the whole time, by you of all cats." She grinned. "And Cuckooleaf knows. I requested she tell your medicine cat as well, just so they can keep track of the lineages..."

Fennelfang lost the luster in his eyes. "You would never."

"Oh, what? Are you afraid he'll tell?" Fireflower twitched her tail with a grin. "Afraid your whole Clan will know you're a disgusting rotting corpse of a cat who hits on apprentices?"

Fennelfang's spine bristled and arched. "Stop it!" He growled. "You're lying! You just said that to make me scared!"

"But did I? It's a medicine cat's job to track the Clans' lineages so there isn't any incest. Since we're in two different Clans it's even more imperative that they both know, isn't it?" She remained calm other than the twitch of her tail.

Fennelfang bristled even harder. "You did this to yourself," he growled. "You enticed me!"

"Enticed you? By being small and weak and easily manipulative?" The fire in her words grew and blistered. "By falling asleep on your forepaws? For being innocent and uneducated?"

Fennelfang was looking more and more defensive. "No! It's a different reason."

"Then tell me," Fireflower purred, walking up and sniffing along his jaw, this time making sure she was enticing. She took the focus off her belly by raising her tail and wiggling, purring in his ear so her breath tickled the fur around it. "Tell me what made me so irresistably sexy."

Fennelfang backed up a pace. "Your mother," he growled at last. "It was Hollyfoot. I wanted her to be mine so badly, but she wasn't interested in me. Ever. And you look so much like her..."

"You projected my mam onto her child?" She laughed. "You'd rather screw a child than deal with rejection and find a new mate. You craved satisfaction that much."

Fennelfang was clearly getting excited now, his limbs quivering and whiskers pressed forward. "I couldn't control myself," he snapped. "I couldn't! It's not my fault - you should have said something if you didn't want mating or kits, you- you should have known. It's not my responsibility to know whether or not you want kits."

"But it is your responsibility to know when you've taken something too far-"

Thwap! Fennelfang's claws ripped across her cheek, leaving four scores. She felt beads of blood starting to well up already, and growled.

"I hope you and your kits die," Fennelfang snapped. "I hope you all die. Every one of you."

Fireflower sniffed and turned away. "Alright, well. You have a nice day too."

Satisfaction welled up in her chest. He was so heated and angry that she bet he wouldn't even realize the strands of red fur stuck between and under his claws - which carried her scent.

He would be condemned for attacking a pregnant queen, and regardless of whether he planned to confess to his crimes, he'd have no way to defend himself.