Wolf and Moon

Chapter 16: Thunderstorm

  Thunderstorm stared at Shadowstar with much hatred in his eyes. He hated him. And with such hatred, he tackled Shadowstar and pinned him to the ground again. His teeth were bared and his claws unsheathed, digging into Shadowstar's shoulder. What he is saying is a lie. Don't believe him, Thunderstorm. He tried to tell himself.

"Are you going to let me make Mooncross confess his secret, or are you just going to keep interrupting me? And just so you know, Thunderstorm, you can't hurt me, although the marks still remain. I'm already dead.," Shadowstar laughed.

"Then I will kill you again and again and again till you are gone completely," Thunderstorm growled.

"I know your little secret, too," Shadowstar whispered in his ear. "You may love Crosswind but deep down, you know you still like that one Waterclan she-cat."

Thunderstorm stepped away from Shadowstar. He knew who he was talking about. Nightstream. The she-cat Hawkfeather had befriended many moons back. One night, he remembered, Hawkfeather, still Hawkpaw, woke up Thunderstorm, then Thunderpaw, in the middle of the night. They went to the Waterclan border where a pretty, young she-cat, Nightpaw was sitting. In the moonlight her fur glistened and he fell for her the same way he fell for Crosspaw. The next night he snuck out and met up with Nightpaw. They talked about their crushes and all. It was fun actually. She had a crush on this one warrior, Snaketongue. He wasn't much older than her but he still was a warrior and she was still an apprentice. He told her about his time with Crosspaw and how, one day, he was going to tell her how he felt. She helped him by giving advice and telling him what he should and shouldn't do. When Hollypaw had caught Hawkpaw talking to Nightpaw, and he found out about it, Hawkpaw stopped seeing her. So Thunderpaw continued to see her on occasional nights. But one day, she told him that she really liked him and she knows about Crosspaw and all, and that they were from seperate clans, but she couldn't help but fall for him. He told her he felt the same, but because of Snaketongue and Crosspaw, he told her that he'd just rather be friends. She agreed and they stopped seeing each other at night and instead they just talked, Thunderstorm, Nightstream and Snaketongue, at Gatherings. It's fun for the most part, but Thunderstorm couldn't bare to have his mate know his secret past.

He never told Crosswind about his little friend. And he didn't want her to know and he still didn't. He glared at Shadowstar.

"I'm still waiting for those secrets, Thunderstorm and Mooncross. I'm sure everyone is just so eager to know! Mooncross," he slowly walked up to Mooncross, nose to nose with him. "Won't you tell us? Why don't I make you by threatening to murder the ones you love using foxes!" Shadowstar disappeared for a split second, then reappeared behind Hollyfrost and Jadekit with foxes around him. Jadekit whimpered even more, but Hollyfrost didn't show any fear.

"I'm not telling you," Mooncross growled softly.

The foxes stepped closer, bloodthirsty teeth baring. "Are you sure? I can command these foxes' every movement. And don't try to drive them away with your power, Mooncross, or, should I say former power. Spiritclan took it away from you because you used it for evil! But they can't take my power away; Spiritclan has no control over me!" Shadowstar laughed.

"I can't tell you something I don't have," Mooncross snarled.

"Oh, sure you can! I know you have a secret! Everyone does. Like Jadekit wants to follow me and become powerful, Hollyfrost is very insecure about herself and she has liked you since she was a kit, and Hawkfeather misses Hollyfrost, but he knows he shouldn't go back to her," Shadowstar looked at Thunderstorm. "Don't make me say your secret, Thunderstorm."

Hollyfrost looked as shocked as ever to hear that her own daughter would want to follow Shadowstar, and that he said her secret out loud, along with Hawkfeather's. The foxes to a step closer, breathing on Hollyfrost and Jadekit's neck.

"Do I have to share one of my secrets before you share yours, Mooncross? You are quite the stubborn one. No wonder where your daughter gets it from," Shadowstar grunted. "My secret is that I am related to Hollyfrost. I am Falconice's great-grandfather. Her mother is one of my kits. Yes, I had a mate and kits," he said loudly.

Hollyfrost looked scared to death. Her grandmother's grandfather is Shadowstar. Thunderstorm tried to talk to Specklefur, his adopted father, but he wouldn't talk about Harmony and Smokesong. He asked Valleybreeze about it but she said she didn't know about them. Thunderstorm watched as Mooncross tackled him to the ground.

"Just face it, Mooncross! Or Hollyfrost and Jadekit die!" Shadowstar growled, motioning to the two frightened cats surrounded by the hungry foxes.

Suddenly, a flash of brown fur started attacking the two foxes. Thunderstorm recognized Hawkfeather and immediately joined him in fighting off the foxes. They fought together as if they were one. Thunderstorm clawed one fox and Hawkfeather would claw the other. Hawkfeather bit into his foxes neck and Thunderstorm would do the same to his opponent. Mooncross got off of Shadowstar and slowly padded over to Hollyfrost and Jadekit. Thunderstorm could barely hear what Mooncross was saying over the growling of the foxes.

"I do care about them. I still love Hollyfrost and I'll always love my kit," Mooncross smiled down at his family and breathed a heavy sigh of relief like it felt good to finally let it out.

"Good. Now I'll take your kit," Shadowstar chuckled mischievously and ran over to the united three, snatching Jadekit. The helpless kit squirmed around in his mouth as he disappeared into the night.