Torn Between The Shadows (Warrior Cats)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟔, 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏. 𝐀 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞!

Day 1.

Darktail woke up to the smell of prey. Infront of him was a juicy mouse. Everest stood upon it, her eyes shining. "Morning."

Darktail got up, and sniffed the mouse. "You're not going to get my trust by bribing me with prey." He muttered.

Everest grinned. "Oh, I know. But I thought it was the kind thing to do." 

Darktail picked up the mouse, and to Everest's dismay, padded out of the den. She followed. "Where are you going?" 

He didn't reply.

Everest's heart sunk a bit as he padded into Violetshine's den. But of course he only cared about the kits and not her, right?

Violetshine was still asleep, and her ears perked as Darktail came in. Nostalgia flooded through his pelt. Whenever he woke her up to the scent of fresh-kill, that would always happen to her ears. 

The black and white she-cat was awake now, and when she untucked her nose from the paws, Darktail could see her swollen flanks. The kits would come any day now. 

"Oh." Was all Violetshine said as Darktail laid the prey down at her paws. She dug in. 

"No thank you?" Darktail grinned as she ate. 

Violetshine rolled her amber eyes. "And why should I thank you again?"

Darktail twitched his whiskers and stared at Violetshine with a gleam in his eyes.

 Amusement bubbled up in the queen's chest, but she pushed it down ruthfully. Darktail is the enemy, not the friend. 

*Violetshine's POV from now on.*

Before she could say anything, a pretty brown she-cat padded in. Her green eyes sparkled as she laid her tail on Darktail's back. Uncomfort rippled through Violetshine. 

"Meet me at our spot." She whispered into his ear, and Violetshine wondered if she purposely made it so she could hear her.

Darktail flicked his tail, and the she-cat left. But before she did, she met gazes with Violetshine. The black and white she-cat suddenly felt hollow.

Darktail left the den, meowing a couple of words to the guards before following the brown tabby into the woods. 

Violetshine stood up, feeling a bit unsteady on her paws. She finally balanced, and when she tried leaving the den, Splinter stopped her. She hissed at the tom. "I need to make dirt. One of you cats," she stared at Raven. "Can come with me."

The black she-cat nodded to Splinter and followed Violetshine. The black and white she-cat's stomach churned as she padded to the secret place that she and Darktail had shared. Please don't let them be there. She prayed silently.

"I'm going to make dirt there." She told Raven. "You can watch guard here if you want, but don't watch me- that's disgusting."

Violetshine crept into one of the bushes at the side of their secret hideout. Her stomach dropped and her vision blurred. The brown she-cat weaved around Darktail, purring softly. "Have I earned your trust yet?" 

Darktail grunted, but his ice blue eyes were sparkling. "It's not that easy, you know." 

Violetshine felt her throat closing as the tabby touched her nose to Darktails and he didn't move away. "I will get your trust Darktail." She promised. 

The Kin leader's voice was no more than a whisper. "You have 2 days left, Everest. Good luck."

Violetshine could hardly breathe. She had a new mate, but why did it hurt so bad to see Darktail and Everest so close? The brown she-cat brushed her tail under his chin, and led him away into the forest. 

"What's taking you so long?" Raven snarled. Violetshine turned around, and went back to the black she-cat. "Sorry."

On the way back to camp, Violetshine couldn't stop thinking about what Darktail and Everest were doing. 

She regretted everything she said 2 nights ago. 

Now, a bit of Violetshine wanted Darktail to know that a part of her still loved him.

When Darktail and Everest returned, Violetshine watched them with wary eyes. The two's eyes were shining, and Violetshine remembered how Darktail's eyes glowed when she and him had their fun. Jealousy swept through Violetshine like a tidal wave. 

Suddenly, the queen staggered and yelped with pain, alerting Darktail and Puddleshine, who was sorting herbs in his den. She bit her lip. Breathe. She told herself.

Her legs collapsed underneath her, and she gritted her teeth. 

In a moment, Darktail was in the den, his eyes wide with horror. For the first time, the tom seemed genuinely worried. "She's just giving birth." Everest soothed from behind him. "You should leave her to Puddleshine, cmon." But Darktail didn't budge.

It took Violetshine all her might to not scratch that she-cat's eyes out. 

Puddleshine told Violetshine some instructions, and she followed them blindly. Her vision was filled of pain. Yet the pain wasn't as strong as the fury in her eyes as Everest groomed Darktail's ears and pressed her muzzle against his. How could she do this infront of me? 

Everest was evil.

Violetshine bit back a wail as the first kit came out. She was so caught up with Everest and Darktail that she hardly noticed the pain anymore. A bundle of fur was placed under her chin. Love and wonder flooded her heart as she licked it. Suddenly, the whole world stopped. This tiny little scrap of fur was everything to her. 

Darktail paid no attention to Everest at his side as he stared at the little kit. Violetshine squeezed her eyes shut as two more kits came. 

"3 healthy kits! 2 toms and a she-cat!" Puddleshine exclaimed happily. 

Violetshine held them close to her chest as the wormed around. "Hello, my little ones." She whispered softly as they wriggled against her stomach. She curled around them, joy blossoming in her chest. 

Everest held back Darktail with a paw as he started forward. "These could be our kits." She breathed in his ear. 

 Anger surged through Violetshine as she heard this. "These are my kits." She hissed at the she-cat. "You will never be their mother." 

Darktail stared at Everest. "I'd like to see my kits." was all he said, and Everest dipped her head, leaving the den. Puddleshine left too, leaving only Violetshine and him inside. 

He examined the 3 squirming bundles. One was fully white with a black nose, ears, paws and the tip of his tail was black. The other tom looked just like Darktail, but had Violetshine's wide, soft ears and larger paws. The she-cat was silver with darker stripes and paws.

Darktail crouched infront of her, staring at the kits in amazement. For a while, no cat said anything, and no cat had to.

"Please don't take my kits away." Violetshine's whisper was a soft plea. Darktail stared at her with gentle blue eyes. "They're beautiful."

Violetshine looked into his eyes. The familiar blue depths of the evil cat's eyes. But there was no evil in Darktail's eyes. Just love and compassion. 

She felt like she could fall in love all over again. 

Darktail and her stayed silent as they enjoyed the peace in the milky-scented den.