Lost Hope: Book 6: Future of Hope

Epilogue

A dark she-cat stepped into the half-moonlight of the BrookClan clearing where she had been staying for the past two days. She couldn't stand being there a moment longer, every cat shooting her suspicious looks and one cat in particular never leaving her side. Although she admitted that was more so because she didn't like the way her heart fluttered around him, not because she couldn't stand it. And not to mention the BrookClan medicine cat who always looked like he didn't know what to say to her. And she didn't know what to say to him either.

She took a cautious step toward the barrier and realized who was on guard duty.

"Violetshadow?" the she-cat said, turning to look at her with luminous green eyes.

Violetshadow didn't say anything, but a mountain of words seem to pass between the she-cats while they stood there. "I'm sorry." Violetshadow managed. "But I can't stay here."

"I know," the green-eyed she-cat said. "I wish things had turned out better for both of us."

"I wish you hadn't lied to me," Violetshadow said, but the words sounded less vitriolic than she had intended and sounded like a pained kit. Pain from all the moons that had built up inside of her and was now tumbling down around her.

The other she-cat's eyes sparked with something like regret. "I know," she said. "I'm sorry too."

Violetshadow looked away. "Don't let Tarantulaclaw follow me."

The other she-cat actually smiled. "If there's one thing I don't regret, it's falling in love with both of your fathers."

Violetshadow swallowed hard. She nodded at the cat she used to call her mother, and walked out of the BrookClan camp with no intent of returning. She couldn't stay here, not after everything she'd been put through, and she allowed herself to admit, everything she'd put everyone else through, but there was a life outside of the Clans, and that was a life she intended to live.

There was hope.

THE END.