“Graystripe, where are you?” Millie called from the nursery. Graystripe looked uncomfortable, but he touched noses with me briefly, and bounded to the queen’s side. “What’s the matter?” he murmured to her with the voice he used to treat me with. The rest of their conversation was too quiet for me to make out, but I could hear that Millie sounded rather distressed. “Do you have to be jealous? She’s my mate, for StarClan’s sake!” Graystripe growled.
  “What about me? I’m your mate too,” Millie whined. She was jealous? Of me? It’s true that Graystripe has been spending more time with me than her lately, but he’s my mate, so shouldn’t it be natural for us to spend more time together?

“Millie, you’re no better than a kit mewling for its mother,” Graystripe was snarling. “I shouldn’t have made you feel like my mate, right from the beginning.
  “Don’t you love me?”
  Graystripe hesitated, but finally, he meowed firmly. “No. Not any more. Raincloud is my mate. I loved her ever since she became a ThunderClan cat.” I winced at this, as it reminded me once again that I was not Clanborn.

“Why don’t you? I am your mate.” Millie mewled, tears starting to collect in her eyes. Graystripe turned his back on the tabby she-cat, and padded back to me.

***

“Scourge, I’m sorry, but my parents –“
  “Silence!” my grandfather’s words cut across my apology. “You have no more sense than a newborn kit! When Graystripe gets back with Rain, you should’ve reminded them of their arguments. You’ll never get to be powerful if you don’t’ interfere!”
  “Fine, I don’t’ need your help anyways!” I snapped, letting my temper flare. “I don’t’ want to be leader anymore, because now I know that the kind of leadership I would lead if I used your methods!” Scourge’s eyes narrowed to ice blue slits. He unsheathed his claws and lunged for me. I dodged to one side, but his claws scratched my shoulder. I yowled with pain, and as Scourge batted at me again, I was unbalanced. With horror, I realized that my belly was facing up, and Scourge’s claws were glittering, ready for the kill. I squeezed my eyes shut, and prepared for myself to feel the pain of being ripped right down the belly.

“Willowstorm!” I thought I could hear someone calling my name. “Willowstorm!” Maybe it was StarClan, coming to take me away. “Willowstorm!” This time it sounded more real. Scourge’s claws were brought down swiftly. I screamed. There was a sharp pain in my belly, but somehow, it was more of a push than a slice of claws. “Wake up!” A voice bellowed in my ear. It sounded like Ambergaze. I dared to open my eyes a little, but the sight that greeted me made my eyes fly open. My brother was looking down at me, his eyes wide. My parents were sleeping quietly in the corner of the den, apparently oblivious to the commotion. But all the other warriors – Whitewing, Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Birchfall were staring in surprise.

“You were thrashing around in your sleep,” Ambergaze told me. “Are you okay?”
  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I gasped. “Just a bad dream.”

***

I purred, letting Graystripe curl his tail around my shoulders. The bushy gray tail felt its way to my belly, stroking it lovingly. Should I tell him? I wondered. Yes. He needed to know. “Graystripe,” I murmured.
  "Yes?"
  “I’m having kits.”