A whole patrol.

He stiffened, tasting the air again to be sure.

Heatherpaw!

He bolted toward the approaching patrol, ignoring Firestar’s cry for him to stop. As he darted like a bird through the undergrowth, his paws skimmed the ground. The sunlight glittered golden through the trees, making it easy to spot the WindClan patrol slinking like weasels through the forest. They were heading for the lake, hoping to finish off Dustpelt’s patrol, no doubt.

Lionpaw could hear his Clanmates’ paws thrumming after him. They exploded from the bushes around him as he reached the WindClan cats.

The enemy patrol scattered in panic, but not quickly enough. Ashfur knocked a brown tabby warrior to the ground, while Firestar flung himself at a black tom. Lionpaw charged through two WindClan apprentices, shoving them aside. Behind them Heatherpaw reared up on her hind legs, her blue eyes wide with shock. Lionpaw lunged at her and grasped her scruff between his teeth. She struggled, wailing, as he dragged her through a wall of ferns and flung her to the ground in the small clearing beyond. Enclosed in the pale green cave, he pinned her down, letting his paws prick her skin.

“You told them about the tunnels!” he hissed. “I can’t believe you betrayed me. I thought I could trust you to keep your mouth shut.”

“It wasn’t me!”

Rage surged beneath his pelt. “So why is my forest filled with your Clan?”

Heatherpaw struggled to escape from his grasp, twisting and biting him hard on the foreleg.

“I don’t lie,” she growled. “It wasn’t me! It was Sedgekit!”

“Why would he do that?” Lionpaw couldn’t believe it. “I saved his life!”

“He was boasting to Weaselfur about the tunnels he found, and then every cat in the Clan knew.”

Lionpaw stared down at her, stifling the urge to shred her fur. “I don’t believe you,” he breathed. “You’ve never forgiven me for wanting to be a loyal Clan warrior.” He leaned closer and dug in his claws as she tried to wriggle away from his hot breath. “I’ll never forget this, Heatherpaw. I will be your enemy forever.”

He released her and turned away, swishing through the ferns with his paws trembling with rage. Had he really loved her once? He had been a different cat then. Now he was one of the three, and he walked a path Heatherpaw couldn’t even dream of.

Green eyes flashed in front of him. “Where’s Heatherpaw?” Crowfeather was blocking his path.

“Get out of my way!”

The WindClan warrior peered past Lionpaw. “What have you done with her?”

“Get out of my way!” Lionpaw lunged at Crowfeather. Hooking his claws into the dark gray warrior’s neck, he flung him through the ferns and thumped him onto the ground. Still gripping his throat, he leaped on top, tearing at his flesh in a frenzy.