Fury throbbed through Violetshine. She bunched her muscles, ready to spring forward and confront Sleekwhisker, only to find Tree’s tail held across her path as a barrier.

“Sleekwhisker, Yarrowleaf,” Tree meowed, “give me one good reason why we shouldn’t tell Leafstar you’re here right now.”

Violetshine gave him a disbelieving stare. We have to tell Leafstar! Before she could speak the words aloud, Tree gave her a tiny shake of his head, as if he was telling her to let him continue.

“I can’t be wandering the wilderness when I’m about to have kits,” Yarrowleaf mewed sorrowfully. “And I desperately wanted to return to ShadowClan. I’ve changed—I want to come home.”

“That’s true,” Sleekwhisker agreed. “Violetshine, I’m sorry. I’m just so desperate to stay. Will you help us?”

“Please,” Juniperclaw added. “Violetshine, you grew up with all of us. You must remember how close we were.”

I don’t remember that at all, Violetshine thought, but she wasn’t going to say it out loud. You were never my friends.

“You must understand it’s not okay to throw them out,” Juniperclaw continued. “Especially when they’re sorry.”

For a moment Violetshine hesitated. She could understand how the intruders felt, particularly Yarrowleaf, who was so close to kitting. “I’m sorry too,” she responded at last. “Yes, we grew up together,” she added, lifting her head proudly, “but I’m a SkyClan cat now. And Leafstar must know what’s happening on her territory.”

Yarrowleaf let out a terrified wail.

“Wait,” Tree put in. “Maybe we can work out a solution that will make every cat happy.”

Violetshine glared at him. “Have you got bees in your brain?”

“Yarrowleaf is clearly in distress,” Tree murmured to her. “Maybe Leafstar would let her hang around long enough to have her kits.”

“Oh, thank you!” Yarrowleaf had heard Tree’s low-voiced suggestion. “All I want is for my kits to be born in ShadowClan.”

“That doesn’t look likely,” Tree meowed, candid as ever. “But we’ll see what we can do. Violetshine, shall we go and talk to Leafstar now?”

Violetshine sighed. Tree is such fun, and I like him so much, but there are times I could cheerfully rip his pelt off! “Yes, Tree,” she responded. “We’ll go now.”

Most of the SkyClan cats seemed to be in camp when Violetshine led Yarrowleaf and Sleekwhisker through the fern tunnel. Yowls of outrage came from them as they gathered around to stare at the intruders. Violetshine spotted Scorchfur and Snowbird exchanging glances of shock and fear that their kit had been discovered.

“I’m going to tell Leafstar,” Plumwillow meowed, breaking away from the crowd and bounding toward the cedar tree.

When Leafstar shouldered her way through the cluster of cats, her amber eyes were sparking with fury. Her tail lashed, and her fur was bushed up so that she looked twice her size.