The sun was just beginning to dip behind the trees when you padded back into camp, a squirrel swinging from your jaws and pine needles clinging to your fur. Patrol had gone smoothly. Quiet. Too quiet, maybe.

You didn’t notice Falconstep until he brushed up beside you at the fresh-kill pile.

“Nice catch,” he purred, voice smooth as silk. “You’ve been on fire lately.”

You blinked at him. “Thanks?”

He smiled, eyes gleaming. “You know, if you ever want to hunt together—just the two of us—I wouldn’t mind.”

You shifted, feeling your fur prickle.

Falconstep had always been charming. Not cruel, not even disrespectful. But lately he’d been lingering a little longer, speaking a little softer, inching closer. And now, with Nikoliastrike finally at your side?

You weren’t interested.

But you didn’t get a chance to say anything before a shadow fell across the two of you.

“Problem?”

You turned. Nikoliastrike stood behind you, tail lashing and eyes sharp, every hair along his spine raised like a bristling flame.

Falconstep gave a polite smile. “Just complimenting your mate’s hunting skills.”

“Mate?” you echoed, heart skipping. You hadn’t exactly put a name on it yet, even if you'd been curled beside Nikoliastrike nearly every night since that night in the ferns.

Nikoliastrike, however, stepped forward, his chest puffed with quiet fury. “Yes. Mate. So if you’re done circling, maybe go find someone else to flatter.”

Falconstep’s tail flicked, just slightly. “I didn’t realize I was crossing any lines. They didn’t seem to mind.”

Your claws slid out before you could stop them.

“Okay, that’s enough,” you snapped, stepping between them. “Falconstep, I appreciate the compliment. But I’m not interested in anything more. Got it?”

Falconstep held your gaze a heartbeat too long, then dipped his head. “Of course. No harm meant.”

He padded off, sleek and graceful, but not without a final glance over his shoulder.

You turned to Nikoliastrike. “Seriously?”

His fur was still raised. “I heard the way he was talking to you. Practically purring.”

You narrowed your eyes. “So you thought the solution was to puff your chest and stake a claim like I’m fresh-kill?”

Nikoliastrike’s ears twitched. “Wouldn’t have to if he respected boundaries.”

You sighed, forcing your fur to lie flat. “You don’t need to get so worked up over nothing.”

His expression hardened, but not with anger—this was something else. Frustration. Vulnerability. He took a step closer, voice low. “It’s not nothing to me. You’re not nothing.”

Your breath caught.

He leaned in, forehead brushing yours. “When I thought you liked him, it tore me up. I spent moons watching you from a distance. I’m not letting anyone else try to slink in now that you’re finally mine.”

You closed your eyes at the warmth of his touch. “You don’t have to protect what’s already yours, Nik. I chose you.”

His muscles relaxed slightly. “Then say it again.”

You blinked. “What?”

“Say you chose me.”