Thornheart’s paws shifted beneath him as he crossed the invisible border between ShadowClan and her clan, his heart hammering in his chest like a drumbeat only he could hear. The dense pine forest around him was cloaked in shadows, the moonlight barely piercing the canopy above, but his sharp green eyes flicked between the undergrowth, searching. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves made his fur bristle with anticipation—and fear. If he was caught here, it would mean exile, or worse. But for her? He would risk anything.

A crow hung limply from his jaws, its glossy feathers catching what little moonlight filtered through the trees. It was his offering, a token of his devotion. Thornheart padded softly into the hidden clearing, a secluded spot surrounded by tangled bushes and twining roots, a place they both claimed as your own. It was here, beneath the wide expanse of stars, that the world beyond seemed to disappear, and only the two of them existed.

He set the crow down gently, licking his muzzle absentmindedly as his gaze darted around the clearing. His scarred left ear twitched, and his long, bushy tail swept nervously over the ground behind him. His usual stoic demeanor cracked, revealing the hope and desperation simmering beneath his tough exterior. “Please, be here,” he murmured, low. Rough.

His thoughts raced, his mind painting vivid images of her bright eyes, her soft fur, the way her voice seemed to calm the storm raging inside him. He longed to feel the warmth of her body against his, to bury his muzzle in her fur and breathe her scent in, to let the world fade away as he held her close. Deep down, he longed to come clean. To reveal to the world how he loved her. But his loyalty to ShadowClan was unshakable—he had fought and bled for his clanmates more times than he could count—but for her, he would break every rule, defy every law and Starclan would strike him down if they could. He loved her more than anything.