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Gray eyed Lilac closely.

Her dappled dusk pelt was sleek, as if she hadnt met any season that brought hunger.

Gray despised that she came back for his help, but hated even more that she lied about why she left.

His heart ached, but Rain pressed up beside him.

Gray looked at her fondly, feeling his legs strengthen.

Lilac had come back to ValorousTribe, in need of a place to stay.

Her home had flooded, and she had nowhere to go.

Her pups went off for a quick hunting spree, which turned for the worst. They were caught up in the storm, and when a shattering storm hit.

Gray himself had to admit that the storm was unbearably brutal, but it gave no right for Lilac to act as if she had never left.

“ Gray? Ever since Lilac met us by the water spring you havent said a word.

Not even to me!”

Rain told him, almost sounding hurt.

Gray couldnt hold back his soft whine of affection, touching his cold nose to her thin gray pelt.

“ Im alright, I promise.

This is as much of a shock to me as it is to everyone here, its just that they didnt see what I did that night.”

He felt cold thinking about what Lilac had told him, “ The pups arent yours! Their just a loner’s named flick, and I love him, not you.”

Gray’s heart almost wanted to sink, but it didnt.

He knew his place, and it was right beside Rain.

As they entered camp, he relished the reassuring warmth of his home.

Voices of his confused tribemates grew louder as they all began crowding around Lilac.

“ Is it really Lilac?”

“ She hasnt even a scratch on her glossy pelt!”

“ Has she returned?”

Gray drowned the voices out, and dragged his paws over the dusty earth, where the elders were gossiping.

“ Oh, Gray! And you, Rain. Come join us!”

Cotton’s soft voice remained as chipper as it was in her youth, Gray had only wished he had ever been.

He sat himself next to Gallant, and Rain immediately locked herself in conversation with Eagle.

“ I’ve never liked that carcass-sniffing excuse of a wolf!” Gallant whispered to Cotton, glancing occasionally at Lilac.

_Lilac? Thats odd. They barely ever spoke of her! _Gray thought, utterly confused.

Growing more surprised, the two elders tucked their heads together in hushed voices, deep in conversation.

Confused and disappointed, he nosed his way out of their den.

Perhaps today would go regretfully slower.

The moon’s bright rays shone through the cave den as Gray sat directly in the middle of it.

His mind needed to be cleared, if he wished to live out the next few days calmly.

His mind whirled with ideas to steer clear from Lilac’s path.

His tail gave gentle taps to the dry soil, perhaps he was just tired.

But if he went back to his nest, he would be restless with new thoughts and ideas.

“ There seems to be no way to win.” He murmured to himself aloud, his shoulders sagging.

Suddenly, a lithe body plopped beside him.

He was startled, but refused to show signs of being taken by surprise.

“ Sorry.”

A soft whisper emerged into his ear.

He felt his throat tightening as he simply held his gaze with the stars’ beauty.

He said nothing, but gave her a simple nod.

“ Why wont you talk?”

She asked him, challenge was laced on her tone.

Gray’s eyes gleamed in the dark, giving nothing away, he simply shrugged.

Lilac seemed to grow more defensive.

“ Come _on_, that was like a few seasons ago!”

Gray’s fur rose along his back.

She was purposely agitating him.

She wanted him to talk, for what reason, anyway?

“ Answer me! Why wont you talk?”

Gray suddenly lashed at her paws with a powerful blow, she fell on her side.

“ _Because you’re a no-good liar that messed up my life, and made your tribemates think your as innocent as you seem! _

_I even kept your stupid lie in the hopes you would be safe! _

_Well the truth is, Lilac, your not as sweet as the flower your named after, no bee would ever want to even cross your path! _

_If you would like to try messing up anyones life, try Feral. She’s just as cunning as you, its a match made up to the moon and back!_”

Gray was on his paws now, his shoulder fur was spiked, almost alike to a hedgehog.

Yet he hadnt realized the small crowd that had formed a few length away from them.

Lilac remained on the ground, her mouth slightly parted with shock.

Fearless made his way to the front of the crowd, his broad shoulders were already threatening enough.

“ Thats enough!

I want you both to your nests now!

We’ll sort this out in the morning.”

Fearless snapped, though the cave was practically pitch black, Fearless’s eyes burned like embers in the night.

Gray gave one last scowl, and lashed his tail the entire way back to his den.

A week had passed since that incident.

They had not yet fished much answers out of Lilac.

“ Gray, Lilac! Come here.” Fearless’s sharp bark was loud, Gray stopped in front of him.

A hollow feeling in his stomach was replaced with dread.

What did Fearless want now?

Lilac did not meet Gray’s gaze, satisfied, he gave a small smirk.

“ I want you two to hunt,” his gaze was stern. “ And work to_gether_.”

He added, shooing them away.

Gray said nothing, but followed orders.

They trotted beside eachother distantly, but enough to seem like true tribemates.

“ How does hare sound?” Lilac asked him, her voice calmed.

“ Perfect.” He responded, still astounded by the fact that he had made her name sound sully that night. He had only meant a few things, but still regretted everything.

A pang of regret gnawed at his heart, but he remained focused.

Nosing his way through ivy ferns, the scent of Stoat filled his nostrils.

With a nod to Lilac, they crept slowly towards the undergrowth until they heard a rustling among the bracken.

Gray locked his gaze on a gray Stoat with beady black eyes.

It nibbled on a beetle, and was unaware of their presence.

Gray raised his nose slightly to check the breeze, and grinned.

He bunched his muscles, and leapt out of the bushes.

He slammed his forepaws down on the screeching stoat.

It wiggled furiously in his grasp, even making feeble scratches at his paws.

But Lilac was matching Grays rythm beat for beat.

She killed it with a swift bite to the neck, grinning.

As they turned away to search for more prey, a gentle squeal was heard.

“ Its coming from… the soil?”

Lilac tilted her head, suddenly her eyes grew pale.

Confused, he leaned in.

A small whimper sounded from a freshly fallen pile of soil.

“ There’s a pup under there, Gray!”

She breathed, racing away for the pile of soil a few lengths away.

Gray hesitated, his fur spiking as Lilac furiously dug, her paws churning against the rough soil.

She screamed for his name, but he couldnt move.

His ears pounded, and it suddenly clicked.

_Go! _

With a snarl, he furiously matched Lilacs paw scrapes.

He could barely feel movement of the soil under his paws, they would need help.

“ Lilac!” He called to her as he continued ravaging the soil.

“ We need an extra pair of paws,”

She finished.

Nodding, his heavy breathing almost louder than his own voice,

“ I need you to run back.”

He locked his gaze with hers, anything that happened in the past was no longer something to be brought back.

Right now, Gray needed to think.

Lilac seemed to think the exact same thing, giving him a look of guilt with a mixture of confusion.

“ Gray, what do I do?”

Her labored breathing settled the tension in the air.

“ We’re in this together, and im not sure I can trust you,” he confessed under his breath.

Now, the pups’ pitiful wailing grew too much to bear.

“ Run, Lilac. Run!”

He snarled.

In a heart beat, she had disappeared inti the woods.

Gray whipped around and continued digging.

Maybe he could trust Lilac.

She had pups of her own, and knew how precious they were.

Perhaps her motherly instincts had kicked in.

Gray found that his paws began to burn, almost as if with ever swipe of dirt they would tear apart.

Every moment seemed like an hour, where was Lilac?

Finally, he felt wriggling under the soil.

He was getting closer, but not close enough, or fast enough.

Could Lilac save the pup before it was too late?