"No way, weird-face," she hissed, a malicious look dancing across her face.

Anger swirled up in his chest. The whole Clan mocked him, mistrusted him, hated him. He had been rejected by his first love-and now his second?

He stalked back to camp.

A voice spoke in his head. It sounded like his mother. Another voice spoke in his head. It WAS his father!

He stopped in mid-step.

"Dear son," they whispered. "Why suffer all this pain? You could join us, you know."

He was tempted, but his morals fought back in a valiant effort.

Finally, he meowed, "I will."

He padded to his moss bed and fell asleep to enter darkness.