She hadn't understood why Beetail had been so surprised that she was having kits. Was it really that much of a shock?

First had been Silverfang. He was a handsome, strong tom with a flirtatious smile and a twinkle in his eye. Mapleshade, or Maplepaw, as she had been then, couldn't help falling head over tail in love with him.

At first, he seemed to take the attention well, a glimmer of amusement on his face whenever Maplepaw offered to bring him moss or asked him to go hunting. Who cared that he already had a mate? Certainly not Maplepaw. She constantly followed him around and wanted to do everything that he did. Eventually, he sat her down and explained that though he was very flattered, he already had someone he loved. Not that he would have ever considered being with Maplepaw, though he didn't tell her that.

Poor Maplepaw was absolutely, utterly heartbroken. She ran off to the apprentice's den and curled up miserably in her nest for the rest of the day, unable to be coaxed out by anyone. How could Silverfang turn her down like that? His mate wouldn't mind, surely? And who was his mate, anyway? How dare she take him away from her!

Maplepaw soon found that his mate was in the nursery with three small kits. Looking at them, Maplepaw felt a twinge of jealousy, but realized that she wanted kits and a loving mate more than anything else in the world. Silverfang's mate, Deercloud, told Maplepaw that she would find her own loving mate in time – someone who wasn't already taken, she added, with a smile on her face.

And so, Maplepaw gave up on Silverfang. Despite her admittance of defeat, three moons later, when Silverfang got hit by a monster, she couldn't help but think – serves you right.

But Maplepaw had eyes for someone else, now. Badgerpaw. The loveable apprentice was being trained at the same time as Maplepaw, and she soon ended up hopelessly lost in his golden eyes.

She did everything with Badgerpaw, always sticking close to his side when hunting and always making sure that she was his partner when sparring. Badgerpaw, however, bless his soul, was amazingly daft. Increasingly oblivious to Maplepaw's advances, she abandoned her attempts to woo him with only minor pouting and a small tantrum.

In the next battle with RiverClan over Sunningrocks, Badgerpaw, still blissfully ignorant as always, didn't hear an enemy warrior approaching behind him. The RiverClan cat hadn't been planning on killing him, certainly, but Badgerpaw just made it so easy, turning around just in time for incoming claws to get lodged in his throat instead of his spine.

It was time for her to earn her warrior name. Standing proud and tall, she readily received it – Mapleshade. The Clan admired her determination and loyalty. As the Clan cheered her name, a tom she hadn't paid much attention to before flashed her a dazzling smile. Her name sounded so right coming out of his mouth. Apparently, his name was Hazelwhisker. Mapleshade hadn't previously bothered to learn his name. Silverfang, and then Badgerpaw, had taken up all of her attention. Why would you ever talk to someone else when you had your mate with you?

Her attention was now trained on Hazelwhisker. He seemed easygoing and talkative, and whenever Mapleshade wanted to socialize with him, he willingly did so. He had a large circle of friends, and Mapleshade felt herself growing more and more jealous whenever he would hang about with other cats, especially she-cats. One day, she noticed him sharing tongues with Squirrelface, an especially pretty she-cat, and she felt hot anger flare up inside of her. She had trusted him! They were going to be mates and have perfect kits, and then he went and ran off with Squirrelface! She watched as Squirrelface leaned up and whispered something in his ear, and then Mapleshade whisked around and stormed out of the camp entrance. She couldn't bear to see any more of this. Her beloved had betrayed her.

She heard footsteps behind her, and turned around with a hiss, expecting it to be either Squirrelface or Hazelwhisker. Instead, it was the camp guard, a concerned expression on his face as he took in Mapleshade's angry glare. Mapleshade suddenly found herself reeling from the beauty of this tom's gorgeous green eyes. His name, though she hadn't known it before, was Barkpelt. He asked if she was okay, and suggested that maybe they should talk for a while. They walked to the Great Sycamore. She poured her heart out to him about how she had been feeling. Heartbroken. Depressed. Betrayed, most of all. He listened with an understanding expression and she felt like the hole in her left by Hazelwhisker had been filled. Barkpelt became her rock.

Upon returning to camp, shocked and grief-filled faces greeted them. On a hunting patrol, there had been a fox attack, and Hazelwhisker had been killed. Mapleshade felt not a twinge of sympathy. He had gotten what he deserved.

She wanted to make sure that Barkpelt knew exactly how grateful she was for his sympathy. She followed him everywhere, and they did everything together. She made sure that he always had everything he needed, and was with him constantly for days on end. She began to notice a change in Barkpelt's personality, but only when he was around her. He seemed like his normal, kind self around every other cat, but around Mapleshade, he suddenly became tense and nervous, his eyes darting from side to side as he looked for an escape from the conversation. It didn't mean anything bad, not by far. She had been by his side for every minute of every day, except when they hadn't been on patrol together. Those were the worst times, when she couldn't be around her love. She was sure that he felt the same way, that those fleeting moments apart had been unbearable.

His nervousness around her must mean that he was thinking of something big. Mapleshade's heart leapt at the thought. Perhaps he wanted kits, but he was too nervous to ask her! That had to be it! Mapleshade approached him one day and mentioned it. Their kits would be amazing warriors, she had told him. Kits? Barkpelt had choked out the word and his eyes bulged.

He respectfully attempted to tell her that he didn't feel that way about her, and that they were just friends, and that Mapleshade had been a bit possessive lately and he wasn't sure that he was okay with it, and maybe—

She was already gone.

How dare he? How dare he! This was the worst heartbreak she had ever gone through. Much worse than Hazelwhisker, or Badgerpaw, or even… what was his name? Silverfoot? Either way, this hurt more than anything she had ever done. She had been so kind to him, doting on his every move, following him everywhere, trying to sleep in his nest, sharing her prey with him, always trying to get on patrol together, sharing tongues, sitting next to him, making sure he didn't talk to any other cats while she was around…

She wasn't possessive. That's just being kind! Obviously he had no idea how to be a good mate. And even if he did, he just threw her away like that, like a piece of worthless fresh-kill. And after all she had done for him! The angry fire burning inside of her rose up and filled her whole body. She would have her revenge.

Two moons later, a large storm hit camp. Branches were being flung through the air left and right, sure to hit something eventually. Or someone. All the warriors were huddled up in the den, and Mapleshade, sensing Barkpelt's dislike for her for the first time, moved as close to him as possible. She noticed him begin to get nervous again. Good.

He never loved her. And she told him that. He panicked at the murder in her eyes. She moved closer. He moved away. She moved closer. He crept even farther. Suddenly, without the other warriors noticing, as they were too focused on the storm, she made as if to lunge for him. His ears flat on his head, he turned and swept out of the den just as a large crack of thunder rumbled over their heads.

The next morning, his body was found, battered and nearly unrecognizable underneath a large branch.

While the Clan was mourning for Barkpelt, a handsome tom named Birchface began to hold Mapleshade's interest. He seemed honest, fair, and trustworthy, so unlike that pathetic piece of foxdung Barkpelt. She was glad he had been killed. She was sure that Birchface would turn out better. Their coats would blend spectacularly and create beautiful kits.

And yet, when she began to make advances, he acted the same way that Barkpelt had. Little did she know it, but Mapleshade had garnered a reputation for herself. And not a good one.

Every single tom she crushed on was subject to incredible possessiveness and stalking before their lives ended in a horrific and painful death. With Barkpelt's death still fresh on their minds, none of the toms were willing to trust her, or whatever bad luck trailed in her wake.

Birchface, the next unlucky victim, couldn't risk denying her, or else he too would suffer a terrible fate. He always made sure to do whatever she wanted, and she was happier than she had ever been. She could practically imagine their kits' faces already.

A few moons into Birchface's torture, his sister, Frecklewish, approached Mapleshade and asked her to speak with her in private. Mapleshade hoped that it was about Birchface. Perhaps Frecklewish would give them her blessing to become mates!

In fact, it was quite the opposite. Frecklewish admonished Mapleshade for being so possessive of her brother and stated that she didn't want Mapleshade hanging around Birchface anymore. Mapleshade felt the same anger growing inside of her. Red seeped into her vision. Birchface had put her up to this, hadn't he? The answer came back a no, as she was fearing for her brother's life. Mapleshade nodded suspiciously. Birchface wasn't happy, hmm?

A moon later, still doting on Birchface, they attended the Gathering as usual. This time, however, there was something different.

A stunning RiverClan tom shone from across the clearing. Quickly getting his name from an elder, she trotted over to him. Her "reputation" hadn't reached RiverClan, surely? Besides, that was just a bunch of nonsense anyway. No one in her Clan loved her, and perhaps Appledusk could solve that. Birchface was forgotten in an instant. She could tell, despite her fawning over him, that he had never loved and her and never would. And yet, he was ThunderClan…

Mapleshade paused for a second. Was she really doing this? Falling in love with a cat from another Clan, much less RiverClan, their mortal enemies? She shook off her doubts. This tom would love her, and she would get her kits.

The tom seemed impressed by her and offered to sneak off later. She happily agreed. Appledusk would be hers forever, and it didn't matter what anyone else would say if they ever found out.

A few moons later, there was a battle over Sunningrocks. She dreaded having to see Appledusk fighting her Clanmates, but quickly realized that she could use this to her advantage. She would have her revenge on Birchface, just as she had her revenge on Barkpelt.

Fighting alongside Birchface, she noticed Appledusk on top of a particularly slippery rock, approaching Birchface's apprentice. What was her name? Petalpaw? Blossompaw? No matter. She pointed this out to Birchface, and being the noble warrior he was, he rushed over to save his apprentice. Appledusk struck Birchface hard, and Mapleshade openly grinned as Birchface slipped off the rock and into the roaring water. Appledusk's terrified face could be easily remedied when they met later. Mapleshade's grin dropped a bit when she saw Lilypaw, or whoever she was, jump in after Birchface, but she didn't let it ruin her mood. A minor casualty that she could handle. Birchface was dead now, and that was all that mattered.

Appledusk would never betray her, and she could already imagine his pleased face when she told him that she was pregnant.

So see, there was really no reason for Beetail to give her that strange response. He must have been feeling sick that day.