Spirit was close to me again, causing my heart to swell and paws to get heavier. It was a normal routine for her to walk beside me now, and I was so happy I could finally express my feelings. Hopefully, she felt the same.

She was perfect. I'd noticed all of these things before, but; her fur was golden, like a yellow-orange ray of light. The tear lines around her muzzle and eyes made her look dainty and cute, but I knew she was dangerous when threatened. Her fur, softer than feathers, was great to be against. And her eyes... They were like a deep lake during winter, frozen and reflecting a blue sky.

I never knew there would be something I would enjoy as much as having a mate, especially when we're talking about Spirit.

But, were we really mates? The past few days, getting closer to her had also worried me. Spirit liked to show affection more at night than during the day. Did that mean she didn't want to be mates openly, to the rest of the pride?

I have to ask her soon. Even though I hadn't said the words yet, I knew I loved her. She was so strong willed but I wanted to be there when she wasn't, to help in the ways that Midnight probably had been. Hopefully, she knew she could trust me with anything.

We stopped only once to hunt today, but after nests were made for the night me, Aspen, Midnight and Spirit were awake and cleaning our pelts after the meal. Hannah, Fallan and Diamond slept close by and I recalled how it had been us just like this, in a group and discussing what to do next after Blaze had died. Fallan, Hannah and Diamond had stayed to the side while we'd ran the pride and decisions as a team.

"I can't believe we're so close! I'm excited to get there," Aspen confessed, cleaning his claws. He'd made a messy catch earlier, but had tracked down a rabbit through some thick undergrowth beside a river. Secretly, I was proud of him. Aspen had learned a good number of hunting moves from me since he joined us in this journey. So had Diamond, who was exceptional except at remembering to check the wind direction.

We went on to enthuse about it, knowing that the destination was just a week away.

"Spirit, I think I have something stuck in my paw. Will you look at it?"

Midnight seemed a bit obvious in trying to speak to Spirit alone, but I turned away as if I didn't notice. A tiny twinge of jealousy entered my chest, and I didn't understand why Aspen seemed completely at ease with the two she-cats moving off together.

"What's that about?"

"Not sure," he shrugged. "Might find out when they get back."

The she-cats talked for a long while, a ways up the hill to where they couldn't be heard. They were speaking quickly and intently to each other, both bent forward. By the time they came back it was pitch black outside, and my paws were itching with curiousity. Were we going to take a new route to Cheetah Pride or something? But we were so close already...

"We need to wake up the other cats," Midnight said.

My first reaction was obviously surprise, because they'd been asleep for an hour or so now. I looked at Aspen.

"Why?" I asked, wondering if Aspen was going to question his mate. But he didn't, just looked at Midnight as if he was guessing what the reason was. What does he know that I don't? An unsettling feeling developed in my stomach.

"We'll tell everyone at once." Spirit said. I caught her gaze immediately- she looked nervous but determined. Whatever she needed to say, it had to come out- so I went to wake up Hannah and Fallan. Diamond was old enough to be involved now, and sat up with an ungroomed pelt.

The cheetahs also had ruffled fur and were grumpy to be woken up, but sat down quietly beside Spirit. I was a bit disappointed that my spot was now taken, but figured I should sit close to Diamond while she was tired instead. When no cat spoke, the calico opened her jaws in a wide yawn.

"Why are we all awake?"

"I was going to ask that," Fallan replied to her. Under the Great Spot it looked like Diamond's diamond-shaped symbol, made of white tufty fur, was glowing.

Spirit took a deep breath, clearly embarrassed. Her fur was sticking up just a little. Why couldn't I sit next to her and smooth it down, make her feel less anxious?

Whatever you say, I'll still be here. Spirit looked at me, her blue eyes catching the light and turning icy. Then, she closed them and took another breath that she ended with a sigh.

"I've been having dreams since I was a kit. About... Wolves."

"What do you mean? We've all had nightmares about the wolves." Hannah stood next to her sister, but was silenced when Midnight told her to ask questions later. No cat replied, but Aspen shifted uncomproftably on his paws. I shot him a do you know what's going on? look, but he stayed quiet.

"Not only those, but ones that have showed me every member of this pride, before they joined it."

A gasp was heard from Fallan, and Hannah asked what she meant, but I was more eager to hear what Spirit was saying. Did that mean, she'd had a dream to lead her to me? But our meeting had been accidental, when the wolves had shoved me along in their search for cheetahs- insisting that I was a cheetah myself, even though I wasn't.

"It showed all of us in Cheetah Pride's grasslands together, happy and living together. Diamond and Midnight were in the first dream I had, which was different, and they were fighting against the wolves with us." This time, Spirit's voice was grim.

"I'm going to fight wolves one day?" Diamond asked, licking a paw and widening her eyes.

"So what does that mean? Diamond isn't fighting any wolves and we got rid of them in that fire!" Hannah exclaimed.

"All we know is that it meant we are supposed to be beside Spirit, in this Pride. She was shown that we were supposed to be apart of the Pride's future."

"How do you know, Midnight?" Hannah asked, seemingly suspicious. She obviously thought that Spirit had told the black cat before her about these dreams, and I already expected that to be true.

"I shared the dreams from my own point of view," she responded with. I watched Spirit now, knowing she was growing impatient and a bit guarded with each passing moment. How come no cat was asking a sensible question?

"Why are you telling us this now?"

All eyes turned towards Fallan, who was leaning on one side due to her damaged hind leg.

"I should have told you a long time ago. I'm sorry, but at first I thought the dreams were just dreams."

"And when we found Diamond and Midnight, you let us believe it was just a turn of events, not planned by whoever sent these dreams?" Hannah's voice was a challenge but I could tell she didn't want to argue. Her shoulders, always sagging since Blaze had died, were unkept from sleep. Surely the green-eyed cheetah was just upset that Spirit had lied. I couldn't decide if I was either, but we had just started to grow close...

"Spirit will explain all of it. You just have to listen."

So, we all did. Even Hannah ran out of questions and put her head on her paws to rest her jaws. Spirit hadn't said anything about us being mates at Cheetah Pride. Was that telling me she didn't think we were meant to last? There was so many questions left unanswered, all leading down to a missing answer.

It was nearing dawn by the time their questions ran out. Diamond had slept through half of the talk but I imaged Fallan would tell her the details after she woke again.

"Did you have any dreams that showed you I was going to end up this way?" Fallan had asked in the night, causing claws to curl around my chest. Spirit obviously felt the same way because she shook her head sadly.

"No dreams that warned me of Blaze's death, either. Or for how hard the mountain travel was, or the mountain cats."

I didn't get the chance to talk to Spirit last night alone because Midnight had sat next to her the entire time, offering support and answering questions because she had shared the dreams. They worked as a team to provide answers to everyone, but my answer needed to be said by Spirit alone.

For the most part, I couldn't recall having any dreams in the past few months, apart from stalking a mouse or racing around the forest at night. Either way, it felt like the missing piece I had always felt disconnected from was now there, and no more secrets were being held. It was better because everything was in the open, and the Pride was free to talk about it openely. We did, for two more days over the hills as we walked. It was hard to get a moment alone with Spirit, and I hadn't gotten to sleep close to her last night.

There hadn't been any streams, lakes, puddles or rivers to come by since we'd left Shadow behind. For the most part, I was worried about thirst because fresh-kill just didn't taste right on a dry throat. All day we walked, Fallan complaining and Spirit by my shoulder with Midnight and Aspen.

"Sure does need to rain soon or we might have to switch direction," Aspen inquired to which I agreed.

"It's hard to come by water sources so high upland. We'll have to hope there's rivers coming downhill from a larger source." Midnight's bright purple eyes scanned the landscape, full of rolling green hills. There was a rabbit in the distance chewing a flower, but too close to it's hole to catch.

We all ignored the rabbit and walked into the evening time, no one's belly empty enough to chase it down it's hole.

It was Aspen who smelled it first, a spring that sprouted between some boulders and threw a tiny waterfall into a pool below it, and all surrounded by moss. It was early to stop for the night, but I could tell from Spirit's gaze she was thinking this was a good spot to rest.

As soon as Midnight and Aspen moved to get a drink of water, so did she. I bent my head close to the she-cat, breathing in her scent and the aroma of fresh earth-water as well.

"Do you like getting your paws wet?" I asked idly, knowing very well already that Spirit didn't. My fur, personally, took forever to dry.

"Of course not," Spirit said, her tail wrapped around her legs. She was grooming herself, not looking at me.

Okay, so the next part is unexpected and kind of funny, in my opinion.

Fallan tumbles over the edge of the pool with Diamond clinging to her back, so Spirit is splashed for sitting so close. Next thing I know, Fallan is flopping around like a fish and Diamond is stomping her paws in the shallows, thrusting water on both of us. Midnight had caught a tiny fish earlier from the pond, but any hope of more was now gone.

I expect Spirit to get mad but she doesn't. With dripping whiskers, she turns towards me with wide blue eyes and rears up on her hind-quarters. She's so beautiful, with the Great Paw's light catching her fur, I don't wonder why she's standing like a human.

Then Spirit brings her paws down on the water, and splashes me right in the muzzle. I twitch my eyes and ears, which are now dripping.

"There's gonna be pay-back for that!" I growled playfully. Whenever Spirit is in a good mood, makes me the happiest.

"At least it makes your fur look nicer!" Her whiskers are twitching and her eyes closed when she's overtaken by a wave of water. Soon after we're wrestling in the shallows.

Hannah grips Diamond's scruff and is the first to end the cascade of splashing. Diamond objects, saying she isn't a kitten anymore- which, she isn't.

By the time I step out of the water, Spirit shaking out her fur just makes mine more soaked. I can't complain, though. It had been just as fun as play-fighting with her a few days ago, and sleeping next to her and grooming her golden fur.

"Too bad we weren't here to join in," Midnight says with a purr. Aspen has a rabbit clamped in his jaws, clearly proud so I circle him with a trot.

"Great catch! Where did you find that?" It's a sand-colored rabbit, with huge feet and ears.

"Down-hill. There was a warren but we scared the rest off when we came on it unawares. They didn't even see us until we were on them!"

"Did you catch it as a team?"

"Yes, actually." Aspen drops the rabbit and purrs, clearly eager to talk faster about the topic.

"Midnight chased it right into my paws, but it veered at the last second. But I was so close, I used that jump manuever you taught me!"

Aspen's yellow eyes are warm and friendly, and cause me to purr in response. He sits down to groom the blood drops from his muzzle.

"So what went on here? Did you guys get in a fight over the fish?" I purr in amusement, welcoming the good humor.

"Actually it's the opposite. We scared all the fish away before we even tried to catch another."

"Oh. I couldn't catch a fish if I wanted to- I don't know how Midnight does it. My paws are way too big and clumbsy!"

"Me too. I guess we should leave the finishing to the she-cats!"

I sit down next to the tom, sharing conversation. Everyone else seems keen to do this until the Great Paw slides from the sky.

By the time we eat and lay down, I want to lay my flank against Spirit's but can't tell if she wants the same. So, I inch my tail towards hers.

In a swift motion Spirit is pressed against my flank, her warm and soft pelt pressing into mine. She's smaller than me and it makes her seem dainty, though I know Spirit is the bravest of us all. I'm a little shocked that she came close so fast, but a warm blossoming feeling in my chest welcomes the touch.

"We're so close to Cheetah Pride. I can feel it." She lifts her head towards the horizon, dark red and yellow. It reflects the bright green grass littered with white flowers and very, very far in the distance is a small line of golden-yellow grass.

"I know. I can't wait to be there," I say out loud, and actually wanted to add with you.

I want to ask so bad now, because it's tugging at my whiskers and I finally have a private moment with her. Were we going to be mates at Cheetah Pride? Are we already?

But first... Something was making my pelt feel clammy and hot. I just had to know, and refused to stop myself from asking this time.

"Why did you treat me sort of... Hostile, at first?" Spirit must have seen that struggle was painted on my face, because she was leaning back to study me.

It took her a few seconds to answer, making my chest feel tight and nervous. When she answers, she blows out a sigh.

"I guess when I saw you in my dreams, I rejected it. The truth is, there was kits there, three that looked like our... Young."

I'm amazed. My heartbeat pounds faster. Spirit actually saw us, together, in the future! And with our own kits.

"Really?" I want her to open up again, tell me her feelings, to just keep talking. Hearing her voice was now my favorite sound.

"Yes. I never imagined I could be that type of cat." Spirit's nervous and when she looks away it pulls me to nuzzle her. She couldn't be sad about things like that, because the same was true with me. How awkward had I been at first? No less than she was.

"Neither could I about myself, to be honest. I never really thought having a mate would suit me, but..."

Ugh. The words are so hard to get out, because I don't want to be embarrassed if Spirit doesn't feel the same. Either way, I just have to say it...

"You're amazing."

And soon after, Spirit's purr is throbbing with mine as she rubs her head on me. I stroke her shoulders with my tongue, feeling completely and totally in love.

If every night could be like this, I'd be happy forever. Now that I knew me and Spirit were destined to be together, with a future, I was finally content.