I have never been pretty. I know that. My paws are set on a path that allows little time for preening, and I would not have it any other way. But every time I look into his eyes and see the warm glow of his love for me, I feel like the most beautiful cat alive.

Always, I have been obedient. First to my mother, then to my mentor, then to my deputy and leader. I have always followed the rules laid out by others for me, and never questioned my duty to do otherwise. StarClan decides my destiny, not me.

And now they have chosen me: chosen me to be the cat to bring these two warring Clans together, and end the seasons upon seasons of unnecessary loss of blood and life. Too many cats have died over our borders, and it is time for this hatred to end.

And I am the one chosen to end it.

I whisper these words in a delirious ecstasy of desire and excitement into his ear, and I watch his eyes light up at the prospect of us leading our two Clans together as allies, not enemies. We crouch beneath the willow trees, our voices hushed for fear of discovery, our bodies afire with delight at the other's proximity.

For moons, it seems, we have met here, both nearly faint for the other's presence, and in the wonderful, heady recklessness of youth we have taken our pleasures, freely and unashamedly by the sparkling water that separates our minds, but not our bodies.

He puts his tongue to my fur, caressing it with warm, rasping strokes, and I sigh and stretch under his touch as he works his way down my body. Cheek, neck, shoulder, flank - not a mouse-length is missed under his diligent care. My breath catches in my throat as he continues, and I can feel the hot air from his mouth coming faster against my pelt as he nears his destination.

Finally, he takes his mouth away and pauses, poised tantalisingly above me, and I freeze, every hair on my pelt aflame as I wait for him. Then he growls, his eyes gleaming, ducks his head and takes me in his mouth.

And I - I am paralysed with unimaginable pleasure as his hot, teasing tongue strokes itself again and again over my core. I am moaning and gasping, screaming for more, and more he gives me, until I truly cannot believe I am still alive, all I can feel is him, all I could ever possibly want to feel is him, and then I am screaming, screaming as he pushes me to my pleasure and I reach it, my desire pooling out between my legs and dripping over his chin as he licks up every aching drop from my body.

I fall, panting, at his paws, and he gives a low chuckle, crouching down to nuzzle at my shoulder. The firm touch of his body to mine rekindles my desire, and with a swift glance up at him I twist myself around, so that I lie beneath him. His eyes widen at the gesture and I lift my tail becomingly over my legs, inviting him to take me wholly for himself: to make me, finally, his own.

Any doubt vanishes from his eyes as I present myself to him, and with one swift move he dips his head to fasten his teeth in my scruff, holding me still - as if I could move from him if I wanted to - and positions himself over me, the heat from his body warming my fur as mine does his. His hardness presses against me and I can almost feel the hot moisture collecting within me, my entire being waiting for him to act.

And then, in a single, glorious movement, he thrusts himself into me and I throw my head back, my mouth opening in a triumphant yowl as I am cast into a world I didn't know existed: a world of unbelievable sensation, of unquenchable desire and eternal pleasure, of infinite sensuality and incredible passion. All I can feel is him: breath coming fast in my ear, teeth digging into my scruff as he pulls himself in and out of my body, faster and faster, harder and harder.

With the pleasure comes pain, of course, but the pain is countered by the pleasure to such degrees I can hardly comprehend it at all, and I give myself up to his desires as he fulfills mine. I can feel our pleasure mounting, balling down to a tight knot of sensation in my stomach, and small moaning gasps escape my mouth as he moves faster, and I, bucking my hips to meet him, rock my body in time to his so that we move together as one - the singular, united force we were destined to be.

Then, finally, just as I feel I can hardly bear to exist in this world any longer, he shudders, and with a groan releases himself, pouring his seed into my body with quick, penetrating thrusts. The ball in my own stomach explodes, and in thick white rivulets my cream gushes from my sex and into the world. I arch my neck, my body racked with pleasure, and my breath comes in short, disbelieving gasps as I collapse under him, my legs giving way under the furious torrent of sensation. I can hear his own breath loud in my ear as his body stills, and for a long while we lie like that, silently half-curled around each other as we digest and relive our union.

He stirs, bringing me back to wakefulness with a few gentle licks, and with a purr I stretch myself, flipping over onto my back. He smiles at me, his eyes soft and warm, and I smile lazily back, feeling utterly content as he slowly begins to wash my fur with long, languorous strokes. Below us, eternal and unchanging, the river washes itself against the pebbles, its smooth waters slipping over the stones as we whisper our promises to each other once more.

Now, after all these moons, the river murmurs to me once more as I lie on the soft bank, barely a fox-length away from where I gave myself to him so long ago. A voice whispers my name from above my head and I look up, my breath catching in my throat as my eyes meet his just as before. I can feel my duty holding me back, trying to pull me down, but I shake myself away from it and race to join him, our boundaries dissolving into nothingness as I am reunited with him once more.