I'm sorry for last chapter :'( it had to be done
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CHAPTER 10
Moons seemed to have passed, for Alderheart anyway. The kits were no longer next to him, mewling for their mother. Both medicine cats had carried them back to camp, leaving Alderheart alone. He had forgotten about any of them anyway. His mind was wrapped around what happened to poor Velvet. She didn't deserve it. She deserved to be warm in her twoleg den, with three kits nursing at her belly, not buried out in the woods, so far from her home. The kits were fine, and they would need someone who can feed them anyway. There was no choice but to take them back to ThunderClan, where a queen could nurse them. Alderheart couldn't help but think it would be a miracle if any of them made it back to camp in the freezing weather. They were born too early, too small, too weak. They needed their mother, not a group of cats who could reject them due to their father's selfish position that demanded all of his attention. StarClan was selfish for not allowing him to be with their mother, with Velvet.
Alderheart managed to bury her body among the oak tree's roots, where there was no bloodstained snow and shelter. He sat next to her grave, his shoulders hunched over. His mind was blank. The snow covered her scent, and he hated it. Why her? What had she done to be taken away from the kits she wanted nothing but the best for? Velvet was sweet, she was everything to him. He should've left the clan for her. Why didn't he?
But now, it was too late. He didn't just lose her, but he would most likely lose the clan he knew. The kits would give him away. His title as a medicine cat would be taken from him now. StarClan told him he had to stay and keep his duties, but what could he do now?
A sudden chill swept over Alderheart. Velvet's kits... would they keep them? Would Bramblestar allow kits that weren't supposed to be born, grow among ThunderClan? They were kin! There was no way he could reject them himself, but their clanmates wouldn't be so kind. Sparkpelt has already shown him where her loyalties lay. Clan over kin.
The kits would need her to nurse them. They would die without her. What if Jayfeather and Leafpool didn't take them to ThunderClan at all? They weren't cruel, and despite what he'd done, he knew they could never punish the kits. Still, he had to go back. There was nothing he could do now but hope his clan mates would take in three kits and allow their foolish medicine cat to stay.
"I love you." Alderheart whispered, staring down at the churned earth and snow, before turning back to camp. If Velvet wasn't here to watch their kits, he had to promise to do it himself. Nothing could be more important than her kits' happiness now, and at the moment, what they needed was a clan.
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The moon was up by the time Alderheart rushed into camp, his pelt bristling. The only cat he saw was Finleap, who was guarding the tunnel. Alderheart dipped his head to the warrior slowly, before scrambling to his den. Jayfeather and Leafpool sat by the entrance, clearly waiting for him.
Where was Beamblestar? Wouldn't he want to know? Did they tell him already about his kits?
"Where... where are they?" Alderheart croaked, glancing towards the nursery. Leafpool stepped back, nodding towards a nest further inside the den. A soft mewl came back to him, and he caught the scent of milk. His sister's bright green shone back at him, her eyes wide.
"They're so tiny!" She breathed, looking down into the nest. She was curled around Velvet's three kits. Alderheart's breath caught in his throat. Why was she here? Did she—
"I'm so sorry." Sparkpelt murmured softly, and Alderheart blinked back at her, dumbfounded. "About Velvet. No matter how wrong you were, neither of you deserved that."
Alderheart looked away. "Velvet paid the price for my mistake." He said hoarsely.
Sparkpelt shook her head quickly. "Don't say that!" She snapped, looking down at the kits. "They're beautiful!"
Alderheart couldn't look at them. From what he could remember, they looked too much like their mother. "They are."
A small cough interrupted their conversation.
"No one else knows about their backstory." Jayfeather meowed. "As far as anyone else knows, Velvet gave birth to these kits too early, died, and we brought them. They're three kitty pets."
Alderheart stared at him numbly. "What about me? They're my—"
"You can't let them know that." Leafpool insisted. "ThunderClan wouldn't accept you as their medicine cat if you become a father in their eyes."
"But you are a mother and can still call yourselfa medicine cat!" The ginger tom retorted. "I have to raise them myself! I promised Velvet!"
Sparkpelt nudged his shoulder. "I'll keep them safe. She murmured gently. "I'm sorry, but I think it would be best for everyone if I raise them along with my kits. You can keep your medicine cat duties, and they'll be known as unfortunate kittypets instead of half clanned kits who were not meant to be born."
Alderheart flinched at her words, unable to speak. I'm so sorry Velvet, this isn't what neither of us wanted.
"Still, you should name them." Leafpool nuzzled the top of the silver tabby's head.
The thought of naming the kits of Velvet when she had to say in them, naming kits he couldn't call or raise as his own, naming kits who ended up being the cause of their mother's death... he couldn't.
With a last glance at the tiny trio, he got up and stumbled out of the den.