I’d never wanted to die more than I did now. The smell of blood was heavy in the air, bringing with it the scent of death. There was pain everywhere- from my ears to my tail- but my heart was what hurt most.

“Don’t,” I whispered into the darkness. “Don’t do this.”

An achingly familiar voice answered: “I have no choice.” The words were cold; they pierced my heart like thorns.

I stared at the blood oozing from my paw, the only wound within my line of sight, not really seeing it, wrapped in my own sorrow. I watched it flow freely from the gash while pain seared in my limbs; I shut my eyes with a gasp of agony, and a tear ran down my bloody cheek.

“It’s too late,” the voice growled softly, closer now. Two yellow eyes glowed in the darkness; eyes I had once trusted, once loved.

“How could you?” I spat, blood accompanying the grief-filled words. I winced and wished for a quick death; there was nothing left to live for, nothing left at all…

“It was easy.” The voice was near my ear now, cold and unforgiving; I swung my head around clumsily and felt a sharp pain between my eyes.

As a cloud of gray closed in on me, I could feel the breath on my fur, a cat leaning in toward my neck.

“No!” I cried, but it came out a slurred whimper. The scent of fresh blood filled me head, and I knew I was going to die. I squeezed my eyes closed as tight as they would go to prevent my last tears from escaping. I would not cry over the betrayal…