Leopardstar lay in the dim TigerClan nursery, her body wracked with pain as she struggled through the agonies of childbirth. The air was thick with tension, the usual comforting scents of herbs and moss tainted by the oppressive presence of Tigerstar, who watched with a cruel glint in his eyes, relishing her suffering.
As Leopardstar let out a low moan, Runningnose and Mudfur, the medicine cats, leaned forward to assist her. But before they could touch her, Tigerstar roughly pushed them away, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light.
"Get out," he growled, his voice cold and unforgiving.
The medicine cats exchanged worried glances but complied, leaving Leopardstar to face her tormentor alone. As the medicine cats left, Tigerstar leaned down, his hot breath against Leopardstar's ear.
"If thought you could painless reject me, well think again" he hissed.
Before she could react, Tigerstar unsheathed his claws and sliced at her cheek, drawing blood. Leopardstar let out a shriek of pain, her body trembling as the kits began to come. The agony was unbearable, intensified by Tigerstar's presence and cruelty.
With a final, agonized push, Leopardstar felt the kits slip from her body, their tiny cries mingling with her own. She turned her head weakly to look at them, but Tigerstar shoved his muzzle in her face, his eyes hard and unyielding.
"I name the kits around here," he declared, his voice a low growl.
He turned to the first kit, a strong golden tom. "This one will be Tigerkit, after my strength and power." Then he looked at the second, a sleek-furred she-kit. "And this one will be Leopardkit, after my mother, Leopardfoot."
Leopardstar's heart ached as she watched Tigerstar claim her kits, his words a reminder of her helplessness. She felt a tear slide down her cheek, mingling with the blood from Tigerstar's scratch.
As Tigerstar left the nursery, a sense of dread settled over Leopardstar. Skyheart, one of the queens, approached her cautiously, her eyes filled with sympathy and horror.
"Why did you mate with him in the first place?" Skyheart whispered, her voice trembling.
Leopardstar turned to her, her eyes filled with a deep, unspoken sorrow. "He made me," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Exhausted and in pain, Leopardstar felt her strength ebb away. She curled protectively around Tigerkit and Leopardkit, her body trembling. As the darkness of unconsciousness claimed her, she held onto one thought: she would protect her kits, no matter the cost.