Fox's Glade lush life

Every single hair on her body stood on end when the cougar reposed so close to her. She wanted to sink into the ground and disappear. Regipre had to clench her abdominal muscles to stop her bladder and bowels from voiding in her terror. For reasons unknown, she stared at the thick blood oozing from her wound as the cat's gruff words washed over her like icy water. She had overcome some of her fear of water in her days spent in the glade, though the sensation reminded her of that day when Auntie had nearly drowned her.

Though the cougar's offer might have been merciful, Reggie's usual pragmatism had fled her. "No," she repeated. Her instincts would not let her accept an offer of death, even a swift and painless one, not when there was a chance she could survive this. Not only did she not want to die, "I want to live." She hadn't immediately died following her injury, so there was hope for her yet. "I'm not dead yet," Reggie said as much, her voice no more than a soft hiss. She'd come this far.

He had asked what she could do if her life was spared. "I can walk." That was an exaggeration at this point but... "Soon, I'll be able to run again. Then I can learn to hunt. For now, I fish." Her eyes flitted very quickly to a tiny, half-eaten brook trout nearby, then back to the space where her leg should have been.

Maybe he would decide her reasons were weak. Perhaps he would decide they were strong. No matter what, her fate literally belonged to the cougar now. The little coyote had made her case and the cat would be the judge, jury and—quite possibly—executioner.