Bumblestar POV

Blood seeped across my claws. I saw the glint of the afternoon sunlight reflecting across the scarlet liquid. The murmuring of stunned voices surrounded me, yet they were muffled in my ears. This whole scenario felt like a dream. How could Foxleap, the cat that I had trusted above anyone else, have betrayed me? It was a strange feeling that washed over me, one that is quite hard to describe. It was the feeling of being alone in a crowd; it was a mixture of pure pain and rage at the world. I stepped away from Foxleap's body and closed my eyes. Various memories flickered through my mind.

Bramblestar returned my gaze, a glimmer of disappointment in his eyes. "I trusted you. But you let me down."

Bramblestar. I hadn't thought of the former ThunderClan leader in a long time. I suppose I understood though how he had felt when he had realized that his deputy was a disloyal traitor. Trust was a mistake, one that would always be punished in the end.

Brackenfur gave me a scalding glare. "One day this will come back to haunt you."

Oh, how ironic that it had. Brackenfur had been one of the most vocal critics of my decisions in the old days, and had killed Mousewhisker, the most loyal servant I ever had, except possibly Nightpaw and Redpaw. Perhaps that moment, when I watched Brackenfur's claws slice across Mousewhisker's throat, was when I had learned not to tolerate dissent.

Droplets of blood rolled down Dovewing's soft gray cheek. Pure terror flashed in her green eyes as she stared at me with revulsion in her expression.

Dovewing had been the first cat to betray me, to choose another cat or purpose over me. I had been so unspeakably angry that day, just as I was today. I remembered the shock and terror in her eyes after my claws had sliced across her cheek and the rivulets of blood had rolled down her face.

In that moment, I understood. Foxleap had always only acted out of his own self-interest; his only motivation for his loyalty to me was his ambition. Cats that viewed me as the path to power were not the answer. I needed servants who would perceive me as a force as great or as mystical as StarClan was said to be. I would become the new StarClan of the forest; cats would look to me for guidance and would adhere to my will! But for now, there would be no more trust, no more granting power to the weaker cats. Until the next generation was prepared to serve me, I could only have faith in myself.

I also realized then how much I had accomplished. I had taken control of a Clan with carefully executed schemes, I had won many battles against many foes, and had disposed of those who had stood in my way. ShadowClan and the situation regarding Foxleap's betrayal were just a few more obstacles to conquer. I would not allow these foolish cats to stop me from achieving my goals.

I glared at Foxleap's patrol. "I suggest that all of you leave, unless you wish to share the same fate as Foxleap."

"Who do you think you are?" roared a massive tom with matted brown fur, leaping at me.

I did not answer. I simply sidestepped and sliced my claws across his throat. The rogue's amber eyes widened with surprise as he fell to the ground. His eyes told me that he must've held the incorrect notion that he was invincible. He gasped desperately for breath, coughing up a few mouthfuls of blood, and then was still.

I chuckled as the light faded from his eyes. Foxleap's patrol hurriedly dispersed, fleeing the ShadowClan camp.

Ashstar approached me nervously, her head down. "I'm truly sorry, Bumblestar. Foxleap said that you had changed your mind about attacking ShadowClan."

I glared at her in response, then turned to face the ShadowClan cats. "There will be peace for a moon. The cats of all of the Clans need to recover."

"I never thought you would be the type to advise peace," Rowanstar spat.

I laughed maniacally. "It's hardly peace! After a moon, I fully expect ShadowClan to be gone or to surrender to my Clan. If you continue to defy my will after that...you will be eradicated like the plague that you are!"

Rowanstar narrowed his eyes. "The only Clan that resembles a disease is yours."

"I think you're quite wrong," I replied. "You'll understand soon enough!"

"There is nothing to understand in your madness," Rowanstar hissed.

I walked slowly out of the ShadowClan camp, past the WindClan cats who were still standing behind their leader. "For every illness, there is a cure. I am the cure for the disease you refer to as ShadowClan. You'll all be wiped out soon enough."

A/N: New chapter! And I've made a promise to my good friend here on Wattpad awesomesauceoreos so I will be uploading another chapter within the next few daysas well! :) I hope you guys enjoyed, as always thank you for reading and for your wonderful votes and comments!

Also, I'm extremely active on CloudtailGrandmas so if you're looking to read some fantastic Warriors writing, be sure to go check out that account! I'm going to have written 10 or more updates for CG in this month alone, and we have 26 active stories that are updated consistently every 3-7 days! We have both serious stories and humor books, so we have pretty much anything you're looking for.