Deception! Lies! Trickery! Who did he think he was, playing with her as though she were nothing more than a toy? He had brought her hopes up so high, only to send them crashing down moments later with one fell swoop.

Maybe she had been wrong to trust him? But it had been so long, so many years spent together. All the walks along the sweeping beach shores. Nights spent sprawled in front of a warm, crackling fire. Even times when they had shared food, and for her to share was a huge deal, she didn’t do that for anyone.

And yet, here they were, tears brimming her eyes as she desperately searched his own, darting between them in search of something that will tell her that it was all fine. In fact, the more she searched, the more she grew convinced that he was amused by this. Actually, was he smiling? That smug bastard! Now he was just taunting her! Surely even he wasn’t that cruel? But that smirk that touched the edges of his mouth was unmistakable. That- that damn-

His hand moved out from behind his back, immediately her eyes widening and body tensing with a coil of energy. Maybe she had been wrong? Maybe she had overreacted just a little?

As he brought his hand back, she could feel her tail wag even faster, hunching down on her front paws. Maybe he would throw the ball this time! Would he? Was he going to throw it? Throw the ball! Throw the ball human!