Chapter2

A sharp, chemical stench jolted me awake.

The numbness in my hind legs hadn't fully faded, but a heavy metal collar was already locked around my neck. The iron bars of the cage were freezing cold, and the air carried a faint trace of a scent capable of causing agonizing, bone-deep pain to any werewolf—silver.

"I paid a fortune on the black market for this silver-dust alloy coating," Madison boasted, using her phone screen as a mirror to touch up her lipstick.

David frowned, inspecting the breaker box on the wall. "For a dog? Is all this really necessary? You lined the doorframes with silver and installed a large-biometrics sensor kill switch."

"What do you know?" Madison sneered, turning to face him. "The black market broker said there might be werewolves hiding out in these woods. What if this little freak is a pup from some pack? If it draws in a horde of warrior wolves, we wouldn't even see our deaths coming."

She tapped the iron bars with her stun pole.

"That biometric sensor—if any giant creature over two meters tall gets near, or if anyone tries to forcibly breach the walls, this basement instantly cuts off all signals and drops into total lockdown mode. Even if warrior wolves do track us down, the silver coating will stop them from shifting. If they try to brute-force their way in, the doors lock tight, and everything inside starves to death. I bet those mutts wouldn't dare."

I lay flat in the cage, my heart plummeting in my chest.

She was a lunatic, but a fully prepared one.

If Cole managed to track me down, him shifting into his massive wolf form would instantly trigger a death trap. I absolutely couldn't let my pack risk a violent rescue just for me.

"Alright, going live." Madison tapped her screen and instantly pasted on a sickeningly sweet smile. "Hey guys, look at the poor little thing I just rescued. To make it extra special, we’re going to do a little makeover."

The cage door swung open. David clamped a heavy hand over the scruff of my neck. Madison picked up a basin of cheap pink dye and splashed it directly over my back. The harsh liquid ran into my eyes, burning like fire. Then she forcibly shoved me into a tight, ridiculous clown dress.

To a wolf of the Blackwood Alpha bloodline, this was a humiliation worse than death. I bit the tip of my tongue, swallowing the instinctual growl of resistance rising in my throat.

I forced myself to endure it. I just had to play the part of an ordinary dog. Besides, these high-tech defenses were designed for massive werewolves. They wouldn't stop a petite Husky.

While she was busy clipping on my leash, I covertly scanned the entire basement. There were no windows, and the heavy iron door featured an electronic lock. But right at the bottom edge of a far corner, I spotted a drainage grate. The cover was loose, and the pipe beneath it connected directly to the dirt outside.

"Alright, little goldmine, show everyone a trick." Madison dragged me to the dead center of the camera frame and snapped her fingers.

David dragged out another iron cage from the corner. Inside were three or four emaciated stray dogs, their bodies covered in raw whip marks. He opened the cage door and viciously kicked the smallest mutt right in front of me.

Terrified, the little dog flattened against the floor, letting out a sharp, pitiful yelp.

"Hey guys, it's a wild mutant canine versus a stray! If you want to see it tear this little piece of trash apart, spam those yachts and rockets in the chat!" Madison pointed at the pup on the floor and barked an order at me, "Bite it. Snap its neck."

I stood frozen in place.

For a split second, I saw my own reflection in that trembling puppy—the small, helpless pup on the Trial grounds, mocked by the entire pack and labeled a piece of trash because of my size.

I stepped forward, putting my body between Madison and the small dog, shielding it behind me. Then I lifted my head, stared straight into Madison's cold eyes, bared my fangs, and let out a low, warning growl.

Madison froze. The live comments scrolled wildly across her screen, completely ridiculing her inability to train a simple dog.

[LMAO, streamer's dog training is a massive fail?]

[This dog is actually protecting the pup? That's kinda wild.]

[Paid to see a dog fight, got a guardian angel instead? Refund!]

Her face flushed a furious red. "You little beast, trying to rebel?"

She violently slammed a button on her remote.

Zzzzt. The collar instantly unleashed a surge of high-voltage electricity. My vision immediately went black as every single muscle in my body spasmed and contorted. It hurt so much.

"Gonna bite now?" Madison marched over, digging her stiletto heel into the top of my head.

Panting heavily through the pain, I kept the puppy sheltered safely beneath my body.

"Alright, so you've got some backbone." Her rage boiling over, Madison kicked me away, grabbed a half-filled basin of dirty water, and chucked it over my snout. "David, lock all this garbage back up!"

She violently shoved me back into the iron cage, then kicked my water bowl over, spilling every last drop.

Then she flashed a bright smile back at the camera. "Hey guys, these wild breeds are just stubborn. Since it loves playing the guardian angel so much, tomorrow we're going to try something extra special."

She shoved the camera lens right up against the iron bars of my cage.

"Twenty-four-hour extreme dehydration challenge. No water, no food. The heat lamps will be on full blast all day. Let's see just how long this tough little monster can last."

The high-temperature heat lamps flared to life above me. The heavy iron door clicked firmly shut, locking us in. The entire basement was left with nothing but scorching, suffocating air.

I lay flat on the floor, locking my eyes entirely on that loose drainage grate in the corner.

I had to hold on. I told myself I needed to save my strength.

I had to survive for my own sake.

And for the shivering little dogs trapped behind me.