Chapter Five- Resistance

"Let's begin with the basics," Mina said as she moved a few feet away. She turned and said, "Speak, boy."

Yusei immediately barked as it was an easy one and reiterated his previous training.

"Good. Come." She pointed at her side and Yusei, realizing that he wasn't chained anymore and that he had already complied with that command, complied and stood at Mina's side. "Stay, boy." She moved away and Yusei remained where he stood. Mina turned and said, "Sit." Yusei complied, feeling these commands were simple ones that he felt wasn't worth debating or refusing.

Lay down." Yusei laid down on the floor. "Play dead." Yusei raised his head and growled softly. No. I won't obey that one, no matter what they do to me.

Mina went over and hit him on the head. "I said, play dead." Yusei growled a little louder and Mina smirked. "Good boy. Jack wouldn't issue that command at all." Yusei blinked at her and tilted his head. She was testing me? Mina crouched down to look in his eyes. "You are making decent progress. Jack will be home soon and you will need to greet him at the front door. Got it?" Yusei nodded and barked.

Jack smiled as he approached his penthouse door, a stack of papers in a folder. His pet was officially his property now and the file was complete save for the name. Jack couldn't come up with a perfect name for his pet and debated on whether to break the no talking rule just once to ask for the wolf's real name. That can wait as I don't have to name him right away. He unlocked the door, opened it, and called, "Hello?" His call was answered by a black-furred, blue-eyed wolf that bounded up to him and seemed happy to see him. He grinned at the greeting, exposing his fangs. "Well, this is nice and just what expect from you, my pet." He stroked the head and scratched behind an ear, making the wolf whine and swish his tail.

Mina came to the door. "Welcome home, Jack."

"Thank you, Mina. I see that my pet's training is coming along nicely."

"Oh, yes. You're welcome to see what we've done. Mostly basic commands."

"Basic, you say?" He thought for a moment. "Sit, boy." Yusei automatically sat. He smiled and then said, "Come," as he headed for the living room with Yusei right behind him. He took his place in an armchair, pointed beside the chair, and said, "Lay down." Yusei did so and Jack's smile grew.

"Well done, Mina. I am very pleased with his progress. I want you to teach him other commands I'll give now and then."

"Of course, Jack. As you wish."

Yusei found himself back in the training room the next day, re-iterating the commands from yesterday before starting the new ones. Some of the orders were reasonable to him, but others weren't. One was bowing to Jack. He yelped when a stun gun touched him and he leaped away from it.

"Bow, boy!" Mina snapped.

Yusei growled and shook his head. He saw it as ridiculous for him to bow to his owner. I'm his pet, not his slave. What do they think Jack is? A king? He yelped at another stun gun application and then snarled as he seized the gun in his jaws and yanked it out of the man's hand. He bit down on it and the gun broke in two. He growled at everyone, making it clear that he had had enough with his punishment.

Mina scowled at him. "Fine," she said. "Then we'll leave you here and you will get no food until you are more cooperative." She and the others walked out, one staying long enough to put out some water.

"He's being uncooperative?" Jack asked, surprised.

"I'm afraid so. He will need to stay in the training room to think on his behavior."

Jack shook his head. "I don't understand. Everything went so well yesterday."

"It did. He might have suddenly had a change of heart today. You did say that could happen."

"So I did. Well, he can stay in there tonight and tomorrow but I expect him to be fed and he will be in his bed tomorrow night regardless of progress or lack thereof."

"Yes, Jack." Personally, Mina felt the wolf needed to stay in the training room until his spirit was broken and he obeyed any order given instantly. A lack of food would certainly help convince him to cooperate. However, she said none of this to Jack. He wanted his pet sleeping in his rom the following night- period. I'm sure I can convince him that the wolf needs to stay longer. I will make him docile and easily controlled.

Yusei winced as his stomach rumbled with hunger. He shoved that feeling aside; he had gone hungry in the past and he would handle it now as he had done before. Let them withhold food from him. He could handle it. They think no food will break me, but it won't. This training bit is getting ridiculous. Why can't they just let me talk so we can work out acceptable orders for me to follow? Don't they realize that I am an intelligent werewolf and quite civilized as well? Possibly not. I don't know how they view werewolves, but they might see us as inferior. Well, I'll prove I'm not. They won't break me.

Jack brushed his teeth and smiled. Perfect; nice and white and his fangs sharp as ever. While he drank his blood from a glass, he could sink his fangs into another's neck. His high status as a vampire and a duelist meant he didn't have to; not to mention access to the numerous blood banks across the city. That was where his daily blood came from: Blood bags acquired from the banks.

Unfortunately, there were humans who feared his kind so much they would try to attack him. He found these attempts laughable as vampires were protected by security guards and tight security systems. Occasionally, a human succeeds in injuring or killing a vampire who are just as vulnerable like any living being. Injuries do heal quickly, especially with an immediate drink of blood. However, a stab to the dead heart is an instant kill.

It was this fact that got Jack thinking about buying a werewolf. He wanted to be sure he was safe from attacks and he also wanted someone to talk to and who would listen to him. Humans would listen, but wouldn't offer words of console or advice or even ask questions. A werewolf would listen and could comfort him by licking his hand or letting him pet him or her as a method of comfort. A vampire had been killed a year ago and it was the catalyst to make Jack think of increased protection. He had tossed ideas back and forth in his mind for several months, the werewolf solution being the idea he had considered the most. He then began looking for those who owned werewolves and ask them what they did with their property. Some bought one for protection, others wanted one for a slave or servant, and others still desired to have one as a pet and a symbol of their high social status. He disliked the idea of a werewolf slave as he had plenty of servants. He was enchanted with the idea of having one as a protector and pet. Once he had decided that he asked how they got their werewolf and the most common response was from a bounty hunter. These hunters caught werewolves to sell to vampires or humans, more often the former. But few werewolves were caught, so the price for them was high and most wanted young ones or adults as both were easy to train, especially if the hunter had trained them a little beforehand. Jack preferred to have one close to his age but knew he would have to talk what he could get. He had felt lucky to have bought his teen werewolf. But now he was a bit concerned about the sudden disobedience.

He looked at his pet's empty bed. He was going to stay in the training room overnight and would be given a refresher course on his place as Jack's obedient pet tomorrow. He hoped this instance of disobedience was a short-lived one and that he would be greeted by his wolf like he had been yesterday. He turned away from the bed and got into his own. He had a big dueling match tomorrow and he needed to be well-rested. He sighed and fell asleep.