Dog fight

Time passed differently for him. Two weeks of starvation and beatings seemed like mere days to him. Months would pass and all Adren would see was his small silver cage and his new owners, the Booth twins.

Sun up from sun down, the sweat scented Kelly would force the muzzled werewolf to run twenty laps around town. Which was one to three hundred feet around. After laps Ashley, who stunk of cigars and alcohol, would beat Adren into a feral state where he would attack any and everything.

At night while the twins were deeply asleep or out whoring, Maya and Erik would sneak in and taunt him.

"Stupid dog, can't get out of his box." Maya told him and turned to Erik with a laugh, "Isn't it pathetic."

"Very." Erik purred. If you're real nice, I'll give you a nice juicy bone to gnaw on.

Adren lunged at the two inside his cage with such rage and animosity, he was without words or speech. In his angered state, he truly became the wolf that was his other side.

Erik chuckled and his face lit up demonically, "Oh! By the way, I've been meaning to tell you something but I've been so busy."

Adren growled low in his throat, a red glow reflecting in his eyes from the moon outside.

"You don't have to worry about that werewolf, I killed his wife."

The muzzled beast was silent.

"She wasn't a widow for long." Erik said with a smile.

He laughed, And before I forget, you had a grandmother in your first life, didn't you. Her and I had a chat after I killed you. It was long and very painful In fact, I got straight to her heart… and ate it.

Adren lunged and snapped at the cage with a roar. Constance. Elder. No!

"Something to think upon." Erik told him as him and Maya melted into the night.

After that revelation, Adren saw them no more and the nights were filled with the victims of the Booths' cruelty.

A German Shepherd whose face was mangled almost beyond recognition. Rottweiler females swollen with puppies who will only have one to nurse instead of a litter. Whimpering of those who survived the day but will never walk again. Rooster bodies littering the floor, only to be eaten by the day's victor.

Then one day Kelly and Ashley opened his cage, tied a rope to his muzzle and led him to the ring. It was his turn to fight for his life.

The roar of the crowd filled his sensitive ears as the three of them stepped into the ring. Across the dirt floor, a slobbering tan and white boxer strained against his trainer. In the crowd, vendors sold peanuts, and cigarettes to the gathered men and later sat back to watch the fight.

Kelly hopped up into the crowd as Ashley prepared remove the muzzle and run up to safety before Adren could attack.

"You win us some good money, you hear mutt." Kelly screamed from the crowd. "You tear that dog up like the monster you are!"

Monster.

Suddenly the muzzle sprang open and the boxer was released. Adren ignored the fat human scrambling up the wall and waited for the boxer to come at him. When the monster dove at him, he leapt straight up and let it run past him. As he landed, Adren nipped the dog's stubby tail.

The crowd laughed as the boxer dove at the black beast's feet, only to have it leap over it. The matched continued like so until it grew boring and the men began to boo at both animals.

Ashley dangled a kitten in front of the tiring boxer and it attacked the poor animal. Its fluffy white fur became blood stained and its bones snapped, just as Mary and William's necks did.

Adren's visions turned red, focusing on the murdering dog. He leaped at the beast and sank his teeth into its jugular. He ripped his head side to side as blood sprayed into his mouth. The blood tasted good and he tore into the dog again forcing it to release the kitten.

As the boxer lay dying, Adren gently picked the kitten up and laid it onto the ground. He nudged the tiny furball with his nose and when it did not move, Adren let out a series of mournful cries.

The crowd faded away, the muzzle returned and once more he was back in his silver cage. But he was not alone.

A small gray pup cowered in a corner as Adren was pushed inside. He examined the gray creature with its fear filled honey colored eyes. He sensed no shifter blood in… her. He sniffed her and discovered the scent of the forest near Luna Grove. Adren gently lifted the pup by the scruff of her neck, settled down and placed her in the protective curl of his body.

All the while, the Booth twins watched.

"See I told you that mutt would protect that lobo*." Ashley exclaimed slapping his twin on the arm. "He pounded that boxer because it killed that cat."

A light of realization dawn on Kelly.

"So we stick the lobo in too and the mutt'll fight like a momma bear protectin' her cub."

They both nodded and left with sinister grins on their faces.

The next day, Adren and the pup were brought out early enough to see the cock fights before the dogfights. Adren curiously watched the roosters peck and scratch at each other until one lay a bloody mess. The owner, a heavyset man, scooped up the ruined chicken with a curse and flung it out with the garbage.

Adren's opponent today was a pit bull. Its fur grew in strange designs where scars made from years of fighting lay hidden. It was an ugly beast that snapped at everyone nearby.

"You understand me, mutt." Ashley snapped at Adren waving a whip under his nose. "You best win this fight an' know who yer master is."

He pointed at the puppy in the corner, "You don't…" Ashley cracked the whip at her and she whimpered, curling in on herself.

Kelly removed the muzzle and Adren yawned but stayed perfectly still. The twins looked satisfied as they lugged their bodies up the wall and stood over the pup.

The pit bull eyed the pup ominously, its mouth salivating at the chance at snapping her small neck. Adren kept his eyes on the dog and bent down low. The beast was short and would try to get at his throat then when he was helpless, it would go for the pup.

I lost humanity, my friends, and my true family. I will not lose my pup! Adren's mind screamed. She's mine! Mineminemine!

As he surmised, the pit bull tried to go for his throat but Adren kept down low. He backed up, grabbed the pup and flipped her onto his back.

Grab on. He urged the pup silently. The pup latched onto the scruff of his neck.

He growled at his foe menacing then quickly struck and leapt over it. Before the dog could turn, Adren pinned him to the ground and scratched his eyes out. Before the dog could strike, Adren dashed away and deposited the pup in a corner.

The crowd loved it. They cheered as he attacked and leapt over the dog avoiding the blind attacks of the creature. The owner screamed at the dog, cursed it and finally threw in the towel when Adren snapped its leg, hiked up his leg and urinated on it.

My victim, Adren thought as he padded back to the puppy. My puppy.

Six months later he thought just that as another dog fell to "The Black Demon", a name the Booths' gave him. The puppy, he named Luna, sat patiently in front of Kelly as Adren was muzzled and then both were led back to their cages.

"You did good back their Blackie, so your lil girlfriend doesn't get another beatin' like last week." Ashley told him as they were shoved roughly into their cages.

Adren remembered that day well. Luna's yelps and pain were branded into his mind forever.

"Why're you talkin' to that thing?" Kelly exclaimed. "He's just a dumb mutt."

Ashley smirked, "The dumb mutt's been getting us hundreds of dollars."

Kelly laughed, "Yeah, him and the lobo."

Adren growled at the twins, causing them to jump then turned his attention to his food, dismissing them as unimportant. Now how to get that bone past these straps.

"You ever seen such a strange mutt?" Ashley asked his brother watching the werewolf hold his bone between his paws and slip it past the muzzle straps into his mouth.

Kelly pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his face.

"Can't say that I have."

"Ever wonder about the strange man and purty lady that sold us the mutt?" Ashley asked cutting his eyes toward Kelly.

Kelly looked at his brother, "Yeah. Strange couple. Strange dog." He paused and put his hanky back in his pocket. "Let's go make Old Man Foster think that Adrien's ghost's come to visit him."

The two scampered off with a laugh. Inside his cage, Adren cocked his head.

Old Man Foster? Adrien? Why do those names sound familiar?

With a tired sigh, he laid down and went to sleep.

*Translation

Lobo is Spanish for wolf, it also can be used to describe a half dog, half wolf.