The Bear

Lily’s cage was a prison of straw and despair, the stench of blood and fear clinging to her skin. Claire’s lifeless eyes haunted her, the bull’s bellows echoing in her skull from the slaughterhouse horror. Mia’s whispered defiance, *We’re not dying like that*, was a faint spark in the dark, but it flickered under the weight of The Kennel’s cruelty. The collar bit into Lily’s neck, her body a canvas of bruises and claw marks from the dogs’ assaults. Sleep was impossible, each creak of the barn promising more torment. A low growl, deeper than the hounds’, rumbled through the walls, and Lily’s heart sank. The bear, Vixen had said. The next nightmare.

Caged

Lily’s cage reeked of sweat and despair, the straw beneath her matted with blood and filth from two nights of torment. Her body was a map of bruises, her thighs crusted with the dogs’ seed, her mind a fractured mess of fear and shame. Mia’s whispers from the next cage, promises of escape, were the only thing keeping her from breaking completely. But the distant bellow of a bull shattered that fragile hope, echoing through the barn like a death knell. The iron door groaned, and the Beastmaster’s heavy boots thudded closer. He yanked Lily’s leash, dragging her out, her knees scraping the concrete. Mia’s cage opened next, and the redhead stumbled out, her green eyes blazing with defiance despite the welts on her pale skin.

Auction

Lily’s body ached, every muscle screaming from the hounds’ assault the night before. The cage’s straw scratched her raw skin, and the collar bit into her neck, a constant reminder of her new reality. The Kennel’s barn was dim, lit only by slivers of moonlight seeping through cracked boards. Her tears had dried, leaving a crusty trail on her cheeks, but the shame burned hotter than ever. She could still feel the dogs’ claws, their weight, their seed. Vixen’s words echoed in her skull: *Tomorrow, we bring out the stallions.* Lily shuddered, curling tighter into a ball, when a sharp clang jolted her upright. The cage door swung open, and the Beastmaster’s massive hand yanked her leash, dragging her out.