Chapter 4 - The Million-Dollar Test
"No way," Liam whispered from the edge of the barrier, his hands gripping the metal wire so hard his fingers turned blue. "She's actually... she's getting him to sit."
Julian took three sharp strides forward, stopping just outside the radius of the kennel. "Open the gate," he commanded his head enforcer.
"Boss, are you insane? That animal will snap her neck the second—"
"I said open the gate," Julian repeated, his voice dropping into a lethal register that brooked no argument.
The enforcer swallowed hard, drew a heavy set of keys from his belt, and nervously unlocked the heavy padlock on the steel kennel. With a loud, echoing squeak, the reinforced door swung outward.
The entire arena tensed, men gripping their concealed weapons, preparing for the inevitable bloodbath.
Cyrus’s ears perked straight up. The open door meant freedom—or attack. Every muscle in his scarred, muscular body coiled like a steel spring. The crowd braced for the charge.
Instead, Cyrus slowly backed out of the dark interior of the cage. He stepped gingerly onto the dirt floor, his head lowered, sniffing the dust near Maisie’s small sneakers.
Maisie didn't flinch. She turned her palms upward and rested them flat against her knees, remaining completely still.
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Cyrus let out a low rumble in his chest—not a threat, but a deep, resonant vibration of surrender. With agonizing slowness, the terrifying beast lowered his massive hindquarters right beside her, pressing his heavy, scarred flank directly against her side.
Silence descended upon the abandoned sports complex—a heavy, suffocating quiet where the only sound was the steady, rhythmic breathing of a little blind girl and the once-uncontrollable dog sitting peacefully by her knee.
