---Zayne's POV---

I shivered, panting heavily as the Beta threw me back in the cage, growling to himself about the bloodstains left on his shirt before he walked off. My whole body ached, each breath that rushed through my throat a struggle.

Blood matted my fur and trickled down my paws as I shivered, unable to move for a few minutes. My limbs were shaking beyond control from the pain but I tried not to show it.

Weakness kills in our world.

The training was cut short by the Alpha himself, so I suppose I should be grateful for small favors. What would've been four hours of torture had luckily been reduced to a mere three hours before the Alpha had rushed out.

Judging by the way the Beta stopped the lesson, something was going on in the pack. Something that needed the leaders' full and immediate attention. The cool breeze ruffled through my fur as I slowly dragged my failing body to the back of my cage.

Curling up, I started licking my wounds, trying to close as many as possible with my healing enzymes before unconsciousness would drag me under. My scruff was still stinging from where the Beta's claws had dug into my flesh, pumping his toxins in my bloodstream.

I sighed when I realized there wasn't anything I could do now, not until the toxins had done their work. It was a natural ability for the high-ranking wolves to produce toxin in their claws. Normally it was only used in a fight with equals or when they wanted to interrogate a rogue.

But my pack didn't mind digging their claws into me every chance they got and since everyone here was superior to me, each and every scratch and scrape sizzled and burned.

"If the Alpha had joined in, I would've been rolling on the floor, howling in pain." I remembered myself before shivering at the awful memory. I had been eight years old and had broken the one rule.

Never, ever shift back. But I did it anyway, hoping that I could slip out of my cage and find some food.

And then the Alpha had spotted me.

I had never been so scared, so terrified as that moment, when the powerful frame of my Alpha had towered over me. I was a small boy for my age, and with my small frame of 45 inches and a pathetic weight of 38 pounds, I stood absolutely no chance against the male in the prime of his life.

The 6ft Alpha proceeded to extend his claws and scraped them over my shivering form. I had cried out, howling in pain and wetting myself from the poison that coursed through my veins, made my head throb and heart race in my chest.

Every time he had ordered to shift back and I failed because of the pain, he had added another scratch until finally, I managed to shift back and pass out in the process.

Stuck in the horrifying memories of my past, I didn't know when the memories became nightmares but I woke up instantly as I was jerked out of my cage and tossed in a linen bag.

The scent of the Alpha was enough to wake me up instantly, blinking the sleep out of my eyes as I tried to peer through the darkness. What little food that I had in my stomach was threatening to come out as I was tossed and turned in the bag before roughly thrown in the trunk.

My head whacked against the car, dazing me for a few seconds until I shook the stars away and decided on using my other senses. My ears twitched as I heard the heavy thumps of two other doors slamming shut before I jolted backwards when the car started and drove off.

The whole ride was spent with me skidding from one side to the other, roughly colliding into the car as it accelerated, stopped and took sharp turns. I had the sneaky suspicion that whoever was driving was doing it on purpose. Judging from the sneers and snide comments, they were thoroughly amusing themselves.

When they finally stopped, I felt close to throwing up and I was glad when they didn't take me out of the trunk. At least the darkness helped a bit against the spinning in my head.

"Mr. Sawyers?" An unfamiliar voice asked cautiously while I froze, wondering why the Alpha of all people had dragged me out to the middle of nowhere. I would understand if he had ordered someone to get rid of me but to do it himself?

Are they finally tired of me? A shiver of fear rushed over my spine as I curled into a tighter ball, feeling myself starting to shake. I just hoped that if they brought me here to kill me, they were going to make it quick.

Footsteps coming towards the car made me shiver but I pricked my ears up to listen as I heard my Alpha speak to the unfamiliar man. "I heard that you were in a bad spot and needed some...help."

"Yeah, got a call last night. So why are you giving it up? And where is it?" the man sneered, as if suspecting that he was being set up. I heard the trunk pop open before I was yanked out of the bag and tossed in the stranger's arms. The man was tall but not as impressive as the Alpha.

He had an overall untrustworthy aura, from his beady eyes, his ratty mustache down to his worn, second hand clothing. He glanced at me with a familiar look of disgust before he glared at the Alpha.

"What, this thing? I need fighting dogs, not skinny, shaking rats." He spat, making me winch as I curled in on myself, my tail tucked safely against my stomach. I heard the insults all before and by now, I knew that I was worthless. No pack would ever need me, let alone want me.

The Alpha simply smirked. "You train your dogs with padded clothing, right? That means you train them to attack a person." He jabbed against my ribs, right where my bruises were, making me winch and try to get out of the human's arms.

The Alpha scruffed me, his claws piercing through my skin and filling my body with the all too familiar throbbing burn of his toxins. I instantly froze, dangling from his hand; if I struggled, the pain would only intensify until I blacked out. By staying still, it would take longer for the toxins to leave my body, but I could endure the pain better.

The ratty man was staring at me, this time with a calculating look before he pried my mouth open, checking my teeth. "You want me to use him as a bait dog..." he started as my ears instantly drew back. That didn't sound like it was something good.

"Hmmm... He's submissive enough, that's for sure." Suddenly he slapped me on my nose, making me whimper and curl my lip up, making the man smirk. "And he doesn't retaliate, so he wouldn't harm my prized dogs. But why are you getting rid of him?" He added suspiciously, eying my Alpha.

Sawyers shrugged, "Word has it that they're going to search my house, and that mutt would ruin my reputation. So I needed to get rid of him without them getting suspicious."

The ratty man nodded, "I know what you mean. Very well, I'll keep him but...isn't he a bit on the small side?" Sawyers shook his head with a smirk curling on his lips. "Naw, he always was the runt of the litter. Must've been something wrong with the bitch."

That hidden jab at my mother hurt, badly. I felt a soft whimper bubble up but I swallowed it quickly, knowing that if I reacted in any way, the Alpha would punish me before he left.

"Mike, you're in charge of the runt." The man said as he threw me against a younger boy's chest, who was fumbling to catch me when the ratty man let go. "Now get, I need to talk with Mr. Sawyers about the prize."

Mike nodded numbly, scurrying away from the two men and into the rickety, filthy house. Once the door closed behind him, he let out a weary sigh and gently brushed his fingers through my fur.

"Sorry boy, he wasn't always this bad." He whispered as he waded through piles of garbage towards the back of the house. My nose twitched with the scent of stale food, beer and sweat. Luckily the boy smelled more pleasant, a soft nutty scent of hazel or maybe almond.

The boy carried me through a few murky rooms before he closed a door behind him, bringing total darkness over us. I could faintly see a few outlines of a bed and a pet carrier, making me swallow nervously.

Well...home sweet home.

I winched as a light flashed on, revealing a cleaner room with a small bed beside a wobbly nightstand and the carrier I was soon placed in. As the door closed behind me, I tucked my tail around my paws, wondering if this child was going to be an ally or an enemy.

Don't make the same mistake twice Zayne. You know what happened when you trusted the kids from the pack.

The memory that accompanied my inner voice was anything but pleasant, and it was a good reminder that looks were deceiving. A few kids had promised to get me some food and let me out of the cage before proceeding to use me as a punching bag.

When the Alpha found my dazed and bruised form on the floor outside the cage...well, I gained a few additional scars, let's leave it at that. The front door slammed shut and I could hear the Alpha's car taking off until the pack link broke off painfully, leaving me to curl up in pain.

The link was normally broken by choice but this was forced, painful. I realized it was an additional punishment for flashing my teeth at the humans in front of the Alpha. My body shook as the toxins were slowly drifting through my veins, freezing my muscles and locking them in place. Come morning, I would be painfully stiff and weak.

Mike shot me a worried look, biting on his lip and playing with the piercing there before he stilled when the door to his room opened, revealing that ratty man from before. He leaned forwards to glare into the cage, making me shiver and push against the back.

Even if this human wasn't as intimidating, I knew that any bad behavior from me could be reported back to the Alpha. One phone call could bring me a world of pain. The dark haired boy, Mike, sighed deeply before he muttered, "Leave him alone Jay."

Jay stood up, glaring at Mike as he crowed his younger sibling on the bed. "Don't get any fancy ideas Mike, this isn't a pet you can name and love on. He's merely a tool to get more money and I'll be damned if you're going to coddle it. Am I making myself clear?"

Mike sighed again, glancing at me from under his lashes before he murmured, "Yes sir." Jay's features softened for a second before he scowled and stomped out of the room, throwing the door shut with a resounding slam.