"I want him," I repeated. Raziel was staring at me like I had grown another head.

   "No." Raziel and Zymor said together.

   "I want to train him. Let him out."

   "Ms. Elin, I strongly advise—"

   "Let him out, Zymor. He's mine, I know it."

   Raziel shrugged and spoke to our trainer: "Blood calls to blood amongst us soldiers, does it not?"

   The war veteran growled in annoyance and produced an iron key from a fold of his war-torn cloak. I knew the wolf would react on instinct first—going for the kill and asking questions later. The breeders had made all of our hunting animals programmed this way, much bigger and stronger than their relatives. And with its past in mind, I knew it would show no mercy. But even years of training couldn't have prepared me for the speed—the viciousness. A blur of white, nothing more.

   As soon as that metal door flung open wide, it was pouncing at me, claws extended, teeth bared. I grabbed it by its ruff, using my weight to carry its momentum forward towards the ground. We were a brawl of limbs and flashing claws.

   I was panting through my teeth as I wrenched its jaws away from my face, my fingers wrapping around its neck and squeezing hard. With a defiant howl, it clawed at my exposed arm, both of us crashing to the stone-cold ground once again as I refused to cry out in pain. I refused to cry out still even as it got on top of me, snarling in my face as pound upon pound of muscle held me down, claws digging painfully into my shoulders.

   I tasted blood in my mouth as I glowered and stared straight into its gold-green eyes. You're mine. My blood was beginning to pool around me and freeze from the harsh winter winds, turning to ice. I saw Zymor barely restraining a writhing Raziel, his white-tailed hawk shrieking as it flew in tight circles, clawing at my trainer as Raziel tried to go to me.

   The white-furred wolf snapped its teeth at me, snarling as I held it away and dug my grip in harder. After what felt like eternity, it let out an unearthly howl, the tension and malice rushing out of it in one grand wave. Sinking back onto its haunches, it regarded me with narrowed golden eyes, seeming confused as I sat up and held a hand out before it.

   "Vesna..." Raziel whispered. By then, his hawk had calmed down enough and was now contentedly watching the display.

   I flung a hand in his direction to stop him, my eyes still trained on the wolf before me, "Don't move."

   The giant wolf sniffed it, once, then turned its head into my palm. I let out a dazed gasp, slowly extending my fingers until I was running a hesitant hand through its velvet-soft fur. I was laughing as I rose to my knees and ran a hand through its fur again.

   "Impressive," Zymor's voice echoed behind me. For once he sounded awed.

   "He's mine."