Supernatural Blood

Chapter 29- Wait, When Did Ianite's Champion Get Here?

"Hey pet, wake up!" The darkness gave away to light, blinding me as Eric walked in.

     "You're being sold. My clients finally came, all the way from Texas." He grinned. "You truly are worth a fortune. I must thank you for that." I scrambled to the other side of the cage as he opened the cage's door. He snatched me up before I could manage a whimper, and covered his hand over me to keep me from escaping. I whined a canine like way, flattening myself to the floor of his hand and trembling. Where was he taking me?

     He allowed me some light and dumped me into a small cardboard box, closing it above my head. I slid forward with a yelp as soon as he picked up the box and started walking.

     "Here she is." his muffled voice penetrated the top of the cardboard, then he opened it again and took me out. I spat at him and writhed in his grasp.

     "She's a feisty one. He'll absolutely adore her." Two men were leaning against the wall, one interested, one bored. The bored one had commented while ruffling his darker hair.

     "Aw, she's so kawaii." The lighter haired one complimented, leaning forward.

     "Careful, she might bite." Eric sarcastically warned, snerking as he handed me to him. I landed with a stumble, and the stranger kindly saved me from falling over. I gritted my teeth as I put pressure on my wounded leg.

     "Is she hurt?" He asked in concern, noticing my limp.

     "She's just faking it, Brayden." Came the succinct reply. Brayden lightly laid his finger on my head, and I flinched, whimpering.

     "Aw, but she's so fluffy." he pet me, and I whimpered again, shrinking away from his touch. He smiled at me, then set me down in a jar. "There you go Johnathan." He told the other. He said nothing to Brayden as he sealed the lid shut above me and walked outside. I beat my fists against the side despite me falling over a few times as he set me down on the hood of a truck.

     "Be right back, don't go anywhere." He muttered rhetorically, leaving again. I bit my lip until he closed the door behind him, probably after to haggle over my price. I quickly threw myself against the side of the jar in frustration. To my surprise, it tipped over the side from my weight. I squawked in surprise and hit my side with a thump! I groaned as the jar rolled under the truck and onto the streets. Panicking, I tried to push it the other way but it kept going to the other side of the street. My vision went blurry as it rolled faster. Finally, it stopped with a violent shudder. I lay winded with my heartbeat thudding loudly in my ears as my shallow breath trickled fog against the glass.

     "Oww..." I whined, trying to get up only for my muscles to give in and force me to slide back down in submission. My ears and tail twitched as I heard approaching footsteps. Someone was coming. Was it Brayden, or Eric or Johnathan? I felt the jar be picked up as the ground left to someone holding it. I managed to push myself over to stare up at the sky. Well, sort of the sky. Someone stared down at me in shock through the glass, but I was too numb with pain and fear to react. My ears did finally flatten as the man snapped out of his shock and reached for the lid. I heard a snap as it was unscrewed and carefully removed, probably expecting me to leap at him like a rabid beast.

     The stranger's long slender fingers slid into my containment as I continued to meet his gaze, then he made contact with my bruised body. I groaned and shifted, and he started slightly. He then carefully nudged me with one finger and slipped me onto his hand. I yawned, revealing my small normally sharp teeth as he lifted me out into the air.

     "Wow..." He squatted down close to the ground to set the jar down when I sneezed painfully.

     "ohh..." I moaned. "That's gonna hurt my sinuses in the morning. His eyes widened.

     "You can... you can talk, that-that was not expected." He commented. I heard an angry voice, and my head snapped to the side to see Eric looking under the truck where Johnathan had left me. I quickly tried to sit up, which ended as a fail. I grunted softly and laid my head back down to give the stranger a pleading look.

     "Th-they'll find me again, th-they'll hurt me, they'll-" He looked over to where I had glanced, recognizing the problem.

     "Um... do you want me to help?" He asked quietly. I closed my eyes to avoid feeling dizzy as he stood up.

     "If... you want..." I murmured, drained from my outburst. He slid me into his jacket's pocket carefully before glancing at Eric one more time, then started walking away casually.

     "My name's Jordan by the way. What's yours?" He asked, probably to be polite, but I was already out like a light-bulb, feeling safe for the first time in a week.