Predator

38

Amelia stood there in shock, her mouth still wet with saliva, like she held a hard-earned treasure.

A successful theft facilitated by the owner opening the door, offering his savings, and handing the loot to the thief.

Will he really let her go?

Won't he regret it?

The girl spat out the key, her mouth filled with the taste of blood. She grasped the sticky key in one hand and grabbed Liam's collar with the other, "Come here."

He raised an eyebrow, stumbling to his feet, his abdomen bleeding profusely, "What?"

Amelia said nothing, struggling to drag him to the cage, her eyes vigilant, fumbling to unlock it.

It was too dark, and she had to split her attention between the lock and watching Liam's movements. After several tries, the key scraped the lock with a grating sound.

"Need help?"

Before he finished speaking, Amelia had already kneeled on the cage, trapping the lock in a small space, forcing it to comply as the key turned.

"We're free."

Mike snorted in confusion, tentatively stepping out.

"I'll take you home."

Amelia tightened her grip on Liam's clothes. The moment Mike stepped out of the cage, she gathered her strength, pushing him into the cage, locking it quickly as his tall frame hit the iron bars.

A soft trunk from Mike helped press the cage door.

"Good job, Mike."

Amelia smiled genuinely for the first time in days.

She locked the cage, tossing the key into a dark corner before his eyes.

"Now, it's your turn to be the prisoner."

Liam, clutching his abdomen, looked at her with an unreadable expression, "You won't kill me?"

"Not everyone is like you, treating life as worthless."

A soft laugh came from the darkness, unusually gentle, "When you run, remember to go to the southwest corner."

"..."

From several corners of the factory, the sound of hunting dogs echoed.

Mike retreated, hiding behind Amelia.

"What do you mean?"

"If you don't want to be eaten by dogs, listen to me."

Would you easily trust a promise from a demon? Perhaps it's a disguised danger, singing sweetly to deceive passersby.

She didn't trust him.

Amelia's silhouette faded into the darkness, choosing a path opposite to the "safe" southwest corner Liam mentioned.

One person and one elephant, "thud thud," she seemed to hear birds fluttering, singing about freedom.

Until Mike stopped, trunk wrapping around her waist, pulling her back—

In the darkness, there were droplets falling.

Ahead, only 200 meters away, dozens of hunting dogs stood alert, salivating.

"Drip, drip."

They scraped the ground with their front paws, backs slightly arched, ready to attack.

Amelia swallowed nervously, gripping the elephant trunk tightly. Mike softly called out, his thin tail sweeping in front of the girl protectively. The professionally trained hounds circled excitedly, ready to pounce at any opportunity. Amelia's pupils constricted, and she screamed, trying to stop them.

In the next moment, a scorching body enveloped her from behind, holding her tightly and greedily reclaiming lost breaths. Liam's voice was colder than usual: "Get lost."

Unlike regular guard dogs, black market hounds are trained to hunt from a young age, making them wild despite their obedience. They possess an innate ability to judge an opponent's strength, deciding whether to wear down their prey's stamina or attack with a fierce bite. These untamed creatures never truly have masters—they only obey the strong, and when outmatched, they're ready to bite back.

Liam pushed Amelia toward Mike and approached the hounds slowly. "Go back."

The dogs hesitated, sniffing the air. They could smell blood on Liam, but he remained unfazed, his gaze even more menacing. The lead dog licked its muzzle, understanding the man's warning—approach, and you'll be torn apart.

A low whimper escaped the hounds as they lowered themselves, surrendering to the human's dominance. When Liam turned back, Amelia and Mike watched him with amazement.

"I thought I locked you up!" Amelia exclaimed, seeing the familiar key in Liam's hand. He grinned, biting back the pain. "Who told you I had only one key?"