FRAGILE

Chapter 2: The Collar

The cage door groaned open, the metal scraping against the stone floor as Kian, the Beta of Levi's birthpack, stood in the entrance, his large frame blocking what little light filtered into the dim, damp basement. His presence was suffocating, and Levi instinctively shrank back against the wall, his small, fragile body trembling in anticipation. Kian was known for his cruelty, and Levi knew better than to make a single move until ordered.

Kian's lips curled into a sneer as he stepped inside, his boots echoing ominously against the cold ground. In his hand, he held the symbol Levi feared more than anything—the collar. It was a heavy, thick band of iron, meant not just to restrain but to humiliate, a physical reminder of Levi's status as nothing more than the pack's slave. The metal glinted in the dim light, cold and unyielding.

"Out," Kian barked, his voice sharp and commanding. Levi flinched but obeyed, his limbs protesting as he forced himself up from the cold floor. Every movement was a struggle, his body still aching from the beating he had received just the day before. But the pain didn't matter. Nothing did, except obedience.

Levi stepped out of the small, rusted cage that had been his prison for years, his breath quick and shallow as Kian reached forward, roughly yanking Levi's head up to meet his gaze.

"Let's not forget who you are, Omega," Kian growled, his fingers tightening painfully around Levi's jaw. Without hesitation, he snapped the collar around Levi's neck, the cold metal biting into his skin like a vice. Levi's throat tightened under the weight of it, and breathing became a conscious effort. The collar wasn't just a physical burden—it was a mark of his submission, a constant reminder that he was nothing more than property.

The wolves who had gathered outside would see him for what he was—a tool, a prey animal to be hunted by the pups during their training. Today, he was nothing more than a live practice target.

"Move," Kian ordered, shoving Levi forward. His feet stumbled beneath him, but he caught himself, forced to march ahead under Kian's watchful gaze. The collar's weight pulled at him with every step, a suffocating reminder that no matter how fast or far he ran, he was still trapped.

As they reached the door leading out of the basement, Levi blinked against the harsh sunlight, the sudden brightness momentarily blinding him. It was rare for him to be outside, and even rarer for it to be under anything other than humiliating circumstances. The crisp, fresh air that should have felt freeing only deepened the knot of anxiety twisting in his gut.

The pack had gathered in the open courtyard, wolves of every rank standing in a loose circle around the pups, their young, eager faces filled with excitement. They were ready for today's "lesson," completely unaware of the cruelty they were about to partake in. Levi's heart sank as he spotted the pups playfully growling at one another, their sharp little teeth already bared in anticipation.

The Alpha, a hulking wolf with a pelt as black as night, stood at the edge of the clearing, watching with a detached sense of satisfaction. He nodded at Kian as Levi was brought to the center of the courtyard, the collar clanking softly as he was shoved forward.

The Alpha stepped closer, his dark eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. "It's time for the pups to learn how to take down their prey. And you, Omega..." He paused, a twisted smile pulling at his lips, "you're going to be their prey."

Levi's stomach twisted violently, dread seeping into every fiber of his being. He knew this routine all too well. The pups would be set upon him like hunters on a deer, their sharp teeth biting into his flesh as they learned how to bring down something weaker than themselves. They wouldn't be gentle, even if they were just learning. They were wolves, and this was instinct. To them, this was a game.

But to Levi, it was survival.

The Alpha signaled to Kian, who stepped forward once again. "Remove his collar," the Alpha ordered. "Let the pups practice grabbing him properly."

Levi's heart raced. The collar had always been a tool of control, an instrument to keep him docile, but without it... without it, there was an opportunity. A slim, desperate chance for freedom.

Kian roughly unfastened the collar, the iron scraping against Levi's skin as it was pulled away and tossed aside like a piece of discarded trash. For the first time in what felt like forever, Levi's neck was free, and the weight that had been pressing down on him was gone. But the real chains were still there—his status, his fear, the pack.

The pups yipped and whined, their excitement growing as they prepared to launch themselves at Levi, to tear into him with all the enthusiasm of children at play. The pack watched with eager anticipation, some laughing, others indifferent, as the pups circled around their "prey."

But Levi's mind wasn't on them. It was on the tree line just beyond the clearing. Freedom. It was there, tantalizingly close, waiting just beyond the reach of his captors. His heart pounded in his chest as adrenaline surged through his veins.

Without the collar, there was nothing physically stopping him. Nothing but fear.

And he couldn't let fear win today.

The second the Alpha gave the signal for the pups to begin, Levi sprang to his feet, darting toward the trees with every ounce of strength he had left. His muscles screamed in protest, the bruises and wounds from the past week slowing him down, but he pushed through the pain, desperate. Desperate to escape, to finally break free from this nightmare.

The pack's shouts of surprise echoed behind him, and the pups barked in confusion, not yet fully grasping what had just happened. But it didn't take long for Kian and the other wolves to react.

Levi's lungs burned as he sprinted across the clearing, his heart pounding in his ears. The trees were so close, so damn close. Just a few more steps, and he'd be free, hidden in the shadows of the forest.

But freedom was a fleeting dream.

With a sudden, bone-crushing force, Kian slammed into him from behind, his massive body sending Levi sprawling to the ground. The breath was knocked out of him as his chest hit the dirt, his vision blurring from the impact. Kian's claws dug into his back, and a searing pain shot through Levi's side as the Beta held him down, snarling above him.

"You really thought you could escape?" Kian growled, his voice dripping with venom. He pressed Levi's face into the dirt, the weight of his body pinning him down. "Pathetic."

Levi's heart sank as he was dragged back toward the clearing, his body limp and broken, every part of him screaming in agony. The pack watched in silence, their eyes cold and unfeeling as Kian tossed Levi at the Alpha's feet.

The Alpha looked down at Levi with disdain, his lips curling into a sneer. "You can't even manage a proper escape," he said, his voice filled with mockery. "I'd say I'm surprised, but we all know you're useless, Omega. Tomorrow, the humans will be here. Perhaps it's time to sell you off—let someone else deal with your failures."

Levi barely registered the words, his mind clouded by pain and despair. He was dragged back to the basement, his collar snapped into place once more, its weight heavier than ever before. The door to his cage slammed shut with a resounding finality, and Levi curled up on the cold, unforgiving floor, his body trembling.

Tomorrow, the humans would come.

And Levi wasn't sure he could survive what came next.