Savage?

Three

There was a certain girl in the kitchen I came to know. She had long dark hair and a thick accent, but she was pretty. The others called her Maria, and she often babbled in a language had no grasp of. She was the one who fed me. I visited the kitchen once a week, and on the third time she began to expect me. She would make sure none of the boss ladies was around, and then throw me a steak. There were so many hungry men that no one seemed to notice one missing.

She smelled like Master most of the time. I never witnessed them together, but I made assumptions. I never thought I would get to experience these assumptions, but I was sadly mistaken. 

My head started to feel woozy and I would get odd looks from the dogs who passed by. Normally they would be snarling at me, but now they would sniff at me from behind. I would snap at them, sometimes striking them. They would just back up, then be yanked away by their owners. 

One unlucky day, one of the males was off his rope. It showed apparent chew marks. He eagerly came at me, and I growled a warning. He was oblivious, driven by instinct.  He jumped up on my back, and his claws were scraping my spine. I growled an struggled to get him off. I thought I would have to be subject to "assumptions" but Maria saved me. She came in to see what all the noise was, and saw him on me. She grabbed him by the remaining rope and threw him off with a strength I'd never noticed before. She dragged him back to where ever he came from and I never saw him again.

She must have told Master, because the next day I was unhappily penned up. It was not in the same pen I was used too, this one was dark, out of the way of the normal traffic, and deathly quiet. My claws made loud echoes on the concrete, and I could hear my heart beating. The gentle thumping was my lullaby, and at that point in quiet solitude, I began treasuring my life greatly. That only increased the fire in my soul. When Master finally unlocked the pen and let me out for good, I made a show of yawning and stetching, taking my time. I followed him patiently, weaving through the many bends and walls of my home.

Then we emerged, and I was back where I knew the playing field. Broad chested males snarled at me as they were pulled past. I snarled back, nipping their flanks. With a wagging tail I went to find Maria. I stomped into the kitchen, knowing the women were to afraid of me to protest. 

I couldn't find my accomplice. I didn't see her curvy figure anywhere. But I did recognize her name in the conversation of two girls at the other end of the kitchen. I snarled and ran up at them, hoping to find a clue to where Maria was. They screamed, and two burly men ran in. They saw me and went to grab me, but no one touched me except Master. I snapped, my jaws falling on one of their hands. He gave a loud squall, and I recognized Master's voice. "Leave her alone you bumbling idiots!" The man pulled back his bloody hand and went to the sink. Master scowled down at me, and pointed towards the door. The remaining man laughed. "That rabid pit ain't gonna listen to you señor. "  But Master was my superior. I lowered my head and trotted out the door, the grin wiped off the burly Mexican's face.

I loped back to my old hangout, to ambush more unsuspecting dogs, but Master retrieved me before I could cause any trouble. A rope was out around my neck and I was led to the dirt ring, but this time I would face a real opponent. Opposite me was a bluenose of my same breed.

A gunshot sounded and both of our ropes were dropped. I didn't need anyone to tell me what to do. I rushed forward, my shoulder making hard contact with the bluenose. He growled, but was unbalanced. I struck at his shoulder, leaving it torn open down to the bone. He tried to grab my leg but I was too quick. In a split second I was behind him, tearing at his hindquarter. He spun around, but I had already moved. I grabbed his throat and squeezed, feeling him start to have trouble breathing. He tried to dislodge me, but I was stuck. He collapsed onto the ground, slowly dying between my jaws.

The men around me clapped and whooped, but one man looked ticked. He leapt over the fence and smacked my head with something hard. I growled, but didn't let go, I'm fact I pressed down harder. Two more men grabbed the first guy and pulled him back. Finally the bluenose whimpered and went limp. I spit him out and turned to look at Master. He was smiling at me. Money passed around, and the rope was put back around me. That night I was given a good meal. I had done Master proud.