Hunted

The Alpha Creature

Night sprung to her feet, but hit her head on the top of the barred box. The cage was covered by a sheet of cloth. Night felt dizzy and shook her head.

Wait, that's right! The Evil Creatures, they got me! Night frantically dug at the bottom of the cage. She whimpered and licked her paw pad.

"It's no use, don't bust your paw pad." An unfamiliar male voice said.

Night laid down and rested her head on her front paws. She tried peering through the cloth.

"Can you see anything? Do you know where we are?" Night asked him.

"Well, I know I'm in a cage... and it's covered by a cloth." The male sighed.

"We're on some large moving object, it's traveling on a dirt path. There's another one behind us with more covered cages." Misty said from Night's right.

"How can you see?" Night tried to press her snout between the bars so she could move the cloth.

"The creatures poorly covered my cage."

                                       ***

Night pressed her front paws against the cage trying to stop her body from sliding forward as the object stopped. Her cage skidded forward and she was slammed into the bars. Night whimpered.

The cloth over her cage was lifted, "We're here, little wolfie."

Charley grinned and Night growled at him. He yelped and quickly released the cloth. Stupid Creature.

An unfamiliar Evil Creature spoke, "How many this time, boys?"

"Around 40, Boss." Billy spoke with a shyness.

This must be like their Alpha.

"Put them in the storage room." The Alpha Creature spoke.

Night could hear cages being lifted and moved. Eventually, Night's was lifted. She saw the fingers of one of the creatures wrapped around the bottom of her cage. She scratched them with rage.

"Ouch!" Tipper's fingers flew from their spot.

Night's cage fell to the ground and her body once again slammed against the bars. She whined loudly. Not my best idea.

"That's what you get, dumby." Tipper said to Night.

Luckily though, when her cage fell, the cloth flew off. Night calmed her dizzying mind and tried to focus. Their were two large stone boxes. Each had clear squares on them. Night saw Charley and Billy carrying cages to one of the large stone boxes. Are these like dens to the creatures? The Alpha Creature stood leaned against one of the objects they used to move. He had a thick brown stick in his mouth and every now and then breathed out smoke. Tipper replaced the cloth over Night's cage and picked it back up.

"Scratch my fingers again, I dare you." He placed his fingers back to their original spot.

They were bleeding greatly, even with the cloth he had wrapped around them.

                                       ***

The creatures removed the cloth over the cages after they aligned them in rows on raised platforms. Night looked at the faces in the cages. She recognized the majority of them. Every wolf had a lifeless tail and heavy ears. The den's air was thick and it smelled like an animal had died a while ago. 

Night ears perked up when she heard someone acknowledge her. "Night, why did they take us?" Dakota asked quietly from behind her.

She turned around as much she could in the cage. Dakota's eyes were full of sadness and his ears drooped like all the others'. Night sighed and felt her ears fall.

"I'm not sure." Night whined.

"I wanna settle this wolf ways." Night heard Ari growl from down the row.

"Sh! Something's coming." Someone warned. 

The door opened and Night was blinded by the light. Three wolf like creatures came through. They had a spiked ring around their necks which had a string attached to them. On the other end of the string, the Alpha Creature stood with the brown stick in his mouth.

Night eyed the wolf like creatures. They had smooth black and tan fur. They stood tall and strong. They had strong front leg and neck muscles. Most bizarre, they had only a stub of a tail. The creatures barked loudly as the Alpha replaced their strings with chains connected to the wall.

"What do you think of your new Dobermen friends?" The Alpha Creature held its hand out to them.

They pressed their long snouts against his hand then ate whatever he gave them.

Charley entered the room with Tipper and Billy following.

"Did you see the special one, Boss?" Charley pointed at the row Night was in.

The Alpha Creature quit rubbing the top of the Doberman's head and raised a brow at Charley. Charley bounced up to Night's cage. The Alpha Creature pushed him out of the way and stared Night in the eyes.

Night glanced at the brown stick in his mouth and growled.

The Alpha laughed and removed the stick from its mouth with a puff of smoke, "Don't like my cigar?"

The creature stood and looked behind Night, "Fetch me the other furs." He commanded the others.

Night watched as the large Alpha Creature walked towards Dakota's cage.

The creature placed one paw on Dakota's cage and one on the back of Night's. Both Night and Dakota growled.

"Isn't this one big family reunion?" The Alpha Creature laughed and shook his head.

What is he talking about?

Charley came with a piece of wood. The Alpha Creature snatched it from Charley and held it up. Two black furs, one with white markings, hung from the wood.

Night looked away.

"You know who these are, or should I say were, don't you?" The creature pet the furs.

"That's sick." Dakota muttered.

"Doesn't ring a bell to you?" The creature turned the furs towards Dakota, "You must not remember being the runt of their first litter. Did you know you're this one's sibling?" The Creature turned so Night could see Dakota.

He's my brother?

"Boss, can you give us the money so we can go?" Tipper leaned against the stone of the den.

The Alpha Creature grunted and walked towards Tipper.

He put a hand in his coat then paused, "Tomorrow." He removed his hand and threw more food at the Dobermens.