“Don’t go near Ranger… he’s too dangerous,” one of the staff members cautioned, a trace of urgency underscoring his words. Ranger was notorious in the shelter, a hulking mass of muscle and mistrust who had spent more time behind bars than any other dog there. His reputation was one of aggression and unpredictability, a legacy of past abuses that had left him wary and volatile.
But she didn’t hesitate. There was no trace of fear in her eyes as she rolled straight to his cage, her hands steady on the wheels. Her presence seemed to still the air, a calm before the storm. Ranger watched her approach, his intense gaze locked onto her, every muscle in his body taut and ready. He lunged, a flash of teeth and power, his growl reverberating off the walls like distant thunder.
