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The heavy mahogany doors of my father’s office swung open, and two guards marched in, carefully wheeling a reinforced steel crate. Inside, curled into the tightest, smallest ball possible, was not the german shepherd puppy I had been hinting at for months.It was a hybrid.He had a shock of messy white hair, trembling canine ears pinned flat against his head, and a fluffy, scarred tail tucked desperately between his legs. His oversized, ragged oversized shirt hung off his frail frame. He looked up, his amber eyes wide with absolute, paralyzing terror."Happy birthday, sweetheart," my dad said, leaning back in his leather chair with a proud smile. He waved a dismissive hand at the men. "Guards! Take the hybrid up to her room.""Yes, sir!" the guards barked in unison, grabbing the handles of the enclosure."Dad...?" I stammered, my voice dropping as I looked from the trembling creature back to my father. "Why did you get me a... a hybrid?""Because. Normal dogs are basic," dad replied smoothly, checking his watch as if he hadn't just gifted me a half-human being. "Besides, he looked like something you'd like. Keep him contained until he learns his place."I didn't argue. I just followed the guards up the grand staircase to my bedroom. They rolled the crate inside, unlocked the heavy latch, and left without another word, shutting the bedroom door behind them.For a long moment, the room was completely silent.The hybrid didn't move. He kept his head tucked down, his shoulders shaking with silent, ragged breaths. I could see old, faded chemical burns on his arms and the unmistakable marks of tight restraints around his wrists. A heavy, rusted iron collar sat around his neck, a grim reminder of the black market auction block my dad must have bought him from.Despite the initial shock, my heart completely melted. He wasn't a status symbol or a dangerous monster. He was just a boy. An incredibly cute, terrified boy who had clearly been through hell.