The tiger was nearly as tall as Milo’s waist, and its paws were the size of dinner plates. It began to walk toward him.

It didn’t run. It moved slowly, its shoulders rolling under its fur with every step. Its eyes were a bright, icy blue, and they were fixed directly on Milo.

"Aahhhh...." Milo’s body went stiff. His heart was pounding so hard against his ribs that it hurt. He felt a cold sweat break out all over his body.

He began to walk backward, his heels hitting the iron bars of the gate. He turned around and pressed his face against the cold metal, his fingers gripping the bars.

"Sir! Please! Get me out of here! He’s going to eat me! Siiir, please!" Milo was begging now.

He didn’t care about looking strong anymore. The fear was a physical weight in his chest.

Salvatore clicked his tongue. "Give the food, Milo," he said, his voice sounding impatient.

Milo was too panicked to think. He turned around, his back pressed against the bars. He saw the tiger was only ten feet away now. He could hear the heavy sound of its breathing.

He gulped. His hands were trembling.

"Put the bowl down before he decides you taste better than the meat," Alben called out from behind Salvatore, chuckling.

Milo’s hands gave out. He dropped the bowl to the ground. The meat spilled across the dirt.

The tiger reached the bowl and lowered its head. It began to eat the meat with loud, wet crunching sounds.

Every time the tiger growled, Milo’s whole body jumped.

He stood there, trapped against the bars, watching the beast eat. He felt a deep sense of betrayal.

Salvatore saved me from Nero just to feed me to his pet! he thought.

He felt like his life was a joke. He had escaped a human monster only to be killed by a literal one.

The tiger finished the meat in less than a minute. It licked the remaining blood from the bottom of the bowl. Then, it looked up. It stared at Milo. Its tail flicked back and forth.

"S-s-sir!" Milo cried out. "He’s coming again! He wants to eat me! Sir! Get me out! Please!" He panicked.

Milo was crying now. Tears streamed down his pale cheeks, leaving trails in the dust. He looked at Salvatore, hoping for a sign of mercy.

But Salvatore didn’t even look worried. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and took a long drag. He watched the scene as if he were watching a movie.

Milo was desperate. He looked back at the tiger. The animal was young, perhaps, but it was already huge and intimidating. Milo knew that a single bite from those jaws would snap his neck.

He looked around for a weapon. He saw a small, dry tree branch on the ground. He reached down and grabbed it, holding it out in front of him with shaking hands.

"Don’t come any closer!" Milo shouted at the tiger.

The tiger stopped. It tilted its head to the side. Then, suddenly, it made a low growl and leaped.

"Siiiiiiir!!" Milo screamed. He squeezed his eyes shut and dropped the branch. He curled his body into a ball, protecting his head with his arms.

He waited for the teeth to sink into his throat. He waited for the pain.

Instead, he felt something heavy hit his chest. He was knocked backward against the iron bars. He heard a loud huff of air. He opened one eye and saw the tiger’s massive white head right in front of his face.

The tiger wasn’t biting him. It was rubbing its head against Milo’s chest and stomach, much like a house cat would do. Its fur was surprisingly soft but very thick.

Then, the tiger lifted its front paws and rested them on Milo’s thighs. The weight was immense. Milo felt the breath leave his body.

"Get out of there," Salvatore said. His voice was calm, almost bored.

Milo looked at Salvatore through his tears. He wanted to scream. He glared in rage.

How am I supposed to get out? The door is locked! Milo was crying harder now, his sobs shaking his whole body.

"S-s-sir! He’s on me! He’s going to eat me!"

The tiger seemed to find Milo’s crying amusing. It licked Milo’s cheek with a tongue that felt like sandpaper. Then it began to growl, a low vibration that Milo felt deep in his bones. The tiger shoved its head into Milo’s shoulder, knocking him sideways.

Milo crawled away on his hands and knees, trying to reach the other side of the cage. But the tiger followed him, hopping playfully and placing its paws on Milo’s back.

Milo felt his whole body go rigid. He was certain this was the end. He curled up into a small ball on the dirt, shaking and trembling.

Alben shook his head. "He’s going to piss himself."

"Unbelievable," Salvatore muttered. He took another drag of his cigarette. "Get the hell out of there, Milo! Silly!"

"How do I get out?" Milo wailed. He was buried under the tiger’s white fur, which was now trying to roll onto its back next to him.

The tiger was getting more active. It started to "hunt" Milo’s feet, batting at them with its paws.

Milo, sobbing, looked at Salvatore one last time. He felt like he was saying goodbye. He couldn’t believe he was going to die in a cage, eaten by a tiger. Such a silly way to die.

Salvatore clicked his tongue and walked toward the gate. He reached out and simply pushed the iron gate.

Milo looked on in silence, his jaw dropping. The gate swung open easily. It hadn’t been locked. Salvatore hadn’t even turned the latch.

He had just pushed it shut, and Milo’s fear had done the rest.

Salvatore walked into the cage. He didn’t look at Milo. He walked straight to the tiger. "Bogli, stop it. You’re scaring the new guard."

The big cat immediately stopped bothering Milo. It rolled over and let out a happy sound, rubbing its head against Salvatore’s leg. Salvatore reached down and rubbed the tiger’s belly, his hand disappearing into the thick white fur.

Milo was in shock. He watched as the terrifying beast acted like a giant puppy with Salvatore. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

He didn’t care, he scrambled to his feet, stumbling over his own legs as he rushed toward the open gate.

He got outside and fell onto the grass, gasping for air. His hands were shaking so hard he had to sit on them. He felt like he was going to vomit.

He looked back into the cage. He saw the way the tiger was showing its belly to Salvatore, its huge paws waving in the air.

"No fucking way..." Milo whispered.

He swallowed hard, trying to get his heart rate to slow down. He felt a mix of anger and embarrassment. But still, it was a dangerous game. What if the tiger really tried to kill him?

Alben walked over and looked down at Milo. He shook his head. "You’re really scared of a cat?"

"What cat?" Milo snapped, his voice still shaky. "It’s a tiger!"

"He’s the dumbest tiger I’ve ever known," Alben said, laughing. "As long as you feed him, he’ll play with you all day. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Salvatore raised him since he was a cub."

Milo felt his body go limp. The adrenaline was leaving him, leaving him feeling cold and exhausted.

He watched Salvatore spend a few more minutes rubbing the tiger’s head before the Don walked out and finally clicked the gate shut for good.

Salvatore walked over to Milo. He looked down at the boy, who was still pale and covered in dirt from the cage floor. Salvatore’s face was unreadable, but he stayed there for a moment, looking at Milo’s shaking hands.

"You scared of silly things," Salvatore said.

Milo looked up at him. He was still panicking, but he realized Salvatore was right. He had been so trapped in his own fear that he hadn’t even checked if the door was locked.

He had spent thirteen years being afraid of everything. But what the man did to him made him feel even worse.

Milo stood up slowly, carefully brushing the dirt off his clothes. He looked at the tiger, who was now lying back down on the straw, looking perfectly peaceful.

"I... I’ll do better next time," Milo whispered.

Salvatore said nothing, which made Milo feel like a failure.