Beast Tamer's Rebirth National Treasure Edition novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Payton

Sierra went upstairs to her room, and soon heard a car speeding off from downstairs.

Natalie had always been frail, and it wasn’t until she was grown that they found out she had a congenital heart condition. So even if she just pretended to be sick, the Sterlings would be beside themselves with worry.

Back in her previous life, every time Sierra saw her family coddling Natalie, it stung. She kept wondering if she just wasn’t good enough. But now, she couldn’t wait to put as much distance between herself and that family as possible.

Sierra took two fever reducers, and then grabbed a suitcase and quickly packed her few belongings. Once done, she wheeled it out of the room.

“Ms. Sierra Sterling, where do you think you’re going?” A woman in her fifties hurried over and blocked Sierra’s path.

Without bothering to be polite, she added, “You upset Ms. Natalie Sterling so much that she had to go to the hospital. You can’t just leave like this.”

Sierra stopped and looked at the woman. She was Mary Grant, the Sterlings’ maid. She had helped raise Natalie since she was little. In Sierra’s previous life, Mary always took Natalie’s side and made Sierra’s life harder.

Sierra narrowed her eyes. “Mary, are you getting so old that you’ve forgotten your place?”

“W-What?” Mary was stunned, staring blankly at Sierra.

Sierra shot Mary a look full of disdain. “Take a good look at yourself. Since when do I need your permission to come and go?”

Mary had worked for the Sterlings for decades and saw herself as part of the family. Her face darkened with anger. “I’ve been here forever. I’m practically family, almost like an elder to you. Is that any way to talk to me?”

Sierra didn’t even glance her way and headed straight for the iron gate. As she reached the entrance, her eyes fell on the luxury doghouse nearby. She called out, “Payton, let’s go.”

Payton was a tricolored husky. At only three months old, it was hit by a car and abandoned at the vet. Scheduled for euthanasia, it was saved when Sierra, who happened to be there buying food for stray cats, decided to adopt it.

At the time, Sierra had just entered the entertainment industry and was not rich. She spent almost all her savings to save Payton. Not long after it recovered, Sierra started booking more jobs. She always believed Payton was her lucky charm.

But after Sierra moved back to the Sterling residence, because Natalie was allergic to dog fur, Payton ended up banished to the yard.

Sierra called toward the doghouse a couple of times but got no response. Thinking Payton might be asleep, she went over to check, only to find it completely empty. There was no sign of Payton anywhere.

Just then, Mary had caught up and was still chattering away. “Just apologize to Natalie. She’s so kind. I’m sure she’ll forgive you. I mean, after all—”

“Where’s my dog?” Sierra turned suddenly, her sharp glare cutting Mary off.

Mary’s heart jumped. “How should I know?” she blurted.

Sierra didn’t say another word and just stared Mary down. Then it hit her that Payton had gone missing around this time in her previous life.

Back then, she’d been too caught up in fights with the Sterlings to notice. By the time she called the police and tracked Payton down, all that remained were its mangled, bloody limbs.

The memory twisted her stomach. ‘How could I forget something this important after getting a second chance?’ Her heart pounded. “Payton’s a good boy. It never runs off,” she said, her voice tense.

Mary dropped her gaze, guilt written all over her face.

“Spill it. Where’s my dog?” Sierra grabbed Mary by the collar, her voice sharp and icy. “This was Natalie’s doing, wasn’t it?”

Mary’s eyes widened in shock. All she saw was pure fury blazing in Sierra’s stare.

Sierra had just been testing her, but Mary gave herself away instantly.

“Yeah, I believe you,” Sierra replied coolly. “Worst case, I pay a fine. But…” She lifted her gaze, eyes sharp enough to freeze the whole room.

“The Johnson family’s main business is pets, right? Imagine what’ll happen if a video of you torturing a dog hits the internet.”

Nick’s face went white. “Sierra, you wouldn’t dare.”

“Stick around and see if I do.” Then Sierra waved toward the corner. “Payton, come here.”

Payton’s big, round eyes lit up the second it saw her. It charged forward but skidded to a stop about three feet away.

Then it threw its head back, and let out a dramatic howl. Those amber-blue eyes flashed with a mix of terror, indignation, and pure husky stubbornness. Payton wasn’t just husky-level unhinged; he was the king of crazy dogs.

Sierra was just about to comfort Payton when a robotic voice suddenly echoed in her head, [Congratulations, Host. You’ve connected with the “Save the Fluffies System”. You’ve rescued 1 out of 100 fluffies. WonderWild Zoo unlocked. Check your inventory to claim your reward.]

Sierra’s icy expression softened for a second, confusion flickering across her face.

Payton, seeing she wasn’t comforting it, flopped dramatically onto its back and howled at the ceiling.

Then Sierra heard Payton say, “Those guys beat me senseless. I almost met the dog ancestors. I can’t swallow this humiliation.”

Sierra fell silent for a moment. Then she thought, ‘After all I’ve been through, even being time-traveled, being able to understand a dog really isn’t the weirdest thing, is it?’