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“I never want to feel that helpless again.”
“I understand.” She nods. “Promise you’ll be careful and not push yourself too hard. Even though you think you’re ready, some situations that Jaxson may put you in, could trigger you.”
“Promise.”
“Alright.” She glances at her wrist. “That’s our time. I’m very proud of the strides you made in the last two weeks. I can’t wait to hear about your progress next time we speak. You know the drill, if you need anything before then, call me.”
“I will. Thanks, Jessa.” I disconnect the video chat and take a moment to gather my composure before typing in the next number. I cross my fingers, hoping he answers.
“Hello?” A long-haired man with a bushy beard answers.
I stare at him for a moment before I speak. “Are you Yazzie?”
“Who’s asking?” Lykos jumps up and barks at the computer screen. “Lykos! Quiet.” Lykos immediately stops barking, but his tail wags enthusiastically at seeing his old handler.
“Lykos, down,” I command. He sits by my side, watching the screen.
Yazzie clicks his tongue. “You must be Aurora.”
“I am.”
“Lykos is working out for you?”
“He’s amazing, thank you.”
Yazzie smiles. “That’s what I like to hear. What can I do for you?”
I tap my fingers on my desk. I didn’t think this all the way through before I called. “Jaxson said I could call you if I had any questions about Lykos’ training.”
Yazzie cocks his eyebrow. “That’s right. Something wrong?”
I wave my hands frantically. “No… no… nothing like that. How can I teach him to attack a certain body part?”
“Which body part?”
“A dick,” I answer honestly.
Yazzie winces. “Jaxson explained that if you give the g-u-a-r-d command, Lykos will respond and act accordingly, right? He’ll protect you at all costs even if you don’t say it?”
“He did,” I reply. “If Lykos ever feels I’m in enough danger to attack on his own, I want to be able to direct him to an area that will totally incapacitate my assailant.”
“Brutal,” he wheezes. “Alright. Here’s what you do. Lykos already knows certain commands, as you’re aware.” I jerk my chin in agreement. “Good. Now, you need a word that will coincide with the area you want him to attack if you’re ever in that situation. Let’s hope you’re not, though,” he tacks on.
“Crotch!” I blurt.
“Crotch.” He scratches his chin. “I like it, but how about we use the German word for it instead? This way, if you say ‘crotch’ it won’t give your attacker a heads up.”
I snicker. “That’s probably a good idea. What’s the German word?”
“Zwickel,” he replies.
“Zwickel,” I repeat. “Cool. Sounds close to pickle.”
Yazzie’s face turns serious. “Next, you’ll need someone or a dummy for Lykos to practice on.”
“A real person?” Sweat beads on my brow. I never took into consideration that Lykos would actually need real-life training experience. This could be difficult.
“Yep,” he says, popping the ‘p’. “Or a dummy. When you’re targeting a specific body part, the dog needs to know exactly where you want him to aim for. Point and specify the attack, along with the word you’re going to use.”