Some Boundaries were meant to stay buried
 
In a future where extinct creatures walk again, one man’s obsession becomes a deadly lesson in hubris.
 
When Martin Valdez decides that ordinary pets aren’t enough, he turns to the cutting-edge world of genetic cloning. A world where sabercats and miniature dinosaurs can be custom-ordered companions. But Martin doesn’t want something safe or domesticated. He wants a challenge…a predator. Denied a license for the intelligent and restricted velociraptors, he risks everything to seek one on the black market.
 
His quest leads him to a shadowy dealer, a forgotten cemetery, and the whispered warning that started it all: “Don’t go into the long grass.”
 
Now, as science, greed, and ancient instinct collide, Martin must face the terrifying truth about the creatures he sought to master, and the price of playing god.
 
Recommended for fans of: Michael Crichton • James Rollins • Seanan McGuire
 
3800 words
 
Content Advisory – Don't Go Into the Long Grass
 
Genre(s): Science Fiction • Thriller • Creature Feature
 
Age Guidance 15+ – peril, injury, and black-market danger involving genetically engineered creatures
 
Content Ratings (Wolf Paw Scale: 0–5)
Language: 🐾 — mild, infrequent
Sexual Content: [no paws] — none
Violence: 🐾🐾🐾 — attacks by velociraptors; injuries described but not graphic
Dark Themes: 🐾🐾🐾 — illegal exotic-animal trade, risk-seeking behavior, near-fatal consequences
 
Martin’s pursuit of a dangerous exotic pet leads him into an illegal operation with life-threatening results. Themes of recklessness, consequence, and survival make this a tense and cautionary read.