My teeth rattled as the world stuttered. Harvey’s claws sunk into my back and pierced the skin.
The sky above trembled with rage. I could feel the building energy. Thunder rumbled across the city. Harvey’s hot breath washed over my ear as he leaned in close. I tensed, waiting for the strike—either Harvey’s attack or lightning from the storm.
Neither came.
Harvey’s weight tumbled off me. Breath held, I had to force myself to move. I didn’t look back to see who had attacked Harvey. I ran like my life depended on it.
Who had saved me, though? It hadn’t been Ryder. I would have recognized his massive dragon form. Had one of the fae helped me out on Ryder’s behalf? I shuddered to think of how much I would owe for aid from the fae. They would give the help, then demand something in return even though I hadn’t asked for anything.
I scrambled under the fence in the back yard. Dragging my belly through mud to get to safety wasn’t the lowest point of my life, but I knew that I would continue to get lower and lower from here. The mud was the least of my problems.
The windows ahead gave off a gentle glow that cast shadows across the lawn. I tensed, waiting for something to leap out at me, be it Harvey or a fae. When nothing struck, I took a cautious step forward.
The backdoor doggy hatch was within sight. If I made a dash for it, I could throw myself inside where no one would be able to bother me.
At least, not until I had to leave again for work in the morning.
I wanted to ask why my life had come to this, belly down in the mud and too afraid to run to safety, but I already knew the answer to that question. This sequence of events had been brought on by a witch with a big mouth.
I wanted to rip fate to shreds. The threads that bound this world together meant little to me if they trapped me like this.
Summoning a little bit of courage, I rose on shaky legs and lurched for the door at the other end of the lawn. I expected someone to take me by surprise again. Lightning crashed near the road. It illuminated everything to show that the path was clear.
“What the hell is your daughter doing?” Dad shouted just as I crashed through the doggy door.
Mom’s distant sigh was haggard.
I slumped on the floor and caught my breath before shifting back to human form. There was a blanket nearby for moments like this. Heedless of the mud on my fur, I snatched it and pulled it over myself.
I shuddered when my form changed. Paws turned into palms pressed flat against the laundry room floor. My chest heaved. Running for my life in the chill night air had seared my lungs. Even changing forms couldn’t quite chase away the burn in my chest. So much for being a shifter. My healing capabilities sucked.
Mom appeared in the doorway. Her eyes went wide. Though her lips formed an O of surprise, she didn’t say anything. I often wondered if she was too afraid to face the truth. It hurt to think that my mother lied to herself about my predicament. Then again, I understood the urge to avoid reality.
She ducked her head in a quick nod and went back to the kitchen. For a moment, I thought she’d abandoned me. Then I heard the soft clank of pans and knew that she was making something for me to eat. I let out a tired sigh and pressed my face to the floor.
“You know they wouldn’t harass you so much if you didn’t put up a fight,” Dad said.
My hound whimpered inside me. How could he go from protecting me to berating me? I didn’t understand it. The sudden switch in his demeanor broke me. I couldn’t summon even an ounce of my normal attitude to defend myself. In front of my father, I fell apart.
Tears burned my cheeks. I turned my face downward so that he couldn’t see how much this hurt. I should have asked him about Ryder and Queen Beryl, but my voice failed me. Inside, my hound crouched low to make herself small.
Dad was the only one with the power to make me feel like this. Alvin could smack me around. Harvey could grab ahold of me. I rose to their challenges and let my tongue bear my venom. Yet, whenever my dad shook his head and voiced his disappointment, I fell apart.
“Just give them what they want, and they’ll start to believe that you’re harmless. I know you won’t live up to that damned prophecy. You need to show them that.”
No, I thought.My life is my own, and I will not let anyone control me.
He grumbled. “If your mother’s damned fae blood hadn’t interfered, you wouldn’t have to deal with this.”
There he went, trying to place blame. The only person to blame for what was happening to me was Alvin. Had Alvin been a good man, he wouldn’t have balked in the face of a prophecy that called for the fall of a cruel man. Alvin wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.
The man had done well to cover his tracks, but I would find whatever he was hiding. I had to. If I didn’t, then I would never get my pack’s help.
“Mom can’t control what her blood does,” I said, my voice barely more than a mumble.
Dad wrinkled his nose and shook his head before wandering away. I sat up and pulled the blanket around myself. I needed a shower, but the mystery of whoever had helped me still remained.
On my hands and knees, I pushed the doggy door open so I could peer out into the night once again. My heart thumped, even though I promised myself I would not go back out there. I wasn’t going to put myself in harm’s way again tonight.