Suddenly, Mystery’s head shoots up, and his entire body tenses. I open my eyes and lean forward to keep my balance. Something moves through the underbrush beside us. I turn, taking a tighter hold on the lead rope. When I don’t see anything, I urge Mystery forward.
“Come on, boy,” I say in a calm voice. “It’s probably just a bunny. And not the evil killer bunny you got scared of last week.” I roll my eyes and pat his neck. “Though really, you could totally take that bunny.”
Mystery takes a few steps forward before he comes to a halt. His ears twitch, listening to something that I can’t hear. I urge him forward again, but he doesn’t budge. Instead, he sidesteps off the path. Branches crash into my face, and I duck my head down.
“Mystery, whoa,” I say, but he’s too spooked to listen. I pull back on the lead rope, struggling to direct him onto the path. “Calm down, big guy, it’s okay.”
Branches snap behind us. I turn my head, my breath catching in my chest when I see a dog slink through the trees.
“Easy, baby,” I sooth, letting go of the rope with one hand to pet Mystery’s neck. “It’s a dog. We’ve come across them before. Remember, you’re bigger than he is.” I watch the dog move through the weeds, and my nerves shoot through me when the dog growls. If this dog attacks, it’s not going to end well. One kick to the face could kill this dog, and one bite from said dog could injure my horse.
I feel Mystery tense beneath me. He paws at the ground and raises his head up, preparing to rear.
“Easy,” I say and pitch forward, momentarily taking my eyes off the dog. “Walk forward, then run,” I pant as I fight against my pulling horse. I flick my eyes back in time to see the dog slowly step back onto the trail.
The familiar shape of a dog registers in my brain, but something is…off. Its muzzle is twisted and flattened against its face. Gray human-like eyes narrow as it growls at me, revealing razor-sharp teeth. Its legs are thick and hairless, ending in paws that look more like talons.
My eyes widen in terror, heart hammering, and I can’t look away. Mystery rears, striking out at the creature. Too scared to move, I feel myself sliding backward, falling off my horse. The lead rope burns as its yanked free from my hands. At the last minute, I try to regain my balance but fail, crashing through trees as I fall. I land hard, hip hitting the ground first and knocking the wind out of me. My head smacks against the hard ground next, and stars dot my vision for a split second.
And then everything goes black.
Chapter Three
A sharp bark echoes in my ears, stirring me awake. I plant my hands against the dusty dirt beneath me, nausea twisting in my stomach as I push up. My ears ring and pain webs through me, followed by dizziness that only makes the nausea worse.
Mystery is only feet from me, and I scramble back to avoid getting trampled by my own horse. The dog-like creature is still on the path, still growling with saliva dripping from its yellowed fangs. I could have sworn that bark sounded just like Hunter, but it had to have come from the creature before me.
I try to stand but falter, and the creature lunges forward. I close my eyes, preparing for the attack. Heart in my throat, I throw my hands out at the last second, covering my face. With a snort, Mystery rears again, hooves crashing to the ground inches from the creature. He strikes out again, clipping the thing on the face. Several inches of fur and skin tear off, hanging off of its cheek in a diagonal slash from its eye to its cheek.
Another bark echoes through the forest, and the creature slinks back, taking a final snap at Mystery before turning and running away. I stare unblinking at the spot where it had stood. My hands start shaking, and suddenly, I can’t catch my breath.
Mystery nudges me, and I jump, thinking the thing came back. Frozen, I stare into the trees, looking for the dog. My heart is racing, beating so fast it might explode inside my chest. Leaves rustle just feet from us. Adrenaline surges through me, and I clamber back up and onto Mystery.
I squeeze his sides and he takes off, running to the barn. I slide off once his hooves hit the gravel path behind the barn, taking his lead rope and giving it a tug to get him to stop. He would run right into his stall if I let him.
Panic once again flashes through me when I see the red bloodstain on Mystery’s shoulder. I reach up to feel for a wound and then realize the blood is coming from me. I bring my hand to my head and the pain registers. Shit. I blink and get a flash of tree branches as I fell. One no doubt sliced right into my forehead.