Bloodlust

Guard Dogs

— VENICE —

Judging by Liam's curse and the tension that rippled through his muscles, I could tell he noticed the two-legged wolf charging toward us.

The beast's eyes were glowing crimson, like the color of a flame. I swear I could feel the heat on my face from the intensity of its furious glare.

Liam swiveled and darted towards Rob's mansion. My breath came in rapid, shallow pants while I sat totally useless on Liam's back.

Is this how I die? I wondered.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't anticipate getting launched off of Liam's back. I shrieked as my body tumbled through the air.

The ground knocked the air out of my lungs. I sprawled out on my stomach and squeezed my eyes shut, fighting to breathe.

When the shock dissipated, I lifted my disoriented head lifted from the ground. Liam crouched a few feet ahead of me, his back facing me.

He hissed and the muscles in his legs and back quivered. A responding animalistic snarl sent a bolt of icy fear down my spine.

Looking between his legs, I saw two furry tree trunk legs that funneled down into huge paw-like feet.

I scrambled onto my feet and watched the creature's red eyes shift from Liam to myself. The creature belted out a piercing screech as it lurched another step towards us.

Liam growled louder and put one of his feet forward. He spread his arms down at his sides and his nails elongated into claws.

Pressure on my waist from behind scared me so bad that I screamed. I was jerked back into a solid body. Instinct took over and I threw my elbows back against the brick wall holding onto me.

Liam whipped around at my scream. His eyes went wide. The beast holding me placed one hand on my head and bent my head to the side.

I stiffened at feeling something cold and wet on my neck.

"No!" Liam shouted.

His voice triggered some dormant sense of panic and adrenaline blasted through my veins. Thrashing, I struggled to free myself again with more kicking and swinging.

It was no use, though. I was struggling with a boulder.

The other beast jumped Liam from behind and tackled him to the ground. Just as I the creature claw rabidly at his face, the cold and wet sensation on my neck was replaced with something sharper.

Tears poured down my face. I was about to get bitten and drained of blood. I was going to die. Liam was being mauled.

My urge to fight vacated my body as I slumped helplessly into the monster's grip, resigned to my fate.

A monstrous bellow filled the forest. The birds in the trees around us startled and flapped away. The hair on my arms rose to full pelt.

The teeth on my neck stilled before the paws on my waist released me. I fell to my knees on the ground with a sob. Remembering Liam, my head snapped up.

He was lying on the ground and there was blood everywhere.

Fuck!

I crawled across the ground, feeling the damp earth and dirt pierce my clothes. As I reached him, I noticed his chest rose and fell regularly with steady breaths.

"Liam!" I cried. "Are you okay? Oh, god. Please be fine."

I pulled his head into my lap and frantically looked over his body, which was coated in dark sticky blood. His eyelids peeled open.