Antique store owner Liz brings home a Victorian taxidermy hound from auction, unwittingly unleashing dark forces on her wife and son. ***** Nat Loman has finally married the love of her life, Liz, and is getting used to her role as stepmother to Liz's 5-year-old son, Liam. The Loman family runs a bustling antique business so they attend a sale where a striking, black taxidermied hound is up for auction. Liz picks it up for the business, but it ends up being stored in their home, where Nat notices strange things occurring. She quickly discovers the past residents had died violently. Then she hears from a friend about the myth of "the devil's dog", a hound that perches in the shadows, tearing families apart from the inside. Soon, people around the Lomans are dying, and Liz is changing, darkening. It's up to Nat to save the woman she loves from the darkness closing in, and to save Liam from danger no matter what she has to sacrifice. [[Winner of the 2018 Wattys "Hidden Gems" category]] [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]

Those who were taken... They never came back, dragged beneath the waves never to return. Their haunting screams were a symbol of their horrific deaths. Like shadows they lay in wait, the deep blue waters hiding them from view. With sharp claws they attack, Pointed fangs tearing into skin, Eager mouths devouring human flesh. Cally was taken, dragged under the water by one of the vicious creatures. But she was not devoured nor torn apart by ruthless claws--no. She was a captive. ~•~ Water instantly invades her senses. Her eyes sting, her lungs and nose burning. She thrashes, kicks, claws--anything to get away. Her efforts go to waste as her body slowly starts to shut down, the air in her lungs quickly being replaced by sea water. Cally is vaguely aware of arms wrapping around her waist and behind her head before she loses consciousness, submerged in darkness. And so she is taken. Another victim of the mysterious sea. 《Completed》 Subscribe to TheAllieL Patreon for exclusive stories and content not featured on Wattpad and to support future works and book publishing! - Free Subscriber Tier - Allie's Library - Tier 1 - $2/month - Allie's Journal - Tier 2 - $5/month Subscribe here: Patreon.com/TheAllieL