At the end of the hall, I stopped just inside the doorway, close enough to see without putting myself fully into the situation. From here, I could take in everything.
Ben stood on the porch with his gun raised, his stance steady and unmoving, as if he’d already decided exactly where the line was and had no intention of giving an inch of it.
A man stood a few yards away in the grass, facing him.
WithmyTaryn in his arms.
He had the build of a fighter, and the way he held her told me Taryn wasn’t just anyone to him. She was something special.
I narrowed my eyes. He was going to find out soon that she waseverythingto me.
Taryn was mine first.
A dog stood in front of him.
His body was low to the ground, angled forward, his weight balanced as if he was ready to move in any direction without warning, the red-and white pit mix built solid through the chest and shoulders, its scarred skin pulled tight over muscle that had been used more than once.
One ear hung torn, the damage old but not forgotten, and the look in his eyes made it clear that whatever had done that probably hadn’t survived the fight.
It wasn’t letting the man take another step.
My eyes zeroed in on Taryn. She hung against him, completely unconscious, her head tipped slightly back, her skin flushed with fever, and her breathing uneven but steady enough that I knew she wasn’t gone.
Taryn was in the process of changing. Only time would reveal which path she would be presented with.
If things didn't go well, I’d end our suffering and hope that, if given another chance, life would be kinder to us.
I wouldn’t live in a world she wasn’t part of.
The man’s hold on her was tight. It looked like he’d already decided that no one was taking her from him without a fight.
That really didn’t sit right with me.
Another man stood off to the side near the truck, his posture loose but not careless, his attention shifting between Ben, the man holding her, and the house itself, as if he were tracking every angle at once.
The dog adjusted slightly.
It was holding the line between the man and Ben.
Protecting Taryn.
Ben saw it too. His focus sharpened, even though the rest of his stance didn’t change at all.
“I have no problem shooting you or that dog.” Ben shifted the gun slightly. “Place my daughter on the ground and step back.”
The man didn’t flinch or show the least bit of intimidation.
“Don’t be an old fool. We both know you won’t risk hitting her.” He smirked. “And I won’t risk her well-being on a man who drops his only daughter in the woods to find her way back alone.”
Ben growled. “The hell you say, boy! I’ve trained that girl to survive. That was an exercise she’s done a hundred times. And I don’t owe a punk like you an explanation.”
“That might be so, but she’s in my arms now, burning up with fever, and all you’ve done is delay us from getting her help.” The man scowled. “Maybe we should leave here and find another safe place.”
The dog’s growl deepened at that, low and steady, like it backed the decision without question.
Thatwasn’t happening.
I stepped forward just enough to make my presence known, not crossing the threshold but not staying hidden either.
