AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My jaw drops. He has to be a witch’s familiar, but the poor creature looks starved.
“Where did you come from?” I ask.
The hound whines.
“Are you hungry?”
It nods.
I reach down and offer it my hand to sniff.
The hound tries to give me a lick, but its tongue doesn’t reach my skin. Poor thing probably doesn’t have the energy. I run my fingers through its coarse fur, feeling it shiver under my touch.
Has it been abused?
The hound doesn’t look like any dog I’ve ever seen, but Grandma’s wards repel magical creatures.
Perhaps it’s a hybrid?
“Are you a boy?” I ask.
He nods.
“Come with me if you want some food.”
Wheezing, the hound rises on trembling legs. He’s larger than a Great Dane but there isn’t enough meat on his body to sustain a skeleton of his size.
My heart squeezes. Who could have left a creature in such terrible condition? He’s absolutely starved.
Placing a hand on his shoulder, I walk him back toward the house. With each of the hound’s labored breaths, the panic plaguing me since Aggie texted melts away.
A decent person would have called the authorities the moment Norbert’s corpse hit the ground. I got scared and selfishly hid his body so I wouldn’t get the blame.
The least I can do is take care of a hungry hound.
He follows me back along the stepping-stone path, his tail wagging. The farther we walk, the more the hound becomes sure-footed.
My phone buzzes. I let go of him and slip my fingers into the bag. Instead of a barrage of messages from Aggie, it’s a text from the bank, telling me that I’ve exceeded my overdraft and will now incur a penalty plus interest rates of eleven percent until I deposit more funds.
Bastards—both the bank and the Boogie Man.
I wouldn’t spend so much if he didn’t steal my underwear.
The hound keeps up with my furious steps, his gaze turned toward my face. I smooth out my features, so he doesn’t think I’m angry with him, but as we reach my house, his steps falter.
“What’s wrong, boy?” I ask.
His high-pitched whine makes my chest tighten.
“Are you frightened?”
I drop to my knees and gaze into his huge brown eyes with enough flecks of green to make them look magical.
“Don’t worry, boy.” I run my fingers through his fur. “If you’re scared, I’ll bring the food outside.”
He shakes his head.
“You want to come in?” I ask.
