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What the—

Melody frozeutterly still An un:

The low, angry growl of a very large dog

Three

The hound was stocky and ferocious, with a giant bulbous head and a body rippled with er and angrier

Melody caught its gaze right away and s was lih not to look away Outwardly she reth, even defiance

Inwardly she was absolutely terrified

It snarled again, but Melody held still her ground The dog’s eyes re the air, then curled its lips all the way back… revealing a nasty set of yellowed, slavering jaws

Another growl started up, this one even louder and angrier than the first A second dog stepped out from behind the woodpile…

She ran

There’s no way I’ it!

It wasn’t even a question Melody could run fast — faster than anyone she knew — but this was totally different First, she earing shoes not sneakers, and dressed in a ball gown And these were dogs They were built to run

She got up to speed andelse to do, the house was si deep, ain an extra step or two, but already she could hear the ani hard into the dirt Growing louder Growing closer…

She fell It happened in an instant, and Melody was up again just as fast Without checking her pursuers she broke through the line of oaks and eainst the surface of the old pavers She considered kicking them off

As the snarls grew louder she risked a quick look back If they were going to catch up with her, sheMaybe she could fight them off Maybe she could—