19
The decision to run came instantly this time. There was no hesitation, no deciding whether or not she should do it.
The only real choice was which direction to go.
Melody took off in a fast sprint… straight in the direction of the carriage house. She could’ve tried the side door, but she knew it would be locked. She might’ve been able to make the front entrance, but at this hour? That would be locked as well.
The chase started immediately. There were more than one dog again, that was for certain. This time she could hear three or four, panting hard, their paws pounding the damp nighttime soil as they dug in for the chase.
Melody ran uphill, her legs taking long, powerful strides. She skirted around trees and edged past the end of a stacked stone wall. But she never stopped moving. Never stopped running.
The braying of the dogs was chilling. She wanted to yell, to scream — maybe she could even warn Lucus ahead of time, so he’d be prepared for when she got there. If she got there.
Wisely though, she saved her breath. She’d need to squeeze every ounce of oxygen from her lungs if she was going to make the carriage house.
Something snapped at her heels. The sound it made was wet and sickening. Melody kicked out instinctively and struck something in the jaw. The yelp of pain only served to make her run faster. Her legs were pumping so hard now they were getting ahead of her body, threatening to throw her completely off balance.
The front of the carriage house finally came into view, its double-wide doors slid wide open. Melody flung herself inside. Her heart soared as she realized the inner doors were open too — probably to regulate the temperature in the loft.
I’m not going to make it…
She cried out, something broken and unintelligible. She was about to dive for the ladder when something whizzed past her with a whoosh of air. It slammed into the lead dog, throwing it backwards and pinning it to the floor. Its screams were horrific. Warm blood splattered everywhere, including a big fan of it across the back of her dress.
She whirled, daring a look. Her chief pursuer had been skewered neatly from above by a three-pronged pitchfork. The dog was still scrambling helplessly, its paws scraping the floor as it tried to run but not realizing the futility. The second and third dogs skidded into the carriage house just as Lucus jumped down from the loft, landing directly between them and their prey.
He roared, and they immediately turned tail. One skidded right into him, slamming into his shins. He kicked at it, its hindquarters sliding out beneath it before it finally gained regained its legs. As they exited the carriage house he ran after them, then deftly slid the outer doors closed.
By the time he turned back to Melody, the pitchforked dog had stopped moving. It looked no less ferocious though. In fact, it was absolutely enormous.
Lucus took her arms in his. “Are you okay?”
“Y—Yes.”
Melody gulped hard, splaying her fingers out over her heaving chest. Her heart felt like it was going to explode.
“What are those things?”
“Rogue pack,” Lucus spat with disdain. “The Lords of the House used to bring them when they went hunting. A couple of the hounds got loose years ago and now they live and breed, out in the woods.” Melody turned away as he pulled the pitchfork loose. “Should’ve been hunted down long ago. Right now, there’s no one left to do it.”
She shook her head in confusion. “What do you mean no one left to do it?”
“No Lords,” Lucus shrugged. “Only Lady Neveux.”
“That’s ridiculous,” said Melody. “Why doesn’t she hire someone? Call the police? Animal control? Someone to come out here, and—”
“What’s ridiculous,” Lucus said gravely, “is you coming here. Now? At this hour?” He threw his hands up in frustration. “You could’ve been killed!”
Melody stood on shaky legs. “Yeah, well,” she began. “It wasn’t exactly my choice.”
“What?”
“N—Never mind.”
She didn’t want to offend Lucus. In fact, she wanted to see him anyway. There were a hundred different questions she needed answers to. A whole bunch of—
A long howl split the night, echoing loudly through the plantation fields. It was answered by a second hound, and then another. Soon the braying of a dozen or so animals took over the relative nighttime silence.
“Get up in the loft where you’ll be safe,” said Lucus. “I can’t leave this here. I’m going to have to take care of it…”
He gestured at the dog, still at his feet. Lifting it easily, he slung the still-bleeding carcass over one broad shoulder.
“No,” said Melody. “You can’t go out there now! It’s too dangerous.”
Lucus ignored her as he slid the doors open again, this time just a crack.
“Lucus, there’s too many of them!”
He looked back at her once, then disappeared through the opening. Before he did, he pointed to the ladder and gave her a stern look.
“Go.”