Chapter 67

She took another step backward. Before she could think, the dog flew from the bushes. It was heading straight for Mary, eyes unseeing, brain bound up with the smell of her. It got within a yard of her, then skidded to a halt. Now, it smelled something else. Human. It spun around for a moment and then looked at her. It seemed confused. Initially, it smelled like a wolf, but now it was a human it was seeing before her. The smell did not leave its nostrils though, but it was blended with that of humans that it found it difficult to catch. The dog was a big crossbreed, something between a shepherd and a redbone coonhound. It dipped its muzzle and blinked in confusion. Then it lifted its head and pulled back its lips in a deep growl. It didn’t know what she was, but from the look it threw at her, she sure as hell knew that it didn’t like her. One of the men shouted. The dog ignored it. It growled another warning. The lady she was walking with panicked and ran to a hiding place. The older