Ashton reacted without hesitation. His body moved before the rest of us could fully process what was happening, and a sharp kick sent the charging animal crashing to the ground. The force of it echoed in the quiet air, cutting through the tension that had begun to build.
I froze at first, my breath caught in my throat, then slowly returned to myself as my mind caught up with what I had seen. When I looked closer, recognition hit me. It was Marcus's Tibetan mastiff—the same one I had seen before, calm and obedient by his side. Now it lay on the ground, whining in pain, its movements weak and unsteady.
Something was wrong. It wasn't supposed to act like this.
