“The fuck!” he screamed as bright red blood splashed over his green, bumpy skin and the front of his overalls. “Make it let me go! Get it off me!”
“Not until you promise to leave me alone,” Kiera said. She wanted to finish this once and for all.
“All right, all right–I’ll let you be!” Higgs howled. “Just make your beast let me go! It’s gonna break my fucking arm!”
“Buck,” she said, using his name as a command.
She didn’t have to say anything else. Buck released him at once, but the damage was done—four neat punctures already welled dark and wet on Higgs’ meaty forearm.
“You crazy beast!” Higgs howled, clutching his bleeding arm. He glared at Kiera. “You’re not pretty enough to bother with anyway! You’re too fucking fat, you fat bitch.”
Kiera sighed. Men were the same in any culture, it seemed. The minute they couldn’t have you, they started insulting you. She shouldn’t let it get to her, but Higgs pissed her off.
“You need to look in the mirror you smelly pickle—looking asshole,” she snapped. “You’re not exactly skinny yourself.”
“You fat bitch!” Higgs snarled again.
But Buck had apparently had enough of this. Growling, he took one deliberate step toward Higgs, teeth bared, and eyes narrowed.
That did it—the look of anger and hatred melted into one of pure fear and Higgs turned and ran. Stumbling across the silver—threaded grass, swearing loudly and pressing one hand over his bleeding arm, he headed back the way he’d come.
“You’ll be fucking sorry!” he shouted over his shoulder, once he made what he clearly thought was a safe distance. “Both of you!”
Buck barked once in reply—deep and thunderous—and Higgs ran even faster.
Kiera stood shaking for a moment, staring after him and a half—hysterical giggle escaped her lips.
“Oh my God, you sent that pickle—faced bastard running!” she exclaimed. Then all at once her knees felt weak. “Come on,” she said unsteadily to Buck. “C’mon, boy.”
Buck turned at once, the blood—red fury fading slowly from his eyes as he came back to her side. He pressed against her leg, warm and solid and so comforting that Kiera nearly burst into tears from sheer relief. Ugh–her emotions were all over the place. Getting grabbed by an asshole who was determined to drag you off to his ship would do that to a girl, she guessed.
“C’mon, boy,” she said to Buck again. She put a trembling hand in his fur, and they went together back toward the home-dome.
Inside, the door sealed behind them with a reassuring whoosh. Safe–finally, she was safe.
That realization was all it took.
Kiera leaned against the curved wall of the entryway and then slid to the floor instead, because suddenly standing seemed like entirely too much effort. She pressed a hand to her eyes.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, and her voice sounded broken and strange. “Oh my God…”
Buck came to her at once, whining uneasily. He nosed her anxiously and Kiera threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his thick ruff.
“Oh my God, if you weren’t with me, I’d be in his ship by now going God knows where!” she told him.
Buck whined, sounding even more worried about her. His whole body was tense, as though he wanted to go back out and make absolutely certain Higgs was truly gone. But when Kiera clung to him, he stood still and let her hold him, his great shaggy head resting against her shoulder.
“It’s okay, boy—I’m okay.” She sniffed hard and got hold of herself by sheer force of will. “I’m just so glad you’re with me.”
Buck made another soft, anxious sound and leaned into her even more, nearly toppling her over with his weight.
Kiera gave a shaky little laugh in spite of herself and stroked his fur.
“Okay–it’s okay now and I’ll be okay too. I just need a little time,” she told him.
As she spoke, she stared out the long plasti—glass window beside the front door.
Outside, the sanctuary looked peaceful as ever under the pale purple sky. The chiming trees whispered softly in the breeze and somewhere in the distance one of the theebles let out a happy cheep.
