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“You must have really screwed things up to end up in a shitty job like this. Babysitting a bunch of Humans. It’s pathetic. You’re pathetic.”

Rexx’s gaze moved over her shoulder. He growled low in his throat, his top lip curling back.

She stopped struggling and twisted to see what was behind her. Panic rose in her throat. Four hounds slid into view, their huge, matted gray heads lowered and their hackles raised.

Rexx released his hold on Daisy and drew his gun.

She was about to step away when his hand curled around her bicep and he yanked her to his side. “If you run, they’ll take you down and kill you. Stay still and quiet.”

Daisy gulped. Her insides quivered but not with fear. Something felt very wrong, and it had nothing to do with the salivating hounds approaching.

***

The rage inside Rexx lasered on the pack hounds. With the Apocalypse still five minutes out, they had no option but to fight. And that was fine by him, but not with Daisy in his way.

“Stay back. I’ll deal with these beasts.” He nudged Daisy behind him.

She usually protested when he took charge, but she was silent.

He glanced at her. Worry hit him in the gut when he saw the fevered look in her eyes. He’d have to do this quickly so he could get back to figuring out what was wrong with Daisy.

He lifted his gun and advanced on the hounds.

Saliva dripped from their enormous fangs, and their yellow gazes focused on him as he drew nearer. None of them attacked. They most likely didn’t expect their prey to come after them.

“That’s right. You look at me. I’m the only one who’s a threat.” Rexx glared a challenge at the biggest of the hounds.

They were spread out in a semi-circle, so he couldn’t take them out at once.

He aimed his gun at the one who appeared to be the leader. It was the biggest hound and came with an impressive set of teeth. Take out the top dog, and the rest should scatter.

A movement behind Rexx made him tense. He glanced around, and his stomach lurched. Daisy was leaving. What the fuck was she doing?

A low growl warned him of the approaching danger from the hounds.

The lead hound lunged but feinted right at the last second, leaving the other three to lead the charge.

Rexx grabbed the first hound who got within reach and tossed the beast away. It yelped, landed on its feet, and charged back at him.

He fired at another, skimming its right shoulder. It was enough to deter it from launching an attack, and it limped away.

The rest were too close to use the gun, so he ducked, checked their positions, and threw himself at the leader.

The beast’s jaws snapped close to his throat, and he smelt the stench of rotting meat between its teeth.

Rexx caught its head under his arm and rolled over with it. The beast snapped and snarled, its claws ripping through his clothing.

“I don’t have time for this.” He growled and tightened his grip around the hound’s neck. “Back off and leave if you want your pack to live.”

The beast’s snarls quietened. Rexx kept a tight hold around its neck, sensing the fight was over. This predator knew when it had been beaten. When a smart predator meets an apex fighter, they usually have the intelligence not to keep attacking if they value their life.

Rexx gave the hound one more warning squeeze then dropped it.

The beast staggered away. It chuffed out a breath of defeat before raising its head and signaling for the others to leave.

The pack regrouped and vanished into the trees.

Only when Rexx could no longer see them did he turn and begin his hunt for Daisy.