Page 4 of Guarded by the Hellhound (Accidental Monsters #3)

KATHERINE

“ I will get you anyway,” the note said.

The words are stuck on repeat in my mind, making me feel sick.

I hate them, I hate this stupid situation, but most of all, I hate that the police won’t do anything about it.

Raider whines and rests his head on my lap, and I pet him absentmindedly.

Was it only last year that I went to that Halloween party with Jasmine and Lilly?

We had so much fun; I was carefree and enjoying life to the fullest. But now?

I feel like I’m a shell of who I once was.

Somewhere after that epic Halloween party, things started to change.

At first, it was the feeling that I was being watched.

Then, there were random gifts, which I found in my car or in front of my house.

Finally, the notes arrived. A shiver runs through me.

This psychopath has been stalking me for almost a year now, and every time I think he’s at his peak, things escalate to a new level.

I no longer go out with my friends. I try to leave the house only for necessities and never at the same time.

My friends stopped coming by once they realized I was not the fun Kat they used to know.

I don’t blame them; I did my best to push them away because I would be devastated if they got caught in the crossfire.

I let out a sigh and get up. It’s time for bed.

Raider lets out a low bark of protest. I curse inwardly because I forgot to feed him, and it’s well past dinnertime.

I quickly give him some kibble, which he reluctantly eats.

I might have to check out some other brands…

tomorrow, I promise myself. Now I can finally turn in and see if I can get some sleep.

When I leave the bathroom, I see Raider lying across my bed. I put my hands on my sides.

“Hey there, buddy. It was only one night, remember?” I tell him with a stern voice.

He huffs, then puts down his big head, unmoving. I sigh. I think I have already lost this battle, but I don’t mind. I climb into the bed beside him, and his weight and warmth next to me easily put me to sleep.

I wake up to a strange noise coming from downstairs.

Instantly awake, I bolt into a seated position.

My heart beats a mile a minute; Raider sits next to me, fully alert, a low growl in his throat.

There’s the noise again. I reach for my phone, but it’s not on my nightstand.

It must be downstairs… My breathing quickens, and I feel a panic attack coming up; no, no, no, not right now. I have to keep my head clear…

Raider lets out a bark, but the noise continues. I get up, moving towards the door to get to my stairs, but Raider barricades the way.

“No, Raider, down, boy, I need to get to my phone,” I say. He looks pissed. His ears are pointing back, he is showing his teeth, and he keeps growling. The noises stop for a second, but then they return with even greater force. It sounds as if someone is trying to break into my house!

“I need to get to my phone,” I tell him, but he shakes his head.

It looks like he wants to say something…

Like he wants to tell me something. I look deep into his eyes; they are glowing from within, and I am hypnotized.

They were black before, but now a reddish glow seems to come out from deep within.

It feels like the glow is burning its way onto the surface until it explodes.

I take a step back. What the hell is happening to my dog? His eyes are glowing a bright red now, and it seems as if his head is somehow changing…

I struggle to take my eyes off him and look away. I am hallucinating. I must be. Maybe there’s some sort of gas leak? I look at Raider again, but it doesn’t get any better. He appears to be shimmering-blinking in and out of shape; suddenly, his ears are gone, and…

I clasp a hand in front of my mouth, muffling a scream. What the fuck is happening?

I can’t look away, though. One minute, I’m looking at my big, black, fierce dog, and then a tall, lean, menacing-looking man stands before me.

Tears are streaming down my face, but I am rooted to the ground.

He is huge, effortlessly six feet three, with his jet-black hair brushing the tops of his shoulders and his dark eyes glowing bright red.

It’s pulling me in, and I gasp. Can it be. .. Could it be… Is this… Raider?

My gaze lowers to hints of tattoos on his neck, disappearing beneath a pitch-black dress shirt covered by a charcoal-gray suit.

I swallow hard, sex appeal is rolling off him in waves, but before I can take a peek at what’s below his belt, noises from downstairs distract me.

We look at the door at the same time, and we both spring into action.

I run towards it, but he grabs me and yanks me against him.

“No,” he growls deep in his throat. “You stay here. It’s not safe downstairs. Lock yourself in the bathroom, and I will deal with the intruder.” He gently pushes me in the direction of my bathroom.

Faced with two unknown dangers, I choose the safety of my bathroom.

With one last look over my shoulder, I run inside, locking the door behind me.

It takes me a minute to catch my breath, and when I hear him walk out of the room, I hide myself in the tub with the shower curtains drawn.

I wrap my arms around my knees, taking deep cleansing breaths, trying to get to terms with what just happened.

Raider, my Raider, my DOG Raider, just turned into a man.

And not just any man, a panty-melting, dripping with sex – a dangerous man.

Who, just before that, was a dog. I groan.

Bad Katherine, someone is trying to break into your house, your dog turns into a man, and all you can think about is how sexy he is.

I hit myself on the head before a maniacal laugh escapes me. I am losing it.

A loud crash downstairs alerts me, and I hug myself tighter, curling into a tight ball.

I perk up my ears because the masochist in me still wants to know which of the two dangers will be knocking on my door later.

I hear a struggle, some shouting, and a lot of loud cursing until…

. silence. The silence is eerie, causing tears to stream down my face as fear starts taking over my mind.

I hear light footsteps coming up the stairs, walking toward me.

They halt in front of the door, and I hear hard breathing.

Then… a knock and a deep voice says to me: “You can come out now; he is gone.”