Page 56 of The Demon's Pet

Os shook his head, looking nervous. “You don’t understand demons. They make minotaurs look like plush ponies.”

“She’s a demon,” Griffin said, pointing at me. “What about her?”

Os cocked his head, his purple hair falling to one side over his shoulder. “I don’t know. She’s mostly wolf. But yes, given what happened, she’s probably part demon.”

“How does that even work?” Griffin asked.

Os studied me coolly for a moment. “I do not know.” He sighed. “Sam is taking a huge risk in this. I don’t fully agree with it, but it’s not for me to say.” He put his hands up. “I’m just the diplomat, here to make sure everyone gets along.”

Maybe it was just me, but the way Griffin was beaming at Os, it felt like he already wanted to get along splendidly.

Perfect. I could leave them alone and go for a run.

“I’ll be back,” I said. “I’m just going to be in that little woody area. I think I heard a waterfall. I still have some blood to wash off.”

“You want me to come?” Griffin asked, putting his hands on his legs to stand.

“No,” I said. “I’m sure Os has a tether on me.”

Os closed his eyes for a moment. “Yes. Now I do.”

The next second, I changed into my wolf, letting my bones quickly pop into place as fur sprouted. Then I was off.

I splashed through the stream, letting it clean me as I swam through the deeper areas. It tickled my fur, and the water was so clear I could see the speckled gray rocks at the bottom of it. I swam and then walked out of the water at the other side, where it got shallow at the bank. Then I darted into the shade of the woods.

Tall, leafy trees made a canopy above me, and I ran along the riverbed until I reached the base of a rocky hill, where water was flowing downstream.

I wanted to taste the water but wasn’t sure if it would be safe.

I moved around large gray rocks that littered the area and looked up through the trees to see sunlight streaming through.

Then I lay on all fours, just enjoying the cool ground beneath me. Plants stood at the edge of the water. Beautiful purple lilies with blue centers. Vivid red flowers that reminded me of daisies. And a light-pink plant I didn’t recognize with tiny sprays of hot-pink blooms.

Bushes with yellow berries. Trees with rich gray bark tinged with brown and heavy canopies of verdant leaves.

It smelled like wild rose and violet in the air, plus soapy green notes from the plants near the water.

I could have stayed there forever.

I couldn’t hear Griffin and Os talking in the distance, though I assumed they were getting acquainted.

Above all, it was just nice to have some time alone.

Though, my thoughts kept wandering to where Sam was. Where he’d flown to. He hadn’t wanted to stop here. Was it really because he feared minotaurs, or was he supposed to be somewhere?

I felt a bit bad for delaying him.

Then I remembered the “Dog House” sign and all guilt flew away like so much pollen on the wind.

I lay there relaxing and only stirred when I heard something moving in the brush.

All senses on alert, I slowly lifted my head in wolf form, scenting the air.

I caught something odd and musky. Not quite human.

I looked up as a large figure appeared out of the bushes to my right, about twenty feet away.

The beast was so tall, I had to crane my neck to look up at it.

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