The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 97

Citrine hadn't even opened her mouth when a huge black dog suddenly burst through the doorway, charging straight at her.

She froze, breath caught in her throat, cold sweat instantly soaking her back. She couldn't move a muscle.

Before she could react, the dog lunged at her, knocking her hard to the floor.

"Ah!" Citrine yelped as her back hit the hardwood, pain shooting up her spine.

The dog was massive, its jaws bared in a snarl, one heavy paw pressing down on her chest. Citrine could barely breathe, the weight crushing the air out of her lungs.

The animal's face loomed inches from her own, and panic clawed at her throat. In a flash, memories from her nightmares snapped into focus—dark rooms, countless pairs of glowing green eyes staring her down, the rush of bodies, the stabbing pain as fangs tore through flesh. The terror she'd felt before, the cold agony of being bitten, washed over her again. Every drop of blood in her body seemed to freeze.

"Get off!" Citrine's voice was icy as she glared at the dog. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a fruit knife lying in the basket on the table.

Without thinking, she stretched out desperately, grabbed the knife, and swung it hard at the animal.

But a man's cold, sharp voice yanked her back to reality.

"What are you doing?" Quentin barked, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back. His words were clipped, every syllable deliberate.

"Biscuit didn't mean any harm. Do you really need to freak out like this?"

"You almost hurt Biscuit just now. What's wrong with you?" He shot her a wary look, shielding the dog behind him.

Citrine's gaze chilled.

She arched an eyebrow. "And you don't think it's cruel to let your mutt attack people?"

Quentin faltered, guilt flickering across his face as he remembered his original plan. "You didn't have to grab a knife, though. What if you'd hurt him?"

"And what if your dog had hurt me, and I didn't have anything to defend myself?" Citrine shot back, her eyes cold and edged with a flash of disgust.