5
The hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention and saluted my fear as the sound of the howl died away. McDonald straightened and his eyes swept over the calm, dark lake. I jumped and swung around when the sliding glass door swung open and one of the other ranchers stuck their head out.
“You hear that?” he asked his leader.
“Yep. It’s hunting time,” McDonald replied. He cast one last glare at me and hurried inside.
I turned back to the lake and my hands tightly gripped the railing. Another howl broke the silence of the night and a few of the partiers stepped out onto the deck. Among them were Olivia, Nick, Priscilla, and Hercules. The dog owners tried to keep their pet inside, but the labrador pushed his way past them and raced around the pool over to where I stood. He st
