For one horrifying second, the worst thought she had ever had took shape: He hurt her. He attacked her. I trusted him and he hurt her. Rage and fear mixed so fast she nearly choked on both. But before she could take another step, the fight in the grass changed. Ranger’s snarling turned into a strangled, desperate sound.
His body jerked once—hard—and then collapsed sideways into the dirt. Silence fell so abruptly Emily’s skin prickled. “What… what is happening?” she whispered. Clutching Lily to her chest, she inched forward. Ranger lay motionless, his chest rising in fast, shallow bursts.