A sob burst from my throat. "I don't want to die!"
The dingo pulled harder, growling low in his throat. Other dogs yipped and howled.
"Help!" The word came out broken, desperate. "Somebody, help me!"
The ripping got louder. The shirt was giving way, threads snapping one by one.
Tears poured down my face, cutting tracks through the dirt and sweat.
I screamed. No words, just primal fear pouring out of me until my throat burned, my voice cracked, and nothing came out but a ragged wheeze.
A pounding rhythmic beat sounded in the distance.
What's that?
It grew louder.
"Help!" I forced the word out through my shredded throat.
I rolled my head back, searching the darkness beyond the firelight, but saw nothing.
The pounding grew louder. Steady. Fast.
Hoofbeats.
Oh my . That's a horse.
"Mitch!" His name came out as a sob. "Mitch, help!"
A few of the dingoes' heads snapped toward the sound, ears pricking forward. They glanced between me and the approaching noise. One released a short, sharp bark. A warning.
Hope blazed in my chest. Wild, impossible hope.
"Mitch! I'm here!"
Zeus exploded into the firelight.
The horse was enormous, all muscle and speed, and he didn't slow down. He charged straight into the pack, and a dingo was crushed under his hooves. The others scattered, yelping, scrambling over each other to get away. The alpha let go of the shirt, and as he fell, Zeus's back hoof caught him square in the ribs. The impact made a sickening thud. The dog hit the ground hard, then lurched to its feet and scampered into the shadows.
Zeus skidded to a stop directly beneath me, sides heaving, foam flecking his neck.
Mitch stood in the stirrups, reaching for me. "Charlie!" His voice cut through everything.
His arm locked around my waist. "I've got you." His voice was pure steel. "Let go, Charlie. I've got you."
I couldn't make my hands obey. My fingers were cramped and frozen. "I'll fall," I gasped.
"No, you won't." His arm tightened, taking my weight. "Let go. I won't let you fall."
I forced my ankles to slip free of the branch first. Mitch caught me, and his arms were iron bands across my ribs.
"That's it. I've got you. Let go now." His calm tone cracked through my senses.
My fingers screamed in protest as I released my grip. I dropped into Mitch's arms. He pulled me against his bare chest, and I sat sideways across his lap, my side pressed against his bare chest as he embraced me in his warmth. The tattered remains of his shirt hung from my shoulders, barely holding together.
"I've got you," he said again, quieter this time, his breath warm against my ear.
Around us, the dingo pack circled closer, regrouping. A low snarl rose from the alpha.