"What the fuck did I do, you bastards?!" Tasha screamed, her voice raw and ragged. Her eyes could be seen burning, not just from the wind and dust kicked up by the beasts, but from the sting of helpless tears she hadn't realized were welling up.
She shouted at the creatures as if her fury could reach them, as if her words could claw past their monstrous instincts and strike something human. But they didn't falter. Not even a blink. Just endless growls and snapping jaws, like wolves mocking a rabbit for squealing.
Mid-scream, her voice cracked, splintered into a jagged sob that caught in her chest before tumbling out, uninvited.
The fury in her tone faltered. It thinned out, like a fire running out of fuel.
It no longer sounded like rage.
It sounded like someone begging the world to stop.
It sounded like fear given shape.
Then, out of the creeping hush that followed her broken cry came a voice, calm and cold, dripping with control.
"Will you do as I say now?"
