Lifeline

Elara POV

I sat frozen in the hard plastic chair of the pet hospital waiting room, my phone pressed tight against my ear. My hand shook so badly the plastic casing rattled against my cheek. I was still numb from the head nurse’s frantic warning. Just minutes ago, she had pulled me away from the bloody gurney with wide, terrified eyes. *He’s not a dog, Elara,* she had whispered, her voice trembling