Aegis (noun): a shield; protection

The haunting red eyes, a maelstrom of hunger and viciousness, circled the yard emanating a deathly aura. Razor-sharp focus trained on the unsuspecting toddler, stumbling innocently through the grass.

From four monstrous paws, emerged the coyote’s merciless claws. It was starving. It was insane. It was enchanted by the tantalizing piece of easy prey, ready to unleash the full extent of its predatory ancestry.

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Haunches tightened, it leapt.

The distance between them closed within seconds. Hurtling over the fence, the coyote bared its hungry fangs and—

Oomph!

A bundle of force rammed into its side, knocking it off its savage trajectory. Spotting the monster, the toddler screamed and scrambled to escape back into the house.

Suddenly boiling with white-hot fury, the coyote whipped around to find itself face to face with a snarling German shepherd.

Meeting again after eons of change and evolution, the two canines confronted each other from opposite sides, one a villain of humanity, and the other its best friend.