Puppy vs ear

I tried the steering wheel. It felt a little stiff, but it still functioned. Hail the mighty Blue Beetle. I found a parking space and pulled into it. The puppy's barks became ferocious growls again. "Mavra wouldn't need a dark alley. She's got some serious talent for veils. She could be sitting on the hood and we might not see her."
Thomas licked his lips, keeping his eyes on the parking lot. "You think she's come to town for you?"
"Sure, why not. I cheated her out of destroying the sword Amoracchius, and she was an ally of Bianca's up until I killed her. Plus we're at war. I'm surprised she hasn't shown up before now."
"Christ on a crutch. She spooks the hell out of me."
"Me too." I bent over and reached beneath the driver's seat. I felt a fuzzy tail, grabbed it, and drew the puppy out as gently as I could. It was the insane little notched-eared pup. He ignored me, still growling, and started shaking his head back and forth violently. "Good thing we had a stowaway. Vamp might have gotten us both."
"What's that he's got in his mouth?" Thomas asked.
The puppy lost hold of whatever he was savaging, and it landed on the floor of the Beetle.
"Ugh," I said. "It's that vamp's ear. Holy water must have burned it right off."
Thomas glanced down at the ear and turned a bit green. "It's moving."
The puppy snarled and batted at the wriggling bit of rotted ear. I picked it up as lightly as I could and tossed it out. The grey-and-black puppy was evidently satisfied with that course of action. He sat down and opened his mouth in a doggie grin.
"Nice reflexes, Harry," Thomas said. "When that vamp came at you. Real nice. Faster than mine. How the hell did you manage that?"
"I didn't. I was trying to feel out this little nuisance after he started growling. I felt the vamp coming a couple seconds before it jumped me."
"Wow," Thomas said. "Talk about strokes of luck."
"Yeah. It's sort of a first for me."
The pup abruptly spun, facing the direction the vampire had fled. He growled again.
Thomas went rigid. "Hey, Harry, you know what?"
"No, what?"
"I'm thinking we should get indoors."
I picked up the puppy and scanned the darkness, but saw nothing. "Discretion is the better part of not getting exsanguinated," I said. "Let's go."


Blood Rites Chapter 3, Page 22-23