18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



Jasper's smirk twitched at Stella's words. "You're saying I'm not as good as Cooper?"

Memories flooded back-when he'd first met her and fallen for her, it was like being under a spell, his heart completely out of his control. Cooper was in the same boat now, a decade's worth of good behavior shot to hell in a day.

Stella couldn't help but laugh. Pot calling the kettle black. They were in the same mess; neither had the right to point fingers.

After all the hullabaloo, night had fallen. Stella's stomach growled, so she pulled out a feast fit for a king: braised pork shanks, river trout, stir-fried steak, chicken stewed with porcini mushrooms, vibrant green veggies, and steaming hot rice.

She sat down to dig in, conspicuously without a portion for Cooper. Cooper's stomach rumbled, and he sheepishly inched closer...

Thinking about the blizzard that had attacked their home, Stella had half a mind to knock him silly. But Cooper was a smooth operator. He kept nudging his head against her, playing every trick in the book to win her over. In the end, he conned his way into a big bowl of dog food.

Sensing Stella's displeasure, he didn't share with Snowflake this time, instead eating slowly beside her. Snowflake was initially resistant but couldn't resist the temptation, cautiously inching forward from the corner. One step, two steps, very carefully. It took several minutes to reach Cooper's side. The scoundrel dog gave up his food to Snowflake.

Rosie couldn't help but chuckle. Cooper was clearly banking on Stella's reluctance to let him starve, sure that she would sneak him some food later. Stella turned a blind eye, letting Snowflake eat the dog food.

After polishing off a bowl of rice, she stood to get more, but Snowflake mistook her intentions, thinking she was competing for food. Wolves are protective eaters, and in an instant, Snowflake was baring teeth. Cooper slapped him with a paw, "Behave!"

After disciplining his mate, he wagged his tail at his human. Snowflake took the bowl away, quietly eating. What could Stella do against a double- crossing scoundrel of a dog? She'd taken plenty of food, and there was a lot left over.

Stella got a new dog bowl from Arcadia, split the food evenly into two, added some rice, mixed it well, and pushed it towards them. "Eat up, don't accuse me of playing favorites."

She might be from a posh background, but she was no wicked stepmother; as long as the pups in Snowflake's belly were Cooper's, they wouldn't want for food and drink. Pregnancy quickened Snowflake's hunger, and she ate without reservation. This was the first time she'd filled her belly. Cooper hadn't lied; sticking with him meant never going hungry. Rosie cleaned up the dishes while Stella found a lock to secure the door from the inside, to keep the crafty dog from unlocking it in the middle of the night. Owing to someone meant eating out of their hand.

After feeding from Stella's table a few times, Snowflake's guard was lowered, and she dozed off in front of the stove. Stella, having never lived with wolves before, wasn't fond of those eyes. She bolted her bedroom door, still wary of the wolf outside.

Seeing Jasper as carefree as ever, Stella couldn't resist jabbing at him, "You don't seem to care about Cooper at all."

"How can you say that?" If he defended Cooper, it was said he hadn't trained him well. If he didn't, it was said he didn't care. It's tough being a man, tougher still to be a good one.

Stella had many virtues, but she was prone to worry. Natural disasters were unpredictable, and she always wanted to control everything, to provide absolute safety for herself and her family.

Cooper having a companion actually made Stella happiest. She was angry at his loss of control, worried he might be led astray or into danger. But who doesn't act rashly in love?

The blizzard showed no signs of stopping, and with food so scarce, the pregnant Snowflake might not survive. Cooper had brought her back, likely out of love and responsibility. Jasper comforted her.

Stella was still worried, "I'm afraid it'll get out of hand. We were lucky today, but what if Snowflake hadn't come alone?" What if she'd brought companions, or other survivors?

Jasper paused, "Don't you trust Cooper?"

"You've seen how rebellious he's been..." The more she spoke, the more upset she became.

"Let's observe a little longer. There's no need to jump to conclusions." Cooper had indeed been outrageous lately, starting with fights and escalating to feelings. Some were understandable. Even the

smartest dog is still a v

much of

its behavior is instinctual, and it can't be expected to think and reason like a human.

He reassured her, and Stella felt it made sense. Even with Cooper's high IQ, he was still on par with a young child, not understanding this complicated world. They'd keep an eye on him, and if more shenanigans ensued, it'd be solitary confinement.

They hardly slept, what with a wolf outside. A wolf that could survive in the Arctic was no fool. The night passed without incident, and Stella tiptoed out of bed, peering through the crack in the door to find the two huddled together in the doghouse.

Cooper was holding his mate, sleeping soundly. It was Snowflake who, sensing the stir inside, snapped open her eyes. Cold, murderous. Look at that -the difference between wolf and dog. Their own clumsy child was still dead to the world, drooling in his sleep.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

The wolf's gaze swept over, and seeing no movement in the room for a while, lay back on Cooper's head to continue feigning sleep. When Cooper woke up, the two heads nuzzled each other affectionately.

Oh boy, a face full of dog food first thing in the morning was more than enough for Stella. Was this the same aloof dog who'd been single for ten years? Had he been reborn, switched souls, or taken over by a system?

Stella crawled back into bed and started to nag, "Can you believe how he's changed? He's like a completely different dog."

The old saying rang true get a wife and forget your mother. Jasper couldn't help but laugh. "Are you mocking me?" He had been aloof because he hadn't met the right one. When fate struck, it was a chemical reaction.

Well, Stella thought, she was at a loss for words. Alright, maybe she was overreacting.

Opening the door, Cooper bounded over enthusiastically, tail wagging and urging Snowflake to come along. Snowflake was cautious but eventually shuffled forward. Her tail hung low, twitching awkwardly as if to say hello.

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Well, it looked like Cooper had his mate well in hand. Like a new bride being introduced to the family, Stella felt an unexpected comfort. No matter what, if Cooper could keep the lead in their relationship and minimize the danger, she wouldn't mind having an extra member in the house. The key was that Cooper couldn't go astray, as if possessed by another spirit.

Feeling generous, she whipped up a feast for the two canines-a pair of steaming, succulent chicken drumsticks fresh from the oven. The wolf was no fool; after a few hearty meals, it got the pecking order straight. With its belly full, the

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creature sidled up to Stella, its eyes losing some of their steely edge.

Wolves and dogs weren't the same beast, but they belonged to the same family tree, capable of crossbreeding. Heck, Stella was even starting to look forward to the pitter-patter of little wolf-dog pups.

Snowflake, on the other hand, was still on high alert, only venturing close when hunger pangs hit. The rest of the time, she kept her distance. Every so often, she would cast longing glances at the door, as if yearning for the freedom of the great outdoors...