Chapter 7

Clara knelt down and gently stroked Shadow's head, her fingers tracing the long scar along his back.

"His injury from that incident was too severe. He can't handle intense physical activity anymore, and that's why he had to retire."

Looking up at the crowd, she saw many people visibly moved. She straightened, raising her voice so everyone could hear.

"If a heroic dog like this can't have a normal life after retiring or just enjoy life in a regular home, then what kind of people are we? These military dogs aren't just tools. They're living creatures. They've saved more lives than most of us could in a whole lifetime!

"When I adopted Shadow, the officer who handed him over told me to take good care of him. Shadow was their comrade. Just like the soldiers, he went through harsh training and stood on the front lines of danger. Shadow deserves respect. He deserves a good life, not to be slandered by petty people!"

Trevor had still been live-streaming, hoping to stir up trouble. But seeing the crowd's unanimous support for Clara and hearing her impassioned words, he scrambled to shut down the stream.

After Clara finished speaking, the crowd erupted into applause. The young girl and the officer clapped the hardest, giving Shadow a thumbs-up.

Trevor slunk away, muttering under his breath. But even as he left, plenty of people cursed at him.

Shadow sat calmly beside Clara, panting lightly and completely unbothered by all the attention. There was no pride or arrogance in him, just quiet composure, which somehow made him even more endearing.

Clara crouched down once the crowd had dispersed, wrapping Shadow in a big hug. "Shadow, were you protecting me just now? You were amazing!"

Shadow gave her a look of mild annoyance and pawed her away, his enormous eyes glinting with just a hint of disdain. Yet after all the commotion, he refused to go back into the car.

Left with no choice, Clara led him up the building.

By then, Colin had finished his discussion with his boss and was ready to show Clara the apartment. She thought letting Shadow see the space would be a good idea. After all, he was going to be living there just as much as she was.

Because Clara had sold her apartment well below market value, the agency boss decided to buy it himself and then resell it at a better time. The contract was signed that very afternoon.

The apartment was in a prime spot and had tons of space. It'd been one of the city's hottest listings for years, usually going for just over 4.6 million dollars.

Clara let it go for two hundred thousand less, settling at roughly 4.4 million in the end.

After the contract was signed, the agency boss handed over the deposit on the spot and promised to finalize the transfer the next day.

With the deposit in hand and time still on her side, Clara decided to treat herself and Shadow. Their first stop was the nearest pet store.

Once she walked in, she told Shadow to check out the treats and toys and pick whatever he liked. Shadow didn't hold back. The moment she gave a little wave, he went on a full sweep. He selected all kinds of freeze-dried snacks, canned food, and dried chicken jerky, piling up an entire haul.

For every item he liked, Clara asked the store clerk how many were in stock and bought them all.

Shadow even picked out his own kibble. He stood in front of the big bins, sniffing left and right, then chose a few he liked.

As always, Clara told the shop owner she'd take everything they had.

But most pet stores didn't keep much in stock, so after visiting two or three places, she only managed to fill one car trunk worth of items.

And that's when Clara realized that Shadow was picky.

He only went for chicken and beef flavors, turning up his nose at cod, salmon, and other fish options. He only reluctantly picked two cans with a hint of salmon.

Looking at the trunk full of goods, she tapped Shadow on the head. "Shadow, being picky isn't good. We'll pick a variety of flavors at the next store, okay?"

Shadow ignored her completely and turned his big head away. It was clear that Shadow could be incredibly stubborn when it came to food!

So when they walked into the next store, Clara picked out a few tuna-flavored cans and treats for him. A little variety to spice up his monotonous lifestyle couldn't hurt. What if one day he got tired of eating nothing but chicken, beef, and venison?

People's tastes change, and who's to say a dog's wouldn't too?

Shadow was not thrilled. His big head sagged, his eyes rolled upward, and he looked at her as if saying, "I hate you."

Clara sighed. There was nothing she could do. Balanced nutrition was important.

"Picky kids aren't good kids. We're just buying a little, okay?" she coaxed. After several attempts, Shadow finally seemed a little happier.

When it came to toys, Clara noticed Shadow had a clear preference for plush ones. He adored every kind, no matter the shape. He even grabbed a brightly colored stuffed dog so ugly she almost couldn't look at it, and he carried it off the shelf like it was a treasure.

And some were so small they looked ridiculous dangling from his huge jaws.

But if he liked them, then they were coming home with them.

Over a few stores, Clara also bought more than twenty dog beds, making sure Shadow would have a comfortable place to sleep. Because she was buying so much, the stores threw in extra chew sticks and other small items as gifts.

That was when Clara remembered that dogs also needed their teeth cleaned.

And then there was the whole issue of bathing once the apocalypse hit. Shadow wouldn't be able to go to a pet store anymore, so Clara bought enough pet shampoo and toothpaste to last him a lifetime.

She also picked up five or six large pet hair dryers. After all, once the world went to chaos and Shadow grew even bigger through mutation, he might get wet in freezing temperatures. If his fur stayed damp, he could easily get sick.

After that came a bunch of miscellaneous items. By the time they'd made their way through over a dozen pet shops, Clara was happily stocked up.

Whenever the trunk overflowed, she tucked everything into her pocket dimension and kept going. After seven or eight trips, Shadow's supplies, food, and gear for surviving the apocalypse were all taken care of.

That was when Clara suddenly remembered the bathroom issue.

Shadow was going to need a bathroom setup, and so did she.

Once the apocalypse hit, she wouldn't be able to go outside. Water and electricity would eventually fail, which meant the toilet wouldn't work either.

So she had to figure out a different solution.

That was when she spotted the cat litter and pet pee pads in the store.