18 Floors Above the Apocalypse



Stella was fretting. Cooper had always been the aloof type, unmoved by Luna's fervent pursuit and only allowing Buddy to hang around as a sidekick despite his multiple attempts to buddy up. But now, he had given away his favorite steaming chicken leg to a wolf.Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

Emotions came too fast, like a tornado. Stella was on pins and needles. If it was a she-wolf, would Cooper become so smitten that he'd forget his own family, or worse, be lured away? And if it was a he-wolf... well, the real concern was the tail end of the matter.

Jasper didn't even know what to say to her, "Why are you worrying so much?" If Cooper really set his heart on leaving, there was no stopping him. Everyone understands the big picture, but who can understand an old mother's heart? Jasper was caught between laughter and tears, "You're just overthinking it."

Forget it, they were both getting on in years. Let him do what he wants, as long as he's happy. Stella said she wouldn't interfere, but her gaze still followed Cooper everywhere. He started going out more often, coming home later and later. The first thing he did when he got home was to curry favor with the poop-scooper, ears back, tail wagging energetically.

Stella was worried, but she could tell he was happy. A far cry from when he was cooped up at home, his eyes now sparkled with joy. Stella felt a twinge of sadness. If not for the disaster, he might have had a happier and freer life.

At first, Snowflake kept its distance, but as it got to know Cooper better, it began to approach the house, appearing a few hundred meters away. Cooper's outings went from once every few days to every day, sometimes even twice a day...

Stella sat atop a snowdrift, quietly observing her surroundings. Aside from Snowflake, she saw no other animals or human tracks. It probably survived on its own strength.

After a month, a blizzard suddenly struck the Arctic. Snowflakes as big as feathers filled the sky, and the howling wind was relentless. Cooper was restless, pacing by the door. He wanted to go out. Usually, his whims were tolerated, but in a storm like this, he'd be blown away. Stella wouldn't allow it. After being scolded twice, Cooper finally settled down, curling up in his bed with a sulky demeanor.

Stella watched him for a long time, and only when she was sure he had given up did she go back inside to nap. She was sleeping fitfully when a loud noise woke her. It sounded like the door had been blown open by the blizzard, and things inside the house were falling over. Stella and Jasper sprang to action. Snowflakes whirled in, stinging their eyes. Stella turned her back to the blizzard, grabbed a pair of ski goggles from Arcadia, and wrapped herself in a heavy overcoat.

Even the dog bed was blown away, and the dog was nowhere to be seen. Rosie frantically searched every corner for the dog, while Stella and Jasper struggled to close the door. The wind was fierce, making it difficult to shut the outward-opening door. They had to go outside to pull it closed...

"Bro, Sis, Cooper's gone, he might have bolted." Stella felt like she was hemorrhaging internally. Not only was the door closed, but it was bolted from the inside, and yet that damn dog... Having a clever but rebellious dog was not necessarily a good thing. What now? If they didn't look for him, he might die out there. If they went looking, they might not make it back themselves. At that moment, she felt like slaughtering him.

"Woof!" In the distance, Cooper's bark could be heard. The wind was too loud to tell if it was near or far. Stella clung to the door to keep stable. Through the blizzard, she could just make out two figures approaching. That damn dog was bringing Snowflake back. Trying not to scare them, Stella suppressed her anger, "Cooper, come here."

Snowflake paced back and forth, wanting to flee from humans. Desperate, Cooper lunged and bit its neck, dragging it forcibly back... Snowflake didn't resist but cautiously allowed itself to be pulled. Step by step, they got closer. The blizzard roared like a demon, the world a blur of swirling snow, and the cold wind felt like needles piercing into the skin, freezing the body...

Upon reaching the container, Snowflake suddenly tried to escape, but Cooper clung to its neck, dragging it inside. A dog had brought a wolf home. What could Stella possibly say? First things first, close the door. After much effort, they managed to close both doors and bolt them shut! The howling winds and snow were shut out, and the world finally fell silent.

After being battered by the blizzard for several minutes, Stella's ears rang, her heart felt uneasy, and she gasped for breath. But she couldn't worry about that now, her gaze instinctively shifting to Snowflake. Snowflake retreated to a corner, its amber eyes cold and fierce, watching the trio with bared sharp teeth. Sensing its murderous intent, Cooper charged and pinned it down, firmly biting Snowflake's throat and growling menacingly.

The dog and wolf exchanged words, incomprehensible to Stella, but it seemed like Cooper was threatening and warning Snowflake. It appeared to have a grip on Snowflake's throat but wasn't biting down hard, and Snowflake didn't resist, retreating to the corner without baring its teeth again. Cooper approached Stella, ears back, tail wagging. Stella, still furious, feared she might lash out with a whip and kill him on the spot. The blizzard had made a mess of the house, everything in disarray.

Pleasing the poop-scooper was futile, so Cooper turned to the trainer, making pitiful sounds. Jasper, stuck in the middle, was at a loss for words. They could handle their own dog behind closed doors, but now there was a wolf in the house. Jasper eyed Snowflake warily, then frowned, "It looks like... it's pregnant." Thin with a swollen belly, it was either sick or pregnant.

Stella's head spun as she confirmed Snowflake vas le, then turned to Cooper with a murderous look, "Cooper, did you do this?" Jasper nearly choked on his words... Cooper didn't know how to defend himself, just kept wagging his tail, trying to ingratiate himself with Stella.

"Smiling?" Stella exploded, grabbing his ear and starting to smack him, "You got her pregnant, and you have the nerve to smile?" The ungrateful wretch! After ten years of presumed celibacy, Cooper had made Snowflake pregnant. What a feat!

While Cooper got his punishment, Snowflake snarled, showing a menacing intent to leap to his defense. Well, well, one risked their neck out there searching, and the other flexed muscles on human turf, showing a bond so tight they've got each other's backs. When Snowflake gets feisty, Cooper instantly snaps back-Zip it, will ya!

Annoyed as she might be, Stella

et

can't really kick the she-wolf to the curb now, can she? Thinking about Cooper's recent antics, he's been nothing short of lovesick. If she boots the she-wolf now, who's to say Cooper won't just bolt after her? What Stella doesn't realize is that she's coming off like the classic vindictive matriarch of some old-money dynasty, short of slapping a five million dollar check in Snowflake's face and saying, "Take the cash and scram, and never show your face to my son again."

Honestly, no one saw this thing spiraling to where it is today. Stella figured Cooper needed a pal because he was getting lonesome. Sure, find a wolf to hang with, have at it, just as long as they get along without getting hurt. But look at that, now they've played for keeps. And the kicker? They've only known each other for a little over a month, and already there's a slight bump showing on Snowflake. Stella's got

every reason to suspect that

Cooper's just a big, soft sucker

caught in the middle of it all. So freaking annoying!