All I really wanted was to know Shadow's true identity and why he seemed so intent on keeping me safe from invisible dangers.
I was in the middle of making dinner when it all went down.
Nothing too fancy—just some pasta and sauce after another exhausting day at the clinic. Shadow was sprawled out in his usual spot by the kitchen door, those golden eyes of his tracking my every move. Lately, it felt like he was glued to my side, following me from room to room like my own furry bodyguard.
So there I was, with a pot of boiling water on the front burner, steam curling up into the air. I reached across the stove for the salt shaker, stretching a bit too much, you know?
And then—bam! My elbow caught the pot handle.
Time slowed down in that awful way it does when you know something bad is about to happen. The pot tipped, and twenty pounds of scalding water went rushing toward me. I had maybe half a second to realize what was happening before it hit my chest and arms.
I was about to get burned. Badly. Like, hospital bad.
Then, out of nowhere, Shadow sprang into action.
I didn't even see him get up. One moment, he was lounging by the door, and the next, he was flying through the air, diving between me and the torrent of hot water. His big body slammed into me, knocking me sideways and out of harm's way.
The boiling water splashed down right where I'd been standing.
We crashed into the kitchen island together, Shadow's weight pinning me against the cabinets. For a split second, we just stayed there, both of us stunned. My heart raced as the reality of what nearly happened sunk in.
"Oh my God," I gasped, glancing at the puddle of water and scattered pasta on the floor. Steam was rising from the tiles. "That could have—"
I looked down at Shadow, still pressed against me, his body quivering a bit. His fur was damp from the steam, but he looked okay. Those golden eyes locked onto mine, and I felt this tightness in my chest.
"You saved me," I whispered, almost in disbelief.
But as the shock faded, a flood of questions rushed in. How did he move so fast? He'd been lying down, all relaxed, at least eight feet away. No dog should be able to cover that distance and shove me out of the way in the blink of an eye.
It didn't make any sense.
Shadow stepped back, giving me room to breathe. I couldn't stop staring at him—really seeing him for the first time in days.
He was bigger than I realized. I mean, easily a hundred pounds or more. Those legs of his were long, his chest broad. And the way he moved? There was something almost human about it. Like he knew exactly what he was doing.
"What kind of dog are you?" I asked softly, genuinely curious.
He tilted his head, and honestly, it felt like he was really pondering how to respond.
I shook my head. Ridiculous, right? He was just a clever dog with quick reflexes. Maybe he'd been trained as some sort of protection animal before I found him. That could explain his odd behavior, the way he seemed to notice everything, and the almost human-like intelligence in his eyes.
"Come on," I said, reaching for the mop in the closet. "We've got to clean this up before someone slips."
But as I soaked up the water and gathered the pieces of the broken pot, I couldn't shake this nagging feeling that I'd just seen something that didn't quite add up. The timing was too perfect. The speed? Well, that was something else entirely.
Shadow was sitting nearby, just watching me. When I caught his gaze, he quickly looked away, like a kid who'd just been caught doing something they shouldn't.
"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" I murmured, half to myself.
His ears perked up, but he still wouldn't meet my eyes.
Later that night, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, I replayed those few seconds in my head. The way Shadow had moved—so fast, so precise. Sure, dogs are known for having good reflexes, but this was beyond that.
It sent chills down my spine, a mix of unease and wonder.
From the spare room, I could hear Shadow shifting around, restless. It was like he couldn't settle either. Maybe he was just as shaken by what had happened as I was.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to drift off to sleep, but my mind kept racing with questions I wasn't sure I was ready to answer.
What kind of dog could move like that?
And why did I have this growing feeling that Shadow wasn't just a dog?