Once Natalie and Cassian had left, Roderick, who had been hanging around nearby, hurried over. Cassian had already cleared him to come and go, so opening the gate was no problem. But the second he stepped into the yard, Lucky, who had been munching in the pet room, went on full alert. She shot out and planted herself firmly in the doorway. The moment Roderick pushed the door open, a massive white blur slammed him flat on his back, ears ringing with loud, ferocious growls. Roderick scrambled, panic written all over his face. "I-it's me!" "Ow?" Lucky tilted her head, staring down at the man pinned beneath her paws. Ah, this is Hottie's sidekick. Relaxing, she stepped back. For a moment, she'd thought the intruder their master warned them about had finally arrived. False alarm. "Ow, ow!" Sorry! With a half-hearted huff, Lucky trotted back into her room to keep eating, not even glancing at him. Baron and Cash had followed her out, but after a quick look at Roderick, they went back to their food. Nothing was more important than eating. Roderick groaned, rubbing his sore back as he pushed himself up. Getting tackled the second he walked in had nearly scared him to death. Aren't dogs supposed to recognize friendly faces? Why did that silly mutt act like I was some intruder?Or maybe she just didn't care to remember my scent. Still rubbing his waist, he shut the door behind him. "Lucky! Cash! Baron!" He called again as he moved further inside. "Come on, you three. You're coming with me!" Nothing but silence. Peeking into the pet room, he found them all engrossed in their feast. He'd seen them like this before, but it never failed to amaze him: a giant rabbit, a phoenix-colored rooster, and a bulldog built like a lion—totally defying everything he thought he knew about pets. Even knowing they wouldn't attack, he lingered at the doorway, careful not to step on their turf. "Hey, you three," he coaxed, "why not come with me? I'll take you to your master." Lucky ignored him, focused on her lamb shank. Their master would be back soon; no need for an outsider to escort them. Baron was too busy tearing into a chicken drumstick. Only Cash paused, pecking at corn while giving Roderick a hard stare. Roderick swallowed. These pets ate better than he did. Any other survivors would probably kill for a chance at this spread. Thank goodness he'd eaten breakfast, or his stomach would be growling by now. Shaking his head to focus, he tried again. "Little—uh, I mean, big cuties, why not set that aside for a bit and come with me to find your master?" Lucky flicked her head impatiently, turned her back, and kept chewing. Roderick froze, unsure what to do. He'd never had pets before. Usually, pets could be bribed with food. But these three were eating better than he ever could. With Lucky literally giving him her back, he turned to the giant rabbit. "Baron, maybe you—" Before he could finish, Baron dropped his drumstick and let out a deafening snarl. Then, like a gorilla, he pounded his chest, each strike making his rippling abs look even more menacing. Roderick instinctively stepped back. Holy crap, that's terrifying. Left with no options, he looked to the rooster still staring him down. "Uh ... Cash, maybe you could—" Cash swallowed a kernel of corn, flapped his wings, and launched straight onto Roderick's head, landing in a dramatic one-legged pose like some circus performer. Roderick froze, speechless. Of all the obstacles today, he never imagined the hardest part would be here—with the pets. Maybe I should wait until they finish eating. No way—there's no time. Can I force them? His eyes darted to the mountain-sized Lucky and muscle-packed Baron. Nope. Not happening. With a heavy sigh, he muttered, "Mr. Holland thinks of everything, but somehow forgot to warn me about these three?" They were way too smart and completely ignored him. After pacing for a moment, an idea struck. Clearing his throat, he called out, "Fine, stay here if you want! But I heard Olivia and the others just got some once-in-a-lifetime gourmet food, and they invited your master to come try it ... " The three pets, who had been ignoring him completely, all snapped their heads up. Lucky even dropped her lamb shank. "Ow, ow, ow?" Wait! They're sneaking delicious food behind my back again? Still remembering the strawberry snack incident, she leapt to her feet and charged for the door. "Ow, ow!" Let's go, let's go, let's go! The other two, seeing their boss moving, quickly followed her out.