General was making impatient noises, nudging the female dog along. Caroline watched the pregnant Samoyed and couldn't imagine how tough it must be to carry pups in the apocalypse. She dug into her storage and pulled out some pre-apocalypse pet treats. Then, something hilarious happened. She hadn't even opened the bag yet, but suddenly, all eyes were on her. The mutant dogs around them stepped forward, almost in sync. Even Raven and Snow straightened up, looking like little soldiers, all ready for handouts. Those eager eyes made Caroline feel a little guilty for just holding the bag. And General, who had been nudging his partner nonstop, now stared straight at the treats in her hand. Then, in the quiet, Caroline could swear she heard dripping. Looking up, she spotted a giant mutant Rottweiler—at least ten feet tall—drooling like a busted faucet. Even normal Rottweilers drooled a lot. Now? Each drop could probably wash her hair. Sitting right under him, a tiny toy poodle was soaked from head to toe. The poodle didn't seem to care at all. It just stared at Caroline. "Uh ... " Instantly, Caroline felt awkward. One bag of snacks wasn't going to satisfy all those mutant dogs. "Caroline, looks like you've got the pack glued to you." Denton snickered beside her. He couldn't help it. Once, wearing the rat king's hide in a rat swarm, he pulled out a sausage for Pinky. Two seconds later, hundreds of eyes were locked on it, all laser-focused. Back then, Denton had felt exactly what Caroline felt now. She looked at the pack closing in. Some were fancy breeds, probably abandoned when the apocalypse hit or escaped after mutating. Others were strays, some even bearing old injuries. And they'd all rushed in with General to save her. Caroline sighed. She had zero defense against those little ones.Grinning, she pulled out a few more treat bags and some meat dog food from the storage space. She couldn't guarantee everyone would be full, but at least everyone could taste some pre-apocalypse goodness and get a decent meal. Maybe, through the food, the dogs who once had homes could remember a slice of better days. "You rescued us. That makes you our friend. Friends deserve good treats." Even without General's pack, Caroline's team could have handled those fire-ability users easily. But out here, survival was always a gamble. Still, General led his mutant dogs, facing down more than a dozen other mutants to protect them. That was rare and precious. Caroline gently rubbed Samoyed's fluffy head. The soft fur was pure comfort—way better than Raven's short, bristly coat. After eating, the Samoyed finally relaxed, wagging her tail like crazy. Caroline made sure General and the Samoyed got extra, stuffing them well. She also added a bit of spring water to the Samoyed's food, hoping she'd have healthy, cute pups. While the Samoyed ate, General leaned in, licking her neck tenderly and acting like a doting husband. General actually dotes on his wife! He spoiled his wife big time. Even though Caroline gave them the same food, General picked up meat from his own bowl and carried it over to the Samoyed. The Samoyed nudged her own bowl, like saying, "You eat too." Caroline scooted aside, hoping Raven might take a lesson. But Raven and Snow were at the back, wrestling over a piece of chicken like it was treasure. Raven caught Caroline's look, chomped the meat in one bite, then trotted over with his tail wagging, looking smug. He dropped the chicken at her feet, as if saying, "Here, human, this is yours." Caroline was speechless.Fine then. Let them be. Love can't be forced. It's better to let it grow wild and natural.