18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 615

Snowflake fumed silently, her pride stung. If her high-society mother-in-law hadn’t been present, she might have torn into her husband right then and there.

The four-legged mediator, though loyal, couldn’t help but side with those who had raised it on kibble and affection.

Snowflake stormed off home.

The dog trainer brought over a first aid kit to tend to the wounds of the battered German Shepherd.

The Shepherd lay despondent. Why was it always the one to get hurt?

Stella felt guilty, so she dug into her backpack and pulled out a box of freeze-dried beef liver as a peace offering.

The Shepherd perked up at the familiar scent, its eyes lighting up and its spirits visibly lifted.

Leaving the training ground, Stella found a quiet spot to sit.

She pulled Cooper into her lap, studying him silently.

Since moving to Griffith, she’d spent most of her time at sea. Though she did come home to cuddle her dog, it wasn’t quite the same.

She had transitioned from a young girl in full bloom to a woman in her thirties. No matter the skincare routine, the signs of passing years were inevitable.

Dogs, even more so, had shorter lifespans.

She examined Cooper carefully: his coat, his bones, his physique.

He had mutated, sure, and at first glance, he seemed in his prime, but he was getting older – the fur around his brows was starting to gray.

Stella felt a sudden surge of sadness and held Cooper tightly.

Cooper whined, as if complaining about her absence.

She was forever out and about, and Rosie was just as busy.

“I’m sorry, buddy, it’s been tough,” she murmured, stroking his head. “The holidays are coming. I’ll spend more time with you, I promise.”

Despite his age, Cooper was still a force to be reckoned with, dispatching the Shepherd with ease. The injuries were superficial at best.

“Why the jealousy? Ash is practically your son-in-law. If you want to be a granddad, you’ll need him to step up the game,” Stella reassured him as she tended to his wounds.

“You see, Snowflake is like a wolf – fiercely loyal to its mate. It won’t mess around. You’ve got it all wrong. It’s just a case of a mother-in-law growing fonder of her future son-in-law.”

Cooper, confused as ever, didn’t understand a word.

Stella sprinkled some pain relief powder on the wound before leading him back to the lodge.

The lodge was large, with rows of tents neatly arranged.

Just as Stella was about to inquire further, Cooper, picking up on a familiar scent, perked up his ears, cocked his head, and bolted, “Woof!”

“Lukas?” Stella said with surprise.

Cooper recognized the voice, even if Stella hadn’t.

In the few days since arriving at the base, the group hadn’t been idle, almost seeing all there was of Griffith.

And just as they were about to head out, they ran into Stella.

After some rest, they were still lean but looked much healthier, and they’d even managed to snag some semi-new clothes.

Bran had been thoughtful, preempting their needs with a supply drop.

Years had passed, and the changes in them were stark compared to the estate back home; one might think they’d been body-snatched.

Seeing Stella was a huge surprise, but encountering their former boss in Griffith was even more astonishing.

They’d bumped into Evan at the trade center the day before, who insisted on treating them to a meal, leading to a lengthy catch-up from old Griffith to the present, before he asked, “So, what are your plans going forward?”

Everybody has dreams for the future, but as military personnel and members of the Seed Project, their options were limited. They had scrambled to join the Kindle Society just to survive the cataclysm.

“It’s back, waiting at the port for unboxing and handover,” Stella said.

Thinking back on their six months of guerilla warfare, they felt a wave of emotion. The Kindle Chest had traveled thousands of miles across the ocean and was finally home.

“The chest is full of solar power equipment. Once installed and operational, it’ll drastically alleviate our power shortages,” Stella explained, painting a vision of a bright future, lit by their efforts.

Mentioning the Kindle Chest, Angela sighed, “To protect it, we lost a few of our own. They’ll never make it home.”

Not just them, but the other fallen members of the Seed Project.

They weren’t as fortunate, never seeing the hope that awaited at Hope Point.

“Life is unpredictable, and those who sacrificed themselves can be reported to the military. Their names will be etched on the Monument to the Fallen.”

The mood turned grave, and Stella quickly changed the subject. “How are you finding things here? Need anything?”

“Nothing. This place is a thousand times better than we imagined.”

In just a few days, even without seeking it out, they had learned of Stella’s current role.

Everywhere you look, it’s all about the General’s daughter and her accomplishments.

To be honest, they were still completely baffled. How did Stella suddenly end up being the big shot’s kid?

The disparity in their statuses was just too immense, and after being apart for so long, the three of them felt a bit awkward around each other. Except for Lukas, who was blissfully unconcerned, “Nina, are you really the General’s daughter?”

Cody and Lukas didn’t really know about her true background.

By the time they moved into the upscale New Town Villa neighborhood, Lillian and her daughter had already left.

Even after they reunited at the Kindle Society, Stella never brought it up.

Having grown up together, Stella didn’t hide the truth from them, “Yeah.”