Despite the wary glances and hushed conversations, Cassandra was undeterred. She had adopted Reggie from a wildlife‑rescue center after he’d been abandoned by an illegal owner, and their bond felt unshakable. Neighbors didn’t notice how Reggie’s muzzle softened when Cassandra spoke to him, or how he nudged her cheek with his cold nose as if reassuring her he was there.
A wolf, Cassandra believed, was the perfect companion in her modest home: quiet, clean, and never yapping like her neighbor’s tiny dog. Reggie had never hurt anyone who visited. If only her neighbors would stop their incessant, unwarranted warnings.