So, there I was, staring at a pile of stitches on my kitchen floor.
They weren't loose. Not pulled. Just... sitting there neatly next to Shadow's water bowl, almost like he'd taken them out himself.
"What the heck?" I murmured, kneeling down to pick them up.
Shadow was by the window, watching me, tail thumping lazily against the floor. He looked so innocent. Almost too innocent.
"Shadow, come here."
He padded over, and I gently turned him to check his side. My breath hitched.
The wound was gone.
Not healing. Not mostly healed. Just... gone. Where there should have been a nasty gash stitched up carefully, there was nothing but smooth, healthy pink skin beneath his thick fur.
No scar. Nothing.
"This can't be happening," I whispered, running my fingers over the spot.
His skin twitched under my touch, but he didn't pull away. If anything, he leaned into my hand, making a sound that was almost a purr.
Dogs don't purr, but Shadow had a way of doing things that dogs just don't.
I sat back on my heels, staring at him, trying to wrap my head around it all. It had only been five days since I found him.
Five days! Even with the best care, that kind of wound should've taken weeks to heal, and it definitely shouldn't have healed without leaving a trace.
"You're not normal, are you?" I said softly.
His golden eyes locked onto mine, and for a second, I could've sworn he understood every word. Like he was trying to tell me something important.
Then my phone buzzed. It was Maya.
"Hey, girl! How's your patient doing?"
I glanced at Shadow, who was still watching me with those intelligent eyes. "He's... better. Much better."
"Good! I was worried you'd gotten attached to another stray. You know how you are."
Oh, I knew all right. I had a habit of collecting broken things and trying to fix them. Always had. But Shadow? He wasn't broken anymore. Maybe he never was.
"Maya, can I ask you something weird?"
"Is it weirder than you talking to animals all day? Shoot."
"Have you ever heard of animals healing super fast? Like, impossibly fast?"
There was a pause. "Are we talking about your dog?"
"Maybe."
"Look, some animals do heal faster than others. Good nutrition, youth, strong immune systems."
"No, I mean really fast. Like, stitches just falling out after five days because the wound completely vanished."
Another pause, longer this time. "That's not normal, honey. Are you sure you're remembering the injury correctly? Sometimes when we're stressed or tired."
"I'm not imagining things." My voice was sharper than I meant it to be. "I know what I saw."
"Okay, okay. I believe you. Maybe take some pictures next time, for your records."
Next time? Like I was planning on finding more mysteriously healing animals. Yeah, right.
After hanging up, I sat cross-legged on the floor, studying Shadow.
He had moved closer while I was on the phone, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from him.
He was always warm, way warmer than any dog should be.
"What are you?" I asked him quietly.
He tilted his head, ears perked, listening.
I reached out slowly, letting my fingers glide through his fur. It was softer than it looked, thick and shiny.
Under my touch, I could feel the steady rhythm of his heart strong and steady.
Nothing about him suggested any injury or illness now. He was perfect.
Too perfect.
A memory flickered back something my grandmother used to say when I was little. "Some things aren't meant to be understood, Aria. They're meant to be accepted."
I always thought she was talking about faith or love or some abstract ideas. But sitting here with Shadow, feeling the impossible warmth of his completely healed body, I wondered if she meant something else entirely.
"I should probably find your owner," I said, though the words felt wrong coming out. "Someone's probably looking for you."
Shadow's ears flattened against his head, and he made a soft whining sound the first hint of distress I'd heard from him since that first night.
"You don't want to go home?"
He pressed closer, resting his massive head in my lap. The weight was comforting, solid, and real. His eyes closed, and I could feel the tension leaving his body like he was telling me this was home.
And even with everything that didn't make sense, the impossible healing, those too-smart eyes, and the way he seemed to get every word I said, I couldn't help
I wanted to believe this was where he belonged.
With me.
Even if I didn't understand what he really was.