Cecily POV

As soon as I turned around, the wolf-like dog barked once and jumped the fence. A moment later, it jumped the fence once again, this time with my backpack hanging from its mouth.

Quickly grabbing the bag from the dog's mouth, I unzipped the bag and saw the pup looking up at me with what I could have sworn was a worried expression and a low whimper.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" I exclaimed, picking it up from the backpack and gently setting it on the floor. I had thrown it to save its life but couldn't help but feel guilty-- the impact had to have hurt.

The pup continued letting out a high pitch whine and took a few steps toward the other dog, slightly limping as it took care not to put too much pressure on its right leg. The bigger dog immediately closed the distance and began licking the puppy's head and gently nudging it with its snout. With that, the puppy's demeanor changed as its tail began wagging and it let out a little yip.

"Well, I guess my thought that you two look alike must be accurate. You the puppy's mom?" I asked, dropping to the floor in exhaustion and holding my long brown hair away from my neck to cool down. At the comment, the dog's entire body jerked back and it let out a loud huff.

"Okay, I'm guessing not. Though there's no way you could have understood my question..." I said, immediately confused as to how it seemed like the dog had understood me and responded. But there was no way... right? Or was I also greatly underestimating this dog's intelligence?

Shaking it off, I begrudgingly let my hair fall against my back and got back on my feet. I still had a ten-minute walk to my apartment and I was beyond exhausted.

"Well, now that you found your family, guess you don't need my help anymore" I told the puppy, inwardly a little upset that I wouldn't be taking it home. Now I would need to think of another way to get around writing the stupid philosophy essay.

"Well... bye," I awkwardly waved at the duo as I collected my backpack off the ground and began walking toward my apartment.

Not even ten steps later I noticed movement on my right and turned to see the dog walking next to me while holding the puppy by its scruff. I stopped walking and the dog immediately stopped and turned to look at me.

"Are you following me?" I asked it, getting no response as the dog just continued to stare at me. Putting my face in my hands, I was about to open my mouth when I heard sirens in the distance. As I stood there, the sound continued to get progressively louder.

"Oh crap..." I said exasperatedly as a cop car turned the corner and drove toward where I was standing with the dogs. It had just dawned on me that I had been screaming throughout the previous ordeal. Someone must have called the cops.

As I stood there, unsure of what to do, the cop stopped not too far away and exited the car.

"Are you alright, miss? We got a call regarding screaming being heard in the area" the cop asked as he approached me.

As he got closer, I could hear a light rumble coming from the dog next to me.

"Shhh!" I hissed under my breath as the cop stopped a few feet away.

I turned toward the cop with a big smile plastered across my face and quickly nodded my head.

"Everything is fine officer, thank you for your concern! I just had a bit of a scare earlier and can get pretty loud," I told him, ending my sentence with an awkward chuckle. I immediately groaned internally and wanted to smack my hand against my forehead. This is exactly why I didn't like to talk to strangers.

The cop nodded his head slowly, giving me a quizzical look.

"Well... glad you're alright. Might I know what the screaming was about?"

Shuffling my feet, I looked down at the dogs by my side before looking back at the cop.

"I was chased by a neighborhood dog but it didn't hurt me so there's no problem."

The cop immediately furrowed his brows and looked down at the dogs next to me. "Did these dogs attack you?" he asked, immediately moving to a more defensive stance.

"No no!" I quickly shouted, raising my hands defensively. "These dogs saved me. The dog in question ran off a while ago."

Seeming to relax a fraction, the cop continued to eye the dogs. "Are these your dogs? They should be leashed at all times."

"Oh! They're not mine," I stated as I took a step away from the dogs as if to prove my point.

"Well, they're not wearing collars, so I'll have to call animal control. Can't have such a big dog walking around loose in the neighborhood," he said as he reached for the phone in his belt.

At that moment, the puppy let out a low whine and the dog quickly closed the gap between us, practically sitting on my white sneakers.

As I looked down at the dogs now at my feet, I felt a tang of pity for them. I knew what happened to a lot of dogs when they were taken to the pound and the dog had saved my life.

Already mentally kicking myself, I quickly looked at the officer while placing my hand on the dog's head. "A-actually, they are my dogs!" I proclaimed, trying to act natural as I caressed the dog's head.

The cop stopped mid-dial and looked at me with an exasperated look.

"You just said they weren't yours?"

"I-I was afraid of getting in trouble for not having them on a leash, so I lied," I blurt out, wanting to rip out my hair. What if I really got in trouble now? I needed the day to be over ASAP!

The cop let out a sigh and put his phone back on his belt. "Well, I'll let you off with a warning this time but next time, don't lie to an officer," he warned, looking at me for a few seconds more before turning back to his car.

"Better head on home if you don't have a leash on you. I'm going to be patrolling the area for a little longer."

Not having to be asked twice, I immediately thanked the officer and began speed walking home while holding a handful of the dog's fur to make sure it went with me. I wasn't risking another problem.