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It was shortly after Jace had left the grounds of the park that he realized the large canine hadn’t run off as he had first thought. The clicking of claws on the sidewalk; the rustling of bushes; a startled yelp at the sound of a car alarm; all this revealing that it was following him. This behavior led Jace to assume that it wasn’t wild, but was actually a stray. It was said they could be trained quite well due to their higher than normal intelligence among the canines. But it was a rarity due to their considerable size and strength.

A quick glance back showed the stray was standing almost fully upright, pressing itself against a telephone pole as if trying to hide its great bulk behind it. It might normally have been a comical sight, where it not for the soft whimpering and sad eyes that accompanied it. Jace turned away and continued on, trying to steel himself against the tugging on his heartstrings.

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