I slowly bend down and scoop up the little ball of fur. Biscuit shivers in my arms and buries her face under my arm.

“Stay down,” Silas hisses, his voice tinny and small from inside the helmet.

The dogs suddenly start howling as one, creating the most creepy atmosphere I’ve ever experienced. I swear the temperature drops by a few degrees and a chill runs down my spine.

Silas frowns and returns to petting Biscuit. “So,” he says abruptly, “have you given any thought to my proposal?”

Three days have passed, during which I’ll admit that I’ve been furiously trying to find out more about this mysterious man who popped up in the adoption centre.