Page 124 of A Crown Without Mercy

Riordan kneeled down and moved a bit of debris to the side, and found a small puppy shivering in a corner. He picked it up by the scruff of its neck, held up and stared at it.

“Milord, what are you doing?” Klyn asked.

“I have no fucking idea,” he mumbled. After a moment of silent contemplation, he tucked the puppy beneath his cloak and stood.

Klyn laughed aloud and patted his shoulder. “A gift?”

“At least it’s breathing,” he replied.

“I assume this has everything to do with Sylvana?”

“I think it has to do with me losing my fucking mind,” Riordan replied.

Klyn smiled and laughed under his breath as he mounted his stallion and the other warriors looked at him with a questioning expression.

“Is Riordan okay?” Tobias chuckled.

“He has not lost his mind if it’s what you are thinking, only his heart.”

“The shit we will do for our mates,” Tobias replied as he kicked his stallion’s hindquarters.

Riordan, Tobias, and Klyn walked into the bathhouse and kicked their boots off. Once Riordan removed the saturated cloak, the ladies-in-waiting looked at each other, as if confused, when they noticed the small puppy tucked under his arm.

“Milord?” one of them said curiously.

“Would you like us to take care of it?” the other asked.

“No.” He sat the puppy on the ledge and the three of them hopped into the pool and washed the stench off their bodies.

Tobias sank into the water, leaned against the edge, and one of the ladies handed him a drink. “You’re not going to take the filthy thing to your chamber, are you?”

“Yes, after I clean it up.” He lifted the puppy above his head and then washed him off in the warm water.

“This is a sight I never thought I would witness.” Klyn laughed.

Tobias slid over and held out his hand, and Riordan handed him the puppy. “Based on the size of those paws, he is going to be rather large.”

“Let me see the scraggly little thing,” Klyn said.

Tobias handed it to him and he, too, held it up. “I hope you realize this is not an ordinary puppy.”

“How the hell am I supposed to know what an ordinary puppy is?”

Tobias and Klyn laughed aloud. “I believe this is a Dire Wolf,” Klyn said.

Riordan took the puppy back and stared at it. “What the hell would it be doing in the market?”

Klyn shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows? It may have gotten separated from its pack, and was scavenging for food?”

Riordan rose from the water and one of the ladies held his robe open when he walked up the steps. “Whatever it is, I’m committed now.”

“Leaving so soon?” Tobias asked.

“Yes. My mate is in bed and hopefully she’s naked,” he joked.

He ran his hand down Sylvana’s shoulder. “Wake up, darling.”

She rolled onto her back and held her hand out. “Did you just get back?” she mumbled.

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