Page 125 of A Crown Without Mercy

“I did, and I have a gift for you.”

“Oh boy,”she chuckled to herself. “I can’t wait to see what it is.”

She sat up and he cupped the back of her head with his hand and pulled her in for a kiss. She heard what sounded like a whine and pulled away.

“Your gift,” he said as he handed her the puppy from behind his back.

She looked up at him with a radiant smile. “You got me a puppy?”

“Yes. And it was filthy,” he replied.

She held it up and then tucked it against her chest and caressed its head. “Where did you get her?”

“Him, and I found it in a market.”

“He’s shivering, the poor thing.” She sat on the edge of the bed and stroked its back.

“I have a feeling I am going to regret this,” Riordan said.

“Well, I will never regret it.”

She scooted back and set him down and it shook its ragged body, wagged its tail, and whimpered.

“He’s so skinny, we need to feed him.”

Riordan raised an eyebrow. “And what are we to feed the mongrel?”

“Is there goat’s milk anywhere we can warm up and maybe some bits of meat? He might be old enough to eat solid food.”

“The servants can come up with something.”

Sylvana handed Riordan the puppy while she slipped her silk robe on. “I’ll go to the servants’ kitchen.”

“No need. I will have them bring it.” He handed the pup back to Sylvana and reached out telepathically.

It wasn’t long before there was a soft knock on the door; he walked over and motioned for the young lady to enter. “Milord, you wanted warm milk in a bowl and some meat?” she asked, sounding confused.

Sylvana smiled. “It’s for my puppy, not Rio.”

She placed the bowls down and Sylvana put the pup in front of them and he drank and ate as if he had not fed in days. “The poor baby is starving.”

Riordan sat on the edge of the bed, watching Sylvana, who seemed to be enthralled with him. After he finished eating, Riordan looked at the servant. “Take him to our stable. He can sleep there.”

“Absolutely not,” Sylvana protested. “He’s sleeping with us.”

“Say again?”

“Rio, he’s tired, he’s scared, and he needs a warm body.”

“And where, exactly, do you plan on him sleeping?”

“With us, he’s clean after all,” she teased.

“I will not be sharing my bed with that thing.”

“Rio, please.”

He rolled his eyes and picked up a blanket, folded it neatly and set in on the floor next to the bed. “I will allow it in our chamber, but not in our bed.”

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