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Boy puppies! The black-and-white Warlord with a splash of white on his s on his face raced toward Shaddo’s boys

Shaddo sworeThen he sith e

“Shaddo? What’s going on? Is it all right for the boys to be out?”

The Sceltie turned toward the sound of her voice and froze Dog and woman stared at each other

Soli smiled “Aren’t you the sweetest boy?”

The human boys were abandoned in a heartbeat The Sceltie launched hi in front of Soli, with one paw raised to shake—floating on air waist high

“Hello, there,” Soli said, holding the pahile she petted and cooed “What’s your name? Where did you come from?” She frowned a little “You’re Darcy from the Isle of Scelt?” She looked up at Shaddo, her eyes full of wonder “He talks?”

I talk, Darcy said proudly But only to my special humans

“Hell’s fire, Shaddo,” Archerr said, choking back a laugh “That sure looks like love at first sight to me I think you just adopted a furry boy-child”

“Who isnot going to be sleeping in our bed,” Shaddo growled But there was resigned hu to the boys “He’ll keep her coot another boy”

“Who is already trained to fight,” Ranon said quietly

The humor drained out of the other two men

He nodded in response to the unspoken question “It’s one step re is courtesy of Lucivar Yaslana—and one of the Scelties is an Opal-Jeweled Warlord Prince”

“Mother Night,” Archerr said softly

“Once Talon rises, we all need to talk about this For now, you two pass along the all clear, especially to Gray so he knows it’s safe for Cassidy to come back to the Residence I’ll try to explain this to the village elders”

Shaddo said, “Who would send us a pack of warriors?”

Ranon felt a knot of tension ease as he answered the question “The same person who understood e needed Cassidy”

CHAPTER 16

TERREILLE

Gray led the newest member of the household out to the corner of the yard that sheltered the pots containing the twelve honey pear seedlings Going down on one knee, he waited for the Sceltie to join him

Compared to Vae, who had more self-assurance than a dozen people co was still feeling bruised by Ranon’s initial rejection and was afraid of being sent away

“Coently

Woeful eyes Hopeful tail-tip wag

“See these?” Gray pointed to the pots “These are honey pears They are very special trees You do not pee on them”

I did not pee on the little trees Only the big trees

“I know you didn’t pee on them”—yet—“but I want you to understand that wenever pee on these trees”

Humans too?