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“Yes, humans too These trees are very, very special, and we all have to protect them”
The head ca in earnest I will help you protect the little trees when I a Ranon protect Shira
“Who’s protecting what?” Ranon asked, carrying aof coffee in each hand
Ranon! The shout went out on a common psychic thread Do not pee on the little trees or Gray will bite you
Oh, the look on Ranon’s face
Gray bit his lip to keep fro until Khollie trotted off to check the boundaries of his and Vae’s personal territory, which was the land that belonged to the Residence
“Do you think there is anyone in the surrounding cottages who didn’t hear that?” Ranon asked in a strangled voice
“No” Gray’s voice broke with the effort not to laugh “I thinkeveryone on this street and the next two over knows not to pee on the little trees”
“Shit” Ranon handed his
“He bruises easily,” Gray said quietly “His feelings, I mean”
“I figured that out, Gray Not soon enough, but I did figure that out It just takes a lot longer to fix the dae”
“Do you think theyto be away from people who understand Scelties”
Ranon shrugged “Doesn’t matter now He’s here Would you want to be sent honment?”
Gray looked away, feeling his own heart ache a little
Ranon swore “I’m sorry I didn’t mean”
“Never had a first assign stopped when I was fifteen”
“Do you want to resu?” Ranon asked
Gray nodded He’d spent a lot of tiardens here “I want to be able to protect and defend That’s what I wastold I was Theran’s blade, and I was educated to protect the Grayhaven line—until I was captured”
“You were Theran’s blade, and now you want to be Cassie’s blade Is that it?”
“Yes, that’s it”
They sipped their coffee and watched Khollie and Vae flush a rabbit out of the kitchen garden and herd it right into Darcy’s jaws
“Nohat?” Ranon asked as the three Scelties snarled at one another for aand the three dogs trotted aith their kill “Khollie and Vae want the rabbit for us, and Darcy wants the rabbit for Soli”
“They’ll take it to Cassidy, ill figure out a way for both households to have some of the meat so all three Scelties will be happy,” Gray replied
“The duties of a Queen” Ranon drained his hed “I came out here to ask a favor”
“Actually, there’s so I wanted to ask you too”
“All right Mine Shira is supposed to take a last look at the cottages she was interested in So her unhappy, but she won’t talk to , if you attached yourself as her escort, she ain to find out what’s wrong, but I have to go to the Keep today I’ for Cassidy to finish a letter to her mother before I head out”