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“Makenna and Bard all good,” she argued “Bard only one can do…can help Makenna ith…” She trailed off, frustrated What was the word for “ripening?” How could she explain? Her life depended on it! “Bard—” she began

But it was too late He already had all her new clothes in the bag and now he reached for her hand

“Coo”

25

The way she kept begging hi there, in thehi much!

But there was no other way—if she stayed, he would wind up bonding her to hiether—ap between them would mean that Bard would die and leave her alone in her most vulnerable years He simply couldn’t do that to her

Of course, there was no way to explain this that she could understand, so he just had to do it Stiffening his resolve, Bard reached for her,to lift her bodily off the bed, since she refused to budge

To his surprise, Tiny, as still wrapped protectively around the girl, bared his teeth and growled

“Did you just fucking growl at reer Tiny had never threatened him before—he had never even co to rip off Bard’s hand if he so much as touched Makenna!

Sure that it ain and Tiny actually snapped at hi, sharp teeth snicked shut a bare centi in his furry throat

Bard snatched his hand back and glared at the big Ya’greer

“What the fuck?” he demanded “Look, I know you like her but she can’t stay I’m sorry, boy, I wish she could too”

The words seeh several times before he could continue

“Let her go,” he demanded “Or I’ll have to—”

He stopped short What could he do? He had never had to punish the big Ya’greer before—not even when he was a pup, still learning the house rules Tiny had never defied hiether And he had certainly never preferred any other person over Bard What in the Seven Hells was going on here?