Page 23 of The Dragon King's Assassin

Chapter Eleven

“I need to go out again today,” I said as I watched Tarocvar eat his breakfast in bed.

“No.” He kept eating.

“You're going to have to let me leave the palace if you want me to find out who hired me.”

The King stretched his neck as if needing a moment to seek patience, lifted his breakfast tray, set it aside, and climbed out of bed naked. I looked and didn't try to hide it. I figured I had a right to look after he'd forced me to witness that . . . whatever the fuck that was last night. But I didn't get aroused by his magnificent body this time; I was too annoyed with him. I might have even sneered a little.

“Where will you be going?” he asked as he headed into his dressing room.

“I need to pick something up for you.”

“Pick something up? I can have someone else do that.”

“No, I need to choose it.”

The King went silent for a few minutes, then stepped out of the dressing room, fully clothed and looking spectacular. He had put on a pair of leather pants—damn his fine ass—a thin, cotton tunic that clung to him in all the right places, knee-high boots, and a wide belt to emphasize his narrow waist. His hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, and he stood in the doorway, glaring at me.

“What is it?” the King demanded. “What is so important that you must select it in person?”

I let out an irritated huff of air. I might as well tell him. Preparations would have to be made to care for the animal, and I'd need money to buy it. “A vanrussa.”

The Dragon King's scowl vanished into blinking, then he shook his head as if to clear it. “A dog? You want to buy me a dog?”

“I want you to have another reliable layer of security. The Ricarri train those dogs to be some of the greatest companions on the planet—loving and protective. They see everything and what they don't see, they smell. A vanrussa would be able to warn you if anything was wrong, maybe even before I could. I'd feel safer leaving you for a few hours if you had one guarding you.”

“So this is about leaving me?” He crossed his thick arms.

“I . . . you . . .” I stuttered, trying to get past the oddness of that question. “I need to investigate, and you're crippling that investigation by keeping me here, Your Majesty. Why won't you let me do my job?”

“Your job is to guard me. I released my entire King's Guard because of you. You are their replacement.”

“Which is why I want the vanrussa. You also ordered me to find out who hired me.”

“I never ordered you to investigate.”

“What? Hold on, you don't want me to find whoever hired me?”

He made a sort of rumbling grunt. “I do. I just never gave you that order.”

I rolled my eyes. What was with this childish runaround? “You implied it. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but you also implied that my life depended upon me finding this person.”

He grunted, his face twitching, but didn't dispute it. “Very well. I will accompany you to purchase the dog.”

“You want to go dog shopping with me?” I asked, not sure how I felt about it.

“He will be my dog, correct? I should pick him out.”

“Her,” I said absently.

“What?”

“A bitch will bond with you better. You will take the place of a mate for her.”

The King's expression became horrified. “You want me to mate with a dog?!”

I burst out laughing, then laughed harder when he growled at me. The kind of laughing that went into wheezing and coughing. Double-over, knee-slapping laughter. Finally, I held up my hand to ward off his anger, caught my breath, and said. “No, of course, I don't want you to fuck a dog. That would be animal abuse on top of disgusting. I'm saying you will hold that level of importance for her. She will not have a mate; she'll have you instead. You will be her master but, hopefully, she will also love you.”

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