“Jesus Christ. Not the dog, too,” Saint groaned. “Stay there,” he said to Knight, then carefully made his way to the tense dog. “Hey, big boy.” He dipped his hand into the takeaway bag he’d gotten from the corner store and brought out one of the sausage rolls.
The dog’s tail slowly began to wag with excitement, even as it kept growling, not taking its eyes off Knight.
Saint sighed. There was no getting out of it. “Knight. Come here, please. If we’re going to spend the unforeseeable future together, I can’t have you scaring away my—the dog.”
When Saint glanced at him, Knight looked amused but curious, his eyes on the dog. “Does it have a name?”
“No,” Saint said shortly, tearing open the wrapper of the Gala. He handed it over to Knight.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“You feed him,” Saint said. “It’s a sausage roll. It’s not really good for him, but I can’t afford anything else. It’s a good way to get him used to you, to know you’re not a threat.”
“Am I not?” Knight flashed his fangs.
Saint’s heartbeat stuttered. “You don’t scare me.”
“Don’t I?” Knight smirked.
Saint looked away, blushing. “Give him the fucking sausage roll, Knight.”
Knight laughed. Warmth pooled in Saint’s lower belly at the sound. To his surprise, Knight actually looked nervous when he held the sausage out to the dog. Saint wondered if they hadsimilar animals in Hell, or if it was just hellhounds and giant evil snakes. He snorted to himself.
The dog was still growling, but it was also drooling, its tail wagging madly.
Saint silently congratulated Knight for not jolting out of his skin when the dog darted forward abruptly, biting more than two-thirds of the sausage roll, its growls puttering off as it chewed.
It darted forward again, tail wagging madly, and Knight fed it the remains of the sausage roll.
And that was it. That was apparently enough to buy his trust.What a softie,Saint thought, but he was grinning. He didn’t know how the dog had managed to survive this long on its own, or how it had managed to remain so trusting. People were dicks; it was a miracle it hadn’t been affected by that.
UnlessSaintwas the one softening him up. Saint almost frowned, but he told himself the dog was probably only that trusting to Saint, and Knight by extension because he’d comewithSaint. Hopefully. He didn’t want to think what terrible things might happen if it trusted the wrong sort.
“There we go,” Saint said softly when the dog began sniffing at Knight’s hands in search of another snack. “What a good dog. You can pet him if you want. If he’ll let you.”
Knight reached out hesitantly. The dog immediately nuzzled close, tilting its head. The demon let out a soft breath.
“He wants scratches,” Saint said. He swallowed the weird lump in his throat. “Behind his ears.”
Knight dutifully obeyed, careful of his claws. The dog made a pleased, whining noise, then abruptly flopped over, exposing its belly, tongue out.
“Oh.” Knight gave a full-body shiver. “Oh, what a good dog,” he crooned, dutifully scratching its belly. His own tail waswaving in the air, almost mimicking the wild wagging of the animal’s below him.
Saint’s chest was constricting, his heart clasped in what felt like an invisible fist. Oh my God. Oh my God. Knight was so big the dog almost looked like a puppy next to him. And he was being so careful, so gentle; the look in his eyes—
That was the look of a demon falling in love.
Saint brought his phone out before he could think it through.
Knight looked up sharply when he heard the sound of the camera shutter.
“Sorry,” Saint said, not sounding sorry at all. “You just—you looked so cute. I had to.”
Knight bared his teeth. Saint laughed and took another picture. He stared at the photos, then locked his phone and shoved it into his pocket before they could inspire any more dangerous feelings in him.
He turned to unlock the gate, and the dog leapt to its feet at the sound, trotting after him.
At the smaller gate protecting his abode, Saint gave the dog another sausage roll, then took his time also petting him.
