The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 414

Chapter 203-1

Returned home the next afternoon.

• 25 Pointi

My muscles still ached beneath the soft gray sweatpants and oversized hoodie Locke dressed me in before we left the hospital.

Before I can even cross the foyer, a frantic pitter-patter of tiny paws echoes across the floorboards.

A blurred shape of black, tan, and soft fur comes barreling around the kitchen island, skidding wildly on the smooth wood before scrambling straight toward us. It’s a German Shepherd puppy no more than a few weeks old – with oversized, floppy ears that bounce with every step and massive paws that it hasn’t remotely grown into yet.

It stops right at my feet, little tail wagging so hard its entire back half wiggles, letting out a sharp,

high-pitched yip of pure delight before flopping right onto its back, exposing its pink belly.

My jaw drops. “Locke… what is this?”

Locke steps up beside me, a rare, soft smile breaking through the tired lines of his face as he looks

down at the wriggling ball of fur. “I had Bear pick her up from a breeder down the coast yesterday

morning.”

“Oh, my God,” I gasp, my breath catching in my throat. “A puppy!”

Forgetting the ache in my ribs for a fraction of a second, I drop carefully down to my knees,

burying my hands into the puppy’s impossibly soft fur. She immediately scrambles up, showering

my chin with frantic, warm kisses, her tail thumping a frantic rhythm against the floor.

“She’s beautiful, Locke! Look at those ears!”

“She’s a menace,” Locke mutters fondly. He crouches down beside me, his massive hand gently

scooping up the floppy-eared puppy and lifting her into his arms. “Bear said that this little terror

spent three hours yesterday trying to fight his boots.”

“She reminds me of Titan,” I say softly, stroking the pup’s velvety forehead. My mind drifts back to Maine, to Evelyn’s towering, incredibly loyal Caucasian Shepard who guards her.

“Titan’s a good dog,” Locke agrees, scratching the puppy behind her giant ears, causing the little girl’s eyes to grow heavy with sleep. “This terror has got that same protective streak already. Stood right by the door when we walked in, ready to bark her head off until she realized it was us.”

“What are we going to name her?” I ask, sitting back on my heels and looking up at Locke.

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Locke looks at the puppy, then back at me. “If Titan was a fierce giant, then this little lady needs something just as formidable. How about Xena? She’s going to be a warrior princess, I just know

“Xena,” I repeat, testing the name. The puppy perks up her oversized ears at the sound, letting out a soft, contented grunt before curling herself into a tight circle directly across Locke’s chest. “Xena it is.”

Locke reaches out, gently cupping the back of my neck to pull me into a slow, deep kiss, careful of my split lip. “Come on, baby. Let’s get you warm.”

He lifts both me and the sleeping puppy up, carrying us over to the broad leather sofa in front of the massive stone fireplace.

Locke settles me into the cushions, lays Xena across my lap, and drapes a thick cashmere blanket

over us both before stepping into the kitchen.

While I lay on the sofa with Xena snoozing against my chest.

Locke moves around the kitchen. He brews a fresh pot of herbal tea and pulls a bottle of water

from the fridge. He brings a steaming mug over to the coffee table, setting it down within my reach before sitting down on the edge of the cushions beside me.

He rests his hand over mine while we watch the ocean waves crash against the shoreline through

the floor-to-ceiling glass. For the first time all day, my racing pulse finally slows to a gentle rest.

But the peace and silence is short lived: within the hour, the quiet of the penthouse gives way to a chorus of heavy boots and loud voices echoing from the elevator. The doors slide open, and my family pours into the foyer.

“We brought lunch!” Mayhem announces loudly, tossing his keys onto the entry table. “Enough Indian food to feed an entire battalion. If we don’t eat in the next five minutes, I’m going to start

chewing on the furniture.”

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