Page 124 of Puppy on a Leash

“No!”

Um.

Since when could D-types synchronize like that? Had they rehearsed?

I huffed.

“Puppy boy.” María looked on the verge of tears from laughter, but I glanced at her anyway. “At the risk of all the Domms ganging up on me… fetching and unwrapping are two different commands. Last I checked.”

Huh?

Well, yes, they were—I wasn’t stupid—but…

I glanced back at the box.

Oh.

Ooooooooooooh.

María was the best.

I wiggled my hips and circled on the spot a couple times. I only had to take the box to Tony. Tony would open it.

This was fine.

Lifting the box so that I could tuck it between my chin and my chest was not very puppylike, but it was the best I could come up with. There was no way I could walk all the way to Tony on my knees without looking like a messy duckling.

So, chin tuck it was.

I kind of lost my balance midway, but I was not going to talk about that. Or admit to it if anyone asked. Nope. Still a strong, ferocious pup. Smart, too.

“Woof!” I barked as soon as I’d placed the box by Tony’s feet.

I even measured it so it didn’t actually hit his feet, mind you.

Tony had that look that was half fondness, half exasperation. “Good pup.”

I ignored the sighing that accompanied the praise and just focused on the bonus scritches I got.

“Should I open the box for you, pup?”

“Woof!”

I scowled. Hadn’t that been the whole point?

Tony shook his head, but he went down to one knee again and got to it, so I kept the complaining to a minimum. Maybe I did butt his arm and anywhere I could reach with my muzzle a few times, but I never claimed to be a patient pup. It was loving butting, anyway. Loving butting was allowed.

Ugh.

Tony was the kind of person who unwrapped presents properly. I should’ve ignored him and gone straight to Sergio. Sure, he was next to León and Danny, and I doubted they would’ve let us get away with it, but I’d already have my present if we’d managed it.

So unfair.

“Woof!”

When I lunged at him this time, I almost knocked him down. Heh. No one was going to question my strength anymore.

“Patience, pup.”