“Yes. Pretty, aren’t they? A constant reminder of the father I loathed,” she said bitterly, and then closed her eyes and lowered her head with something like shame. “I knew you’d seen them when you came into the bathroom. You seemed transfixed by how ugly they were. I suppose you’re sorry you married me now.”

“No,” he said with amazement. “They were a surprise, yes. But they would never have made me not take you as my life mate or I should not have married you.” When she shook her head in disbelief, he admitted, “I saw them before we married, Allie.”

Her eyes blinked open with surprise at that. “What? When?”

“When we got here, Dani and Elvi were going to change you into one of Elvi’s nightgowns so you would rest more comfortably. I left so they could do it, but returned to find they’d stripped you but had stopped there. You were lying on your stomach, the scars visible.”

“But they didn’t change me,” she said with confusion and agitation.

“No.” He ran a hand down her arm soothingly. “The scars made them worry you would be uncomfortable with the knowledge that anyone had seen them. When I returned, they were debating continuing to change you, or putting you back in your clothes. But Stephanie told them you would not be happy to know anyone had seen them, so they redressed you in your clothes.”

“Oh,” she breathed unhappily, her eyes closing in shame again.

Magnus hated that she was ashamed of something like that. Scars were a result of life for mortals. Every mortal had them. Some were just worse than others. She was no longer mortal, however, and he said gently, “They are gone, Allie.”

Allie stiffened, her eyes shooting open to search his face, and then she turned her head as if to try to see if what he said was true. But, of course, she couldn’t see her own back no matter how she tried. Realizing this, Magnus sat up again and began to scoot toward the foot of the bed, taking her with him. The movement caused friction between them, and sent shafts of pleasure through them both, reawakening his once again flagging erection. Magnus could only think that was a good thing, but ground his teeth against it, determined she should see her back, and not wanting to have to stop until he got there.

Pausing once he reached the end of the bed and sat with his feet on the ground, he wrapped one arm around her to help keep her in place and then stood, ordering, “Wrap your legs around me.”