Dedryn considered her for another moment before tilting his head down toward Jaeros. “Did you not tell them?”

Jaeros shook his head. “He was angry enough as it was,” he said, giving his mate a knowing look. “I was far too tired to have it out with him again.”

“Did you not think it more important than his self-centered anger?”

Jaren stiffened, and she covered his hands with hers, squeezing once. The last thing they needed was him to lose his shit. Especially with the long day they had ahead of them.

Jaeros rolled his eyes, gesturing in their direction. “They were exhausted and had not yet completed their bond, I wasn’t expecting…well, you know.”

“You were expecting your son to put common sense above the needs of his cock?”

Jaeros chuckled, gently elbowing him in the side. “Says the male who can’t make it a single night without trying to mount my backside.”

Vera’s eyes darted back and forth, listening to them converse like she and Jaren weren’t even there. Were they always like this? And did they often talk about sex so openly in front of others? She made a mental note to ask Jaren later if that was a them thing or a Magyki thing.

A rumble vibrated against the back of her head as he pulled her flush against him and growled. “Say whatever the fuck it is you came to say and get out.”

Scratch that. She’d ask way later.

“We’d planned to take you two somewhere to talk, as I’d promised Veralie,” Jaeros said, sobering. “However, it would appear the few servants who’d spotted her have already filled the halls with gossip. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said she is the spitting image of her mother. King Vesstan demanded to see us at barely past dawn this morning and now requests your immediate presence.”

Jaren cracked his neck. “Perfect. Let’s go then.”

Dedryn shook his head. “Not until she removes your mark.”

Jaren just ran his hands over her shoulders, expelling a humorless laugh. “No.”

Shifting closer, Dedryn’s fists clenched and unclenched at his sides like he was fighting the urge to grip his son by the collar and shake him. “If you cannot control the urge to mark her, at least do it somewhere it cannot be seen.”

A cruel smirk. “I did.”

Dedryn snorted, his lip curling on one side despite himself. “You never did excel at listening,” he said, crossing his arms. “Although, given what happened to her, I’d have thought you’d try a little harder this time around.”

Jaren’s grin dropped as his rage flared, and she instinctively reached a hand out, wrapping it around his bicep. “Jaren, maybe I should—”

He ripped her hand off, using it to pull her into him as he glared down at her, anger and hurt filling his eyes. “Why are you so gods damn forgiving of them? Is it some desperate desire for a father figure that has you rolling over? Or do you truly seek to keep hiding our bond?”