“Oh, cos, that wasn’t the problem,” the vampire said, bringing the
 
 attitude down a notch. “I was watching. Hell, I couldn’t take my eyes
 
 off it.” Dante left that line of thought at Beck’s low growl. “I think
 
 she’s more perfect for you than you could have hoped. She enjoyed
 
 it.”
 
 Beck twisted his long, dark hair. It would be a bitch to comb out.
 
 “That was the bond. I flooded her with it. I pushed myself at her.”
 
 “That is your nature,” Dante said quietly. “But I think you are
 
 underestimating her nature. She was happy afterward. She wasn’t
 
 ashamed. You made her feel that.”
 
 Beck pointed an accusatory finger at his cousin. “You don’t
 
 understand. Maybe you vampires treat consorts with such blatant
 
 disrespect, but we do not dishonor our bondmates in such a fashion.”
 
 When Dante spoke next, he had to talk around his fangs. It let
 
 Beck know just how irritated his cousin was. “We vampires make
 
 damn sure that our lovers are satisfied, and after they’re satisfied, we
 
 thank them and cuddle them. We find out what they need and give it
 
 to them. If what my lover needs runs counter to what society or my
 
 father taught me was acceptable, then fuck society.”
 
 “Don’t you talk about my father,” Beck warned.
 
 “Of course, it all comes back to your father. He was a good man,
 
 Beckett, but he wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t a perfect king, and he damn
 
 sure wasn’t a perfect father. He pushed you too hard, and he
 
 completely ignored Cian. Cian was supposed to be king, too. He
 
 didn’t value Cian’s input, so he focused all his time on you. No one
 
 could live up to his standards. Gods, Beck, when are you going to be
 
 who you are and not who he thought you should be?”
 
 “Get out.” Beck would not listen to anyone talk about his father
 
 that way. He hadn’t been able to save his father, but he could damn
 
 sure preserve his memory. “Get the fuck out of here. Go back to your