Arik looked down at him with an expression that suggested he wanted to dismiss everyone, carry Liam back into the bedroom, and provide a far more convincing demonstration of why the word "barely" should never be applied to him.
Liam pointed at him from beneath the blanket.
"Not that."
"I said nothing."
"You did not need to. The bond is practically shouting."
Severin turned away, though not quickly enough to conceal the twitch of his mouth.
Liam continued before Arik could defend himself. "I was talking about the pregnancy. Even if it happened, we will not know within minutes or hours, so I would like some peace before everyone begins treating my abdomen as an imperial emergency."
"It may become an imperial emergency," Arik said.
"It may also become nothing."
"That does not mean we ignore it."
