Never

“What are you suggesting, Austin?” the king cut in tersely.

Cormack sighed. “What I suggested to His Grace weeks ago—to choose a suitable omega and bond to them as soon as possible. If he’s happily bonded to someone else, his first bondmate would not be able to prove that it was His Grace who forced a mating mark on them. Everyone knows Xeus alphas bond for life. We are fortunate that the genetic modification procedure His Grace underwent on Calluvia dissolved his first bond without any lasting harm to him. He can bond again.” He looked at Devlin with a hint of approval on his face. “I see that you followed my advice and already started courting Liam Blake. A very good choice, Your Grace.”

Devlin gave him a flat look. He didn’t like the way the beta always danced around the issue. “I’m hearing a but somewhere.”

“Unfortunately, the courtship alone isn’t enough to distract people and raise morale. A royal wedding is another matter entirely. You need to marry as soon as possible—and prod