Page 29 of Mane Attraction
“The mate bond was so intense, so all-consuming.” Lev’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I didn’t even realize my claws had emerged until it was too late. I was completely lost in the sensation, in her, in everything we were feeling together. My lion just... took over.”
Benjamin shook his head slowly, his expression shifting from shock to something approaching sympathy. “Damn, Lev. That really is a problem. Xelene might walk away from this whole thing.”
“I know that.” Lev’s voice cracked slightly, revealing the depth of his fear. Through the bond, he could feel Xelene’s emotional walls slamming back into place, her analytical mind trying to compartmentalize what had happened between them. “And if she does, I’m finished. Not just as a king—as a man. I’ll be destroyed.”
The admission hung in the air. Lev had never been this vulnerable with anyone, not even Benjamin. But losing Xelene would hollow him out completely.
“If she leaves, I might just give up on this whole king thing and disappear somewhere far away,” Lev continued, his voice barely a whisper. “What’s the point of ruling if I can never be whole and have my true queen?”
Benjamin moved closer, placing a steadying hand on Lev’s shoulder. The gesture was simple but grounding, reminding Lev that he wasn’t completely alone.
“Did she actually say she’s leaving?” Benjamin asked gently.
Lev closed his eyes. “No. I can still feel her processing everything. There’s uncertainty, fear...” He paused. “But also longing. She wants me, even though she’s terrified of what that means.”
“Then that should give you a sliver of hope.” Benjamin’s grip on Lev’s shoulder tightened. “You just have to earn her trustnow. Prove that you’re a man worthy of her, mate mark or no mate mark.”
TWENTY
LEV
Lev opened his eyes, meeting his best friend’s steady gaze. “If Xelene agrees to stay and help me become king, I’ll spend every day doing exactly that.”
Through the bond, he felt a flutter of something that might have been determination from Xelene’s side. Maybe he hadn’t lost everything yet.
A soft knock interrupted the conversation, and the sound sent his heart racing with desperate hope. When the door opened to reveal Xelene’s silhouette, he felt his breath catch in his throat. She wasn’t carrying a suitcase—that had to mean something.
Benjamin’s eyes darted between them, reading the charged atmosphere with his keen perceptiveness. “I’ll leave you two to talk,” he said quietly, squeezing Lev’s shoulder once more before heading for the door.
The click of the door closing seemed to echo through the room. Xelene stood near the entrance, her casual jeans and fitted t-shirt a stark contrast to the formal black dress she’d worn to the funeral. The sight of her in something so normal, so approachable, made Lev’s chest tighten with longing.
“Can we talk?” she asked, her voice carrying that professional composure he’d come to both admire and find maddening.
Lev gestured toward the seating area near his stone fireplace, where leather chairs and a plush couch created an intimate conversation space. The fireplace itself was cold—he hadn’t bothered lighting it despite the slight chill in the air—but the setting felt less formal than going to his office and sitting across from each other at his desk.
Xelene chose the couch, settling herself with careful grace. Lev followed but maintained careful distance between them on the cushions. His lion was already prowling, drawn to her presence like metal to a magnet, but he refused to crowd her when she was clearly processing everything that had happened. The mate bond pulsed between them, carrying undercurrents of her emotions—determination mixed with uncertainty, professional resolve battling against something deeper and more vulnerable.
“Well,” she began, folding her hands in her lap with deliberate precision, “since we apparently can’t hide from each other emotionally anymore, there’s no sense in not speaking openly and honestly. I suggest we do exactly that.”
Lev’s pulse quickened. Her directness was one of the things he found most attractive about her—no games, no manipulation, just brutal honesty that cut straight to the heart of things.
“First thing,” she continued, meeting his gaze with those sharp green eyes, “I’m staying. I’ll help you clean up your reputation and prepare for the Trial of the Sun. I’ll do everything I can to see that you become king.” Her voice carried the authority of someone accustomed to managing crises. “I was hired to do that job, and I will see it through.”
Relief flooded through Lev’s system so powerfully that he had to grip the arm of the couch to steady himself. She wasstaying. Whatever else happened between them, she wasn’t abandoning him to face this alone.
“As for the mate bond thing,” Xelene’s voice softened slightly, revealing a hint of the vulnerability she usually kept locked away, “I’ve decided to put that on hold for now. Just focus on helping you prepare for leadership. Whatever this bond is doing to us, whatever is happening between us—we have to wait on it until after you pass the Trial, at least.”
Lev studied her face, noting the slight tension around her eyes, and the way she held herself just a fraction too rigidly. Through the bond, he could feel her fighting against the pull between them, trying to compartmentalize emotions that defied neat categorization.
“That may be challenging,” he said carefully. “The mate bond will only get stronger with each passing day, especially the more time we spend around each other. But I won’t push. I really appreciate that you’re staying to help me.”
The admission cost him something—acknowledging that he needed her help, that he couldn’t do this alone, that he’d crumble without her here. But if there was anyone who deserved his honesty, it was the woman fate had chosen as his other half.
Xelene nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “Well, let’s get to it then. Janice and I spent time going over your pride’s traditions and politics, but any insights from you would be helpful too.”
“What do you know so far?” Lev leaned forward slightly, genuinely curious about what she’d discovered.
“There’s a council of five elder pride members, and Councilor Christoph is the head of the council. They’re in charge of conducting the Trial of the Sun.” Her analytical mind was clearly engaged now. “The Trial has three tests—strength, wisdom, and loyalty.”
