Page 31 of Mane Attraction
The bakery’s interior was cozy and inviting, filled with the rich scents of sugar and spice. Several pride members occupied small tables—couples sharing desserts, families with young children whose faces were smudged with frosting. The sight was so normal, so wholesome, that it made Xelene’s chest tighten with an unexpected longing.
When they entered, conversations paused as pride members recognized their prince. Condolences for his father’s death were offered with genuine warmth, and Lev accepted them with a grace that surprised her. Gone was the reckless playboy; in his place stood a man who clearly cared deeply for his people.
“Prince Lev,” called an elderly woman with kind eyes and silver-streaked hair. “Who is this lovely young lady?”
“This is Xelene,” Lev said, his arm sliding around her waist. “My girlfriend. She’s visiting from Earth.”
The woman’s curiosity was evident as she approached them with a warm smile. “How wonderful! Tell me, dear, how did you two meet?”
Xelene’s mind shifted into the smooth efficiency that had made her career. Without missing a beat, she smiled with perfect composure and said, “I was here studying shifter kingdoms for research. When I came to the castle to interview Lev about pride traditions, we just... connected instantly. We’ve been inseparable ever since.”
Through their bond, she felt Lev’s amusement spike as he fought back laughter. Her story was dangerously close to the truth—they had connected instantly because they were fated mates, and they were quite literally inseparable now thanks to the completed bond.
The older woman beamed. “How romantic! I’m so happy to see our future king find someone special. I hope you’ll have a long and happy relationship.”
“I hope so too,” Lev replied, his voice carrying a sincerity that made Xelene’s heart skip. Through the bond, she felt his deep longing for exactly that—a future with her, a love that would last lifetimes.
Her own answering surge of desire and hope terrified her. She was supposed to be compartmentalizing these feelings, not drowning in them.
Once at the counter, Lev ordered two of the bakery’s signature pastries, his hand never leaving the small of her back. The casual possessiveness of the gesture sent heat flooding through her, and she had to remind herself that this was all for show.
When they were finally back outside, under the light of Nova Aurora’s twin moons, Xelene took her first bite of the pastry. The explosion of flavors—sweet, complex, and utterly divine—drew an involuntary moan from her lips. She closed her eyes, savoring the taste, completely unaware of how the sound affected the man beside her.
Through the mate bond, she felt Lev’s desire slam into him. His entire body tensed as he fought the instinct to pull her into his arms and claim her mouth with his. The intensity of his want crashed over her, making her knees weak.
This is impossible,she realized with growing panic.How am I supposed to maintain professional distance when I can feel everything he feels with such intensity?
Her soul, despite all her efforts to wall it off, was intertwining with his in ways that defied logic or control.
As they continued walking through the bustling nightlife, Xelene desperately searched for safer ground. “So,” she said with forced lightness, “tell me about your wild playboy days. I bet you know every bar in this district.”
TWENTY-TWO
XELENE
Lev’s laugh was rueful. “More than I care to admit. I spent countless nights bar-hopping, getting drunk, and finding willing women to take home.” His expression grew serious. “But that man is gone, Xelene. I don’t want to be him anymore.”
The conviction in his voice made her chest tighten. “What do you want to be?”
“A man worthy of his people’s trust. A king they can be proud of.” His blue eyes found hers, burning with intensity. “A man worthy of you.”
The last words were barely a whisper, but they hit her with the force of a confession. Through the completed bond, Xelene felt the depth of his transformation—this wasn’t just pretty words or manipulation. Lev genuinely wanted to change, to become better, and somehow she had become part of that vision.
“That’s why I’m here,” she managed, her professional mask slipping slightly. “To help you become exactly that.”
But even as she spoke the words, Xelene knew the truth was far more complicated. She wasn’t just here to fix his reputation anymore—she was here because fate had bound them together,and no amount of compartmentalizing would change that reality.
The warm glow of streetlights cast dancing shadows as they rounded the corner toward the cozy diner Lev had promised would serve the best late-night food in the kingdom. Xelene was just beginning to relax into the evening’s rhythm when a massive tawny blur exploded from the narrow alleyway beside them.
Time slowed to a crawl as her brain processed what was happening—a lion, easily two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle and fury, launched itself directly at her with claws extended and fangs bared. The creature’s amber eyes burned with murderous intent, and Xelene’s body froze in terror even as her mind screamed at her to move.
Lev’s reaction was instantaneous and primal. One second he was holding her hand, the next he was a wall of protective fury positioned between her and certain death. His transformation happened so fast it defied comprehension—bones cracking and reshaping, muscles expanding, golden fur erupting across his skin as he shifted into the most magnificent and terrifying creature she’d ever witnessed.
His lion form was breathtaking and deadly—nearly thirty percent larger than the attacking rogue, with a thick mane that blazed like fire in the streetlight and eyes that burned with golden-blue flame. Every inch of him radiated royal authority and lethal power as he intercepted the rogue’s trajectory with a bone-rattling collision that sent both massive cats tumbling across the cobblestones.
Holy hell,Xelene thought, her heart hammering against her ribs as she pressed herself against the nearest building.That’s my mate. That magnificent, terrifying creature is bound to my soul.
Through the mate bond, Lev’s emotions crashed over her in waves—protective fury so intense it nearly brought her to herknees, territorial rage that made her blood sing, and underneath it all, a love so fierce it stole her breath.
