Page 41 of Mane Attraction
Lev’s boots echoed against the marble floors as he made his way through the castle corridors, each step heavier than the last. Thirty minutes of pacing his chambers had done nothing to untangle the impossible knot Christoph had tied around his throat.
The elder’s words kept circling through his mind like vultures—manipulation,cheating,unworthy.
Lev paused outside Xelene’s guest suite, his hand hovering over the door handle. Through their bond, he could sense her focused concentration, the familiar rhythm of her analytical mind working through problems and solutions. Shewas probably preparing for tomorrow’s wisdom test, crafting strategies and contingencies with that brilliant precision of hers.
And he was about to destroy it all.
His lion prowled, furious at being forced into this corner. Every instinct screamed at him to fight, to challenge Christoph directly and settle this the old way—with claws and blood and dominance. But that would only prove the elder’s point about Lev’s reckless nature, wouldn’t it?
Damn manipulative bastard.
Lev knocked once before pushing open the door. Xelene sat curled on the couch near the fireplace, her long dark hair falling like a curtain as she bent over her portfolio. Papers covered the coffee table in organized chaos—notes, timelines, historical records of past wisdom tests. She’d transformed the guest suite into a war room, and the sight of her dedication hit him like a blow.
“You don’t have to do that anymore.”
Xelene’s head snapped up, those sharp green eyes immediately focusing on his face with laser intensity. She could read him almost instantly now, picking up every micro-expression and shift in posture. In this particular moment, she was cataloging the tension in his jaw, the way his hands clenched at his sides, and the barely controlled fury radiating from every line of his body.
“What are you talking about?”
Lev closed the door behind him and crossed to the couch, settling beside her with careful distance. Close enough to feel the warmth of her presence, far enough to avoid crowding her when she was about to receive the worst news of her professional career.
Through their bond, he felt her confusion spike, followed quickly by wariness. She set down her pen with deliberate precision, giving him her full attention.
“I have really bad news,” he said softly.
Xelene’s posture straightened, her professional mask sliding into place as she prepared to handle whatever crisis he was about to dump in her lap.
“Christoph called,” he continued slowly.
Lev watched her face carefully as he explained the elder’s ultimatum—no more Trial attendance for her, no more reputation management, no more anything that could be construed as assistance. With each word, he felt her shock and growing outrage through their bond, a fire building in her chest that matched the fury in his own.
When he reached the worst part—Christoph’s accusations about manipulation and cheating—Lev had to swallow hard before he could force the words out.
“He thinks I did it all on purpose. The completed mate bond, hiring you, everything. Says I’m using your skills and the bond’s power to cheat my way to the crown.”
Xelene shot to her feet like she’d been struck by lightning, her green eyes blazing with fury.
“That’s not true!” The words exploded from her lips with vehement force. “The mate bond completion was a total accident, and you would never manipulate me or the bond just for the crown!”
Her defense of him sent a surge of fierce pride through Lev’s chest, warming places that had been cold since Christoph’s poisonous call. She believed in him. Even after everything—the accidental marking, the complications, the impossible situation—she still saw the man he truly was beneath the mistakes.
“I tried to explain that to Christoph.” Lev’s voice came out quieter now, some of the tension bleeding away in the face of her unwavering support. “But my track record and playboy lifestyle for decades, combined with your controlled poise and the wayyou’ve been fighting the mate bond... it’s made everything look like I’m using you for my advantage.”
Xelene’s hands clenched into fists, her entire body vibrating with righteous anger. “I’m calling Christoph right now and giving him a piece of my mind.”
The fierce protectiveness in her voice made Lev’s chest tighten with emotions he couldn’t name. His mate—whether she’d fully accepted that title or not—was ready to go to war for him. Ready to face down a powerful elder who could make her life hell, all to defend Lev’s honor.
“Unfortunately, that probably won’t help the situation right now.” Lev stood as well, wanting to reach for her but holding himself back. “The bigger issue is... you have to decide if you’ll stay to support me as my mate, or if you’ll leave now that you don’t have a job to do.”
The words hung in the air. Through their bond, Lev felt the exact moment her rage transformed into something else—a crushing realization that hit her with devastating force.
For a moment, he glimpsed the woman beneath the polished exterior. The woman who’d built her entire identity around never failing, never leaving a job unfinished, never letting her clients down.
“This will be my first documented failure.” Her voice came out a whisper, the devastation clear in every syllable. “My perfect track record...”
Lev’s chest constricted at the pain bleeding through their bond. He wanted nothing more than to pull Xelene into his arms, to comfort her and promise that everything would be okay. But all he could manage was the inadequate truth.
“It’s not your fault. Nothing you could control. It’s all my fault—my fault for decades of screwing up and playing right into Christoph’s hands without realizing it. And now it’s too late.”
