Chapter 37 Lev
THIRTY-SEVEN
LEV
Lev forced his massive lion form to stillness among the shadowed trees, his eyes closing as he reached deep into the mate bond that connected him to Xelene. The connection had been a whisper for too long, barely there, like trying to hear a conversation through thick walls. But now—
There.
The bond pulsed stronger, carrying waves of determination mixed with fear.
His mate was fighting. Whatever hell Crispin had put her through, she hadn’t broken.
Pride surged through Lev’s chest, followed immediately by murderous rage.
That bastard would pay for every moment of terror he’d inflicted on her.
Lev’s powerful haunches bunched as he prepared to spring forward, Benjamin’s darker form moving in perfect synchronization beside him.
They’d hunted together since childhood, and his friend’s loyalty ran bone-deep.
Together, they bounded through the woodland, crashing through undergrowth with lethal grace.
The sound hit him first—human footsteps, desperate and uneven, crashing through the forest like prey fleeing a predator. Lev’s enhanced hearing picked up the sharp snap of twigs, the rustle of disturbed leaves, and beneath it all, the rapid rhythm of a racing heart he’d recognize anywhere.
Xelene.
She burst through a thicket of purple-leafed trees like a vision from his worst nightmare.
Her elegant black cocktail dress was rumpled and dirty, the fabric clinging to her legs as she ran barefoot across the forest floor.
Her dark hair had escaped its careful styling, wild strands framing her face as she glanced over her shoulder with naked terror.
Yet when her green eyes found his massive lion form, relief flooded her features. “Lev!” She stumbled toward him, her voice breaking with exhaustion and gratitude.
But the moment of reunion shattered as Crispin’s lion exploded from the undergrowth behind her, his pale blonde mane flying as he launched himself toward Xelene’s vulnerable back. The bastard’s golden eyes blazed with murderous intent, his massive frame built for destruction.
Lev’s restraint—every lesson in control and mercy his father had drilled into him—evaporated like morning mist. This wasn’t about honor or fair combat. This was about a coward who’d dared to touch his queen.
With a roar that shook the trees, Lev launched himself between Crispin and Xelene, his superior size and weight slamming into his enemy with bone-crushing force. They went down in a tangle of claws and fury, rolling across the forest floor as Lev positioned himself protectively near his mate.
You worthless pretender, Crispin’s voice snarled through the lion’s telepathic link, his mental tone dripping with venom. Playing king while hiding behind your mate’s skirts and her lucky discovery of our plans. You’re nothing without her expertise.
That’s where you’re wrong, Lev projected back, his mental voice carrying the absolute authority of an Alpha. She doesn’t make me something I’m not, she enhances what I’ve always been.
Crispin’s response was a vicious swipe aimed at Lev’s throat, but the desperate attack was sloppy, driven by rage rather than strategy. Lev ducked and countered, his claws raking across Crispin’s flank, drawing first blood.
I wanted to kill her slowly, Crispin spat, circling Lev with predatory intent. Make you watch as I tore her apart. But killing you first works just as well.
You’ll never touch her again, Lev vowed.
The battle continued with renewed savagery. Crispin fought like the cornered animal he was—desperate, hateful, and increasingly reckless. His attacks came in wild rushes, all aggression and no finesse, the exhaustion of being hunted finally showing in his movements.
Lev, by contrast, moved with deadly patience.
Years of training under his father’s demanding eye had taught him to wait for the perfect moment, to let his opponent’s fury expose their weaknesses.
When Crispin lunged for his throat again, Lev twisted aside and struck low, aiming for the tendons in his enemy’s hind leg.
But Crispin’s desperation made him unpredictable. As Lev committed to the attack, Crispin pivoted and raked his claws across Lev’s shoulder, the blow deep enough to send hot blood streaming down his golden fur.
The pain momentarily threw Lev off balance, and Benjamin seized the opportunity to leap into the fray. His friend’s darker mane flew as he tackled Crispin from the side, his own claws finding purchase in the traitor’s ribs.
Stand down, Lev projected to Benjamin, even as he shook off the wound’s effects. This is mine to finish.
Benjamin immediately disengaged, understanding flowing between the lifelong friends.
Crispin’s exhaustion was showing more now, his movements sluggish as blood loss and fatigue took their toll. When he charged again, Lev was ready. He sidestepped the clumsy attack and used Crispin’s momentum against him, slamming the traitor to the ground and pinning him with his superior weight.
Crispin’s pale eyes widened as Lev’s jaws closed around his throat—not the quick kill of a warrior’s death, but the slow, deliberate execution reserved for those who threatened an Alpha’s mate and family.
This is for my father, Lev projected as his grip tightened. And for every moment of fear you caused her.
The life drained from Crispin’s eyes as Lev held his grip until the last flutter of his enemy’s heartbeat faded into nothing. Only then did he release the corpse and step back, his lion form trembling with residual rage and protective instinct.
The shift back to human form left Lev naked and blood-streaked, but he barely noticed as Xelene rushed into his arms. Her small hands cupped his face as she searched his eyes, her own bright with unshed tears.
“Thank you for saving me,” she whispered, her voice shaking with emotion. “I didn’t know if I could keep running. He was getting closer, and I thought—”
“You’re safe now.” Lev’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her against his chest. “No one will ever get close enough to hurt you again. I swear it on my life, on my crown, on everything I am.”