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SIXTEEN

T he tension in Zina’s shoulders loosened, but her heart continued to race. Around them, conversation gradually resumed, though she caught snippets of speculation about what had transpired.

“Thank you,” she said quietly to Xai.

“For what?” He raised an eyebrow.

“For backing me up. You didn’t have to.”

“I merely stated facts.” His gaze lingered on her face. “Your spa will be thriving. You are capable.”

Something warm bloomed in her chest at his words—simple praise, yet it meant more coming from him than it should have.

“Still. It helped having you here.” She tried for lightness. “Brings new meaning to having firepower on your side.”

His lips quirked upward. “Is that why you called me? For dragon intimidation services?”

“No!” she protested, then caught the teasing glint in his eyes. “Oh. You’re joking.”

His almost-smile widened fractionally. “I’ve been known to, on rare occasions.”

“Five centuries of practice?” she quipped, surprising another rumbling chuckle from him that sent pleasant vibrations through her body.

“Some skills take longer to perfect than others.” His eyes darkened slightly as they met hers, and the implied meaning sent heat pooling low in her abdomen.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of heightened awareness. They dined on exquisite food, bid on silent auction items benefiting the education fund, and mingled with other business owners. Yet through it all, Zina couldn’t shake two conflicting sensations—the lingering anxiety from Severin’s confrontation, and the magnetic pull of Xai’s presence beside her.

When they finally left, the night air cool against her heated skin, Zina found herself exhaling deeply with relief.

“That wasn’t quite the networking opportunity I promised you,” she said as they walked to his car.

“On the contrary.” Xai opened her door. “I learned a great deal about the town’s business dynamics. Particularly regarding Severin Madrigal’s intentions.”

His voice hardened on the name. Zina paused before getting in, studying his face in the moonlight. Anger smoldered in his eyes—not directed at her, but on her behalf. The protective display should have triggered her independence, yet instead, she found it oddly touching.

“You think he’s a serious threat?” she asked quietly.

Xai considered his words carefully. “I think anyone who leads with intimidation has ulterior motives beyond business partnership. The question is what he truly wants from your spa.”

The property’s magical significance, she thought immediately. Her mother had chosen that location specifically for its natural power node. Had Severin somehow discovered its importance?

“Thank you for coming tonight,” she said instead of voicing her concerns. “I appreciate the backup, intentional or not.”

For a moment, they stood close—too close—in the cool night air. Xai’s golden eyes studied her with an intensity that made her breath catch. The moonlight silvered his features, emphasizing their sharp nobility. Her lioness urged her to step closer, to test whether the heat she sensed from him matched the fire in his gaze.

“It was my pleasure,” he finally said, his deep voice sending another shiver down her spine. “Though I suspect Artemis and Bartek will have the town convinced we’re secretly mated by morning.”

His casual reference to mating—the supernatural equivalent of marriage, but deeper, more permanent—sent a jolt of something both terrifying and thrilling through her body.

“Let them talk,” she heard herself say. “It might keep Severin at bay a little longer if he thinks I have dragon protection.”

“Is that all you want from me, Zina? Protection?” His use of her first name, the first time all evening, felt intimate in the moonlit darkness.

Her heart thundered in her chest. “What else would I want?”

He stepped closer, the heat of his body enveloping her even before he touched her. His fingers traced the line of her jaw, featherlight yet leaving trails of fire on her skin.

“You tell me,” he murmured, his gaze dropping to her lips.