Page 35 of Fired Up Love

“The spa isn’t failing,” Zina countered, her voice steady despite the anger churning in her stomach. “Despite your best efforts.”

Severin’s expression shifted, hardening momentarily before melting into something that would have seemed genuinely concerned to anyone who didn’t know better. He stepped closer, lowering his voice to a confidential tone that oozed false compassion.

“Zina—may I call you Zina?—I understand your attachment to your mother’s dream. Truly, I do.” His voice carried a perfect note of respectful sympathy that might have fooled her if his eyes hadn’t remained coldly calculating. “That’s precisely why I’m offering partnership rather than acquisition. Your vision, your leadership, enhanced by Madrigal resources.”

He touched her elbow lightly, a gesture that appeared supportive yet felt somehow possessive. “We’re not so different, you and I,” he continued, his smile warm while his eyes remained glacial. “Both inheritors of powerful legacies, both determined to honor our bloodlines. The difference is experience—I’ve navigated these waters for decades longer than you. Why struggle alone when an alliance benefits us both?”

THIRTY-FOUR

The silky persuasiveness of his tone was masterful—had she not known his reputation, had she not felt her lioness bristling with distrust, she might almost have believed him. This was how he’d charmed so many business owners before their enterprises mysteriously failed and fell into Madrigal hands.

She felt Xai tense beside her, sensed his struggle to maintain control. His protective instinct radiated from him like heat from a furnace, but he followed her lead, allowing her to handle the confrontation. The subtle respect in his restraint touched her deeply.

Severin slid a thick document across the reception counter. “A straightforward rescue contract. My investment firm assumes financial responsibility. You maintain operational control. Everyone wins.”

Zina approached cautiously, leaving Xai watching Severin with narrowed eyes. The document appeared standard at first glance—typical business terminology about equity stakes and operational hierarchies. But years of reviewing her mother’s contracts had trained her eye to spot deception buried in dense paragraphs.

She skimmed methodically, flipping pages until she reached section seven, subsection D. There, couched in deliberately obtuse legalese, lay Severin’s true purpose:

The undersigned Parker heir agrees to formal mate-bonding with Severin Madrigal within thirty (30) days of contract execution, with all attendant rights and privileges therein transferred to the Madrigal bloodline.

Rage flooded Zina’s system, her vision sharpening as her lioness stirred. “A marriage clause?” She looked up, fighting to keep her claws sheathed. “You expect me to agree to become your mate in exchange for financial backing?”

“A traditional arrangement.” Severin shrugged one elegant shoulder. “Your mother would have understood the practicality.”

“My mother would have clawed your eyes out,” Zina hissed, her control slipping as her fingernails lengthened slightly.

Behind her, she heard Xai’s sharp intake of breath—not from surprise, but from the effort of containing his fury. The temperature in the room rose noticeably.

Severin’s smile never wavered. “Did you know this property houses something far more valuable than your little massage parlor?” His gaze flicked between them, calculating. “My ancestor created the core flame that powers the Founding Pyre. Your families merely provided the binding elements.” His focus shifted to Xai. “The Parker thief convinced the Emberwylde traitor to lock away what rightfully belongs solely to the Gravemonts.”

Xai stepped forward, his voice dangerously soft. Heat radiated from him in waves, yet his control remained absolute. “How is Gravemont part of your ancestry, lion? They are panther shifters.”

“Madrigal family history shows a mating between the two before they died out,” he snarked. “I carry that blood. Gravemont is my bloodline.”

“Well, your ancestor was entrusted with safekeeping, not ownership. The Founding Pyre was created to protect all supernatural beings in this territory.”

Zina watched their exchange with growing certainty that neither possessed the complete truth. Two versions of history, both passed down through generations, both shaped by family pride and self-interest.

Severin laughed, the sound lacking any genuine amusement. “Is that the dragon version? How convenient.” He turned back to Zina, his eyes gleaming with something predatory. “Three bloods to lock, one blood to claim. Remember that when your spa crumbles around you.”

Before either could respond, he departed with fluid grace, leaving the contract on the counter. Xai reached for it, his fingers glowing with heat until the paper began to smoke.

“Don’t,” Zina said quietly, placing her hand over his. The contrast between his heat and her cooler skin created a pleasant tingle where they touched. “We might need the evidence.”

Xai withdrew his hand with visible effort, the heat gradually subsiding. “He’s wrong about the Pyre’s creation.”

“And you know the truth?” She raised an eyebrow, studying his face.

“My family’s version.” He met her gaze steadily. “Which clearly contradicts his.”

“So neither of you has the complete story.” She tucked the contract into a drawer, mind racing. “And I need to learn it before he strikes again.”

THIRTY-FIVE

Xai stepped closer, his hand brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The casual intimacy of the gesture surprised her, as did the tenderness in his touch.

“Have dinner with me tonight,” he suggested, his voice low enough that only she could hear. “At my penthouse. We can compare family histories.”

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