When he could set his schedule, he was banning early meetings. They interfered with a good-morning snuggle.
He gently kissed Kat’s brow before getting ready for his day.
His thoughts remained on his sleeping mate as he drove to Chimera’s office. Being mated by Fate wasn’t a guarantee of a perfect relationship, even if it gave them a good start. Sometimes, personalities clashed, and problems had to be solved the hard way, through time and talking instead of in the bedroom.
He paused outside the office building, whose address matched the one on his phone. His feet dragged as if independently colluding with his mind in protest. Unfortunately, as in many things, not going wasn’t an option.
Taking a bracing breath, Xavier grasped the outer door handle with a sweaty hand and pulled it open. Until his last day on earth, he would deny that his shaky knees almost gave out when he spotted a sphynx in the middle of the lobby. Its massive lion body lay where most people placed an information desk, blocking his path to the bank of elevators.
Could she even leave the building? Was this humane?
“Can I help you?” A deep voice emerged from the female head. She must be from the north. She lacked the wings of her southern cousins.
“Do I have to answer a riddle to get past you?”
Wow. Who knew sphynxes could give such a dry look?
“I hate riddles,” she snarled. “They are such a stereotype.”
Xavier didn’t miss how she flexed her sword-length lion claws, far larger than his mate’s.
“Good to know,” he swallowed. “I-I, um, have an appointment with the Chimera.” He was absurdly proud that he only stuttered once.
“Ah, the blood mage.” She moved one massive paw to the side. “Take the left elevator to the fifth floor.”
Xavier gave a half-bow. “Thank you.”
“May the wind guard your back.”
“Have a good afternoon. " He nodded, unsure if that was the proper response. He might have to study up on sphynxes if he visited often. He didn’t want to get on her bad side.
Her deep chuckle did little to boost his ego. Xavier slipped through the closing elevator doors before he could make a greater fool of himself. He pressed the fifth-floor button and clasped his hands to avoid fidgeting as the elevator ascended. He didn’t know what kind of cameras the Chimera might have in the elevator, and he didn’t want to reveal his nerves.
The trip was distressingly quick. When the doors opened, he stepped from the elevator onto a plush, neutral brown carpet and followed the hallway to the only door. He couldn’t complain about having any trouble finding the right place.
Damn.
He took another deep breath and opened the door to find a pretty, human-looking receptionist behind an oversized desk. As he approached, she flashed him a customer service smile.
“Good afternoon, sir. Do you have an appointment?”
“Yes, I’m Xavier Castling.”
She typed a few keys before offering another empty grin. Maybe she was part robot. “Please have a seat. I’ll let my boss know that you’re here.”
“Thank you.” Xavier sat in a comfortable, straight-backed chair, awaiting his fate. He leaned his head back and let out a soft groan. Hopefully, he was just overdramatic, and everything would work out fine. However, he would cut his losses if things went south too quickly. He had already compromised his principles for the dryads, and there was only so much more he was willing to sacrifice, Blood Mage Mastery or not. He had a mate to take care of these days. If his reputation took too big of a hit, he wouldn’t be able to find a job, and he refused to jeopardize their future because of Melcori’s debt.
The receptionist returned, leaving the door to the inner office open behind her. “He’s ready for you, “ she said, motioning him forward.
But was Xavier ready for him?
He had no choice in the matter. His master had already sold his services for a limited time. Rising, Xavier ignored the painful spasm in his back. His bruises had bloomed overnight, and his lower back muscles had tightened. That damn rock had left a four-inch bruise in the middle of his spine.
Xavier stopped halfway into the room. The man sitting behind the desk was different from what he was expecting and familiar. Too familiar. But who was he? He was too young to be his father and older than the two years separating them to be his brother. Still, he called out his brother’s name.
“Jared?”
The thin, black-haired man behind the desk gave Xavier a wide, dimpled grin. “Xavi! It’s been too long?”
