Read Online Fated for the Lion by Lyra Valentine - Free Book Online

the main house in the distance, and guessed they were guesthouses or
garages or whatever else rich people needed.
    The Sanford family made certain their son had only the best,
and that included friends. The Jeffries were not among approved guests. Her
father taught at their high school, and certainly didn’t meet the criteria of
success for the Sanford inner circle. His daughters were even less welcome. Not
that she ever felt invited. Ethan did a good job keeping her at such a distance
she thought he hated her.
    He parked under the overhang, and she was surprised no one
rushed out to take his keys and park his truck in an approved space. She didn’t
wait for him to open her door; she was no damsel needing a knight to do
everything for her. She got a better look at the truck as he walked around to
her. It was dirty enough she could write on the door if she wanted. Maybe she’d
draw a big dong on it later, depending on how much he pissed her off.
    The lion chuffed in her head. Lena could get used to having
someone always think she was funny.
    She scuffed her shoes on the ground and dug her hands into
the pockets of her pants. She felt small and nervous. She didn’t know which
extra silverware to use for fancy dinners, and she definitely didn’t have linen
napkins in her apartment. She didn’t belong in his world. The point had been
driven home again and again in her youth, and again in adulthood. She was from
one side of the track, and someone of Ethan’s status lived far, far away on the
other side.
    Ethan’s arms wrapped around her waist. He buried his nose in
her neck and sniffed her. She wiggled away from him when she felt his tongue
lapping at the mate mark he’d branded her with. It sent an electric shiver down
her spine, but it didn’t do much to assuage her insecurities.
    He smiled down at her, and laced his fingers through hers.
“C’mon. Let me show you the house. Everyone should be here soon.”
    She took a deep breath and let him lead her into the belly
of the beast.
    He opened the double doors at the front of the house, and took
her into the foyer. Hardwood floors stretched further into the house, and it
made her feel more at ease. Wood floors creaked and showed wear and tear. They
made the mansion feel like a home.
    To either side were immaculate rooms. One was a formal
dining room that went on and on. A huge table divided the room, and a
chandelier with multiple tiers of dangling crystal and light fixtures was
centered above the table.
    The other room was some kind of sitting room. She thought
she could easily stand inside the fireplace at the end of the room. There were
no electronics she could see, and the furniture all looked ancient and never
used.
    She felt a high-pitched whine coming on. There would be no
stopping the sound of her discomfort.
    Ethan’s arms were around her again. Between his arms and her
lioness’ urging, Lena felt a spark of calm. “Formal occasions only. Pride
business, receiving alphas from other groups.” He murmured reassurance into her
ear.
    He walked her out of the foyer, and they passed a staircase
that would rival the Titanic. The railing curved on either side, and she
thought multiple lions could walk shoulder-to-shoulder without feeling crowded.
The banisters had carved lions sitting on the top, and they looked well worn
with generations of hands touching them.
    Past the stairs, they entered the main body of the house.
She could see why Ethan kept rooms off limits at the front of the house. She
wouldn’t want to be responsible for keeping the main room clean.
    Another fireplace centered against the far wall, even larger
than the one from the front room. Mounted above it was a large television, like
the one he had in his penthouse. Sofa and couches and overstuffed recliners
were scattered around the room in clusters, and each one looked frequently
used. The wood floor creaked under their feet, and she felt another bit of her
relax. This was a lived in