Chapter 29 Xelene
TWENTY-NINE
XELENE
Xelene gathered the scattered papers from the coffee table with purpose.
Each sheet represented hours of research, strategy, and analysis—the intellectual armor she’d built for Lev.
She stacked them neatly, the edges aligned with military precision, before sliding them into her leather portfolio.
The weight of it felt significant in her hands now.
She turned and extended the folder to Lev. “Everything we’ve covered. Every historical precedent. Every possible scenario the council might throw at you. Study it. All of it.”
Lev took the portfolio, his large hands dwarfing the leather case. His blue eyes, usually sparkling with mischief or heat, were dark with a focused intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. This was the Alpha beneath the playboy—the warrior king waiting to be unleashed.
“I’ll study until my eyes bleed,” he promised, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the mate bond humming between them. He stepped closer, the heat of his body a tangible force. “I’ll make you proud tomorrow. I’ll pass that test with flying colors.”
“I know you will,” she said, her voice soft. She gave his arm a brief, solid squeeze—a gesture of support, not intimacy, she told herself—before turning on her heel. She couldn’t afford to get lost in his gravity now. Christoph had just declared war, and she was damned well going to win it.
She soon found them in the castle’s main living area, a vast room with soaring ceilings and walls of ancient stone draped in rich tapestries.
Janice and Benjamin were curled together on a deep sapphire sofa, a picture of new-relationship contentment.
Janice was laughing at something Benjamin had whispered, her auburn hair spilling over his shoulder.
Benjamin’s green eyes were warm, his arm draped around her with a protective ease that hadn’t been there days ago.
For a fleeting second, Xelene felt a pang of something sharp and unfamiliar—not jealousy, but a yearning for that simple, uncomplicated comfort. She shoved it down, locking it away with all the other dangerous emotions Lev stirred in her.
“Hate to interrupt the moment,” Xelene announced, her professional cadence slicing through the cozy quiet. “But we have an emergency on our hands.”
Two heads snapped toward her. The easy warmth vanished from Benjamin’s face, replaced by alert concern. Janice untangled herself, her sharp hazel eyes already scanning Xelene for tells.
“What’s happened?” Benjamin was on his feet in one fluid motion.
“Christoph.” Xelene spat the name like a curse. “He’s banned me from the Trial. He’s also halted all my reputation management activities for Lev.”
Janice blinked. “He can do that?”
“He’s head of the council. He’s doing it.
” Xelene crossed her arms, the cool silk of her dress a stark contrast to the heat of her anger.
“His official accusation is that Lev and I completed the mate bond on purpose. For optics. And that he’s using the bond’s power to cheat his way through the Trial and accelerate his ‘transformation’. ”
A stunned silence filled the room.
“That’s insane,” Janice finally breathed. “The bond completion was a backseat-of-a-royal vehicle accident. A glorious, mind-blowing, catastrophic accident!”
Benjamin ran a hand through his dark gold hair, his expression grim. “Christoph doesn’t care about the truth. He cares about the narrative. And this narrative paints Lev as a manipulator and you as a… tool.” He winced apologetically at Xelene.
“So what does this mean?” Janice asked, her pragmatic side surfacing. “Are we packing? Is the ‘fix the prince’ gig officially over?”
“No.” Xelene’s answer was immediate and absolute. “We’re not leaving. My assignment might be over, but my job here isn’t. Christoph didn’t just make a power play. He tipped his hand. There’s something shadier going on here than just trying to smear Lev’s character.”
Benjamin began to pace, his instincts mirroring her own strategic ones.
“He’s been positioning Crispin for decades.
Everyone knows it. The rumors of a formal challenge have been circulating for years.
He was just biding his time, waiting for the right moment.
” He stopped, locking eyes with Xelene. “With the king dead and Lev on the cusp of the throne if he passes the Trial… this is Christoph’s best chance to get his bloodline on the throne.
He despises Lev. Truly believes he’s a worthless, spoiled prince who’d be a disaster for the pride.
So, this doesn’t surprise me. He’ll pull every dirty trick he has. ”
Xelene’s mind was racing, connecting dots. “Okay. So let’s say Lev passes the Trial anyway. He proves his worth without me. He becomes king. What’s Christoph’s contingency plan? He’s too calculated to not have one.”
The color drained slightly from Benjamin’s sun-kissed face. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, we need to find out before it unfolds. If Christoph is this bold publicly, his backup plan won’t be gentle.”
A dangerous, thrilling energy crackled in Xelene’s veins. This was chaos. But it was a chaos she could direct.
“Tomorrow afternoon,” she said, her voice dropping. “While the entire pride, Christoph, and Crispin are all conveniently gathered at the arena for the wisdom test… we pay a visit to the council building.”
Benjamin’s eyebrows shot up. “Xelene, that’s… incredibly risky.”
“It’s the perfect window. We find his contingency plan. We prove he’s not just a disapproving elder, but an active threat to the rightful succession.”
Janice stood, a slow, wicked smile spreading across her face. “Breaking and entering on an alien planet. You really know how to show a girl a good time.”
Benjamin looked from Janice’s excited grin to Xelene’s determined expression. He let out a short, resigned laugh. “I’m in. Lev’s my Alpha. If Christoph is truly planning something, we need to be ready.”
The rest of the night dissolved into a blur of hushed voices and strategic debate. Anxiety was a live wire in Xelene’s stomach, but it was fused with a potent excitement. This was the edge she’d always thrived on, the high-stakes game where control and precision were everything.
But now, it wasn’t her perfect record on the line. It was her mate. And she’d be damned if some silver-haired snake in ceremonial robes was going to threaten him.
The following afternoon, the twin suns cast long shadows across the castle courtyard as Xelene approached the waiting royal car.
Her body felt alive, every nerve ending crackling with exhaustion and adrenaline.
She’d managed perhaps two hours of sleep, her mind spinning through endless scenarios while Lev’s emotions bled through their bond—waves of fury at Christoph, terror at the thought of her leaving, and a fierce determination that made her chest ache with pride.
Benjamin was already behind the wheel, his dark golden hair catching the light as he turned to watch her approach. Janice occupied the passenger seat, her auburn waves pulled back in a ponytail and her hazel eyes bright with the kind of excitement that meant trouble.
“You look like hell,” Janice observed as Xelene slid into the back seat.
“Thank you for that stunning assessment.” Xelene pulled the door shut with perhaps more force than necessary. “However, I feel fantastic.”
This should be eating her alive—the first job she’d never completed, the perfect track record she’d spent a decade building now obliterated.
But instead of the spiral into professional devastation she’d expected, something else burned brighter.
Absolute fury at Christoph’s manipulation and a bone-deep certainty that she wasn’t walking away from Lev.
Not now. Not ever.
The realization should’ve terrified her. A week ago, she would have been running back to Earth, running from anything that threatened her carefully constructed life. Now, the thought of leaving felt like tearing away a vital organ.
“The pride’s already gathering at the arena,” Benjamin said, pulling away from the castle with practiced ease. “Lev’s probably pacing himself into a trench by now.”
“He’ll be fine.” Xelene’s voice was steadier than she felt. Through the bond, she could sense Lev’s focus sharpening, that dangerous Alpha energy coiling tight. “He’s more prepared than any king in the pride’s history.”
Benjamin caught her eyes in the rearview mirror. “You really believe that.”
It wasn’t a question. Xelene met his gaze directly. “I’ve seen what he’s capable of when he stops running from himself. Christoph has no idea what he’s unleashed.”
Ten minutes later, the council building rose before them, all gleaming stone and imposing columns designed to intimidate. A single security guard stood near the entrance, his posture suggesting boredom rather than vigilance.
Benjamin parked and turned to face them. “Remember, we’re here for paperwork Christoph requested. Nothing more.”
“Got it.” Janice’s grin was sharp enough to cut glass. “Just three innocent people looking for some very boring documents.”
They approached the guard with Benjamin leading, his natural charm already working its magic. “Afternoon. Councilor Christoph sent me to retrieve some papers from his office. Something about missing trial documentation?”
The guard’s expression shifted from suspicious to merely confused. “He didn’t mention it...”
“Well, he was pretty specific about the urgency at the arena.” Benjamin’s smile was perfectly calibrated—friendly but not trying too hard. “You know how he gets about details.”
“True enough.” The guard stepped aside. “Go ahead. I’ll be out here.”
The council building’s interior was all polished marble and expensive silence. Their footsteps echoed as they navigated corridors lined with portraits of past council members, stern-faced shifters who seemed to judge them from gilded frames.