Don’t Poke the Luna Chapter 100

Xena’s POV

As rage rocketed through my body, everything around me blurred. I shot to my feet, my wolf taking over, and stormed toward Helen. My hand closed around her throat, lifting her before slamming her hard against the floor. My wolf turned to Ryder, eyes blazing.

"Start the DAMN Challenge. NOW!"

Without waiting for his response, my wolf dragged Helen straight out of the office, across the entire pack hall. Everyone who witnessed the scene followed, whispers and exclamations echoing behind us—"Oh my god," "That's right"—but my wolf paid no attention, hauling her straight to the challenge arena that was always ready.

My wolf wasn't about to wait a second longer and tossed Helen into the ring. She landed on all fours, pathetic and disoriented. I took several steps back, never taking my eyes off her.

"Xena..." Ryder's voice came from behind me.

"Back off, Ryder," I snarled through our mind link. Despite my fury, I maintained enough control not to create a scene by arguing in front of everyone.

"You had meetings with Helen behind my back! You held important meetings without me! Am I supposed to be your equal partner, and this is how our relationship works? You constantly hiding things from me? I will not live like this!"

I turned to face him, letting him see the raw hurt in my eyes. He took a step toward me, but I stepped back, refusing his comfort. Ryder's expression hardened, and he turned toward Alpha Benedict who stood with his arms crossed, glaring at his son. Just then, my family arrived.

"What's going on with X?" Logan asked.

Ryder shook his head and walked past him.

Logan opened his palms as he approached me. "X?"

"I'm going to kill her," I growled through clenched teeth.

Logan positioned himself in front of me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "Deep breath." He inhaled deeply, motioning for me to follow. "X... don't do this."

I saw William intercepting Ryder as he tried to approach. I shifted my focus back to Logan and finally relented. With each deep breath, my wolf retreated, letting me regain control.

"I'm fine now," I said after a moment.

"What happened?"

"Ryder didn't tell me about the meeting with Helen! He just wants to keep me in the dark about everything. Then I walk into his office and find him in a private meeting with that bitch. She also told me she knows what Ryder likes in bed." All my hurt spilled out at once, the pain raw in my chest.

Logan nodded. His detached reaction suggested he didn't think this was a big deal. "You know he has to have meetings with different people..."

"Not her!" I glared at him.

"Then you need to talk to him about it, tell him how you feel, and come to an understanding. X, I don't know Ryder that well, but I know he loves you. He wouldn't hurt you intentionally."

"Whose side are you on? You should be punching him in the face for me!" My voice rose with accusation.

"Xena, listen to me. Every new mated pair, especially those with status, needs time to adjust. Did you honestly think everything would be perfect the moment you came here?" Logan's words struck like lightning, bringing me back to reality.

My gaze drifted to Ryder. He stood with his arms crossed, staring intently at me. William and Alpha Benedict blocked his path.

I looked toward the distant trees. After a moment, I sighed deeply. "Yes... no... I don't know. I was so focused on getting away from Martha that I didn't think about any of this."

"You're the smartest person I know, but when it comes to relationships, you're as clueless as the rest of us."

I didn't answer, still looking into the distance.

Logan turned me to face him, meeting my eyes. "You've always been brave, but you can't let anger control you, Xena. Helen isn't worth losing yourself over."

"She knew we were together and still acted like that," I said, my tone still heated.

Logan raised an eyebrow, a slight smile on his lips. "Of course she wants to see you fall apart. The more you lose control, the more she wins. You need to stay cool and show her who's boss."

I tilted my head, giving him an exasperated look. "Are you giving me a psychology lesson?"

"Maybe." He shrugged, his eyes teasing. "But it's working, isn't it?"

I didn't respond, just exhaled softly.

Logan patted my shoulder, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Though I have to say... that throw was badass. Total alpha move. Even if you looked like a crazy woman ready to murder someone."

"Rude!" I playfully punched his shoulder.

Logan laughed and pulled me into a hug. "You need to focus. Helen has combat training, and you can't fight like a jealous girlfriend. You can beat her easily, but only if you keep your head clear."

"Fine... fine." I said reluctantly. "How are you so good at this? You just found your mate yesterday too?"

"I've talked to Dad about this stuff more than you have. You've been busy with your shop, never had time to discuss mate dynamics. Plus, we weren't sure who your mate would be." Logan hesitated at the end.

"Fighters, take your positions!" Alpha Benedict's voice boomed.

My attention snapped back to the present. The stands were filled with spectators, and someone was demonstrating moves to Helen. My eyes found my father, standing proudly beside Penelope.

"You've got this, X." Logan gave me one last hug before stepping aside.

Facing that bitch, I started stretching my limbs. Adrenaline began pumping through my veins, excitement building once more. Una prowled within me, baring her fangs. She was thirsty for blood.

Helen gave me a stupid smirk, then glanced at Ryder, smiling at him. Following her gaze, I saw Ryder's eyes fixed only on me. I felt him trying to connect with my mind, but I shut that door firmly. I needed to concentrate, and nothing he could say would help now. This fight was for me. Anyone who dared ambush me on my territory wouldn't leave unscathed.

"Begin!" My father's voice rang out, and Helen lunged at me.

I crouched, preparing myself. If I remembered correctly, Helen favored her right hand. My memory served me well—she feinted left but attacked from the right. I raised my forearm to block, countering with my left fist. She blocked too, but didn't anticipate my knee coming up fast, connecting solidly with her stomach.

"Ugh..." she gasped, but recovered quickly. She used her momentum to drop down, sweeping my legs out from under me.

"Damn it," I cursed under my breath as I fell backward, but twisted my body in time to land on my hands and knees. Helen immediately pounced, landing a punch to my kidney. We'd practiced this move countless times, and my response was instinctive. I wrapped my arm around her neck and flipped her off me. We rolled together, and she landed a hard punch to the back of my head. I pinned her down and delivered a precise blow to her nose. It broke instantly, blood spraying. Not wanting to end the fight so quickly, I stood up and stepped back.

"Get up, bitch," I called out loudly. I wanted everyone to know I wasn't done.

Helen rolled over and sat up, wobbling as she got to her feet.

"Is that all you've got?" I taunted.

She charged again, but her movements were slow and weak. After easily blocking her right hand, I delivered an uppercut that sent her flying backward. Una clearly wasn't satisfied yet. I walked forward, grabbed her by the collar, and lifted her up before kicking her square in the chest. Helen flew backward, hit the ropes, and fell to her knees. Then she collapsed completely. She tried to stand but fell forward instead. I walked over and flipped her onto her back. Helen's face was swollen badly. I stood over her, and she looked up at me through her one eye that could still open.

"Stay away from my man." With those final words, I delivered a knockout punch.

The crowd erupted in deafening cheers as I wiped my hands on her clothes. I'd barely broken a sweat during the entire fight.