Don’t Poke the Luna Chapter 113

Xena’s POV

"No. I think I'm good," I said quietly, my voice barely carrying across the sterile hospital room.

"Very well. Have a nice day, Alpha Ryder, Luna Xena." The nurse bowed respectfully before walking toward the door.

"Thank you," I called after her just before she completely left. I noticed her body hesitate slightly, but she continued walking. A wave of guilt washed over me—maybe I should've been kinder to her. She was just doing her job, after all.

Ryder slid off the bed and reached for my arm, steadying me as I stood. "Let's go," he said, gesturing toward the door. I followed his lead, knowing the phone call we were about to make wouldn't be pleasant. Just thinking about telling my father I'd been in danger made my stomach twist into knots.

We walked in silence toward the pack house, Ryder's hands at his sides, yet maintaining at least three feet of distance between us. This physical gap seemed to mirror the emotional chasm that had suddenly appeared between us, creating an unexpected ache in my chest. I was still wearing that torn t-shirt, feeling exposed with every step, each movement a reminder of my vulnerability.

When we reached the pack house, a warrior stood guard outside—unusual, but that was an issue to address with Ryder later. For now, I headed straight upstairs to our bedroom.

Inside the closet, I peeled off the ripped shirt and changed into basic shorts and a tank top with a built-in bra. Ryder helped adjust my clothing so it wouldn't rub against the bite mark on my shoulder. The small gesture warmed something inside me, despite his eyes avoiding mine. I couldn't understand why he'd suddenly become so distant. Was it because I'd disobeyed his command?

"Let's call your father from my dad's office," Ryder said as we emerged from the closet.

"Why?" I frowned, confused. I'd wanted to make this call privately, to avoid letting more people know about the trouble we'd encountered.

"He's going to call your father about those locations anyway," Ryder shrugged, his tone carrying something I couldn't quite read.

"Fine. It's late though—can we have food sent to our room and go to bed early?" I asked softly, suddenly feeling exhausted beyond measure, not just physically but emotionally. Everything that had happened today had drained me completely.

"Sure." Ryder didn't even look at me as he walked out of the bedroom toward his father's office. The coldness stung, but I forced myself to follow, burying those complicated feelings for the moment.

Ryder knocked once before opening the door.

"Hank, your daughter just walked in. She has something to tell you," Alpha Benedict frowned. He put the phone on speaker and set it down.

"Yes? What is it?" My father's voice filled the room, sounding tense already.

"Hey, Dad," I said timidly. My heart hammered in my chest, knowing he wouldn't like what he was about to hear.

"Xena? What happened?" The alertness in my father's voice was unmistakable.

"Dad, I don't want you to be angry," I said carefully, like I was approaching a sleeping bear.

"Damn it, Xena. What did you do?"

I flinched at his words, hurt blooming in my chest. "Hey! I didn't do anything!" I defended myself, my voice louder than I'd intended.

Ryder made a dismissive sound before sitting down. The reaction irritated me further, but I struggled to keep my temper in check.

"Yeah, well. Tell me what happened."

"Ryder took me to patrol the borders of their territory..." I began, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Good. You need to learn these things," I could picture my father nodding.

"Yes, but a breeze came through, and I caught the scent of Rogues. Ryder looked over, and there were about a dozen of them. He told me to run, but I didn't listen, and we only had about a minute. After we shifted, one Rogue had already jumped the fence and landed on Ryder. Una jumped in to save him, but I got bitten in the process."

I spoke faster and faster, as if that would somehow diminish the seriousness of what had happened. Remembering that moment, fear gripped my heart again, but I tried not to let it show in my voice.

"Well, I'm glad to hear Una took action, but I don't understand why this is a big deal. You've fought Rogues before. I'm sure you handled yourself well until their warriors arrived."

My father's confidence in my fighting abilities made me shoot Ryder an "I told you so" look. He rolled his eyes at me, which only fueled my indignation. I was his mate—he should respect my capabilities instead of treating me like some helpless creature who needed protection.

"Well, kind of. One of the Rogues shifted back to human form and said, 'That's her, grab her,' or something like that. Basically, they were targeting me."

"WHAT?!" My father's voice echoed through the office. I shrank back, feeling his anger and concern even through the phone.

"As soon as I heard that, I told Ryder to leave some alive. We have some Rogues locked in cells, waiting to be interrogated when they wake up," I quickly added, hoping that would calm my father down.

"What measures have been taken for my daughter's safety?" My father's voice suddenly took on an air of authority.

"She'll have a guard with her at all times. I've increased warrior stations around the pack and strengthened border patrols. I suspect once they wake up, we'll find they were acting on orders from the Darkthorn pack," Alpha Benedict explained.

"You think so?" my father asked Alpha Benedict.

"Ryder, Xena... why don't you let Hank and me handle things from here?" Alpha Benedict turned off the speakerphone, put the device to his ear, and turned his back to us.

I hated being dismissed like that, as if we were children who didn't need to be part of the conversation. Anger and hurt bubbled in my chest as I stood up and stormed out of the office, fuming all the way back to our room. We were the ones directly involved, yet we were being excluded from the solution—it wasn't fair.

"Why are you angry?" Ryder asked after arriving and closing the door.

"I hate being dismissed like that," I flopped onto the couch, leaned back, and sighed. Frustration and powerlessness spread through me.

A Luna should command more respect, but sometimes I felt like nothing more than a pretty accessory.

Ryder's eyes finally met mine, his expression softening slightly. "They're not dismissing you. They're protecting you—both of us. This is bigger than just today's attack."

"That's exactly my point," I sat up straighter, my hands balling into fists. "If it's about me, I should be involved in every discussion, every decision. I'm not some porcelain doll that needs to be locked away for safekeeping!"

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in the gesture. "Xena, please. Not everything has to be a battle. I'm trying to keep you safe."

"And I'm trying to be your equal," I shot back, my voice thick with emotion. "How can I be Luna to this pack if I'm treated like I can't handle the truth or make decisions about my own safety?"