Don’t Poke the Luna Chapter 200

Xena’s POV

The slap sent a sharp sting through my arm. It wasn't severe, but enough to make me wince and lower my shoulder. I felt a tinge of guilt, but knew it was necessary—he needed to snap out of it.

His eyes snapped to mine. It took him a second to register my pain, but when he did, I watched him struggle to regain control over his wolf. Ryder closed his eyes, and that's when I felt someone grab my arm and pull me back.

Ryder's eyes flew open, glaring at the warrior. "Don't fucking touch her." His warning growl was low, dangerous, and filled with possessive rage.

"Ryder!" I stomped my foot to get his attention, trying to defuse the situation before it spiraled completely out of control. "Calm down!"

"THIS IS SO FUCKED UP! I'LL KILL HIM!" Ryder roared, his voice filled with primal fury.

"No, you won't!" I moved toward him, grabbing his arm. He didn't push me away, but I could feel his muscles tense like steel beneath my fingers. "We need to be smart about this. We don't know the whole picture or exactly what's happening."

"We're talking about your life!" Ryder yelled at me, taking a few steps back as if afraid he might hurt me. "You could have died, and you're still in danger! Xena, they fucking kidnapped you, touched you, and beat you! And what did we do in retaliation? Blow up a goddamn useless building! And now this!"

I took a deep breath, feeling emotions swirling in my chest. "I'm very aware of what happened to me. We need to be strategic. I want to kill them too, but we can't just storm their territory. Remember, you were shot too, and they killed Samuel. This is bigger than what happened to me. Wiley is planning something, and we need to be prepared. Alpha Benedict hasn't handled this well. It's time for you to step up and do something."

I could feel my own wolf rising, that primal, revenge-seeking instinct pumping through my blood.

All the men around me nodded in agreement, the same determination and anger flashing in their eyes.

"The Luna is right!" I heard one of them say.

"We need to start by finding the third tunnel. Everyone spread out and search!" I commanded loudly, looking at Ryder. He was staring at me, trying to control his breathing. I could feel his struggle, caught between his wolf and his humanity.

"William, send those photos to Ryder," I told him through our mind link, hoping the evidence would help us think clearly and determine the best course of action.

"William," Ryder spoke after a few seconds, his voice regaining some control. "Xena and I need to talk to my father. Keep me updated on their progress."

"Got it," William's crisp response, and then we started walking back toward the pack house, to Alpha Benedict's office.

Only when we were out of earshot of the men did Ryder speak to me. "I'm sorry," he said softly, genuine remorse in his voice.

"It's fine," I said, not looking at him. I understood how his wolf sometimes took over, especially when it came to my safety.

"No, it's not," Ryder grabbed my waist, forcing me to turn and face him. "Xena, I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" I asked, shifting my weight and crossing my arms as I looked at him. I needed to hear him say it, needed to know he truly understood.

"I'm sorry my father didn't avenge you. I'm sorry I lost control back there. I'm sorry we're even in this mess." Ryder shook his head, self-recrimination and pain filling his eyes. I could see the weight on his shoulders, the burden of being the future Alpha.

"We're in this together. Let's not focus on the past. We need to look toward our future and protect it. Right now, that starts with your father." As I spoke those words, Ryder's eyes flashed black for an instant before returning to their beautiful green. That momentary transformation made my heart clench.

"Come on." He took my hand, fingers tightly intertwined, and we walked together toward Alpha Benedict's office.