Don’t Poke the Luna Chapter 211

Xena’s POV

"Rights?" Dad's voice was deadly quiet now. "Did my daughter have rights when you locked her in the basement for hours? Did she have rights when you 'disciplined' her with your fists? Did she have rights when you made her feel worthless and unloved in her own home?"

Each word hit me like a physical blow. He knew. He had always known.

"I was trying to make her stronger!" Martha protested weakly.

"You were destroying her," Dad said flatly. "And I let you. That's my sin to bear, and I had carried that guilt for so many years. But I won't let you hurt her for one more day."

"I, Hank Harris, Alpha of Nightcedar Pack, reject you, Martha Harris, Luna of Nightcedar Pack." Dad's voice was steady and firm as he spoke those words.

Martha screamed in agony, clutching her heart as she collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. The sound tore through the room like a blade, sharp and devastating.

Dad closed his eyes, his jaw clenched tight as he endured the pain of the rejection. One or two tears had already fallen without permission, and I reached out with trembling hands to wipe them away with a tissue. Ryder's hand found my back, steady and warm.

Slowly, Dad opened his eyes and smiled at Martha with a look of pure determination.

"I'll get everything," Martha snarled through gritted teeth, her voice filled with venom and desperation.

"No, you won't. I've been planning this for a long time. Everything will go to my children." Dad's voice wasn't as strong as it had been at the beginning, but his resolve remained unshaken.

"I accept your rejection, you spineless bastard!" Martha screamed, her eyes wild with despair and rage.

I gripped the tissue tighter in my hand, fighting every instinct to rush forward and tear Martha apart with my bare hands. The hatred I felt for this woman burned through me like fire.

Logan had already risen and walked toward Dad, helping him stand. Dad looked into his eyes with a mixture of pride and sorrow.

"I, Hank Harris, Alpha of Nightcedar Pack, pass the Alpha title to my son, Logan Harris."

"I, Logan Harris, accept the position of Alpha of Nightcedar Pack!" Logan's voice echoed throughout the entire room with authority and strength.

Pride and grief crashed over me simultaneously. My brother would make an excellent Alpha, but this meant Dad was truly leaving us. The finality of it hit me like a physical blow.

"NO!" Martha wailed as she watched this exchange, her cries heart-wrenching and desperate.

Dad bent over, and I watched as the power transferred to Logan, a visible shift in the air around them.

"Take her to the cells," Logan commanded sternly, looking at the guards who grabbed Martha's arms. They had to drag the kicking and screaming Martha away from us toward the holding cells.

Watching her being dragged away, I felt a sense of relief, but it was quickly replaced by overwhelming sadness.

"Xena." Dad called my name in a weak voice, and the sound of it pierced straight through my heart like a needle.

As if my feet had a will of their own, they carried me toward my dying father. "What?" I answered with a trembling voice. I didn't realize my eyes had filled with tears until I could no longer see Dad clearly. Closing my eyes, I felt the tears spill out, and then I could partially see him again.

"For you. These are for you." Dad's trembling hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a string of pearls. "These were your mother's. I wanted to give them to you at your Luna ceremony, but I won't make it that long." When his shaking hand couldn't reach toward me, he gave me a weak smile. I quickly grabbed his falling hand, pulling it toward me as I tremblingly accepted the pearls.

Mom's pearls... I had never owned anything that belonged to her. Now, holding them in my hands, they still retained Dad's warmth from his pocket.

"Oh, Dad..." I couldn't stop the tears that refused to slow down. Already streaming down my face, the tears dampened the pearls in my hands. Logan knelt down on the other side.

"I love you, old man." Logan's eyes were also filled with tears, his voice thick with emotion.

We were all crying now. This strong man who had always silently protected us now looked so fragile and vulnerable.

"I'm proud of both of you." Dad looked at us, slowly raising his hand to touch my head, then looked up at Ryder. "Take care of my daughter. I wouldn't trust anyone else." His speech began to slow, his breathing becoming shallow.

We watched his eyes flash black, and then we watched his wolf die in his eyes.

"It will be my honor," Ryder's firm voice came from above my head.

"Xena... I'm happy." Dad made several choking sounds. I realized these were his final moments.

"Dad!" I screamed with a heart-wrenching cry as his eyes rolled back. "I love you." I buried my head in Dad's embrace and whispered. I didn't know if Dad heard my final confession. I felt his body lose its vitality, which broke my heart even more. I held him tightly, completely releasing my sobs. I felt my tears had soaked Dad's clothes, but I still didn't want to get up. This was the first time in I don't know how long that I had cried completely.

I felt Logan reach out and grip my shoulder. I wasn't sure how long we sat there crying together, but eventually Ryder grabbed me and pulled me back. I watched as several warriors came over with a wooden stretcher. They carefully placed Dad on it and began to carry him away. I think my heart was so completely shrouded in grief that I missed the pile of wood that had been gathered about a hundred yards away.

Ryder helped me sit in a chair, and I leaned against his shoulder, still unable to accept the fact that Dad was gone. I don't know how much time passed, but eventually I became aware of bustling voices outside.

I slowly turned my head to look out the window. My old pack members and current pack members were all walking up the hill toward us.

"Dad knew he wouldn't live much longer, so he arranged his own funeral," Logan said, his voice hoarse with emotion.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. Dad had actually arranged his own death—that was just like him, always wanting to control everything, even his final goodbye. I didn't know whether to feel proud of his strength or heartbroken that he had to bear this alone.

Ryder held my arm tightly as we walked over to sit in the front row. I didn't have the strength to look at everyone—all those people from my past and present. Penelope handed me a tissue before sitting down on the other side. There was no whispering or quiet conversation; everyone was silent and respectful.

Only after everyone was seated did Logan begin to speak. He stood directly in front of Dad. Leonard stood to one side. When our eyes met, I realized he was crying too.

"We are gathered here to honor my father, Alpha Hank." Some crying came from behind us, but it was mainly the sound of people blowing their noses. "I want to start with a story. When we were young, our mother died. In order to be able to live for us, Dad mated with Martha. He hoped Martha would be able to care for us as her own children. Obviously, we all know that wasn't the case. However, he needed to ensure our future was secure while also making sure the pack wouldn't fall into her hands." Logan paused, collecting his emotions.

My stomach dropped. How Dad could have endured all of this, I would never know.

"After we turned eighteen and found our mates, Dad began formulating his exit strategy. All of this was arranged by him. He left us with a smile. To you, he was Alpha Hank. To us, he was Dad. To others, he was a friend. He left in his own way. I always thought he would die on the battlefield, but he was stubborn and liked to do things his own way."

This drew some laughter from the people around us. I rested my head on Ryder's shoulder as he continued to stroke my arm with his thumb. Logan was right. If he was going to die, it would be on his own terms. Dad had made sure of that.

Even in grief, I had to acknowledge Dad's wisdom. He knew how to protect us in the end, how to ensure our future. This deep love and sacrifice made my heart both broken and warm. I wanted to scream at losing him, but at the same time I wanted to thank him for everything he had given us.

"With some things now in place, it was the right time to move forward with his plan and reject Martha, which killed him. He was also able to transfer the Alpha title to me, making Penelope your new Luna." Logan gave Penelope a small smile. The sadness in his eyes was still obvious. "With Leonard as my Beta, I swear to be as great an Alpha as my father was."

Cheers erupted from the crowd, louder than I had expected, but Logan had been performing Alpha duties for some time now, so this wasn't a huge change. I watched as Leonard lit a torch and handed it to Logan.

Torn apart inside, I knew what was about to happen next. This made me slowly lower my head. I couldn't bear to watch. The tears I thought had dried up began to well up in my eyes again.