Don’t Poke the Luna Chapter 254

Xena’s POV

Looking at this scene, my chest tightened. "Penelope, these are Tansy and Jericho," I said, continuing the introduction.

"You're even more beautiful than I imagined," Tansy said. She sat up slightly, moving her hand to reach for a button. Jericho understood the hint and adjusted her bed upward so that Tansy was in more of a sitting position. A wave of pain flashed across her face, but eventually passed.

"Do you need anything?" Penelope asked.

"No, thank you. Please come closer." Penelope obediently moved nearer, but still maintained an arm's length distance. Logan followed behind her.

"Can—can you tell us about your childhood?" Jericho cleared his throat and asked.

"Oh, um... I think I had a decent childhood. Though I lived in an orphanage, I never lacked for anything. They always made sure we had enough clothes, and I had many friends. When I got a little older, I started getting into trouble. School was boring, and then Xena found me. She hired me as her assistant and pushed me academically. She really changed my life and gave me purpose."

"Penelope is extremely intelligent, she just needed someone to recognize it. All of her achievements were earned through her own efforts," I interjected. Ryder moved behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder. He was genuinely proud of me.

"Are you planning to go to college?" Jericho asked.

"I haven't decided yet. Before Logan and I became mates, I was planning to. But with Luna responsibilities, I probably won't go now. Logan told me I could enroll online to see how it goes, but I'm not sure that's what I want anymore. I want to help young children. Kids like me who just need attention. Just like what Xena did for me. That's what I hope my Luna career will mean."

I smiled in response to Penelope.

"I know this might not mean much to you, but you should know we're incredibly proud of you. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to be there for you, but you've turned yourself into such a beautiful woman. I pray to the Moon God every day for your safety and happiness." A few tears rolled down Tansy's cheeks.

"I... I want you to give me the Alpha title, but I want you both to move into the pack house as guests. Logan has already agreed to build a house for both of you. You can design it however you want. We'll cover all expenses until you're able to establish an income source. Jericho, if you're willing, you can join the warrior ranks on a trial basis. Aside from some rules, you're free to come and go, and we can get to know each other." Penelope maintained a straight back and steady voice. I was really proud of her.

"Thank you. We certainly want to give you the title. We just want the chance to get to know you, and any children you might have in the future. I may not have been able to be your mother, but I hope you'll let me be a grandmother." Tansy said as Jericho stood up.

He walked toward Logan, who placed his hand protectively in front of Penelope. Jericho didn't ignore this gesture. "I won't lie and say I'm warrior material. After all these years, I have an authority problem and skills that aren't exactly meant for a pack," Jericho paused, looking at Penelope. "But I want to try to build that relationship, to become a better person. I'd be happy to join the warrior ranks, as long as you understand this will be a process for me. I won't make promises, I might talk back, but if it means building a relationship with my daughter, I'll do it." He extended his hand to Logan.

Logan looked for a second before taking it. "Thank you. I won't go easy on you, I'll push you and make you angry. I don't accept any form of disrespect and will deal with it accordingly. But I do appreciate everything you've done to protect Penelope. That's the only reason I'm allowing this."

Jericho nodded, understanding his meaning. After releasing Logan's hand, he walked toward us. "Xena, I want to thank you for everything you've done for my little... for Penelope." Looking at Ryder, he continued. "I apologize for shooting you in the arm. I wasn't trying to kill you, but to make it look credible, to sell it convincingly. I understand the entire situation led to an innocent person losing their life." Jericho looked genuinely sorry about this. He stepped back, looking at Logan. "I'm truly sorry for that young man's life. I had hoped you two would be able to kill those rogues and it would end there."

Even though we had now fully accepted that Samuel was dead, we couldn't forgive Jericho. Some things could never be released or forgiven, but I didn't want to start a conflict right now.

"We can handle this on the training ground another day," I said after the room had been quiet for a while. Jericho nodded—he knew what that meant.

"Do you want to transfer the title now?" Tansy asked.

"Alright, let's begin," Penelope agreed.

"I, Tansy Bancroft, daughter of Alpha Zion, Alpha of Darkthorn Pack, relinquish my Alpha title. I pass it to my only living daughter, Penelope Bancroft." Tansy straightened her chest, lifting her head in pain as the title left her body.

"I, Penelope Harris, Luna of Nightcedar Pack, accept the Alpha title of Darkthorn Pack."

After a moment of silence, Jericho laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked him. Penelope was breathing heavily, as was Tansy.

"All this trouble was because Wiley wanted Tatum to accept the title after he died. Now Penelope is Alpha, and so is her mate. There won't be a more powerful couple in the world. He made them the strongest."

"Well, if they merge packs, which I assume they will, won't she lose the Alpha title and merge with Logan?" Tansy asked.

"I'm not sure how that would work. Since she's a natural Alpha Female, I bet she'll keep it." I rested my head against Ryder's chest.

"We're going to merge the packs and abandon the Darkthorn name. There's too much death and destruction around it. I don't want to remember it and what it cost me. But if you had been able to keep me, I bet my childhood would have been completely different, full of pain. You probably did the best thing for me by sending me away. At least I had the chance to have a good childhood."

Hearing Penelope say these words, I felt a complex mix of emotions. This might be the most mature, rational thing I'd heard in a long time. Her ability to recognize what it would have been like if circumstances had been different would be helpful for her healing process.

"When can you be discharged?" Logan asked.

"They believe later this week or next week. Her neck still needs some healing." Jericho sat back down.

"Okay, I'll have rooms ready for both of you. When you're feeling better, we can discuss housing arrangements," Penelope sounded ready to leave.

"Thank you. Whatever you prefer." Tansy smiled at Penelope. "Please feel free to visit anytime if you want to talk to us. I'll respect whatever you want to know or don't want to know, but I'd love to learn more about your childhood. What you like or don't like. Favorite foods or colors."

"Tomorrow I'll have you transferred to Nightcedar Pack's hospital. I'll come see if you're settled in and comfortable." This was Penelope's compromise, and I was proud of her.

"That would be wonderful. Having an actual bed would be so nice." Tansy patted the mattress. She didn't seem to realize what she'd said until she looked around the room and saw our expressions. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to say something I shouldn't have..."

"You didn't..." Penelope looked to me for help.

"Tansy, I think we need to get back to the pack to finish some paperwork. We're tearing down Darkthorn's pack house tonight and leveling some buildings tomorrow. Thank you for meeting with us."

"Thank you for bringing Penelope to meet us. We'll be forever grateful. Knowing we can live together peacefully is all I could ask for." Tansy smiled at Penelope, then looked at Jericho. "I never stopped loving you."

"How are you feeling?" I asked Penelope as we walked out of the hospital. The cool air gently blew my hair, making it drift across my face.