Xena''s POV


    I instinctively turned my head away. "Nothing."


    "And your knuckles?" William pushed.


    "Did someone hurt you?" Ryder asked earnestly.


    His concern caught me off guard, making me feel a bit flustered. Just as I was struggling toe up with an answer, Mr. Davis saved me by starting ss.


    "Xena, can I count on you again this year?" he asked, looking at me over his sses.


    I nodded. "It''s on my list."


    I felt Ryder''s sideways nce but ignored it. Thankfully, after ss, Mr. Davis wanted to speak with him, giving me the perfect opportunity to slip away.


    At 4:50, I sat behind the counter at my shop, waiting for Ryder to arrive. The design of paint job was ready, exactly as he''d requested. Logan and Samuel hadn''t arrived yet, and neither had Dad.


    I was printing out the final design when the door opened, the bell jingling softly. Ryder and William walked in, both looking more casual than they had at school.


    "You''re on time," I said, not bothering with pleasantries. "Bathroom''s in the back if you need it. Did you bring the forms and money?"


    Ryder ced thepleted paperwork and cash on the counter. I checked through the documents, making sure all the signatures were where they needed to be.


    While Ryder wandered over to examine some of my other custom jobs disyed on the walls, William stepped forward and asked, surprised, "You really run this ce on your own?"


    I finished counting the money and nodded. "All mine." I gestured to the portfolios disyed on the wall. "All my designs and work."


    William flipped through one of the albums, his eyebrows rising. "This is really impressive."


    The door opened again, and my friends walked in. I introduced them to William, making sure to identify Logan as my twin brother and both of us as Alpha Hank''s children, then introduced Samuel as our future Beta and Leonard as our future Gamma. When Ryder rejoined us, they exchanged brief greetings.


    "Ready to check out the design?" I asked Ryder, who nodded.


    I unrolled the sketch across the counter, revealing my vision for his Harley-an all- ck base with gray ash patterns and a realistic ck wolf at the center.


    "The exhaust system will need custom parts that''ll take about a week to arrive," I exined, "but we can start on the suspension tomorrow. What do you think of the design?"


    Ryder chuckled softly, his eyes still on the design. "I like it," he said, his finger tracing the outline of the ck wolf. "It''s more detailed than I imagined."


    I moved to stand beside him, pointing out details. "I added some texture to the ashes here that will give it more dimension. The ck wolf on the tank will shift


    with the light, showing different depths as you move around it."


    "How do you guys like it so far?" Logan was trying to make small talk.


    "Different but nice." William said.


    "You guys look stiff as shit, rx and take a damn seat." I looked around them. Ryder snorted in approval. "Let''s do it."


    I prepped the Harley, masking off areas meticulously before mixing the custom ck paint. With precise strokes, Iid down the base coat. The airbrush felt like an extension of my arm as I worked, buildingyers of depth into the design. "Hold this steady," I instructed Ryder, pointing to the stencil I needed in ce. He moved beside me, rolling up his sleeves before gripping the edge of the temte. The muscles in his forearms flexed as he held it perfectly still, veins visible beneath his skin. I tried not to notice how the lights entuated every defined line of his arms as I leaned in to spray the intricate ash pattern.


    "X, did you get the emails from the teachers?" Logan asked me.


    "Yeah, two of them even asked me in ss."


    "What''s that about?" Ryder handed me a roll of masking tape.


    "She''s been organizing the school events for five years now," Leonard exined, pride evident in his voice.


    William stopped ying with the paint can and turned to look at me."But you''re just a senior?"


    I rolled my eyes. "It''s not a big deal. I''m good at school, so I took over. I don''t do all the nning, but I do most of it. I have assistants who do the actual work. I''m in charge of writing tests, spelling bees, dances..."


    "You''ve been doing this since eighth grade?" Ryder asked, surprise evident in his tone.


    "Just one of my many talents," I replied with a shrug. "I need to pick words for the spelling bee next month, and there''s the danceing up, plus the prep ally for the end of the year."


    X, we need to head out. You good? Logan asked through our mental link.


    I''m fine, I responded.


    My friends stood up. "We''ll see you at dinner," Logan said aloud, moving toward


    the door. Samuel gave me onest look before following him out.


    "Is he your boyfriend?" William asked with a smile, nodding toward Samuel''s retreating form.


    I snorted. "No. I''ve known these guys since birth. Our birthdays are actually all within a week of each other."


    "So how smart are you, exactly?" William pressed.


    I gave him a look that clearlymunicated how stupid his question was. "What


    do you mean?"


    "You take all advanced courses and do all this work..."


    "I''m a woman of mystery," I replied, just as the door opened again.


    My father walked in, his tall frame filling the doorway.


    "Hey, Dad,” I greeted him, watching as Ryder and William immediately straightened their postures in the presence of an Alpha.