Xena''s POV


    Anger rose to rece my humiliation, hot and fierce in my chest. I crumpled the note and


    shoved it into my pocket.


    "Logan!" My shout did nothing to stop him. I watched in dismay as he violently yanked open a door and charged inside.


    "RYDER! Get out here! NOW!"


    I had no idea how Logan knew Ryder was in there, but now wasn''t the time to wonder about it. As Logan strode away, Ryder soon emerged following behind him, his expression


    a mixture of anger and confusion. He nced at me, then back at Logan''s retreating form,


    his eyes clearly questioning what the hell was going on.


    I shook my head and followed in Logan''s wake. The tension was suffocating until we got


    outside, where I could finally breathe properly again.


    "Logan? Care to exin?" Ryder was making an effort to control his anger. Logan, on the


    other hand, wasn''t doing such a good job.


    "Exin this!" Logan mmed the poster against Ryder''s chest with enough force to make him step back. Ryder''s eyes turned pitch ck as he looked down at the poster.


    My heart raced, my chest tight with anxiety. I knew when Ryder''s eyes turned ck, things were about to get serious. It was a sign his wolf side was close to surfacing. I could feel the tension and fury filling the air, like the stillness before a storm, ready to break at


    any moment.


    "Where was this found?" Ryder asked, his voice a deep growl that seemed toe from the depths of his chest.


    "On her DAMN LOCKER!" Logan''s roar shook the windows.


    "Nobody is going to do anything," I said, looking between them both and trying to keep


    my voice steady,


    "X, listen..." Logan''s voice was still raised.


    "Watch your tone," I red at him. Something registered in his expression as he tried to calm himself.


    "I''ll handle this in the ring on Saturday," I said to Logan, my tone serious.


    "That might be best," Ryder said quietly.


    "Seriously?" Logan looked furious with Ryder.


    "Logan, this will only make things worse. Let me handle this my way," I said, patting his


    shoulder.


    "No, that''s the damn problem. You hold grudges. You''ll hit them where it hurts the most,


    and everything will go to shit," Logan rolled his eyes at me.


    "Really?" Ryder looked at me, eyebrows raised. A small smile yed at my lips. Logan


    knew my nature so well.


    "You think the name ''de'' came from nowhere? I don''t fight fair. I''m not someone you


    want to piss off. I inherited my father''s temper," I shrugged. It wasn''t a big deal to


    me...


    though others might disagree.


    "That could be interesting," Ryder smiled.


    "Don''t encourage her!" Logan looked like he was about to have a breakdown.


    "Look, I''ll take the high road, but if one more thing happens, I won''t be so forgiving."


    Looking at both of them, they nodded in agreement.


    "Alright, we''ve got 30 minutes until ss ends, then lunch," Ryder checked his watch.


    "I need to sign up for the SATs," I turned to walk back inside.


    "Yeah," Logan muttered, "me too."


    Ryder followed us into the office. The walk was short, but with the hallways empty, every sound echoed. Including the sound of girls giggling.


    I slipped off my shoes and tiptoed to the corner, peering around. Helen and her gang were putting up another poster. I felt Ryder move to my side. I immediately ced my hand on his chest to stop him. Shaking my head to indicate no, I crept silently behind them.


    My heart raced, not from fear, but from that familiar thrill before a hunt. Several possible responses shed through my mind, each one calcted to make them pay. My fingers tingled slightly, eager to take action.


    Just as I was about to m her head into the locker, something shiny caught my attention. Helen''s diary was peeking out of her bag. I grabbed it and hid it behind my


    shirt.


    "It''s a little crooked on the right, move it up a bit.” They all jumped, and the poster fell. A can of spray paint rolled to my feet. I picked it up, looking at them. "Well, if it isn''t the school whore," Helen quickly recovered, ncing at her friends on either side. With strength in numbers, she took a bold step forward.


    "The only reason you''re still breathing is because I don''t want to give you any excuse to miss Saturday. I''m going to enjoy teaching you a lesson." Taking the spray paint, I marked a dot on her stomach. "This is where my first punch willnd. Then here and here."


    My voice was eerily calm, even I could feel the icy rage burning inside me. I could feel my wolf howling within, wanting to break free. I knew my eyes were probably starting to change color, that ice-blue shade.


    "You bitch!" she shrieked. One of the girls on the right tried to lunge at me. I delivered a


    quick chop to her throat, and she went down.


    "Anyone else?" As shey on the ground, I sprayed two X''s over her eyes, like she was already dead.


    The two girls next to Helen immediately tried to rush me, but Helen held them back. "A- Alpha?" she stammered.


    I frowned and looked behind me. Logan and Ryder had appeared from around the


    corner.


    "She attacked us!" Helen immediately whined to Ryder.


    "Lying now too? My office after school." Ryder''s eyes were pitch ck, damn


    sexy.


    Helen gave him a half-smile. “Just like old times." She looked him up and down, licking her lips. "Yes, Alpha."


    They helped their friend up and left. Logan was already starting to clean up the


    mess.