Xena''s POV


    Ryder walked into the closet as I was fastening my bra, his eyes lingering on my nearly-dressed form.


    "Your wounds are healing nicely," he observed, his voice carrying that same deep timber that always made my skin tingle despite my best efforts to ignore it.


    My gaze dropped to the marks that had dominated my skin just days ago. They looked like old injuries now, almostpletely healed. I could barely feel them anymore, which surprised even me. The supernatural healing abilities of our kind never ceased to


    amaze me.


    "Don''t dodge my question," I said, ring at him. I grabbed a light jumpsuit and pulled it on quickly, then fumbled with my sandal straps, my fingers betraying my impatience.


    "Logan texted asking when you''ll be there," Ryder, replied, holding up his phone.


    I froze, my heart skipping a beat. "Did you tell him about the Rogues" If Logan knew, everything would be exponentially moreplicated. He''d go into overprotective brother mode, and I couldn''t handle that right now.


    "No, I didn''t." He extended his phone toward me, showing me the screen. "See for yourself."


    stepped closer, scanning through each message carefully. True to his word, Ryder hadn''t mentioned anything about the Rogues. Relief washed over me in a wave so powerful it almost made me dizzy. At least in this, he hadn''t betrayed my trust.


    "Thank you," I said, the ice in my tone thawing slightly.


    "Can we go now?" Ryder asked, his green eyes watching me intently.


    "Sure." I surprised both of us by reaching for his hand. Physical contact had never been my default mode-not with anyone. When I saw Ryder''s startled expression as he looked down at our joined hands,bined with the shock I could feel pulsing through our bond, I couldn''t help the small smile that tugged at my lips.


    Ryder''s fingers tightened around mine as he closed the bedroom door behind us. To my surprise, he led me straight to the library rather than outside.


    "I thought we were meeting your mother?" I asked, confusion evident in my voice.


    "We are." Ryder released my hand to open the door for me.


    The scent of sandwiches, fresh fruit, and flowers hit me immediately. Luna Kestrel had transformed the library into a brunch and nning area, with food arranged beautifully on trays and tables.


    "Ah! Perfect timing!" she eximed, stepping forward to embrace me


    I was so stunned I almost forgot to return the hug. Until now, my interactions with her had been minimal at best. This sudden warmth caught mepletely off guard-I''d never had a real mother figure, and I didn''t know how to respond.


    "What is all this?" I asked with a smile on my face, even as I trembled inside. The feeling of being cared for was so foreign that I didn''t know how to process these emotions.


    "Well, we need to n your ceremony! So I thought I''d take the opportunity to prepare brunch, and we could spend some time getting to know each other." She nced around the room, then looked at me hopefully.


    I stood with my mouth open, finable to form words. My eyes took in the beautiful arrangement she''d so carefully prepared. The bowls of fruit, tters of sds, and various dishes. There was even table filled with different desserts.


    When Ryder''s handnded gently on the small of my back, the electric feeling of his touch snapped me back to reality, making me jump slightly. "Um, t-thank you. I am so surprised."


    *Come, sit down." She took my hand and pulled me to the sofa. Ryder followed, sitting on my other side as Luna Kestrel positioned


    me in the middle.


    "I didn''t mean to overwhelm you. I just wanted to start nning this event for you. It''s been my dream to do this for Ryder''s mate. I know we haven''t had a chance to really talk, but I wanted to change that."


    "She knows you''ve never had another woman to turn to, and Mom wanted to do this for you," Ryder said, turning my face toward him so I was looking into his eyes. "No pressure. Mom will design this ording to your needs. If you want a backyard barbecue, we''ll do that."


    My thoughts raced. I''d attended many different Luna ceremonies and knew that a backyard barbecue was his idea of a joke, or at least his attempt to make me smile.


    On the table in front of usy an open hardbound book filled with images of potential ceremony venues.


    I started flipping through the book, examining each option carefully. From the corner of my eye, I caught Ryder and Luna Kestrel exchanging a nce. I knew they weremunicating through their mind link.


    One image truly stood out. Everything was either silver diamonds or ck onyx. Una, my wolf, pulled me toward that design, feeling it represented her and our mate perfectly. White tablecloths adorned with ck flowers and feathers wrapped around each table. What shocked me was that this wasn''t my usual style at all, yet it felt absolutely right.


    Chapter Comments


    LIKE


    POST COMMENT NO