Xena''s POV


    The question caught me off guard. My pain and emotional state were things I''d been trying to ignore, because focusing on them only made me feel more vulnerable.


    "Oh, um, physically I feel better. Not as bad as yesterday, the shower really helped," I said, moving my shoulder tentatively. It hurt, but not terribly.


    "And emotionally? Mentally?" Dad pressed.


    My throat tightened. Discussing this in front of William, Ama, and Alpha Benedict made me feel ufortably exposed. They were all listening carefully, and that kind of attention made me want to crawl back into my shell.


    "Working through it. It''s... I forced myself to continue, "...getting better. I just don''t want to be alone right now."


    "That''s all perfectly normal. It''spletely natural to needpany after what you''ve been through. Don''t feel ashamed about that," Dad emphasized.


    His understanding made my eyes grow moist. "Thanks, Dad."


    "Talk to you in four hours," he replied.


    *


    Alpha Benedict brought the phone back to his ear. "Take care, Hank. He hung up and offered me a small smile that I almost missed. "See you in four hours."


    William held the door for Ama and me as we walked out.


    "That went better than I expected," he said quietly when we reached my office.


    "I thought so too. I was sure he was going to rip my head off," I muttered. "Listen, I have a new assignment. Remember how I set up your test assignment?" I looked at Ama.


    "Of course. I still use that system every day," Ama replied, looking confused.


    "Good. I need to know how many women, children, and elderly we have who aren''t eligible forbat."


    "Baby, can you get myptop from our room?" Ama asked, holding William''s hand.


    "Sure." William immediately prepared to leave, but hesitated when he realized what she''d just asked him to do. He turned to look at me, as if seeking my permission.


    My heart instantly constricted, panic rushing through my veins. It was just a few meters away, just a few minutes alone, but my mind was already crafting the most horrific scenarios. I forced myself to look at the floor, trying to calm these irrational fears. "Go quickly ande right back," I said, my voice smaller than I intended.


    William nodded quickly and ran out the door. My anxiety began to spike, but I fought against it. William was just going down the hall anding right back. There was no reason to be anxious about this.


    "X2" Ama''s worried voice pulled me from my internal spiral.


    I blinked, forcing myself back to reality. "What is it?" I asked, uncertain whether I wanted to know which topic she was inquiring about.


    Are we going to be okay? Ana''s eyes were filled with fear. I watched tears well up in her eyes, but she was fighting hard not to let them Tall. In that moment, 1 ft a tremor inside my heart.


    I''m doing everything I can to make sure of it," I promised, my voice sounding more confident than I felt, even as doubt gnawed at


    the weight of it was almost suffocating. me inside. Could I protect everyone? So many lives depending on my decisions


    200


    Ama nodded, rubbing her swollen belly. Right then, I was grateful wasn''t pregnant. The thought of having a baby in this situation terrified me. Deep down, I longed for peace when we actually had children, I wanted everything to be as smooth and joyful as possible. And now, Ama was experiencing a stress-filled pregnancy, and watching her made my heart ache,


    Here you go," William said as he ran back in. He was breathing slightly heavily, telling me he''d run the whole way.


    “Thanks,” Ama said, taking it and opening it up. I have the roster for all members. Give me a minute to sort through it."


    "No problem. William, since I don''t have an arm to use, I need your Help," I tried to keep my voice steady, but the anxiety inside me was nearly bursting qut. Every minute, every second was precious, and we needed to move quickly.


    William came over and sat in Ryder''s chair. "What do you


    need?"


    "Ama, can you connect to our printer and print out blueprints of the entire pack territory?"


    "Of course." Ama didn''t even look at me, her focus giving me a sliver offort. "William, can you draw a map showing the distance between our pack and Logan'' pack?"


    William took a nk piece of paper and started sketchingndmarks. The map was rough you could still understand it.


    – he clearly had no artistic talent - but


    "The woods would provide good cover, but they would also hide their warriors," I said thoughtfully.


    "Take the main road?" William asked, tracing over what appeared to be the road with his pencil.


    "Possibly. That would be fastest, and we could bring arger group. I depends on how many people we need to relocate. We''re not without options."


    "We could take another route. That way they won''t be monitoring our movements. It would take longer, but might be more effective in the long run." I drew a line thatpletely bypassed them from our pack''s side.


    "That''s all forest," Williammented.


    "No, there''s a dirt road that nobody has used in years. Probably a decade or more." I met William''s eyes, feeling confident about this n''s sess. Chapter Comments


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