Xena''s POV


    "Are you okay?" Ryder asked, cing his finger under my chin and gently tilting my face up to meet his gaze.


    "I am," I said simply. I rested my head against the pillow, losing myself in his eyes as they searched mine. The quiet intimacy of the moment felt like a precious gift after everything we''d been through


    He ran his fingers through my hair, his touch soothing away some of the tension that had been building inside me. "I love you."


    His eyes softened, the hard edges of worry momentarily fading. "I love you," He ced a soft kiss on my lips before sighing heavily.


    "What is it?" I asked, immediately sensing the shift in his mood.


    "Time to go look for that third tunnel." The resignation in his voice made my stomach clench. Our brief respite was over.


    "Maybe we really do need to take a vacation, so we can stay in bed all day." I groaned, using both arms to push myself up. My body still ached, every movement a reminder ofst night''s ordeal. I headed straight for the bathroom, desperate to wash up and feel human again.


    "I have absolutely no objection to that idea," Ryder called out from the walk-in closet.


    As I approached the bathroom, Ryder emerged from the closet. He was wearing basic athletic shorts and a tank top. Not exactly a dress-up kind of day. Honestly, with only warriors around now, I figured simple was better, especially with my bruises and injuries. I grabbed a sports bra tank from the dresser, along with matching shorts and underwear. These were easy to put on, but I''d need help with


    the top.


    "Can you help me with this?" I asked. I could manage to get it over my head, but the bra part was tighter than I could properly pull down. Ryder came over and helped adjust the bra into ce, then gave my butt a light pat.


    "Showing off your bruises?" Ryder tossed me a pair of socks.


    "Worth a try. I''m pushing through." I tried to sound confident, but I wasn''t sure if I pulled it off.


    "Is your wolf back?" Ryder asked.


    "Came backst night," I said, grabbing my shoes and putting them on. "Just before you returned.” When I''d felt my wolf''s presence again, the sense of wholeness had nearly brought me to tears, like regaining a precious treasure I''d lost.


    "Good. Then you should be fully healed by the end of the day," Ryder smiled at


    me.


    "That would be great. I can''t wait to feel normal again." I longed to shed this weakness, to reim my strength and confidence.


    Ryder walked over and opened the bedroom door. "I''m not sure you''ll feel normal anytime soon."


    I red at him and walked straight out. I didn''t pause to wait for him, and he caught up after closing the door. "Tomorrow will be another hard day, and everything that''s going to happen after."


    Right, I''d forgotten about tomorrow. I wasn''t sure what to expect from my father. Would he smile? Would he cry? Maybe it would kill Martha, and that would solve all our problems.


    "Ryder." Alpha Benedict called out to us as we passed his office. We both stopped and looked toward th and several warriors standing around. The tense atmosphere immediately put me on alert, my heart


    ffice. We saw Luna Kestrel


    celerating.


    "What''s going on? Ryder askofl as we walked in. The TV was on, showing news coverage of the destruction they''d causedst night. My heart instantly sank.


    "Turn it up." Ryder said, crossin his arms over his chest. I noticed a jaw was clenched tight.


    ....Around 11:30st night, people reported hearing explosions before everything started shaking. Thispany called Darkthorn Mechanics waspletely destroyed. The owner, Wiley Maddox, is avable forment. The fire department has been trying to control the ze since they arrived at midnightst night. They re reportedly just now getting it under control. The cause is still unknown. All we know is that there were no casualties. Tansy Barlow Channel 9 News.


    I looked up at Ryder. His expression was deadly serious, partially angry. After it finished, nobody spoke for a long time. I wasn''t even sure how to feel. It was almost like they hadn''t done enough. This massive impact wasn''t enough. Did it ever hurt them?


    Alpha Benedict''s phone rang. "Alpha Benedict." He sighed, put the phone down, and switched to speakerphone.


    "What the fuck was that, Benedict?" It was my father''s voice. My heart jolted at hearing Dad. His anger was almost palpable through the phone line.


    All intelligence indicated that was their main source of funding," Alpha Benedict sounded angry. Not at my father, but at the entire situation. I could feel the frustration and disappointment hanging in the air - this wasn''t the oue we''d expected.


    "Who the fuck is your source? I trusted you to get revenge for my daughter. Do I need to handle this myself? Some warriors nced my way. I felt my cheeks flush, embarrassed both by my father''s concern for me and his distrust of Benedict.


    This isn''t over," Alpha Benedict spat.


    "This will be thest time I blindly trust your intel. You''ve made this a joke, and I won''t stand by and let this happen!" That was one of the angriest tones I''d ever heard from Dad.


    I watched as Alpha Benedict seemed to crumble. His pride was wounded, and as werewolves, especially Alphas, that was hard to take. "She''s in my pack, and the decision lies with me!" Alpha Benedict shouted.


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