Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder)

Xena's POV

The sound of a car door slamming made my heart race. I could see Ryder jumping out of the SUV before it had even fully stopped. He was running toward the pack house, his face a mixture of relief and desperate worry.

I stood up from the couch, my legs shaky but determined.

"Xena," he breathed, his voice cracking with emotion.

He rushed toward me, and I met him halfway. His arms wrapped around me carefully, avoiding my injuries, pulling me against his chest. The warmth of his body, the familiar scent of his skin, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear-it all crashed over me like a wave of pure relief.

I tilted my head up to look at him, our foreheads touching as our eyes locked. In that moment, nothing else existed. Just this perfect moment of being alive and together.

He leaned down and kissed me, soft and tender at first, then with growing

intensity as the reality of our reunion hit us both. I kissed him back with everything

I had, pouring all my love and gratitude into that single moment.

"Okay, you two, maybe save some of that for when you're alone," Logan's amused voice cut through our bubble.

I pulled back from Ryder, heat flooding my cheeks as embarrassment washed over me. "We need to talk," I said, my voice growing serious. "All of us."noveldrama

Logan's expression immediately shifted to concern. "What happened?"

I looked between him and Ryder and Penelope. "Martha attacked me." "WHAT?" Ryder's voice exploded with fury, his eyes immediately flashing black. "She's contained," I said quickly, placing my good hand on his chest to calm him. "We have her locked in the bathroom upstairs, under guard."

Logan's jaw clenched, his fists balling at his sides. "How the fuck did she get out? How did she get here?"

"We don't know yet," Penelope said, stepping forward. "We're investigating the prison break, but Martha isn't talking."

"She'll talk," Logan said, his voice deadly calm. The Alpha authority radiating from him made the air feel heavy. "Take me to her. Now."

I nodded, gesturing toward the stairs. "She's in Ama's room."

Ryder's arm wrapped protectively around my waist as we made our way upstairs, Logan and Penelope following close behind. The two female warriors stationed outside the door straightened when they saw us approaching.

"Any problems?" I asked them.

"No, Luna. She's been quiet since the doctor left," one of them replied.

I motioned for them to open the door. They pushed the bathroom door open, revealing Martha sitting on the cold tile

floor. An IV drip was attached to her arm, providing her with glucose. She looked up at us with hollow, dead eyes before immediately dropping her gaze back to the floor.

"Get someone to bring a pizza and a Coke from the kitchen," I instructed one of the warriors.

She looked surprised but nodded quickly, running out to fulfill the request.

The moment Ryder saw Martha, rage exploded from him like a volcano. He charged forward, his fist connecting with her face and sending her crashing to the ground. The IV needle tore from her hand, blood spurting as she let out a weak, pathetic cry of pain.

"You fucking bitch!" Ryder roared, delivering two brutal kicks to her ribs. Martha's cries grew weaker with each blow, her body unable to handle much more abuse.

Something twisted in my chest watching this scene. Despite everything Martha had done to me, despite the years of abuse and cruelty, seeing her so broken stirred an unwelcome feeling of pity in my heart. I hated that I felt it, hated that some part of me still had mercy for this woman who had shown me none.

I turned my head away, unable to watch anymore.

The warrior returned with the pizza and Coke, freezing in the doorway when she saw Martha bleeding on the floor.

"Give it to her," I said quietly.

The warrior's eyes widened in shock, but she obeyed. She knelt beside Martha, cutting her restraints before placing the

food and drink on the floor and backing away.

Martha stared at the pizza with confused, desperate eyes. She looked up at us uncertainly, but hunger won out over pride. She threw herself at the food like a wild animal, tearing into the pizza with filthy, blackened hands. She ate with no dignity whatsoever, sauce and cheese smearing across her face as she devoured every bite. Her dirty fingers grabbed at every crumb, and she licked her hands clean when she finished.

We watched in disgusted silence. Penelope covered her, mouth, looking like she might be sick. This broken creature on the floor bore no resemblance to the proud, cruel Luna.

When Martha finished eating, she sat back and noticed our stares. The look in our eyes-disgust, pity, contempt-seemed to hit her like a physical blow. She looked down at her filthy hands, at her torn clothes, and for the first time seemed to realize just how far she'd fallen.

"WHO THE FUCK LET YOU OUT?" Ryder roared, his voice echoing off the bathroom walls.

Martha just stared at her hands, trembling. She seemed lost in her own mind, unable to process what had happened to her.

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