Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder)

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Chapter 180

Xena's POV

"It's not exactly a vacation, and I wouldn't call it relaxing either. I think your dad left something for you there. I checked the address

it's a storage unit. Honestly, I believe he hid all of your mother's belongings there. With Martha about to be locked in the dungeon, you can finally have them. I think going there to retrieve ose things, or whatever's there, would be a good idea.

A storage unit?" I turned to face him, my heart skipping a beat, My mother's belongings-fragments of memories I never truly had, traces of her existence that Martha had methodically erased from my life.

Ryder knelt down on one knee, his green eyes level with mine. "Yes. This isn't about taking you away or anything like that. Whatever's in that storage unit, your father thought it important enough to hide it there. Obviously somewhere Martha didn't know about. If he left it for you, I think he wanted you to retrieve and cherish those things, whatever they are."

"I always thought my mother's things would be in her house." The words felt hollow leaving my lips, like I was speaking about a stranger rather than the woman who gave birth to me.

“I don't think so. That house is on your father's pack territory. Martha is Luna. She can do whatever she wants, and if she discovered the house and set fire to it, everything would be gone. This way, ever if the house was destroyed, he preserved those things."

"That actually makes sense," I murmured, imagining my father secretly collecting my mother's items, carefully hiding them away, just to one day place them in my hands. The thought of him showing that kind of care made my chest ache in a peculiar way.

"Will you consider it?" Ryder asked softly, his eyes shimmering with genuine

concern.

"I will." I promised, surprising myself with how much I meant it.

"Thank you. Are you almost finished?" Ryder stood up, dusting off his jeans.

at him, noticing the playful gleam

go for a motorcycle ride this

and stood up, closing my laptop with

the office door open for

as I emerged from the

The installation was complete. The

out, and one person had swept

pride of an artist seeing his vision come to

My stomach was starting to make

He grabbed his shirt and pulled it on, muscles flexing as he did. He walked to the door

out of the shop.

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was nice, Ryder said once we were inhe car. They drove away

take over for Penelope." I said, feeling a ripple

over me.

asked as he pulled onto

down the window, letting my hand float on the breeze. "It's not. She really

of a

progress on

Saturday." Ryder placed his hand on my thigh, the

my stomach's very real protests. "That's a first. How about barbecue?" His

please!" I answered immediately, my mouth already watering

and head over there." Ryder agreed,

forever. We pissed Ama off this morning, so it might be a good way to make

pissed herself off this morning," Ryder