Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder)

Xena's POV

Ryder's patience snapped. He stormed over and slapped her hard across the face, the sound sharp and brutal. Martha hit the floor again, and Ryder began beating her mercilessly, demanding answers between each blow.

Martha screamed and cried, mumbling incoherently through her tears. The sound was pathetic and desperate.

"Ryder, stop!" I shouted, unable to watch anymore.

His black eyes flickered back to green as he looked at me, his chest heaving with rage. He grabbed Martha by her hair and

yanked her up so her battered face was level with ours.

"SPEAK UP!" he bellowed.

Martha's mouth was bloody, her face swollen and bruised. Penelope turned away, unable to look at the damage.

The room fell into heavy silence. Then Martha's weak voice drifted up from her broken form: "Kill me... just kill me..."

Tears streamed down her face as she begged for death.

We all stared in shock. Even Ryder seemed stunned by her words. After a

moment of hesitation, he slapped her again, this

time hard enough to knock out one of her teeth.

"Ryder, calm down," I said firmly, moving toward him. "Let her go."

He released Martha with disgust, spitting on her as he backed away to stand beside me. Martha collapsed to the floor like

a broken doll, her eyes empty and staring at nothing.

stirring of mercy again. But then I remembered my father's death, remembered how she had driven

anymore.

ice cold: "Tell me who freed you, and I'll make sure your death is

dead silence. All of us waited for Martha's answer, but she remained numb, staring blankly at the bathroom light fixture. Her eyes hadn't blinked once, as if her soul had completely departed her broken body.

preparing to deliver another punch when she

"Benedict Nash."

last answer I could have expected. The name hit me like a physical

with the same shock as she looked between Ryder ar1 me. Logan's face mirrored

exploded, rushing to Martha's side and slapping her hard across the face. He grabbed her by the collar, his voice cracking with rage and disbelief. "How the fuck could it be

vacant and unseeing, no longer

1/3

Chapter 292

through us as if we didn't

Her body absorbed each blow like she was already dead inside. Logan finally stepped forward and pulled the furious Ryder away from her

shock, my mind racing through the possibilities. Could Benedict really still be alive? What

broken mental condition, it seemed unlikely she had any reason to lie. But her answer was so impossible to accept, so devastating if true. My brain fought against believing it even as

took Ryder's trembling hand, gently pulling him toward the door. "Tie her up and keep

to follow us into the

said carefully once we were alone, "did you feel your

course I did!" Ryder's face was still flushed red with anger and confusion.

shoulder. "The chances of Martha lying are pretty slim,

state," he

agreement, her

Xena left the pack, dad took a

sentence, but we

one hundred percent that Martha wasn't lying. I squeezed Ryder's hand tighter, trying to offer what comfort I

lied or