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.

at her now-this pitiful creature who had once terrorized my childhood-l felt that unwelcome stirring of mercy again. But then I remembered my father's death, remembered how she had driven

anymore.

came out ice cold: "Tell me who freed you, and I'll make

fell into dead silence. All of us waited for Martha's answer, but she remained numb, staring blankly at the bathroom light

was preparing to deliver another punch when she spoke

"Benedict Nash."

Alpha Benedict was dead-this was absolutely the last answer I could have expected. The name hit me like a physical

her eyes wide with the same shock as she looked between Ryder ar1 me. Logan's face mirrored our expressions of

SAY?" Ryder 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

eyes vacant and unseeing, no longer responding to anything around

1/3

Chapter 292

through us as if we

make a single sound of pain. Her body absorbed each blow like she was already dead inside. Logan finally stepped forward and pulled the furious Ryder away from

racing through the possibilities. Could Benedict really still be alive? What were the chances

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 a cold

pulling him toward the door. "Tie her up and

follow us into the living room area outside the

once we were alone, "did you feel your father's wolf

face was still flushed red with

"The chances of Martha lying are pretty slim, given her

he said

nodded in agreement,

the pack, dad took a team of warriors and left too." His voice

the sentence, but we all understood what he had

was undoubtedly a huge clue, but it still couldn't prove one hundred percent that Martha wasn't lying. I squeezed

or mistook someone else for your father," I