Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder)

Xena's POV

"I'm not sure. Like you said, I don't need them, but deep down I still want their approval. It's weird. I've always wondered if they would be proud of me." Her voice was quiet, contemplative.

"I think they're incredibly proud of you. I think they're more relieved than anything that you had a good childhood. Tansy couldn't have given you that. She could have kept you, but you might have been killed or beaten for life."

"It's strange. Intellectually, I know you're right. But it's hard to process. Knowing what they saved me from is probably the easiest way to understand why they did what they did. Tansy looked so broken and weak." Penelope was experiencing too many emotions right now, making it difficult to figure out which one she was actually feeling.

“Like you said, maybe over time you can build some kind of relationship. This is a whole new world for Tansy too. She might develop some hobbies that you could learn about as well. If you want to. It's all up to you. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

Penelope nodded but didn't respond. The pack house came into view with everyone standing around. As we approached, Ama was standing on the steps giving out instructions.

"Good, you're back. Here are the lists for both of you. They show which members want to follow which pack. I've also noted housing arrangements or any special requests they have. Everyone has already loaded their belongings into the cars.*

Ryder took our list and looked it over. Glancing at Logan's list, his numbers were about equal. Ama had indeed listed everything we needed to know about each person - how many children, ages, dietary requirements, and whether they were mated, single, or widowed.

"I wasn't sure about Viola's situation, so I arranged rooms at the pack house for your pack ahead of time,” Ama said to Penelope and Logan. “Obviously you can change them, but this way you have one less thing to worry about right now." "Thank you," Logan said when

e didn't respond. Her hands were shaking, and I was starting to think she was about

to break down. After everything she'd been through, her emotions were finally getting the better of her.

I could sense Penelope was reaching her breaking point. She'd been holding it together, but the pressure was finally about to crush her. I needed to redirect the conversation and give her some breathing room.

"Is everything ready to go?" I asked quickly.

"Yes, I did a final check. The offices have been cleared and packed. The boxes are all in our cars, the kitchen food has been cleared out, and everyone has all their belongings. We can leave whenever." Ama looked around as if searching for something. After making eye contact with William, he nodded to her, and she looked back at me. "Yes, we're ready!"

"Perfect," I said.

Logan stepped forward a few paces and addressed everyone. "Thank you all for moving so quickly. For those who don't know, I'm Alpha Logan. This is my mate, Alpha Penelope. I'm the Alpha of Nightcedar Pack, and Penelope is the Alpha of Darkthorn Pack. She's the only blood heir to that title. Alpha Ryder is the Alpha of Boneash Pack. My twin sister is also Alpha Ryder's mate, Luna Xena. You've all met Beta William of Boneash Pack and his mate Beta Ama, My Beta Leonard isn't here right now, but you might remember his mate, Beta Viola. We can all help anyone who needs assistance. Beta Ama has given us a list showing which pack people want to transfer to. We'll be merging Darkthorn Pack with our pack, and the territory will be divided. The Darkthorn name will be completely eliminated.”noveldrama

The crowd cheered loudly at this. I couldn't help but feel proud. Everything I had endured was for this moment to free all these women and children. It was hard to see the bigger picture when you only had part of the information, but looking back at it all, I had been naive to believe it was just about Tatum wanting me as a mate.

"So, we'll start by tearing down this pack's houses. Everyone please step back and let this bitch burn, Logan said with

more humor in his tone.

We walked down the steps and retreated to a safe distance. Logan went into the house with gasoline for a while before coming back out. He poured some gasoline on the porch, then dragged a line of gasoline to the grass, extending all the way to where we were standing. Penelope handed him the matches. Just as he was about to light it, he looked at me.

"Want to do the honors?"

"I do." Taking the match, I felt a surge of excitement as it scraped against the side of the matchbox. The flame instantly sparked to life.

There was a strange sense of calm deep inside me as I knelt down. I whispered softly, my voice so low I doubted anyone could hear: "Through this, I release all negative emotions and feelings. I am healed and no longer hold any trauma or anger."

The flame touched the gasoline and instantly shot forward. I had just enough time to stand up before the fire reached the house. A loud boom erupted as the gasoline exploded, and the house was instantly engulfed in flames. My hair was blown backward, but Ryder was there to catch me. My body wasn't knocked too far by the impact, but enough that I was grateful he was there.

As the flames devoured those walls, I felt an unprecedented sense of relief. The memories that had once haunted me, the fears that had kept me awake at night, seemed to turn to ash in the fire. I took a deep breath, feeling for the first time that I could truly look forward.

No one spoke, just quietly watched this bitch burn. I think this was a turning point for everyone. A slight breeze blew the smoke toward the back of the house, giving us the best view. As the wood could no longer bear the weight, windows shattered. Bricks fell to the ground, each making a heavy thudding sound.

I watched everyone's faces. Some had tears in their eyes, others clenched their fists. We were all finding some kind of release in this fire.

I'm not sure how long we stood there, but the moon was high in the sky. I was fascinated watching the way the bricks fell.

arred wood. Eventually, only the chimney remained standing, and the rest had become a pile of bricks a

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