Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder) novel Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Xena’s POV

The gravel crunched beneath the tires as we pulled up to Ryder’s pack house. The massive stone and wood structure stood imposing against the afternoon sky, windows gleaming in the sunlight. Members of his pack moved around the property like they always did–some training in the yard, others carrying supplies or talking in small groups.

A cluster of men, including Magnus, were standing near the entrance, stuffing their faces with donuts. Their eyes followed us as we got out of the car, Ryder carrying the samples I’d brought to show him.

“Don’t want to break a nail, Ms. Harris?” Magnus called out with a sneer, his eyes raking over me with undisguised contempt.

I met his gaze directly, feeling that familiar fire building in my chest. “I’m not the one who should worry about breaking nails. Last I remember, you son of a bitch were the one

who couldn’t—”

“Magnus, go run some laps,” Ryder interrupted, his voice carrying the unmistakable command of an Alpha.

“Yes, Alpha,” Magnus muttered, shooting me one last glare before jogging away.

We continued walking toward the main entrance, Ryder’s hand brushing against the small of my back in a way that sent unwelcome tingles up my spine.

“Since you’re so good at motivating young people now…” Ryder sighed as we entered his office, a spacious room with floor–to–ceiling windows overlooking the forest beyond.

“Technically, I’m still young myself. Just connecting with my peers,” I shrugged, dropping into one of the chairs in front of his desk. I crossed my legs, tapping my fingers against the armrest impatiently.

Ryder laughed softly, the sound doing strange things to my insides that I refused to

acknowledge. “Let’s start with the layout,” he said, pulling out a piece of draft paper. He drew a rectangle and marked the existing layout of the space. “What do you want to change?”

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I leaned forward, focusing on the task at hand rather than the way his scent–pine and

something wilder–seemed to fill the room.

“I want to add a private office behind the reception area. Keeping the bathroom in its current position would save money, but it needs to be slightly bigger. I need a separate room for imported goods, but it doesn’t have to be huge. The customization area needs to be larger than before.”

Ryder’s green eyes studied me intently before shifting back to the paper. “What about adding another customization station so you can hire someone else to work? Expand your

business?”

I’d never considered that before. The idea rolled around in my mind, unexpectedly

appealing. “I suppose so. The west wall would only need another bracket, and we could

paint lines for a work area.”

Ryder’s phone kept buzzing with incoming messages. He responded to some and ignored others. My curiosity burned, but it wasn’t my business. Still, I couldn’t help wondering

who was so desperate to reach him.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Ryder pressed a button, and the door buzzed before swinging open.

“Damn, that’s cool,” I said, genuinely impressed by the setup.

“Lunch, Alpha,” a kitchen staff member entered, carrying trays of food.

“Thank you. Please set it on the coffee table.” I stood and walked over to see what we’d be

eating.

As the kitchen staff turned to leave, another figure stepped into the doorway.

“Oh good, the bitch isn’t here. Now we can continue what we were doing earlier.” Helen walked in wearing nothing but a trench coat, her voice sickeningly sweet.

The kitchen staff’s eyes widened, gaze darting between me and Helen. I casually plucked a few blueberries from the lunch tray and popped them into my mouth, watching with morbid fascination as her little performance began to unfold.

Ryder leaned back in his chair, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

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“What are you doing here?” I asked calmly, the ice in my voice barely concealing my disgust.

“You told me to come to your office. But every morning you’re either not here or too busy, so I finally caught you.” She completely ignored me, her voice taking on a whiny quality

as she addressed Ryder. “Do you like what you see?” She opened her trench coat slightly, flashing Ryder a glimpse of stockings and lace.

“I can’t see clearly. Turn around,” I suddenly commanded, my voice sharp as a blade.

Helen jumped, her act faltering. She quickly closed her coat, glaring at me with naked

hatred.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her lip curling in disgust.

“Taking measurements, seeing where my desk will go when I become your Luna

tomorrow.” I let the lie hang in the air between us, enjoying the way her face contorted

with rage. “Now, I want to see what you’re wearing.”

I released a burst of my aura, letting it envelop her. Ryder simply watched, saying nothing

as I calmly ate another blueberry. Helen was forced to open her coat, revealing the lingerie she’d chosen specifically to please Ryder. Another fucking woman desperate to

please a man.

“Looks a bit big for you. Doesn’t seem to fill out the top,” I remarked, popping another

blueberry into my mouth.

“Ryder liked it just fine last time,” she shot back, her voice trembling slightly.