Ryder’s POV
“Me? What did I do?” I laughed, catching him off guard before driving my fist straight into his gut. His pants betrayed him, a stream of liquid running down his leg as he stumbled away. The sight of him half–running, half walking out of the room was absolutely priceless. I pulled out my wallet and tossed the bartender fifty bucks Thanks,” I said, returning to the table just as the girls arrived.
I pushed Logan’s drink toward him, and Leonard rejoined us.
“Got the drinks?” Logan asked.
“Yeah, went smooth as shit,” Leonard smirked as Logan accepted his glass with a nod.
“What did you two do?” Xena eyed us suspiciously, taking a sip of her drink.
I was secretly pleased with myself but kept my expression neutral. Xena’s eyes could always see right through me, but i didn’t want her worrying about petty things tonight.
“Nothing. Just getting more drinks,” I defended myself.
“Enjoy your night,” Logan said, taking a swig.
“It’s your birthday too,” Xena pointed out. She glanced around before whispering something in Logan’s ear. His body tensed slightly but otherwise remained natural.
“Hey, X, ready for tomorrow?” Ama asked.
Excitement washed over Xena’s face. “Absolutely! It’s going to be fun.
I took a sip of my drink, remembering her challenge. I hadn’t been happy when I first heard about her issuing it, and I still didn’t like the idea. It wasn’t that I doubted her abilities, but I didn’t want her to have to fight. Now that she was Luna, the whole thing
seemed pointless. What did she need to prove by fighting?
My instinct was to protect her from any danger. Even knowing she was more than capable of handling herself, that worry still lingered deep inside me.
“We’re definitely having a barbecue to celebrate after tomorrow!” Ama was treating it like a major event.
“Alpha, situation out back,” a warrior contacted me through the mind link.
“Excuse me, ladies,” I said, gesturing for Logan to join me. William and Leonard turned to watch the girls. They were so focused on making plans, though, I doubted they even noticed us leaving.
Logan didn’t ask any questions, just followed me out the front door and down the sidewalk. Three men were lying on the ground with four others standing over them who I assumed were warriors from Logan’s pack.
“What happened?” I asked.
That’s when I heard the sobbing. I turned to see a girl huddled against the wall. Her dress was torn, her nose bleeding.
“It’s obvious, Alpha. We heard screaming and got here in time,” one of my warriors said, blood on his knuckles.
~Pick them up,” I said, shrugging off my jacket and rolling up my sleeves. Logan was already doing the same.
1/3
Chapter 105
“Move them to the woods,” I ordered.
Two short haired men were unconscious, tossed into the woods like orpses, but the curly–haired one still seemed ready to fight. “She asked for it!” he shouted.
I didn’t even respond, just drove my fist straight into his jaw. I knew I’d broken it.
We moved deeper into the woods, my warriors holding them in place
“Mom, there’s a girl outside who needs your help,” I told her through the mind link.
“Which pack are you from?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
“Fuck you,” he spat blood at me.
Logan landed a heavy punch to his stomach. He doubled over in pain curling up on his side.
“You think it’s okay to touch what doesn’t belong to you?” I didn’t let him answer before landing another purich to his gut.
“God, please, no,” his pleas became garbled as he clutched his stomach, writhing on the ground. I threw another punch, breaking his
nose.
Logan wasn’t idle either, stomping on the cocks of the two unconscious short–haired men. They immediately let out agonized howls until Logan signaled nearby warriors to cover their mouths before continuing his assault.
The guy I was dealing with moaned on the ground. After stomping on his cock, I grabbed his shirt and yanked him up.
“Touch a girl like that again, and I’ll kill you.” I delivered one final punch that knocked him out cold.
Thank god I was wearing an all–black shirt. “Take care of them,” I commanded.
Logan and I walked out of the woods. Mom was kneeling on the ground talking to the girl. They both looked up as we approached.
“Are you okay?” Logan asked.
“Could be worse,” Mom frowned.
“Which pack are you from?”
“Darkthorn Pack,” the girl answered, trembling.
“Does this happen often there?” I asked.
“Y–yes, she didn’t want to answer me but told the truth anyway. “Please let me go. If there are consequences for this, it will be worse for me.”
“How old are you?”
“Nineteen.”
“Do you have a mate? Logan asked.
“N–no,” she shook her head.
I reached out my hand to help her stand. Some of the blood on me transferred to her.
