Chapter 189
Xena’s POV
I stared at the photo, my heart hammering against my ribs like it wanted to escape. It
showed Ryder and me walking together, completely unaware we were being watched. A
chill ran down my spine as I realized someone had been documenting our private
moments.
“That was taken outside the pack house. Remember? When we went for that short walk,” Ryder said, his voice tight with barely controlled rage.
Of course I remembered. It had been just a few minutes of fresh air after watching that
movie. Logan had made me sign my will earlier that day, and I’d just wanted to clear my head before sleep. We’d been so relaxed, so carefree, completely oblivious to the eyes
tracking our every move.
“The angles of these photos are all from above,” I said to everyone in the room, trying to
keep my voice steady, not wanting to sound as terrified as I felt.
“And they’re zoomed in?” Alpha Benedict frowned, his forehead creasing with concern.
“We don’t have any buildings tall enough to capture these shots from this angle. Like that
one by the pool. There’s nothing nearby that could provide that perspective.”
“What are you thinking?” Ryder asked, his voice vibrating with barely contained fury.
“Maybe a drone or something. These could be screenshots,” I said, voicing my suspicion.
“Drones can be controlled from miles away.” Ryder practically roared. I placed my hand on
his shoulder, trying to calm him down even though my own heart was racing.
“That means it might not be someone from our pack. Could be someone outside our territory, up in a tree,” I reasoned, my mind racing through all possibilities.
Ryder spun around to face his father, his eyes wild with rage. “How did you get these?”
“They were on a phone. This phone didn’t take the pictures, but someone sent them to it. It had a password and encryption, but we managed to get in,” Benedict replied calmly.
My stomach dropped. “Did you find anything else?”
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“The phone is connected to that company. The number that sent the photos is also from the same company,” Alpha Benedict said, crossing his arms.
“What the hell can we do against fucking flying drones?” Ryder raged, pacing back and forth until his knee hit a chair. In one swift motion, he grabbed it and hurled it through the closed window. The sound of shattering glass made my stomach clench.
“RYDER!” Alpha Benedict shouted.
“I’ve got this,” I told Alpha Benedict, despite the trembling in my chest. I knew I needed to stay calm now. Ryder needed me. “Ryder, come on.” Grabbing his hand, I pulled him out of the office and up the stairs to our bedroom.
His body was shaking with fury as he started grabbing items and throwing them around
the room.
“How am I supposed to keep you safe when the fucking sky is watching you?” Ryder was completely losing it. The couch was flipped over, an armchair landed on the balcony, and the dresser lay on its side.
I just let him rage until one of his projectiles hit a framed drawing I’d made for him. My heart cracked a little. That picture meant something special to our relationship.
“Enough!” I shouted, my voice stronger than I’d expected.
Ryder leaned against the wall, breathing hard. He didn’t respond, but he looked at me. His eyes were filled with anger, but beneath that, I saw fear–fear of losing me.
“Now our entire room is trashed. Feel better?” I asked calmly.
“No.” His knuckles were white from clenching his fists.
“Let me think. We can figure out a proper plan,” I said, not making any move to touch him, knowing he needed space in this state.
“Damn it!” Ryder growled as the bedroom door opened and William walked in. William surveyed the room, then looked at me, checking if I was hurt, before turning his attention. to Ryder.
“There’s still one spot you missed,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. I almost smiled
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at his attempt at humor, but the situation was too serious.
“Fuck off, William.” Ryder rolled his eyes and started pacing again. His anger was still there, but at least he wasn’t throwing things anymore.
“We’ll-” I began.
“So what’s the fucking plan?” Ryder turned and yelled at me. He was truly losing control. I could feel his fear and protectiveness, but his reaction hurt.
“Maybe you need to go for a run. Let your wolf out, kill something,” William said, standing up and moving beside me as if to protect me. “Come on, I’ll run with you.”
Ryder’s anger hit boiling point as William grabbed his arm and tried to pull him toward the door. Ryder yanked his arm free from William’s grip and charged out onto the balcony.
“No!” I cried out as Ryder jumped from the balcony, shifting mid–air. He landed perfectly on his paws and ran off. Fear and worry filled my chest.
“You’d better go after him, William,” I said quietly. A moment later, our bedroom door slammed against the wall.
I couldn’t reach anyone through the mind link, which worried me even more. Half- running to Alpha Benedict’s office, I burst in without knocking. No one was there. My heart raced faster, fear gradually taking over.
I sprinted to Ama’s room, bursting through the door.
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