Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder)

"They're holding fine right now Mr. Roderick pointed at the building, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah, because there's no drywall or thousands of people inside right now." My tone was becoming impatient. "You need to place additional support beams in those locations to keep it safe."

"Wh- Mr. Roderick began. He narrowed his eyes at me, his hostility almost tangible.

Mr. Roderick's mumbling was clear enough for me to hear the insult him nearly erupting in an instant. But before he could say anything,

this.

saw Ryder's eyes darken instantly, the Alpha presence within gently touched his arm-a silent signal that I could handle

"Sir, I heard that comment," I said, my voice firm and calm, but not aggressive. I looked Mr. Roderick directly in the eyes without backing down. “Rather than attacking me personally, why don't we focus on the actual engineering issue?"

I walked to the wall where safety helmets hung, took one, and put it on, then pointed toward the door. "Let me show you what I'm talking about."

Roderick glanced at Ryder, clearly expecting his boss to stop me. But Ryder just made a gesture indicating we should proceed, letting me lead the way.

I guided them through the site, stepping over gravel and wood chips, until we

came to an area beneath one of the main arch structures. Workers paused their activities to watch us, and I could feel their curious gazes.

"Look here." I pointed to a connection point, then took out my phone. "You're using this standard connector, right?"

Roderick nodded reluctantly.

I opened my calculator app. "Based on your design specifications, how many pounds per square inch is this timber bearing?"

'87 pounds," he mumbled.

"Now, add the live load with full occupancy on the upper level, multiplied by the safety factor..." I quickly entered numbers into my phone. "And snow load..."

I turned the screen toward him, showing numbers far exceeding the connector's pressure standards.

"Your connection points will need to bear almost 1.7 times their design capacity," I said calmly. “I don't care who fixes it, but it needs to be fixed. I won't allow people's safety to be compromised."

Roderick's face went from red to white, then red again. He took my phone, checked my calculations, then repeated them on his own phone. His forehead began to sweat.

"I... I need to make a call." He stepped back and walked away.

I turned to Ryder, whose eyes sparkled with pride. "I saw some engineering books on your bookshelf. Didn't realize you had an

interest."

"Anyone with a motorcycle shop needs to understand the basics of structural mechanics," I shrugged. 'Besides, I've always been Interested in building

A few minutes later, Roderick returned, his expression completely transformed.noveldrama

"Mrs. Nash..." He cleared his throat. "You're right. My engineer just confirmed your calculations, We'll add extra support structures

immediately."

He paused, visibly struggling. I apologize for my earlier comment. was... unprofessional."

I nodded, accepting his apology but didn't smile. "Professional expertise isn't gender-specific, Mr. Roderick. I hope you'll remember

that."

He nodded uncomfortably. "We'll start modifying the design right away."

Ryder took my hand, and we continued our tour. "Next time, don't assume it's you protecting me," I said softly, finally smiling. "Sometimes, I'm protecting your investment."

Ryder laughed, that genuine laugh only I could bring out, "I never doubted it."

They hadn't started electrical or plumbing work yet, so there wasn't much more to see. Each room appeared to match the blueprints and seemed properly assembled. There wasn't a gap between any of the joints. I carefully observed every detail, trying to ensure everything was proceeding according to plan.

We spent about an hour walking through the entire building and observing everything. As we were leaving, Ryder grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the forest.

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