Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder)

Xena's POV

"Why not?" Ryder flashed me a smile as I headed to the bathroom to clean myself up.

I quickly rinsed off in the shower, feeling his eyes on me even through the closed door. When I emerged, wrapped in a towel, I announced, "I'm ready."

"Come here," Ryder said, leaning back against the couch. I crossed the room and settled onto his lap, resting my head against his chest. His heartbeat was steady and reassuring beneath my ear.

"Tell me," he said, his voice gentle as his fingers traced circles on my back, "why are you so uncertain about becoming a mother?"

I took a deep breath, the question hitting a tender spot I'd been avoiding. "With all these kidnapping threats and everything else going on, I'm worried something might happen to the baby if I'm in an unsafe situation. I don't plan to put myself in danger, but if I'm

pregnant, I can't shift. What if a Rogue flips our car again and I have to fight in human

form?"

A chill crept up my spine at the thought, and Ryder must have felt it because he pulled

me closer.

"First of all, you could be attacked by Rogues any day," Ryder said, his hand continuing its

soothing motion on my back. "But if it makes you feel better, we can be extra careful until

things settle down."

"Thank you," I whispered, looking up at him. He placed a soft kiss on my lips, then

playfully swatted my ass, making me smile despite myself.

"We should get going before they come looking for us," Ryder said as we stood and headed

for the door.

Suddenly, a thought struck me. "Though I might be pregnant already. So this conversation might be pointless." I kept my voice low, checking the stairwell was empty before

continuing.noveldrama

"Little Ryder Jr.," he said, savoring the name on his tongue.

"About that..." I laughed as we entered the garage.

"Finally!" William exclaimed when he saw us.

"Sorry. Ryder had to take a shit," I couldn't help but laugh at the look Ryder shot me. There was pretend anger there, but I could see the amusement in his eyes.

"Men really do spend hours in there," Ama agreed, putting on her helmet.

“Exactly,” I said, blowing Ryder a kiss before mounting my motorcycle. He just shook his

head and put on his own helmet.

Ama and I led the way out. God, it felt amazing to be back on the road. The wind

whipping around my body, leaning into the natural curves of the road-this sense of

freedom made me forget all my worries, living only in the present moment. We took the

back roads, watching wildlife around us. Honestly, it was the most beautiful, peaceful

thing on Earth. Soon, we arrived at my favorite barbecue joint.

"Table for four?" the hostess asked.

"Yes, please," Ama replied with a smile.

"Right this way." She grabbed a few menus and led us to a corner booth. "Is this okay?"

"Perfect, thank you," I said, sliding in. Ama and I sat on the inside with Ryder and William

on the outside. Ryder placed his hand on my inner thigh, and I gripped his arm tightly.

The gesture didn't escape Ama's notice. She knew I wasn't big on physical contact, so this

was a big deal to her. But instead of pointing it out, she just smiled at me and picked up her menu. I appreciated her discretion.

"Mr. Nash and Ms. Harris! So good to see you back!" Yara approached our table.

"Thanks! Are you our server today?" I smiled at her.

"Sure am." I noticed her eyes flicker to our clasped hands. "What can I get you all to drink?"