Chapter 52
Xena’s POV
“You mean Helen, don’t you?” Ryder spoke up before his father Benedict could process the meaning behind my words.
“Yes,” I answered bluntly, catching Ryder’s eye in the rearview mirror. My gaze turned cold. Just mentioning Helen’s name stirred a wave of disgust inside me, but I didn’t want to bring this negative energy into their home. “I don’t want to cause trouble for your
family.”
“Now this is interesting,” Benedict chuckled. “In my pack, we believe in an eye for an eye.
Fascinating.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow, mentally filing that information away.
“Of course, everything has its limits, but I’ll make sure Helen won’t be bothering you this week,” Benedict turned back around. “It’s good to have you here.”
“Yeah, really glad you could come,” Ama said.
I recalled what Logan had just told me and took a closer look at Ama. Her eyes and cheeks appeared slightly sunken, and she seemed to have lost weight. Her usual vibrant energy was significantly diminished. A pang shot through my heart seeing the once lively girl
reduced to this state, and I couldn’t stay silent.
“I think we need to talk, Amara.‘
་་
She just nodded, looking down. William wrapped his arm around her, holding her close against him.
“She’s been under a lot of stress lately,” William explained.
“That’s alright. Let me help you sort things out. We’ll stay home tomorrow and spend the
whole day focusing on what you need, okay?” I suggested softly, sensing Ama needed someone to confide in rather than more pressure.
“If I’d known that would get you to agree to stay home, I would have said that an hour
ago,” William muttered under his breath.
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“Seems like you still have a lot to learn about women,” I teased him with a slight smile
playing on my lips.
“Damn,” William tried to puff out his chest, putting on a tough act that made me laugh
internally.
“Did you bring work with you? I can help with that too,” Ama asked, her voice betraying her desperate need to feel useful.
“I’ve finished everything.”
“All of it?”
“Yes, literally all of it. Unless my assistants run into any issues, everything’s taken care
of,” I replied.
“You have assistants?” Benedict asked, surprise evident in his tone.
He glanced at Ryder, who simply shrugged. Apparently, Ryder hadn’t shared everything I‘ told him. I felt a small twinge of gratitude that he’d kept some of my secrets.
“Yes, sir. I’m the main organizer for all school events. Well, at least until I graduate,” I
said.
“All events? For the past four years?” He turned to look at me.
“Yes,” I answered calmly.
“They never mentioned your name,” Benedict pointed out.
“No. That was one of my conditions for doing it. I didn’t want any recognition. I didn’t do
it for fame,” I explained, remembering the loneliness I felt when I first took on these responsibilities.
“Then why did you do it?” William asked.
“To keep busy, to stay away from Mar…” I shrugged, not finishing the name. Mentioning her would only sour my mood further.
“That slap was satisfying to watch,” William laughed.
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“That reminds me, can I join warrior training this week?” I asked Benedict, feeling a spark of anticipation. Combat training had always been my outlet for stress, improving my fighting skills while giving me peace of mind.
“X, they don’t allow females of status to fight,” Ama told me.
“What?” My jaw dropped as I turned to look at Ryder. Anger bubbled up inside me–this kind of gender discrimination still exists in the 21st century?
“They need to help run the pack. Protecting them is our responsibility,” William groaned.
I stared at William, barely containing my fury. “She’s the daughter of a top warrior. She’s
been trained since childhood. You’re telling me you’ve taken away one of the most
important things in her life and then you wonder why she’s struggling to adapt to your
pack?”
“X, it’s fine,” Ama tried to play peacemaker.
“It’s not fine at all. Benedict said an eye for an eye. If you can’t make Ama submit, then she should have the right to train,” I crossed my arms, looking William straight in the eye.
“Ryder, a little help here?” William sought backup.
“X has a point. Try making Ama submit,” Ryder said. I nodded, appreciating his support. It brought a smile to my face.
“Fine, we’ll spar,” William rested his head against the window, sounding defeated.
Ama’s face lit up with a smile she tried to hide. I squeezed Ama’s hand and looked out the window. We were driving toward the pack house with no one around. It seemed strange, but I didn’t ask questions. The guys didn’t seem concerned. The car soon stopped in the ground parking lot.
William, Ama, and Benedict got out and headed inside, while Ryder picked up my bag.
“Did I upset William?” I asked worriedly. Even though I’d won Ama her rights, I didn’t want to make enemies on my first day here.
“Yes, but Dad and I have been trying to get him to agree to let her fight, or at least train. It’s not a pack rule–it’s William’s rule that he made to protect her after our car accident,”
Chapter 52
Ryder explained.
“Ama doesn’t need protection. I look forward to seeing him discover that. No wonder she’s been struggling,” I said, feeling a pang of sympathy for Ama. Being deprived of something you love would make anyone miserable.
Ryder opened the front door. “The dining room is at the end of that hallway. Since it’s already 6:30, I’ll show you to your room first, then we can take a tour before heading straight to dinner.”
“Is my outfit appropriate?” I glanced down at my gray crop top and black shorts, suddenly feeling self–conscious. Being new here, I didn’t want to make a bad impression.
“We don’t have a dress code,” Ryder said as we started up the stairs.
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