Chapter 43
Xena’s POV
“Heading to bed?” he asked.
“Yeah, got school tomorrow.” I leaned against my doorframe, feeling the exhaustion of the
day settle into my bones.
“Next week’s a big one,” Dad said, his tone casual but probing. I could tell he was fishing
for something.
“Is there something you want to ask me, Dad?” I questioned directly, too tired for games.
His hand unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck–a nervous habit he’d had for as long
as I could remember. “Did you find a dress?”
“Yes.” I kept my answer short, watching his reaction carefully.
“One that fits the theme?” Damn it…Logan couldn’t have sold me out. My mind raced through possibilities, calculating my response.
“I bought two dresses,” I said carefully. “One for my birthday and one for the dance.” I wasn’t lying–not completely anyway.
I waited for his interrogation, but after a pause, he simply said, “Wear whichever one you
like,” before turning and walking away.
That caught me off guard. “Weird,” I muttered to myself as I closed my bedroom door.
After turning off the lights and settling into bed, my phone buzzed. After a brief internal
struggle, I decided to ignore it and go to sleep.
Monday mornings are absolute hell, but this particular Monday felt like the fighter jet of all terrible Mondays. I hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet, and I could already feel the day imploding. Martha would be frantic with the birthday party and Saturday’s challenge match, which meant people coming and going all week, tension in the air, and me becoming her favorite stress–relief target.
Not to mention the possibility of meeting my mate on Friday. If it turned out to be
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Samuel, I’d have nowhere to run. Part of me thought Samuel would be easy, uncomplicated. But since our last heart–to–heart, he’d grown less attentive.
Then there was Ryder. He was an unpredictable variable I wasn’t sure I could fully trust. The hottest guy I’d ever laid eyes on, with a kiss that left me breathless. But realistically, he seemed like a player with girls constantly flocking around him. We always argued, our tempers clashing like oil and water.
I reached for my phone, feeling almost back to normal, but that feeling vanished when I saw two messages–one from Samuel, one from Ryder.
Samuel: Happy birthday week! Hope your day is amazing.
Sent at 6:03 AM. It was now 6:45. I texted back a quick thanks before checking Ryder’s
message.
Ryder: Everything’s been handled. Location is cleared and ready for construction. Thanks for your help.
This message was sent before I went to sleep. I didn’t feel the need to respond.
I got up and took a quick shower. I could skip today entirely, but that would mean facing more harassment from Martha, so school it was.
I couldn’t be bothered with my hair, so I braided it to the side, applied light makeup, and,
threw on basic shorts and a tee. This week was supposed to be scorching. Grabbing my
phone, I almost contacted Ama before remembering she wasn’t here anymore. I’d be going
to school alone.
Frowning, I grabbed my bag and headed out of my room.
“About time you woke up,” Samuel was standing right outside my door.
“Jesus Christ!” My heart leaped into my throat, startled by his presence but also secretly
pleased to see him. “What are you doing here?”
He held up a muffin and a bottle of water, smiling. “I come bearing gifts.”
The scent of chocolate wafted toward me. I snatched the muffin, glaring at him with mock irritation while warmth spread through my chest. “What’s the special occasion?”
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“Ama’s not here to keep you company. Figured I’d fill in.” He shrugged, something unreadable in his tone.
“Thanks,” I said, my voice probably colder than intended because he gave me an odd look.
“Want a ride?” he asked, pushing open the garage door.
“No, you have training, and I need to go to the shop.” I sighed, walking toward my motorcycle. I could feel his eyes following me.
“What’s going on, Samuel? You’ve never done this before,” I stopped in front of my bike and confronted him directly.
“Martha’s already on the warpath. Logan assigned one of us to escort you around the pack house until you find your mate,” Samuel said, giving me the unvarnished truth as always- something I appreciated about him.
“Ah.” I put on my helmet, and we mounted our bikes. I tucked the rest of the muffin into my side storage compartment, and we took off.
The wind whipped around me as I accelerated, Samuel keeping pace beside me.
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