Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder)

Xena's POV

"I have a gift for you," Ryder said, his voice warm with affection. "It's in the car. Want to come with me to get it?noveldrama

I looked at him suspiciously, my instincts telling me this wasn't just any ordinary gift. Ama was grinning too, which only deepened my curiosity. "Is this what you went out to get last night?" I asked.

Ryder nodded, that mysterious smile never leaving his face. "Come on."

I followed him to the parking lot, and I watched as Ryder moved to the back seat

of his car with purpose. He retrieved an elegant white box.

“Here, he said, placing the box carefully on the hood of his car. “Open it."

My hands trembled slightly as I approached the box. Something about the weight of the moment, the careful way Ryder was watching me, told me this was significant. I lifted the lid slowly, and my breath caught in my throat.

Inside, nestled in soft foam padding, was a prosthetic hand. But this wasn't just any prosthetic-it was sleek, sophisticated, clearly cutting-edge technology. The neural-controlled prosthetics that Ama had mentioned. My eyes filled with tears. "Ryder," I whispered, my voice breaking with emotion. I looked up at him, and the love in his eyes was overwhelming. "You got it. You actually got it."

"It's what you deserve," he said simply, stepping closer. "It's what I should have done from the beginning."

I threw my good arm around him, pulling him into a fierce embrace. "I love you," I said against his chest.

"Let me help you put it on," he said softly, his hands gentle as he began to position the prosthetic.

Ryder's fingers worked with practiced precision, securing the neural interfaces to my residual limb. He adjusted straps and calibrated connections. When he finished, I stared down at my new left hand. The fingers responded to my thoughts, flexing and moving with fluid grace. The sensation was extraordinary- not quite the same as my original hand, but something new and powerful. I could feel pressure, texture, even temperature through the advanced sensors. My throat tightened with overwhelming gratitude as I realized I was whole again, different but complete.

"Want to take a ride?" I asked suddenly, looking up at Ryder with a grin. "I want to test out how well this new hand works."

"A ride?" Ryder's eyebrows shot/up. "You mean on the motorcycle?"

"Yes, on the motorcycle." I flexed my new fingers, marveling at the responsiveness. "I want to see if I can still handle the controls properly."

Ryder studied my face for a long moment, and I could see the internal battle playing out in his expression. Finally, he sighed. "Alright. Though I don't love the idea of you taking risks so soon. But I need to check on the convention center anyway-make sure the contractors finished everything properly for Ama's event.*

My smile was brilliant. 1 reached out through the mind link to Ama. "Do we have time for a quick ride?"

"Yes," came her immediate response. "I've got everything covered here. Just be back at your shop by 5:45. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is at 6, which won't take long, and we can be back for the barbecue by 7:30."

"God, I was worried about losing Penelope as my assistant. You're incredible."

"Remember that when I need three months off in a few months," Ama's mental voice was teasing.

"Deal. I'll owe you big time."

"You better hurry up then. I want our kids to be close in age, and you're falling behind."

"I'm working on it," I replied, grinning as I closed the mind link.

"I should change my clothes first," I told Ryder.

"No need. Just sit on your skirt. You'll be fine." Ryder pulled me toward him and kissed me. "I love you," he whispered against my lips.

I love you too," I replied without hesitation.

We walked toward our motorcycles. Ryder must have told someone to prepare the bikes because they were already ready and waiting for us. Ryder handed me my helmet and gloves, then put on his own. Seeing that he was ready, I put on my helmet first as usual, then my right glove, and finally my left glove. The prosthetic was more responsive than I had imagined, with almost no delay, which delighted

me.

The roar of the engine instantly awakened the wildness inside me. This sense of power made me feel incredibly free, as if all my troubles had been left behind. Feeling the power between my legs again was amazing. It was like I had lost a part of myself and finally found it again. True excitement filled my heart as we burst out of the driveway and onto the open road. Ryder was right in front of me, but he kept watching me through his rearview mirror. Just like before we became partners.

When there was no oncoming traffic, I even let my skirt fly up, which brought back that butterfly feeling. The tension in Ryder's body was dissipating, being replaced by something... primal. I knew I was going to be in trouble, but that only made things more interesting. His eyes would narrow at me, but he never really said anything. The entire ride was wonderful.

Stopping in front of the conference center, I was surprised. It looked amazing. The parking lot was beautiful, planted with shade trees. The building was circular with a dome. Everything looked tasteful and solid.

"Looks like you're adapting well," Ryder said as he parked his motorcycle.

Yes, this is better than I imagined."

That's good, Ryder nodded with satisfaction..

So why are we here?"

"Our vacation house is finished." Ryder extended his hand to me. I had completely forgotten about the treehouse. Walking ahead of Ryder, the path became narrower due to the lush trees. I had originally thought they would be cut down, but the construction workers did a great job without destroying the

forest.

As I approached it, I held my breath. It looked perfect. Dark-stained wood covered the entire building. Solar lights lined the path, the balcony, and even the forest.

When I ran up the walkway, excitement completely took over me, and I didn't wait for Ryder before rushing inside. I ran around the rooms, constantly amazed by everything I saw. Ryder stayed on the balcony, watching me, waiting for me. "This is amazing!" I said, throwing myself at him with my arms around his neck. He easily caught me and kissed me.

"I'm glad you like it."

"But I need to use the bathroom."

Ryder rolled his eyes. "You already found it?"

"Found it!" I smiled at him and walked toward the bathroom. I had a feeling that what I was looking for was there. After locking the door, I tried to keep my emotions steady. While searching through the drawers, I found what I wanted.

I hadn't shown any signs or symptoms of pregnancy, but considering we hadn't taken any protection and Ryder wanted a child so much, I thought I might as well test. There was a voice deep in my mind telling me not to drink tonight. Although my period wasn't due for two more days, why not try?

wasn't due