Chapter 8

Xena’s POV

I instinctively turned my head away. "Nothing."

"And your knuckles?" William pushed.

"Did someone hurt you?" Ryder asked earnestly.

His concern caught me off guard, making me feel a bit flustered. Just as I was struggling to come up with an answer, Mr. Davis saved me by starting class.

"Xena, can I count on you again this year?" he asked, looking at me over his glasses.

I nodded. "It's on my list."

I felt Ryder's sideways glance but ignored it. Thankfully, after class, Mr. Davis wanted to speak with him, giving me the perfect opportunity to slip away.

At 3:30, I sat behind the counter at my shop, waiting for Ryder to arrive. The design of paint job was ready, exactly as he'd requested. Logan and Samuel hadn't arrived yet, and neither had Dad.

I was printing out the final design when the door opened, the bell jingling softly. Ryder and William walked in, both looking more casual than they had at school.

"You're on time," I said, not bothering with pleasantries. "Bathroom's in the back if you need it. Did you bring the forms and money?"

Ryder placed the completed paperwork and cash on the counter. I checked through the documents, making sure all the signatures were where they needed to be.

While Ryder wandered over to examine some of my other custom jobs displayed on the walls, William stepped forward and asked, surprised, "You really run this place on your own?"

I finished counting the money and nodded. "All mine." I gestured to the portfolios displayed on the wall. "All my designs and work."

William flipped through one of the albums, his eyebrows rising. "This is really impressive."

The door opened again, and my friends walked in. I introduced them to William, making sure to identify Logan as my twin brother and both of us as Alpha Hank's children, then introduced Samuel as our future Beta and Leonard as our future Gamma. When Ryder rejoined us, they exchanged brief greetings.

"Ready to check out the design?" I asked Ryder, who nodded.

I unrolled the sketch across the counter, revealing my vision for his Harley—an all-black base with gray ash patterns and a realistic black wolf at the center.

"The exhaust system will need custom parts that'll take about a week to arrive," I explained, "but we can start on the suspension tomorrow. What do you think of the design?"

Ryder chuckled softly, his eyes still on the design. "I like it," he said, his finger tracing the outline of the black wolf. "It's more detailed than I imagined."

I moved to stand beside him, pointing out details. "I added some texture to the ashes here that will give it more dimension. The black wolf on the tank will shift with the light, showing different depths as you move around it."

“How do you guys like it so far?” Logan was trying to make small talk.

“Different but nice.” William said.

“You guys look stiff as shit, relax and take a damn seat.” I looked around them.

Ryder snorted in approval. "Let's do it."

I prepped the Harley, masking off areas meticulously before mixing the custom black paint. With precise strokes, I laid down the base coat. The airbrush felt like an extension of my arm as I worked, building layers of depth into the design.

"Hold this steady," I instructed Ryder, pointing to the stencil I needed in place.

He moved beside me, rolling up his sleeves before gripping the edge of the template. The muscles in his forearms flexed as he held it perfectly still, veins visible beneath his skin. I tried not to notice how the lights accentuated every defined line of his arms as I leaned in to spray the intricate ash pattern.

"X, did you get the emails from the teachers?" Logan asked me.

"Yeah, two of them even asked me in class."

"What's that about?" Ryder handed me a roll of masking tape.

"She's been organizing the school events for five years now," Leonard explained, pride evident in his voice.

William stopped playing with the paint can and turned to look at me."But you're just a senior?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's not a big deal. I'm good at school, so I took over. I don't do all the planning, but I do most of it. I have assistants who do the actual work. I'm in charge of writing tests, spelling bees, dances..."

"You've been doing this since eighth grade?" Ryder asked, surprise evident in his tone.

"Just one of my many talents," I replied with a shrug. "I need to pick words for the spelling bee next month, and there's the dance coming up, plus the prep ally for the end of the year."

X, we need to head out. You good? Logan asked through our mental link.

I'm fine, I responded.

My friends stood up. "We'll see you at dinner," Logan said aloud, moving toward the door. Samuel gave me one last look before following him out.

"Is he your boyfriend?" William asked with a smile, nodding toward Samuel's retreating form.

I snorted. "No. I've known these guys since birth. Our birthdays are actually all within a week of each other."

"So how smart are you, exactly?" William pressed.

I gave him a look that clearly communicated how stupid his question was. "What do you mean?"

"You take all advanced courses and do all this work..."

"I'm a woman of mystery," I replied, just as the door opened again.

My father walked in, his tall frame filling the doorway.

"Hey, Dad," I greeted him, watching as Ryder and William immediately straightened their postures in the presence of an Alpha.