Stronger by Ang Chris

Chapter 37 | woke up to an empty house. That seemed to be a constant after every warming midnight moment | woke up alone.

*#| left sbreakfast in the microwave. ** “Good morning.

*#*Good morning Annette. ** | walked down the stairs and wandered into the cold kitchen opening the microwave. Sausage and scrambled eggs, one of my favorites.

“How did you know? We can see into each other’s minds “Thats cheating **Noted | chuckled to myself as | started the microwave and made scoffee for myself. It wasn’t that early like our normal days so the sun streaked into the room from the many windows.

“Anna?” | turned to see my youngest brother groggily walking down the stairs.

“James, you hungry?” | asked him heading to the fridge.

“No,” he sniffled, shaking his head waking up a little. “Your mate packs one hell of a punch,” Guilt swam through my veins. “Are you okay,” “Yes,” the bite in his voice toldto back off. “I don’t understand how you're so eager to stay,” he confessed grabbing coffee.

“He's my mate,” “He’s a bit of an asshole, especially to you,” James sluggishly sat down.

“James it’s all different now Grayson tookas his mate and we're bound,” | tried to reason with this hasty James.

1 “Like that matters, he doesn’t seem to have any respect for you. Anna tellyou're not dim witted enough to trust him so easily,” James snapped.

“James!” Charlie shouted behind us.

| spun and through watery eyes looked at my family that seemed as upset as | was at James sudden outburst.

1/7 12:46 TUGNE MOR: TO Chapter 37 “I just said what she needed to hear,” James crossed his arms.

“James I'm happy | like my life here,” | start to plead my case.

“How were we raised by the sparents? Where the fuck is my sister becuase this crying mess of a person isn’t her,” He spat atanother blow landing in my gut at his viscous venomous words.

*%|'m going to kill him.

“No!” | called to Grayson.

“James you have no right to act this way apologize,” Charlie commanded.

“Do you need a lesson in manners baby brother?” Theo snarked at him.

*#+You are not only his sister but a Luna of the Northern Ecl*pse pack. His disrespect and brutal remarks would get him beaten anywhere else. ** *Please this is my brother you know how he has been | am alright | am probably feeling much more upset than | should.

I don’t think so at all Grayson please 1 just i can’t do this right now “He will leave you the second he gets an heir | promise you,” My brother scoffed at me.

to hur Annette you can see intoI'm not you ever again! Grayson spoke tobut | found it hard to speak back. I did not think he would ever do something that cruel and saw the parts of his heart | owned but those barbs of suspicion and doubt sprouted up into my chest.

*#*Do you need me? *No | trust you | do. | know you met what you said.

“James you have no clue what you're talking about do you have any idea how hard this has been for her! Just because marched up to James and wast you rightfully got your ass kicked by Grayson doesn’t mean you take it out on her!” C an inch from his face.

“You're just as stupid as she is if you think not talking about it will help,” James blankly shot back.

“Don’t talk to my wife like that!” Theo/interjected.

“Enough!” My mother called above the mayhem.

“James you go upstairs now I'll see you in a minute,” She ordered him.

James slammed his coffee down on the table spilling it everywhere, 2/7 Chapter 37 Without thinking | grabbed a towel to clean it up and fix this.

James has been troubled lately. | know that but he’s never been so mean to me. We're the closest in age out of all the children I've never thought he’d say something like that to me.

“Annette he will calm down and realize what an absolute jackass he is. If he doesn’t I'll help him. ** “No! Grayson that'll just make this all worse.” | pleaded and looked around at my family.

“I said that out loud didn’t | sumised from their curious faces.

“Anna don’t pay any attention to what he said | have no clue why he thought to take his anger out on you but it was obviously cruel and childish,” my mother gavea quick peck on the cheek before going upstairs to yell at James.

| do not think quick anger is going to solve this problem | stepped back with a puddle still over my countertop. This was botheringmore than I thought it would.

Annette “I'm fine im fine | have things to do today anyways. My parents leave tomato and | would miss them | wanted to spend the day with my mother and Cea and | wanted to spar with my boother | grabbed the towel wringing it in my hands my mind wrapping itself up in knots at what to do to fix the problem of James.

“You do not have to handle everything,” my father grabbed the towel fromand finished cleaning.

“I should talk to him,” “No, James should talk to you. His anger is his frustrations showing their face to others. If he wants to solve the problem he needs to be the one to talk,” My dad pattedon the shoulder.

“You said you wanted to spend the day with us, let's go con.” Cea urgedom to look past this outburst.

“| still need to eat,” | went to grab my food from the microwave. The yellow warmth I'd had from Grayson makingbreakfast was all a tattered bleak gray now.

*#+T| make this up to you “It’s not your fault | gave him reason to doubtbut more importantly you “I'm okay | kept repeating it to myself to keep those fears at bay like prayer to tell myself not to worry. How could | worry | can see into Graysons mind and he does care for me. | know he doesn’t trust easily and | feel those cracks in him that are Chapter 37 slowly filling up.

Still knowing how he had hurtonce my mind voiced its logical thoughts that felt cold and sharp in all the wrong ways.

Eat, | will see you the second this meeting is over *Grayson...

| looked down at the food and ate slowly. | drank scoffee and Cea rubbed my back while Theo tried to makelaugh but if he wasn’t waving his hands in front of| wouldn't know he was there.

“I trust you | said it again. I trust him. I'm alright, | know him, I'm fine: | cannot hold onto his wrong doings for us to move forward but when something like this happens when I sit down and try to act like | have full faith | feel like a fraud.

My mother eventually cback down and we went to the gardens to weed and prune.

“Luna?” Elizabeth cover toas | wrenched weeds out of the ground.

“Yes,” | did not look up at her knowing she sensed my ire and confusion.

“Are you alright?” She knelt down and began pruning the tomatoes.

“My brother thinks I’ve ruined my life by binding to Grayson,” | cout with it not needing to go through a bullshit.

excuse Elizabeth straightened and nodded. | know she is loyal to Grayson and she believes that | should trust him and | do but only because I can now see into his mind.

“Luna, your bond is strong and you seemed so happy yesterday. Your family is a strong one that loves deeply but they do not know the Alpha the way only you will. In the end your brothers opinion only matters if you let it,” Her voice was low and she did not meet my eyes saying something so bold to her Luna.

“Thank you for your advice Elizabeth,” | monotonously responded.

“Anna, my love these gardens rival our own,” my mother cover tosmiling sweetly.

“I cevery morning to look at them and make sure they're yielding enough,” | explain, remembering the training 1 had to my duties.

“Have you inspected your cellars yet?” She gavea tone of chastising.

“Yes mama they're being refurbished before summer's end, | roll my eyes at her nagging.

“Oh | know you're a Luna in your own right now and you know what to do but I'm your mom,” she pokedin my side trying to getto laugh.

4/7 Chapter 37 | was to so frustrated with myself and James and this situation | had so hoped | was passed though that all | did was walk away.

“We're going to head to the gym now,” | call and Elizabeth and my family follow me.

1 am supposed to be a leader and | have no clue what I’m doing.

| felt foolish telling people where to go and what to do my own mother of all of them. Cea was now beneathin terms of ranking and if | told her to walk across hot coals she would have to or else she would offend my pack.

| have all this power because | bound to Grayson and my whole life changed on a whim. | took a chance and James he thinks | made the wrong choice.

*#*Annette you are a strong Luna and you deserve this even if | have not welcomed you the way | should.

| loved and hated his voice in my head calming my nerves whenever | needed it and still my mind tore at itself in vicious chaos.

“Anna,” my father walked over toas we entered the gym. He huggedand looked down atsighing seeing the turmoil | was doing my best to hide. “Con let's spar to clear your head,” | changed and sat down braiding my hair staring into space picturing what may cin the future of James was right or if Grayson would be the man | needed and he claimed he could be.

“Luna?” Elizabeth called toand | nodded in return and walked over to watch a spar between one of our warriors and one of the River Phase warriors.

“They are especially quick fighters,” Elizabeth whispered to me.

Indeed their warriors flitted about the cage like a bird. He moved so quick and doges effortlessly but our caught him up and he did not take well to the strong blows.

Here we taught speed and strength our warriors could take more than a punch if needed and their speed was incomparable. | see that the River Phase pack taught more on speed than endurance and defense. Before long the River Phase fighter took a blow to his knee and conceded.

My brothers then took the ring. Theo and Charlie often spared together as they could handle the strength of pure Alpha blood.

“Does Grayson pull his punches when he spars? No It a little lighter after Charlie bested Theo by pinning his arms and kneeing him in his face. They fought tough but they had to if we ever did battle with another pack.

5/7 Chapter 37 Now that Grayson and | are bound if either pack goes to war my familial clan will send us warriors to defend our lands. I'm his wife so he will get the best warriors my blood can offer. In return Grayson would do the sfor them.

“Annette,” his voice ctofrom outside my mind now. “You should be relaxing with your family not sparring.” his hands went to my hips and | felt ten times better under his touch.

“I'm officially Luna now Grayson | have duties to fulfill which reminds| need to look at our cellars just don’t tell my mom,” | sheepishly whispered to him.

“I may have lied to her earlier.

*+You don’t have to be perfect ** | felt his guilt from his recent behavior and his desire for us to be better.

“Con let's watch the sparring together,” | nodded back holding onto his arm.

Being by him, seeing his face, it helpedfeel lighter. James had said srude things but that doesn’t mean they're true.

“Did we beat the River Phase pack warrior?” He mumbled to me.

“Yes,” “And ask questions like that this way we don’t want to offend our allies.

**| don’t always remember “Fair enough I smiled up at him in a genuine moment of happiness.

“Tomorrow we're going to discuss trade and negotiate alliance agreements for the territory. Do you wish to be there?” He turned his head down to me.

“Yes | would love to,” | was proud he'd havethere in front of our allies.

“Alpha it is tto prepare dinner | believe Luna wants to make pulled pork?” Elizabeth cup to stealaway.

“I will see you soon,” he nodded to me.