Stronger by Ang Chris
Chapter 19

“What would you like to start with?” Elizabeth asked as we walked from my house that morning.

“I typically start my day in the field tending to the crops,” I told her.

I didn’t know where the entrance to the fields was and they produced a lot more food than my pack did.

“We have two sets of crops. There are the crops for the pack and the crops for the market. Which onewould you like to tend to?” she turned her head to look at me.

“I don’t know how to drive a tractor, so the crops for the pack,”

“Would you like to learn?”

I suppose I should. “Of course but not today I don’t think,” I nodded my head.

“Alright well, I will speak with one of the farmers to see if they’d be willing to teach you,”

We headed past the many houses of the pack and to an acre that held a garden, a vine plot, and in theback what looked to be an orchard.

“We grow many vegetables, fruits, grapes, apples, and pears,” explained.

“Put me to work,” I nodded.

Their crops were far behind my family’s pack. Most hadn’t been planted. It was still pretty chilly out. Ihad on my one sweater and jeans. My rubber garden boots were a must obviously.

I rolled up my sleeves and put on a gardening apron and got to work. I grabbed a hand tiller, went to aplot, and worked the ground. It hadn’t fully thawed yet so I grabbed a hoe to break up the tougher dirt.

I grabbed bags of manure when I was done and spread them over the 12–foot square plot. Then Igrabbed the rake and dug groves into the soil,

I was planting beets on this plot. I put them about 6 and 4 inches apart. I planted them half an inchdown and covered them up. I watered the crops and dusted off my hands.

“To the training house. I feel like a run and box,” I told Elizabeth who had finished a plot of radishesbefore me.

“Of course,”

“I’ll need to get my gym clothes from the house,” I told her. “I’ll meet you at the training grounds,”

“Of course Luna,” she nodded and headed off.

I enjoyed farming. It was a sense of satisfaction of growing your own food knowing you had planted itand tended it almost made it taste better. I like the dirt on my hands and the push of the tools groomingthe ground for my food.

Knowing the hard work of yours went into something it was prideful and content.

I washed my hands in the deep sink of my new empty home. It was full of furniture and had room foreverything. There were no memories here though.

7

I had nothing but what I had brought. This was barren to me. It felt chilled and gray. I could see thepotential for sunny days and cozy moments but it felt like the end of a race, impossible to reach andforever away.

I went upstairs to my new and vast room to get my workout clothes on.

Black felt appropriate; it had sheer lines on the arms and calves of the two–pieces. It was a mid–riseshirt goddess knows Grayson wouldn’t like that.

*Perfect

I walked to the gym putting my hair up in a high pony and twisting it into a bun.

This was a place I had to replace my way. I had to make a standing here yet the task seemed dauntingwith only a handful of people who were helping me.

I knew nothing of what my new pack thought of me, they were curious but I didn’t know if they wereintrigued or disgusted.

Entering the gym I sought out Elizabeth who was standing on the above gym track waiting for mesnuggled up to her mate.

I watched them laughing and his arms settled on her waist. Their faces so endeared to one anotherand their companionship exuded from them.

My heart twisted in spite. How come they got to be so happy? She gets a man who can’t even hersoulmate to love her so wholly and I am left on an island with no boat,

I ran and thought with my earbuds in, drowning out everyone else. Trying to replace peace within myselfbut the loneliness pushed through the cracks I couldn’t patch.

I stopped after a while, going to down to replace an open punching bag.

There was one in the middle of a group of men. The thinking was not doing me any good, yelling atGrayson had not worked either, maybe hitting an object would.

I squared myself with the bag after wrapping my hands. I took a deep breath and growled at thisinanimate target of

mine.

I took my b*dy weight into my punches throwing all I had in muscles and my mind at it. I huffed andgrunted at the bag thumped and thudded with each attack.

I slammed my elbow into it and kicked it ruthlessly. I had so much I couldn’t understand or comprehendand it all came out on the sack in front of me.

“You know it’s not going to fight back right?” A voice interrupted my music and my thoughts. I pulled outmy earbuds.

I looked over my shoulder and Matt had his brows knit together looking at the limp bag I’d beenpummeling.

“Better something that can’t feel it,” I turned back to the bag and continued my assault.

“Grayson is a difficult man. He doesn’t trust easily,” Matt came and held the bag for me.

“So I’ve been told,” I launched my fist at the bag and he jolted from the impact.

“He should be more mind to you I’m not saying he’s in the right but he’s scared of you,” He continued totry and ease my aggression.

“Afraid of me how?” I roundhouse kicked the bag.

“You are gonna know him best Annette,” he explained.

“So instead he’s making me afraid?” I punched the bag three times in a row.

“touche,” He replied with a laugh.

“I know he has his reason to be weary but I want mate who communicates with me,”

“I’ve consulted him many time to go about this a different way but I feel the only thing that will changehis mind is time,” he shook his head as I elbowed the bag.

“I’m supposed to be patient aren’t I?” I stopped panting.

“Sadly yes,” he shrugged.

*Patience, patience, patience.

“I hate patience,” I whined to myself unwrapping my hands.

“Luna Anna, are you done killing the bag?” Elizabeth came over smirking.

“Yes, I’m going to go shower. Tell me do you guys have midwives?” I liked her wanting to move on frombeing told yet again to give me mate time.

“Uh yes,”

“I’ll spend the rest of the afternoon with them, you can come and get me when it’s time to preparedinner,”