Stronger by Ang Chris
Chapter 36

*Annette *

I saw myself in his eyes the day we met. I glittered and shined for him. He held me so softly as I sleptsoundly in his arms and his hands cared for me as he laid me down on my old bed.

He watched me more than I realized. So many images of me in the garden, helping pups learn,fighting, jogging. Where was he when he watched me like this.

His strong urge to be with me but his fear of me all clashed inside of him. He would replace himself walkingtoward me

and then turn when he realized.

I watched that hole from what had happened earlier in life grow and shrink as our time together wenton. The way he saw me was so much different than I thought.

I had imagined the annoyance and fear being the main image he viewed but in every instance I saw hewanted me.

His fear was like a wall of glass he’d see and come for me but he couldn’t go further than a certainpoint.

When I came back to reality I felt his care for me and an uneasiness.

I was falling.

“I’m falling.”

I grabbed onto him as he grabbed me. I tried to speak but my mouth couldn’t form an actual word.

A garbled sound came out and suddenly hands were everywhere.

“Grayson you okay?” Someone spoke I think it was Matt or Aarron.

“Give Luna to me,” Elizabeth or Amaria said. I don’t know.

“No I’m fine I’m fine,” his arms encircled me again.

I blinked for a second trying to pull myself of pig this powerful fog.

*We’re still in the forest. I’m in his arms.

I tried to explain to myself what was going on to get myself right. I looked around and I saw his faceangry and focused on me.

“Grayson,” I told myself, anchoring me to him.

**Annette

I heard him say but his mouth didn’t move.

Is she okay?

“Grayson I’m fine,” I brought a hand to his face.

“Goddess,” he grabbed me and took us to our feet. I stumbled for a second but then I found my footing.

Annette?

“Yes,”

“You can hear my thoughts?” He determined.

“I wonder if he can hear mine?

“I can,” he gave a nod of his head.

He then realized his hands were one me and he removed them but a smirk came on his face when hesensed my

his actions.

“I’m still not used to it,” he chuckled.

Get used to it.

Get used

“I’ve said I’ll try,” his smile broadened and my heart summersalted.

“This is not normal,” I laughed and his deep rumble of laughter came forward.

He must have realized what his laugh does to me as a blush a literal blush came on his face.

“Let’s go see our people,” He spoke in his rough glass voice to me.

“Yes,” I bit l*p after I spoke the smile we shared creeping over my face.

“This is what I have been missing.”

His hand wrapped around mine in a gargantuan manner and my heart felt lighter than it had in weeks.

I feel for you

“Then feel me

Ire at

Our souls spoke to each other where no one else could hear. I felt him in weakest moments and hisstrength where I

needed it most.

We were no longer lost. I felt his arms around me when he was five yards away. We walked back nolonger needing to speak. We were ahead of the curve ahead of words and written saying knowing howthe other felt.

I walked back with him touch on touch, our hands the physical point for our connections. It was nolonger mental, emotional, or spiritual, we were forever bound in this mortal moment. It was all so veryfleeting.

When we sat back down again as some of our people danced and some of our people ate and some ofour people laughed I saw someone from the corner of my eye

“Luna Annette,” a man nodded to me. It was not a full bow of his head and my training and smell toldme he was another alpha.

“Xander this is my Wife Annette Adams,” Grayson stood beside me and pulled me up lightly by myhand.

“Wife

Mine

“Always so possessive.”

“It is wonderful to meet you Mrs Adams,” the alpha grinned at me.

“Annette, he is the alpha of the Waxing Pride pack, one of our closest allies,” Grayson explained.

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” I give him a small nod of respect.

“I see why Grayson hurried to make you his, I can smell you from across the pavilion,” He poked atGrayson.

“Yes I’m lucky she agreed,” he said through a set jaw.

“I’m lucky to have such a protective mate,” I smirked at his annoyance.

“Well you have our support for many years Gray,” The two men shook hands and an unspokenagreement was struck.

“What was that.

Don’t worry

“Even when I can hear your thoughts you keep things from me

**It is our bonding I only want to be happy.

I agreed and put it out of my mind as best I could as the night went on. I met the Beta of the CrescentMountain pack and made sure to give him the gifts for his Alpha and Luna.

Grayson actually seemed pleased with celebrating but the uneasiness in him no one else could hear Icould. He had cup after cup of mead. It was good vanilla cream that I too was enjoying but I think hewas inebriated for the wrong

reason.

“Slow down

“I’m celebrating our day,” He grunted and then his large hand went to the back of my n*eck rubbing histhumb on my skin.

**You’re like the silk you wear

the silk you wear Annette **

I turned bright crimson and shot up earning the looks from a few people.

“I’m going to walk around,” I coughed blinking my eyes in shock.

He’s unbelievable

Come back

“No!”

It’s our binding I want to be by you

“You have never behaved like this so I know that this is the alcohol I’ll do more than ask you to stop ifyou try that

again.

I looked over my shoulder and gave him a glare. He slumped in his chair and put his mug down.

“Mama,” I walked into the arms of my mother.

“When I’d heard a soulmate bond was powerful they weren’t kidding. You almost passed out!” Sheexclaimed in

astonishment.

“And their ability to hear each other instantly,” Amaria came from behind me.

I hugged her as well. “what do you mean?”

“I didn’t hear your father until we’d had Theo,” my mother explained. “Still now I replace it hard to show himwhat I’m

looking at,”

“I was never able to hear Deacon,” Amaria rolled her eyes.

“Grayson’s father?” I had never heard his name before.

I instantly realized he could hear my thoughts and did everything to push it from my mind trying to thinkof anything

else.

**How do you know that name? **

To no avail

“I’m speaking to your mother.

His heat came so suddenly. “I wish that this evening be a pleasant one let’s not mention evil creatures,”he clasped my

hand in his.

He dragged me onto the makeshift dance floor and held me in his arms to dance.

I won’t judge you for any of it

“How many times must I say that I want tonight to be a joyous one. I know you enjoy challenging mebut I want this,

12:45 Tue 12 MM

please,” He looked down at me his eyes clear of drink and full of earnestness.

“If you insist,” I smiled at him and placed my head on his chest as we danced.

He twirled me around and I felt like I was on air. His scent covering me in a blanket of warmth. I knewthis spell wouldn’t last and I wanted to hold on as long as I could.

“Who taught you how to dance?” I asked as we walked away from the dance.

“My mother of course,” he gave me his upturned grin.

Then his attention turned from me to someone in the distance. I looked across and Matt stood waitingfor something.

Apparently Grayson.

“Go. Enjoy yourself,” He nodded to me.

I wanted to grab his arm and protest but I knew that would get me no where. Alpha Xander, the beta ofthe Crescent Moon pack and another Alpha all went with them.

The last man must be the alpha of our other ally the River Phase pack. They had a Luna. I bet sheknew what was

going on.

I gazed out on my guests and spotted a woman in silver with bright hair and grey eyes. She waselegant and she smelled like her husband.

I pushed him from my mind building up a wall to keep him away for a second.

“Hello I believe you’re the Luna of the River Phase pack right?” I introduced myself to her. “I’m LunaAnnette Adams,”

She gave me a deep bow of her head and nodded to me to sit beside her.

“You’re just what he needs then,” she grabbed her wine to sip.

“Excuse me?” I was unsettled by her insinuating remark.

a

“Grayson is a difficult man my husband and him were trained together and I had been trained to be aLuna beside them. He never gave anything away for free. But you won’t take no for an answer,” shewinked.

“How rude I’m Lilliana and my husband is Evan,” she poured more wine into her glass “If you want toknow what they’re talking about just ask,”

“Go on,” I shrugged pouring some wine for myself.

“Grayson wants our alliances shored up since this intruder came from the north it meant he got past theWaxing Pride

pack as well,”

“He is tightly bound my mate,” I sighed and took another long sip of wine.

“He can be an ass,” she corrected me. “Thank the goddess he found you, I think we’re going to be fastfriends,”

མ ། ས ་ པ ན ན ན ན ན འ’ར

12:46 Tue 12 Mar

**The thing about problems is they are always there waiting for you. When I say let’s enjoy tonight Imean it. **

“Here,” I grabbed a heap of cake and lifted it in the fork. “It’s a lot for me to eat on my own,”

I would go along however stubbornly with his plan to enjoy the evening. The fear someone was comingfor us before we had even begun was terrifying but what was it to spend a life with someone if not totrust them.

Eventually the party died down as many of us were running on little sleep. Grayson and I made ourgoodbyes and walked towards the house.

His hand held mine and I looked down shocked at how much progress came just from him being ableto see into my mind. I suppose that would make things easier.

He opened the door for me and 1 shivered at the cool air inside our premise.

You know I thought knowing how foul you saw me would help but… his breath hit my skin and hisfinger up my arms. “You only stood against another doubt and further entice me,”

Grayson?

“What?” I back away from his touch dumbfounded at his openness that had been out of reach for solong.

traced

“I know,” he shook his head. “I know. I can’t do that I’m sorry. I just see you and realize how much Ifucked this up, and I want to take you and make it all better but that’s not the way to do it,”

“I’m still here,”

“But how? I know exactly what I’ve done. I’ve seen it through your eyes and I’ve been there myself. Ijust can’t wrap my head around you,”

“Grayson,” I step forward.

“I wouldn’t. I want you so badly and now I know I can get it. I need to earn it,” He sternly warned mekeeping me at bay.

“You are exactly what I need. You are forgiving, open, kind, you mean what you say and it makes mehunger for you,” his voice turned to gravel and my b*dy responded.

“F***!” He growled and walked away from me stepping back and leaning against the wall. “Don’t reactto me like

that,”

“Grayson, don’t shut me out,”

“No,” he fervently responded. “I won’t ever do that again but knowing what I know now. I can’t break therules I set. I can’t skip the steps. I feel what I’ve done and you still hold me in your heart,”

“That’s who I am. Especially when it comes to you” I almost stepped closer again wanting him to feelhow honest I was but I knew he needed the physical space or he would touch me in ways we were notequipped for.

“Grayson how come you didn’t say this all earlier?” I questioned him.

“1 wanted you to have the night you deserved. The binding you’d always dreamed of. I have taken somuch from you

already,” he stated so simply.

“Thank you,” was the only thing I could say that seemed fit.

“I will prove it now. I won’t let you feel another ounce of sorrow or regret from my hands. I will not letyou have a day of doubt,” He vowed to me.

He slowly walked forward and lifted my hand my heart hammering away inside my rib cage. “Goodnight Annette,” he k*ssed the inside of my palm.

Chapter Comments

stephanie wayman

POST

this is a really good story, but I’m about done waiting daaayyyyssss for the smallest of chapters at atime.

Djd1973

Grayson is not an unfeeling jerk. He feels everything and it isn’t easy for him to open up and let peopleinto his heart. There are many men that aren’t comfortable with showin….

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