Stronger by Ang Chris
Chapter 37

I woke up to an empty house. That seemed to be a constant after every warming midnight moment Iwoke up alone.

**I left some breakfast in the microwave. **

“Good morning.

**Good morning Annette. **

I walked down the stairs and wandered into the cold kitchen opening the microwave. Sausage andscrambled eggs, one

of my favorites.

“How did you know?

We can see into each other’s minds

“Thats cheating

**Noted

I chuckled to myself as I started the microwave and made some coffee for myself. It wasn’t that earlylike our normal days so the sun streaked into the room from the many windows.

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

“James, you hungry?” I 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 told me to back off. “I don’t understand how you’re so eager to stay,” heconfessed 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 took me as his mate and we’re bound,” I tried to reason with thishasty James.

1

“Like that matters, he doesn’t seem to have any respect for you. Anna tell me you’re not dim wittedenough to trust him so easily,” James snapped.

“James!” Charlie shouted behind us.

I spun and through watery eyes looked at my family that seemed as upset as I was at James suddenoutburst.

12:46 TUGNE MOR: TO

“I just said what she needed to hear,” James crossed his arms.

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

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

**I’m going to kill him.

“No!” I 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 remarkswould get him beaten anywhere else. **

*Please this is my brother you know how he has been I am alright I am probably feeling much moreupset than I

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 I promise you,” My brother scoffed at me.

to hur

Annette you can see into me I’m not you ever again!

Grayson spoke to me but I found it hard to speak back. I did not think he would ever do something thatcruel and saw the parts of his heart I owned but those barbs of suspicion and doubt sprouted up intomy chest.

**Do you need me?

*No I trust you I do. I 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 forher! Just because

marched up to James and wast you rightfully got your ass kicked by Grayson doesn’t mean you take itout 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,

Without thinking I grabbed a towel to clean it up and fix this.

James has been troubled lately. I know that but he’s never been so mean to me. We’re the closest inage 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.” I pleaded and looked around at my family.

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

“Anna don’t pay any attention to what he said I have no clue why he thought to take his anger out onyou but it was obviously cruel and childish,” my mother gave me a quick peck on the cheek beforegoing upstairs to yell at James.

I do not think quick anger is going to solve this problem

I stepped back with a puddle still over my countertop. This was bothering me more than I thought itwould.

Annette

“I’m fine im fine

I have things to do today anyways. My parents leave tomato and I would miss them I wanted to spendthe day with my mother and Cea and I wanted to spar with my boother

I grabbed the towel wringing it in my hands my mind wrapping itself up in knots at what to do to fix theproblem of James.

“You do not have to handle everything,” my father grabbed the towel from me and 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 tosolve the problem he needs to be the one to talk,” My dad patted me on the shoulder.

“You said you wanted to spend the day with us, let’s go come on.” Cea urged me om to look past thisoutburst.

“I still need to eat,” I went to grab my food from the microwave. The yellow warmth I’d had fromGrayson making me breakfast was all a tattered bleak gray now.

**Tl make this up to you

“It’s not your fault

I gave him reason to doubt me but more importantly you

“I’m okay

I kept repeating it to myself to keep those fears at bay like prayer to tell myself not to worry. How could Iworry I can see into Graysons mind and he does care for me. I know he doesn’t trust easily and I feelthose cracks in him that are

slowly filling up.

Still knowing how he had hurt me once my mind voiced its logical thoughts that felt cold and sharp in allthe wrong

ways.

Eat, I will see you the second this meeting is over

*Grayson…

I looked down at the food and ate slowly. I drank some coffee and Cea rubbed my back while Theotried to make me laugh but if he wasn’t waving his hands in front of me I wouldn’t know he was there.

“I trust you

I said it again. I trust him. I’m alright, I know him, I’m fine:

I cannot hold onto his wrong doings for us to move forward but when something like this happens whenI sit down and try to act like I have full faith I feel like a fraud.

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

“Luna?” Elizabeth came over to me as I wrenched weeds out of the ground.

“Yes,” I 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,” I came out with it not needing to gothrough a bullshit.

excuse

Elizabeth straightened and nodded. I know she is loyal to Grayson and she believes that I should trusthim and I 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 lovesdeeply but they do not know the Alpha the way only you will. In the end your brothers opinion onlymatters if you let it,” Her voice was low and she did not meet my eyes saying something so bold to herLuna.

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

“Anna, my love these gardens rival our own,” my mother came over to me smiling sweetly.

“I come every morning to look at them and make sure they’re yielding enough,” I explain, rememberingthe training 1 had to my duties.

“Have you inspected your cellars yet?” She gave me a tone of chastising.

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

“Oh I know you’re a Luna in your own right now and you know what to do but I’m your mom,” shepoked me in my

side trying to get me to laugh.

I was to so frustrated with myself and James and this situation I had so hoped I was passed thoughthat all I did was walk away.

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

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

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

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

**Annette you are a strong Luna and you deserve this even if I have not welcomed you the way Ishould.

I loved and hated his voice in my head calming my nerves whenever I needed it and still my mind toreat itself in

vicious chaos.

“Anna,” my father walked over to me as we entered the gym. He hugged me and looked down at mesighing seeing the turmoil I was doing my best to hide. “Come on let’s spar to clear your head,”

I changed and sat down braiding my hair staring into space picturing what may come in the future ofJames was right or if Grayson would be the man I needed and he claimed he could be.

“Luna?” Elizabeth called to me and I nodded in return and walked over to watch a spar between one ofour 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 ourcaught 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 theirspeed was incomparable. I see that the River Phase pack taught more on speed than endurance anddefense. 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 thestrength 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 foughttough but they had to if we ever did

battle with another pack.

Now that Grayson and I are bound if either pack goes to war my familial clan will send us warriors todefend our lands. I’m his wife so he will get the best warriors my blood can offer. In return Graysonwould do the same for them.

“Annette,” his voice came to me from outside my mind now. “You should be relaxing with your familynot sparring.” his hands went to my hips and I felt ten times better under his touch.

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

“I may have lied to her earlier.

**You don’t have to be perfect **

I felt his guilt from his recent behavior and his desire for us to be better.

“Come on let’s watch the sparring together,” I nodded back holding onto his arm.

Being by him, seeing his face, it helped me feel lighter. James had said some rude things but thatdoesn’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.

**I 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 wishto be there?”

He turned his head down to me.

“Yes I would love to,” I was proud he’d have me there in front of our allies.

“Alpha it is time to prepare dinner I believe Luna wants to make pulled pork?” Elizabeth came up tosteal me away.

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