Stronger by Ang Chris
Chapter 57

I remember fragments of my heat but not a lot. I slept all day once it was over, and when I woke up Ifelt it. When you get the certainty in you that comes from your soul, I knew I was going to have a baby.

I made him promise that no one would know, I had this horrible sensation now that the walls had eyes.The ground was listening to my steps and the moment I fell asleep would carry the news of our baby tothis enemy of ours.

We waited a week and went about our business, the pack knew I’d had my heat and they looked at mewith hope glimmering in their eyes and whispered prayers in my direction. I didn’t flinch when I sawthem analyzing me to see if I had changed, if I was more tired, if I was more energetic, if I wasnauseous, if I was hungry, If I looked run down, if I was glowing.

“I don’t want them to know,” I had told him last night and I felt him tense a bit.

“Annette this baby will very well be the next Alpha,” He almost scolded me..

“And it’s my job to protect him!” I didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but I felt this overwhelming desperatedesire to keep my pregnancy a secret for as long as I could.

“You think there’s a mole? Amongst my people,” He took his arms away from me.

“Your people,” I shot back him incrediously.

“Our people, our people. But I don’t doubt anyone’s allegiance,” His nostrils flared as he crossed hisarms.

2

I shook my head only once “It’s in my bones Grayson, they’ve been watching us for some time now,they knew the weakest pack in our alliance, they knew where I’d be while you were away, they knewthe portion of our wall to climb over that night,” I sat up and stared him in the eyes. “Even if there is nomole they are beyond our walls and they’re waiting to strike. It’s my job to keep this baby safe and inmy belly as long as I can,”

He set his jaw. “Not one of our people would ever betray us,”

1

“It’s a nice thought but I am not going to take the chance. If I am pregnant I want to wait until mysecond trimester to tell the pack that way it will be harder to kill the babe in me,” I wasn’t going to backdown on this. My mindset has changed, I had changed.

I would throw myself off of a cliff if they took this from me.

“I have looked forward to this house being full of children, and the celebrations this pack would raisewhen we announced our first pup for years…..but we are at war,” He closed his eyes and nodded.

We went to sleep, even he didn’t toss and turn as he did I knew the idea of someone of our packturning on us. It was

his nightmare.

The sun came up and he had found himself asleep. I got out of bed and walked into our bathroom. Itook the test and left it on the counter and anak down to the floor.

“First we have to overcome each other, and now this foul enemy of ours has threatened the dream I’veheld onto my

entire life. I make no apologies for wanting to be a mocher1to raise children, to build a home and afamily. Is this my punishment? Am I going to lose my baby before leven nettben? Will we get to see herfirst steps or will they take us from her? What does the goddess have in store fooniast that costs see?How can we survive this?”

dont know how we’re supposed to enjoy the time of

My mind began to drown me with worries, fears, and questions our first baby when we are beingattacked by a cowardice shady pathetic fook of an enemy.

“But I am of alpha blood….

All I have to do is carry my baby to full term and then ifther commod tommy pup my family, my dream,my baby, I’ll kil

them.

I wasn’t going to be afraid of someone who plays in the shadowsandastbeccared of my mate and Itofight head on.

I will protect my child and I will kill anyone who tries to take them frontme

I set myself in stone refusing to be tainted with fears, I pushed myself off the floor and grabbed the test.

Pregnant

The word stared back at me confirming what we knew would come

att? He called to me from beyond the door.

I opened it tears prickling my eyes and the brightest smile on my face and I jumped ofisians,We’regonna have a baby mold him

tent?” He set me down on the bed.

He kit dawm and grabbed the test form my hands. “You’re pregnant. You’re pregnant

moment wet careful motion we were on the floor of our bedroom and he wask*ssingmycheekssyfforehead, my arms and my belly,

www

amette we are going to have the most wonderful baby who will never know of it hisskinerned face.” Hewould have been more murderous looking I’m sure if he wasn’t smiling like a fool.

We were boch Gare that morning and we did our best not to look as ecstatic as we were. The darkcloud we’d been hating thr so long seemed mon existent at this moment. It was blind optimism but Ilooked past that

“I want to be hadows want to the happy about this even with it all, even when the world is crumblingrocks fant to be happy in this one moment.

“Luna,” Elizabet wiped to me as we watched the new warriors train. “Are you pregnant?”

I tested Elizabeth, Carson runed her too. She had judged me almost us harshly as he had when I firstarned err here out of her respect to him and da to the pack but even so I said nothing.

“I don’t know yee,” (starinth five to pruned friend, and I felt no guilt at all 1 had something that only fedufor nry protection, my love, e

I

She cocked her head to the side. “….understood Luna,”

She knows…

That’s all I’d ask of her, make no acknowledgement allowed but understand things are ultimatelydifferent now.

I preserved foods and dried meats. I harvested the food. I oversought the training warriors. I ran lapsand did some

minimal exercises.

Amaria obviously was well aware of the news. She had now made herself my personal attendant.

‘Drink this it has a lot of vegetables but it doesn’t taste like shit,” she’d winked at me as I huffed whileharvesting the

tomatoes.

“These lunges, squats, and planks will keep you strong and help your condition,” She instructed me inthe gym.

“I have made sure that we start eating a lot of folate full foods so you won’t have to take the vitaminsand have them shipped here,” She whispered to me before heading to dinner.

“Netta,” He pulled out my chair for me and k*ssed my cheek. “You’re glowing,”

He was overwhelmed with excitement and joy, but I sensed the anxiety waiting underneath, of hisabilities as a father.

“Thank you,”

We ate and we walked slowly hand in hand back to our house. I rested my head on his chest andpictured a baby with his hair and my eyes, surely a handsome boy, or perhaps a baby girl…my ownanxieties touched my mind.

A daughter, she would be of alpha blood, and not only that but with Graysons strength and wealthshe’d be highly sought after. I have no doubt that she would be a prize to evil wolves who wanted her,just like me.

Then there was the other side, the good wolves who would try to treat her right but it wouldn’t be love.They would covet her, they would prize her, but they wouldn’t want her.

“That’s even how I met Grayson so he’d have strong pups he never knew I’d be his soulmate.

“If we have a daughter, I won’t let her be sold,” He turned to me suddenly.

**You could hear me?” I gasped looking up at him with raised eyebrows and a blush on my cheeks.

“You’re parents did nothing wrong in letting you choose but you know very well that my intentions ingoing weren’t to fall in love with you,” He looked away the shame radiating from him.

“If we have a daughter we will let many suitors come and visit over her teen years, His l*ps sneered fora second there. “And I have no doubt one of them will fall for her. She’ll be just like you after all,”

“I met my soulmate, that’s a little different than falling in love,” I pointed out to him.

“That one little boy seemed to have puppy love for you,”

For a second I was stumped. Max? He’s your age.” I laughed at his jealousy.

He scoffed. “He was tiny,”

“Hey, I turned his head to look at me. “And you are worried about being a bad father when you alreadyknow how to protect our daughter. Don’t ever doubt your ability to love. I k*ssed him.

It was easy to get to sleep that night. I woke up and though things were different I wasn’t scared orangry. I had a little faith that whatever was about to happen was meant to.

Chapter Comments

The Reading Frog

Jessica springs to mind

Janet Bruce–Timsit

What about Jessica? She doesn’t like Annette

VIEW ALL 5

POST

臣

34