Stronger by Ang Chris
Chapter 76

I held his hand as Charlotte rubbed the wand over my belly and he squeezed it tightly when the babycame up on the screen. He inhaled a breath and his eyes widened.

I felt him sadden greatly when he saw our baby on the screen. In the blink of an eye a little human hadformed and he felt like he had lost a precious moment.

“Already so large?” He commented.

“The Luna is doing very well growing the heir. The pup is larger for his gestation and from all accountshealthy,” she smiled proudly.

It was an odd feeling knowing my people were proud of me for growing the heir, but it wasn’t somethingI actively try to do. I eat healthy for sure, I rest, exercise, and stretch but I’m not concentrating everysecond on making the baby grow big and strong.

I felt such sorrow for the Lunas who couldn’t do what I was. They indeed would have to undergowatchful stares and the knowing judgment of everyone around them, all these strangers who may havewelcomed them open only to be spurned for nothing they could control.

I had been a tad bit more emotional since Grayson’s return.

“Any idea of the gender?” He asked.

He’d been so questionable about my surety it was a boy, and now he was desperate to know.

“No alpha I’m afraid not for at least another week will we know and anyways right now the baby iscovering themselves too much,” she pointed out at the perfectly folded legs.

“Shame,” he nodded.

Charlotte gave me a washcloth and I wiped off my stomach.

“I don’t know how you stay awake growing that baby all day,” he k*ssed my forehead.

“I know it’s astonishing when you see it. Thinking of how he’s in there the whole time and I’m the onekeeping him alive,” I chuckled at the hard thought that was, an impossible thought, almost.

“Come on help me off the table,” I huffed.

He did as I asked even though I wasn’t at the point where moving was a two–person task the table washigh up and I

was short.

After our appointment, we made our way to the dungeon. Jessica hadn’t been cooperating at all withus. She knew nothing about the enemy at least she claimed to know nothing, even after all we’d doneto her.

The blood loss trick Id pulled proved fruitless, silver didn’t loosen her tongue, and starvation,dehydration, sleep deprivation, none of it worked to get her to speak.

Grayson was tired of no information and even the little jail rat next to her telling just to talk did nothing.

This poor man had watched our mole endure it all and he slowly came to realize that Grayson hadgone east on him. He gave us what Jessica wouldn’t.

“They’ll send out anyone who’s willing. Half the forces I guarantee are not trained warriors,” he spilled.“They’ll have limited medical, and next to no food so they’ll have to hunt,”

Grayson took this information and planned out a way to get the enemy to halt everything.

Meanwhile, the b*tch stayed quiet. She said nothing of our enemies doings. Grayson was itching tochain her up and let Elizebeth work out her anger at the betrayal of a pack member.

“Don’t. Maybe we’ve been doing this wrong,” I realized. “She thinks she’s in the right, she hates me, allwe have to do is think someone else is on her side and that she’s got someone and we can get theinfo,”

“That just might work,” Grayson agreed, giving me a proud smirk.

Elizebeth gave Jessica her lunch and sat down outside her cell. Grayson and I watched from themonitor in his office.

“You’re slumming it with today. The golden Luna get tired of your sour face or maybe she just wantedsomeone else’s nose up her ass” Jessica sneered at Elizabeth grabbing her food and sitting on herbed. C

‘She’s the Luna, I do what’s asked of my station even if I loathe the woman,” Elizebeth rolled her eyes.

Jessica scoffed. “Do you?”

Elizebeth shrugged and tilted her head. “I cannot say she’s my Luna

The prisoner rolled her eyes. “And to think you were interesting,”

“I do as I’m asked, if you’d done that you wouldn’t be here,” Elizebeth pointed out.

“I’m only here because that little tramp stole Grayson,” she huffed.

“Yes it had nothing to do with your personality,” Grayson monotoned at the screen.

It was sweet of him to get offended on my behalf but nothing she said worried me, perhaps if shehadn’t proven herself a traitor they would have but Grayson needed a woman he could trust aboveanything else and she had definitely shone she was incapable of that.

“And if you didn’t maybe you’d have a Luna you could stand and we wouldn’t be in this situation,”Jessica gave haughty noise at the end of her ramblings.

know anything, you and I are the only ones who dislike the Luna,” Elizebeth baited her.

“But we’re not,” Jessica piped up.

My eyes widened, my whole time here everyone had been welcoming to me, aside from my husband.And Elizebeth,

And Jessica. And that one teacher.

“But they don’t all hate me do they?!

“they most certainly do not

“Who else?” Elizebeth pushed.

I inhaled a breath..

“You should know he-

“What’s going on?!” Someone else’s voice came over the speaker,

“What! No!” I slammed my fists down and Grayson stood marthug out the door to probably kill whoeverinterrupted

the interrogation.

followed after him quickly trying to calin my anger so comitigatimilis.

I got down to the jail panting slightly but thank the goddess only arrivelattavery stern Grayson.

“My wife alone with two prisoners,” Aarron glared at my husband..

Your highly trained wife interrogating a mole behind bars, Grayson steppeilatuxer tolhim.

dont remember a time where you questioned my protecting my wife. Aarstemmed upto Grayson.

Younow what’s ut stake here so I would watch your tone. I do not care if youline wories aboutElizebeth’s safety, she is competent and can asses risks on her own. I trust her to guard my wife, youstimullittust her to know her abilities.” Grayson furrowed his brows,

“Daun turn this into me doubting my mate. I am uncomfortable with her doing something like thiswithout backup.” Adcom redirected Grayson.

Timun saving you douin her I’m saying you doubt my ability to train and judge my wartunsatullities,Gmyson cted and hided his arms straightening out his spine as well. “gove her amordimandymusimulirespect that,”

Aarrom int theme for a moment “normally I would but throughout this wan, you’ve mude–some–desisuonsttoot respect in any tipm. Batting a lid onto the battlefield? Questioning your council? Bringingin strangematodefend?

I felt my palm wetlittle hit. I went to grab my husband as I felt his control waning.

Before

mid he get erum hy/his shurt and slammed him into the bars of the capured wall’s coill Youve might toquestion when her diana: You have tut led the way I have. You have no sense of loyalty on the willl.godder to call woe Lumms dumily atrungen. If you were not my council I’d have beaten you senseless,”

“I bet you would.

I have you but here the wither fun that Gayam threatens him slamming him again and saw Aunts- mest

shuke about.

I

“Grayson,” I gasped.

To bring his delta before the elders would suspend Aarron of all his duties, authority, and advantages,Elizebeth as well. If he were to be stripped entirely of his status his marriage to Elizebeth would be nulland Grayson could replace new delta or take Elizebeth’s new husband as delta as a kindness to her.

“Alpha I beg of you he’s been on edge this war has strained us all,” Elizebeth finally spoke up for herhusband,

“Grayson he’s worried for his wife and on edge leave him to rest a while and I’m sure he’ll realize hismistakes,” I looked back and forth between them.

“He better,” Grayson warned. “He’ll have the day. Then I’ll see him bright and early for sparring. Allweek,”

It wasn’t kindness, this was penance. Grayson had stayed his hand one way so he swung withsomething much more physical.

He released Aarron and stepped back, “Elizebeth please take your husband. I’m going to see the Lunagets some rest. I’m sure this stress is no good for your heir,”

I grabbed his arm and forced him ahead of me worried Aarron would say something more and Graysonwould follow through.

“He’s so petulant, his ire at not seeing to your pregnancy from the beginning has driven him to questionthe wrong thing. His medical ego needs a good knockdown if this is how he behaves, Grayson shookhis head.

“I’m sure that it’s the stress of this war as well. You know he took great offense at your doubts about hiswife,” I reminded him.

“Would your father let a comment like that stand?” Grayson looked at me.

He knew the answer. “No,” I relented. My father wouldn’t have stood for that. He would have had hisdelta ridiculed for

a comment like that. My father would have stated his actions to the pack making an example out ofhim.

“My father wouldn’t have either. Granted he didn’t have a council,” Grayson spouted..

I paused as I had never heard him willingly mention his father without a deep scowl on his face.

“He didn’t?” I asked hoping he wouldn’t shut down.

“No whatever small amount of power he had he kept onto it with everything,” he replied.

I wanted to ask further but I thought better off it. He’ll tell me more when it’s time.

“You should rest,” he changed the topic.

“I’m a little tired,” I smiled to myself at how we had grown since we inet.

Stronger