Stronger

“I should go,” he turned on his heel and walked away.

*What in the actual f**k!

“Excuse me!” I shouted at him and everyone in the gym stopped at my voice.

He turned to look at me with a cross expression but I did not have the time to care.

This man had now only said one sentence to me and barely gave me a nice word. He was supposed to be my mate and he was refusing to be near me and I don’t know about you but I was not going to take that.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I snapped my hands on my hips. “I haven’t heard a word from you besides I fight well and you think you can just leave? Again!” I challenged him, my patience shattering on the floor.

“I did not want to interrupt you,” he replied looking around at everyone.

“Are you joking! You’re my soulmate and you didn’t want to interrupt me!” I growled stepping closer.

“Anna,” Charlie came over and grabbed my arm but I slapped his hand away.

“As an alpha, I have many duties we will have plenty of time to take later,” he asserted straightening his back.

Was he seriously trying to pull rank with me! After ignoring me the whole day and then saying one thing before trying to leave again!

“And as your mate, I will see you for a talk tonight at dinner,” I walked up to him, poking him in the chest, which looked probably hilarious as I was a teeny female and he was a mountain of a man..

“Im not sure I’m avail-”

“I will not leave my home until you come for dinner with my family. If you have any respect for me or my parents you will come to dinner tonight to introduce yourself and be a pleasant male.” I cut him off, not even remotely interested in his pitiful excuse.

Ella laughed behind me.

“Alpha. I think that’s a wonderful idea,” she called helping me corner him into an evening together.

I smiled at her and turned my head back squinting my eyes at him.

TU

I gathered my stuff and walked toward the changing rooms. “I will see you tonight.”

“You may have been right that she would be upset but I think she overreacted,” I straightened my tie in the mirror.

“I know I had been slightly unreasonable to not speak to her, but demanding I come and spend the evening with her and her family in front of half of her pack was a little extreme. *

“I think you’re lucky it wasn’t you in the ring with her or we might be taking you home in a bag,” Ella called from her spot on the couch.

I understand that I should have been a little more sensitive to her needs but no one besides her understood the pull we felt to one and other.

It took everything in me not to rip her clothes off and mine and hold her right then and there because that’s the only thing that would make life seem sensible.

I was an alpha and that meant my life was not my own. I served my people and would gladly lay my life down for theirs. I could not be consumed by her or I would forget my duties. /I was made to help others and protect them.

I sighed and put my coat on. I was not entirely sure what I was supposed to wear but I was going to at the very least dress appropriately.

“You brought this on yourself, I told you to show her kindness,” Matt walked into the room in a simple grey shirt and black slacks.

I was not going to start this argument again. I ignored him and put my shoes on. I was not a particular fan of dressing up, but my mother had made sure I knew how to present myself.

Despite the warnings in my head I knew I was meeting her family and I could not resist the urge to let them know she was with a good man. I wanted to look put together and I wanted to make her smile at me and I wanted her to look amazing so that I would stop in my tracks when I saw her.

This is why I stayed away. Why, I would have to continue to stay away. I had a duty to do and so did she and even if I needed her more than I needed to breathe and I felt like I was on fire unless she was near I would not forget my purpose and I would make sure she would be a good leader before I gave myself to her.

This might come off as callus or rude but if she is my true mate like I know she is we will overcome this in the end.

I had put my hair up and I was wearing an off the shoulder long sleeved black dress that fell just above my knees and hugged my top but flowed after my waist falling in pleats.

I had made sure to frame my face with my hair and put on simple pearl earrings but nothing else. I had a feeling he was a man who enjoyed simplicity.

Was I upset with myself for wanting to please him after he’s ignored me all day. Of course I knew my worth and I knew I deserved to be treated better, but he was my mate and I was desperate to get him to look at me like I was the most magnificent thing on the planet.

What are you supposed to do when you know someone is perfect for you in every way but they contradicted themselves for some goddess damned reason! © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“No. No I was not going to go into tonight upset, I was going to give him patience he is afterall showing up for me. He’s even bringing along his pack members, he is now making an effort and I will not discourage that. *

I looked to make sure that my hair looked alright telling myself enough was enough and I stood to head downstairs. I was short so I had a certain love for heels, but only if they were comfortable! Stilettos noooo thank you. Wedge heels, block heels were comfortable. I put on a pair of plack strappy chunky heels and I headed downstairs to check on dinner.

One of the dishes we were having tonight was something I always enjoyed making. It was in fact my specialty.

It was duck breast with bok choy. Honey, soy, ginger, fish sauce, and a little bit of red chili paste for heat. Simple but my family always ate it up. You let the duck breast sear in the pan and finish in the oven but then you cook the bok choy in the duck fat of course for it to literally become addicting.

My mother always freaks out when I make this. I know duck is a bit fancy, however our hunters brought it back by the flock so I was always used to it.

I had to make sure that the duck was cooked through and the bok choy simmered just right.

Of course both looked amazing. I wasn’t arrogant much, but cooking did come naturally to me and when a recipe entered my mind it never faltered. I often exclaimed my ingenuity during a new meal.

I set the table and mother put together a starter salad, laid out some bread, her stuffed peppers, and a large pork roast.

It was a lot of meat but we were all of alpha blood and we ate a lot.

I grabbed a peach pie from the fridge and checked it out and maybe talked myself out of eating a slice now.

Gia had made the pie for us, it was Georgia and a sugary peach pie was demanded at every family dinner.

The table was set and all I had to do was wait…

Why was I always waiting?

I pushed the thought from my mind and focused on a positive attitude.This is what I made of it, if I fought him that’s all we would do, if I tried to meet him I knew I’d done my best.

I made the decision there to try and do what I could for this relationship. I could tell there was something holding him back, but if I did my best and gave myself perhaps he would see we were here for a reason.

My mother had taught me when I was younger that if someone was in need and even if you had nothing to give, if you gave yourself, your joy, your warmth, your kindness, then you can still help them.

I fidgeted endlessly as the seconds dragged on, my family fluttered around the room getting ready. My heart skidded and the millions of scenarios of the evening filtered through my mind, the good, the bad, the amazing, the awful, the funny, the scary. I wiped my hands to keep the sweat off of them.

Then the doorbell rang.

I smoothed my skirt and went back to the kitchen suddenly afraid to see him. All my thoughts went white and I huffed trying to swallow my stomach and put it back where it belonged.

I grabbed my meal and put it on a platter and walked out of the safety and light of the kitchen and into the dining room.

His eyes found me instantly and I did my best not to look right away. I set down the meal and slowly walked over to the group of people.

“Ella,” I smiled and went over to hug the woman of my new pack.

She hugged me back and I turned to face my family.

“Mama, Papa,” I smiled to begin the introduction, still avoiding the heat I sensed two people over.

“This is Ella, she is a warrior of the Northern Ecl*pse pack,” I began and Ella bowed her head in respect.

“This Matthew O’Connell the beta of the pack, and Brian another warrior and Ella’s brother,” I had hoped I got that right as I realized I wasn’t entirely sure.

They bowed their heads and shook my fathers hand. I pulled my b*dy together as I finished the introductions. “This is Alpha Grayson, he is the leader of the Northern Ecl*pse pack. Grayson, these are my parents, alpha Jonathan and Luna Eva Maloria of the Celestial Tide pack,” I bowed my head to him and my parents.

“Sir,” his voice rang out to me.

My breath caught in my throat as a large and warm hand grazed my back. It was gone all too quickly but only to pull out

a chair for me.

I kept my smile timid but I knew my elation was clear as day on my face.

“Thank you,” I graciously replied, trying to school myself into impassiveness.

“You’re welcome Annette,” He replied and I squeezed my hands into fists to stop from squealing.

“We have a slow roasted pork, stuffed peppers, salad, and Anna’s amazing duck and bok choy,” My mother began putting the food onto her plate.

“You cook?” Ella asked me.

“Yes, I can think of recipes easily. It comes naturally to me and i’ve always loved it,” I started rambling.

“You’ll have to teach Ella some recipes. She is not quite so talented,” Brian joked.

“I am good!” Ella defended herself hotly.

“Anna can whip together a mouthwatering meal in no time. I’m sure if Ella needed it Anna could help,” my father placed a heft portion of pork on his plate.

“Enough of singing my praises, I think they understand I can cook,” I blushed, shaking my head.

“Believe me I smelled the food before I’d entered the house. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a talented and gorgeous woman,” He spoke.

I could not meet his eyes, thinking that my mind was playing tricks on me.

How could he go from running away from me to being such a gentleman?

“Do you enjoy cooking?” Cea asked him continuing the conversation in the lull at my silence.

“No,”

“More of a physical being I guess,” James prodded him.

I sighed looking over at my younger brother. He and I were the closest in age being only two years apart and though he was rambunctious right now I knew he was not happy with my mates actions.

“Yes,”

“I would love to spar with you tomorrow,” He interlaced his fingers as he goaded an alpha of all people.

“James,” My mothers voice cautioned him.

“If you wish,”

“I think it’d be good to know my sister is well protected at the least,”

I could not help that I warmed to his defense of me but to taunt a higher ranking wolf like this was not okay, this was my mate and an alpha James to act this way was dangerous.

“James he’s agreed and I think that you should leave it at that,” I spoke up.

James nodded to me smiling. “As you wish,” He mocked grayson.

“How far away is it from your pack?” Charlie interjected.

My brother the heir was taught in diplomacy where Theo and James were not. I had some lessons in it as I would be a Luna but I could see Charlie working to smooth things over even if he was smirking at

James the whole time.

The dinner flowed along with questions about the Northern Ecl*pse pack and our pack. We traded stories and explained our traditions and they did the same.

“How is your mother? She is a distant but old friend,” My father asked.

“She is good, she has mentioned she knew you. That you had come to her tournament with luna Eva as a show of support for her. I know she still appreciates the gesture,” Grayson recounted for him.

“I was surprised when your father won the tournament,” Papa laughed as he sipped his rum.

“Yes many were. My mother is a great leader of our pack and I know she’ll enjoy Annette’s company.” Grayson grunted out and piled some food into his mouth.

“Anna, do you enjoy swimming?” Ella blurted out to me.

“Yes I swim as often as I can during the warm months. Living near the ocean like we do it’s a favorite past time,”

“You’ll love the lakes and rivers then, they are perfect on the hot days,”

“Im sure I will,”

After a few more minutes of conversation I stood and went to get the pie and Cea joined me.

“He seems a little guarded,” She commented on my mate’s behavior.

“I noticed,” I sighed, gathering the dessert plates for everyone as she found the pie server.

We came back in and I served everyone a slice walking over with my plate at the end along with his.

1 blushed again when his fingers slid over mine when he grabbed the plate from me.

We finished the dinner with a more simple conversation and I knew he would leave again and I was so tempted to drag things out.

“I will see you tomorrow to help you pack?” Ella asked me as they were getting ready to leave.

“Yes of course,”

We all said our goodbyes and 1 found myself waiting again for him to speak to me.

“We’ll leave early after tomorrow so I would rest well. It takes two days to get to our lands,” He acknowledged me.

“Of course,”

“I’ll see you tomorrow for sparring,” He nodded to James. “Goodnight Annette,”

He turned and walked out of my house again.

I didn’t know why he was distancing himself and I didn’t know what it would take to have him accept me. Still watching him leave cut me to the core. It felt wrong not going upstairs with him and sleeping in his arms. It felt warped and gross that I hadn’t spent the evening laughing and smiling with his arm around me.

*Was he not feeling the need to be mine? Was this one sided? Why was he not like me where he couldn’t focus on anything else? Why was it so easy for him to leave me? Why did he so willingly keep away? How could he not see that all I craved was him? Why was he gone? *