Stronger by Ang Chris

Chapter 9 | finished my plate and my mother suggested that she and | go on and help with the crops. They were starting to sprout after planting and they needed fertilizer and weeding.

Cea was more of a warrior and after a few broken dummies and one destroyed training ring, she and | were no longer allowed to train together. So | spent this talone in my thoughts.

| decided to go about my duties and pretend as though he was not on my mind at all.

Did | want him to cover with his gray eyes and ruffled hair and takefor a romantic conversation about the life we would build together...maybe. But | was not going to show it.

| grumbled to myself pulling out weeds for the better part of the morning, clearing a good portion of the first carrot patch.

| watered the crop and opened a bag of fresh fertilizer. The more you wanted to throw up the better it was for your food.

1 | was used to the stench after years of working on the veg.

| packed it around the sprouts and mumbled to myself about what | was going to do to my infuriating male.

“Luna,” swoman called behind me.

| knew my mother was working on the tomatoes a few patches away from one of our larger yields so it needed wise attention. | paid no attention.

“Luna,” Honestly, if he had said even one word. If he had sent fggrs this morning. If he had shown srespite of decency for1 would not want to walk up to him and kick him right in the- “Luna Annette,” I looked over at two feet beside me. Huh? Luna, who? | looked up at a tall long d*rty blond-haired girl with a pleasant round face.

“What?” | was stunned at this change of events.

* would have to get used to that. | suddenly felt old and like | was supposed to be looking after a bunch of rambunctious little wolves.* “My nis Ella. I'm from the Northern ecl*pse pack. I've been looking for you all morning to introduce myself and see if you need anything.” she explained, smiling with her hands behind her back.

“Oh,” | stood and took off my shit-covered gloves. | dusted off my face and smiled back at her. “You can just call Anna. I'm helping with the crops right now but is there anything he needs from me?” | waited holding my breath hoping she would tellthat he was ready to apologize.

“No, | cto find you myself. Alpha has said we will leave in two days to return to the pack it will take a day or two to return so | thought I'd help you with whatever you needed,” She means packing. She wants to helppick up my life and take it to my new land. * “I'm busy at the moment,” | put my gloves back on and knelt to continue my work with the carrots.

“Oh! Of course,” she mumbled.

“You can tellabout your pack though,” | looked over my shoulder. “I don’t even know where it is,” Ella began explaining tothat their pack was in Yukon, Canada. They were in the wilderness between two rivers and a mountain range.

She was a warrior, one of the best and she was here with her brother Brain, another skilled fighter. They both had a very good sense of hearing and Brian was exceptionally fast.

She toldhow she hardly ever helped with the crop because she hunted often. She explained she preferred to make clothes when it cto providing for her people.

| listened to the ins and outs of their community. She toldof their sheep wool and the greenhouses for the ramie. This helped them to make fabrics and clothes.

1 | noticed how sturdy her clothes seemed and they were of good quality.

Eventually, | had finished my gardening for the day and it was tto head back and train.

“Con, letwash up and we can spar with my training group,” | nodded, squinting to keep the sun out of my eyes.

She stopped and gaped for a second looking atwith wide questioning eyes.

“Luna, | um.... I'm not familiar with your training style. | don’t want to disrupt your practice,” she lookedup and down when she thought | wasn’t paying attention to her as | cleaned my hands and face, | chuckled to myself at her worry for me. It was true that looking atas a small girl with a shapely figure | did not’ look at all like | could knock someone a head taller thanon their ass.

Luckily not only was I born of two alphas | also was trained since | was four. | knew how to attack a taller target and when to use my tiny figure to my advantage.

My endurance was unparalleled and my speed could no doubt match her brothers. This was also a good way forto be level headed when my mate decided to show his stupid face.

“I'll be fine. | wanna see what the warriors in my mate’s pack are like... And I'm sure you want to know what I'm like,” | turned, drying my hands and crossing my arms around my chest.

1 She shifted her weight on her feet, probably uncomfortable that | had called her out for worrying aboutand trying to denya spar.

“Con, it'll be fun,” I laughed and started walking towards the training house.

| changed into leggings and a tank top...braided my hair and rolled it into a bun.

Ella put her hair up and walked into the ring to face me. Both of us had our hands wrapped which was customary for mock fights.

| admit it was not best to do this before | had even becher luna but | was interested to see how my mates’ warriors fared.

“Are you sure?” she askedputting her hands up and furrowing her brows.

A few of the members of my pack gathered around the octagon including Charlie and James.

| put one of my arms almost parallel to the floor and my other by my face.

She and we inched our way toward each other waiting for the other to move first. 1 She went for my right side first and | blocked and brought my knee up. Which was way too easy.

“Don’t go easy on me,” | barked. “A real enemy is going to catwith everything they have and | want my sparring partner to do the sthing,” She nodded and we circled each other this t| felt her change to use all her strength the force moving through her b*dy as she launched her knee atand simultaneously hit my side.

2/5 | absorbed the blow to my side and grabbed her knee, taking my leg and sweeping it behind her other leg dropping her to the ground.

| kept one arm wrapped firmly around her limb pushing my fist into her stomach. In return. She punchedin the face.

| allowed her on the inside of her hip bone and she took the opening to grabat my torso and fl*pover her.

We rolled around for a.moment before separating and standing to face again.

This t| moved first faking right and then sweeping my leg around to hit her in her side and then spinning back to punch her other flank.

| finally kneed her stomach and she pulled my hair grunting shocked at my quick and endless barrage of her. She did a double-tap to my left rib cage that leftgasping.

| slammed a first into her shoulder to stop another blow. | kicked her in her stomach and she grabbed my foot and yankedtowards her but | allowed her and brought all my weight at her with speed.

We crashed against the fencing of the ring and | did not let go grabbing her waist and slamming her down on the floor before she spun and smashed her arm against my face.

Back on the ground, | wrestled to get on top of her to keep her down and force a concession but her weight was not easy forto take | had to slow her down.

| punched her right in the middle of her chest with all my force sure enough knocking the wind out of her. | straddled her and brought my hands around her throat in a mild choke so she could still get sintake of air.

She kneed my back as she panted and gasped but | knew she had to yield to catch her breath. | had won but not as effortlessly as | wanted to.

She patted my arms twice and | got off of her instantly, helping her up and rubbing her back as the color of her face went back to normal.

“You were right, “she rasped smiling a bright and happy smile.

| turned to get her swater and looked right into the grey eyes is been waiting for all day. 2 | hopped out of the cage and grabbed her water and a towel handing it to her and letting her down as she drank up and rubbed her throat.

| didn’t look away from him and he didn’t look away from me.

He kept his arms crossed and his face gave no impression of his thoughts but | wanted to hear his voice.

| took a sip of my water as we sat there in the deafening silence.

“You fight well,” he grunted eventually.

| would have thought him a fool if my heart hadn’t spun at his compliment. | blushed instantly and smiled like a five- year-old getting her birthday present.

“Thank you, I didn’t know you'd be here,” | stepped closer and he stepped back.

Stopping in my tracks and flushing now with embarrassment | broke our gaze.

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