Stronger

Grayson had disappeared almost for two days and I had taken over the duties of Alpha while he built up our defense.

The area the wolf had gotten into had never been barricaded but now they were building a wall. I still had no clue as to why this was so serious.

I now took over all relations, trade details, the progress of exports and goods, warrior training oversight, and transitioning wolf problems. My days were endless but I gladly took on the job for my pack and my mate.

I had to start by looking at the crops and making sure that we had enough for a profit. The small profit we could make. I went over which ones were more expensive to raise and which ones needed could be distributed elsewhere. I left notes on where these foods were popular and we could try and distribute them there for higher profit.

We were growing a lot of potatoes, then there were the apples and Grapes. I was surprised athos much we had but I felt we were missing an opportunity eventually I wanted to talk to Grayson about brewing hard apple cider and barreling wine.

He had so many exports for the pack no wonder it felt like paradise here. Then I had to go to the greenhouses.

The greenhouses were where the ramie was grown for the fabric. Since we were high in the mountains there was enough sunlight for them and the greenhouses took care of the climate.

I wasn’t much for humidity so I got out of there as quickly as possible. The plants were not what I expected. They were tall and looked more like grass than a fabric producing plant.

The women were the main people who wove the fabric. It was good for wolves because of its durability so this is where most of our money was made.

I made sure that if the weavers had anything they wanted for production written down. If they needed new looms, stools, threading hooks and needles. Their stools were just wooden logs.

T Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Greyson please tell me you can at least me sensible to agree to cushioned seats.

I shook my head at his senselessness. He ran the pack logically but sometimes having more empathy could help increase production of goods.

It was towards the end of classes for the pups which meant they would have a break soon. This meant that the classrooms in the main building needed attention.

What I had thought was the clinic was more a mash up of community jobs, medical, and school. Grayson spent everyday here. It was called the keep.

I had to look at the classrooms and school supplies.

Oh Grayson!

They were still using chalkboards! Grayson Adams, you are surprising.

I wrote down that we could get whiteboards in every classroom. Then I went over the classroom supplies. Paper,

pencils, new chairs, markers, globes, the list was endless.

I turned my head to the teachers who explained that we should have more than one extra chair in each classroom. Packs only grow in size until they decide to split. We had more and more children every year we needed more room.

“Luna I think we should focus less on defensive lessons and more on art, math, science,” one teacher spoke up to me.

“Really? We’re a warrior race. If they aren’t taught how to handle their aggression in a healthy manner they’ll become violent and fateful.”

I understand skills used outside of the pack but if physical strength and hormones arent addressed in wolves. Those

wolves turn into killers.

“Luna I would be more than happy to oversee it all I would need is some more money from the school budget–pennies

really if I co-

“I gave you an answer,” I did not look up from the papers Id been scribbling on fr days.

“Luna I think there’s more than enough money don’t you?” She kept pushing. I looked over at the other teachers who

had distance written all over their faces.

You think I will buy this..

“Do you assume because it is not your Alpha I will give you whatever you want so you like me? I am your Luna I think I should make the Alpha aware of your attempt at greed,” I sternly and Sicily turned to the woman who shrunk

“Luna I only meant that I c–could help the school,” She looked around at the other teachers who gave her no help.

“Only you? If this was truly important other teachers would support you,” I looked around none of them spoke up. none of them looked upset she had been called out.

“I–I only want- I think-. You are very hostile Luna Annette I think. I. Think. I….Imayhave totellthealphaboutthis,” she

floundered.

Oh so tell my mate I did not believe you in your attempt at a money grab?

“Tell him, you will explain it to him at the end of the week, in front of everyone why it is you’ve been banned from dinner.” I commanded and nodded to Aarron who took her away from me.

As we left the Keep i turned to Aarron.

“Do you think I was too harsh?” I gulped not looking at him scared I had stumbled in my actions.

“No! Luna, that woman is known to go for more power and money, it’s why she isn’t mated,” He comforted me, giving

me a sense of confidence.

Wolves did not find greediness attractive if their pack didnt; if greed, power, and money was at the center of a pack’s morals then that is what they wanted in a mate. In a place like this, we valued

community, hard work, dependability, That woman was in the wrong pack.

I then had to see to the training of newer warriors. These men and women were coming to the end of their training year and had been taught actual deadly methods of fighting. I watched them as they sparred Elizabeth, commanding

the room.

Aarron watched her like a starved man. I couldn’t not make fun of him.

“If you want to take your wife for a…walk. I won’t tell Grayson,” I chuckled, tearing his gaze and desires from his wife.

“I am so sorry.” He cleared his throat.

“Don’t be, you love and want her who am I to judge you,” I shrugged.

“I’m lucky I found her so young. He tried to keep the conversation polite.

“Oh she told me about you as a teen,” I tried to keep a straight face “Sounds like you were ten times worse,”

“There was another male wolf’s scent on her,”

“And you couldn’t tell it was her cousins,” I laughed at him and his reasons for his crazy teen actions.

“You’re just lucky Grayson is a man of control I see the way he looks at you,” He teased me back but we both knew he’d let something sl*p.

“How does Grayson look at me?” I gave him my full attention.

“Oh goddess, please don’t tell him I said that we’ve been giving him shit for weeks, since you got here really. He’s like a hawk I swear can’t help but look at you. I think it’s cause that’s all he’ll allow himself,” He rubbed his face and temples as he spoke, realizing he’d betrayed Grayson’s confidence.

“Hmmm…interesting.” I whispered to myself. “Don’t worry I won’t tell him a thing.” I patted Aarron on the shoulder.

“Oh thank goddess he can punch really hard.” Aarron shuddered for effect.

We left and went back to the keep to go over all the paperwork for the day. I think I now understood why Grayson was so grumpy all the time. If I had to sit and look at mind numbing reports and statistics I’d be angry too. So now I was.

Progress of transitioning wolves, allies responses to our intruder, province legislature for wolf territories, recommendation for students to colleges, ledgers, income reports, revenu, rules. It was beyond mind numbing.

I had finished with the ledgers and goddess be it was sundown. I stiff

anted a

drink and food.

I walked out of the office and into a hard chest.

“OW!” I grabbed my nose pouting.

“Annette,” he soothed me with my name, ushering me into his office and rubbing my back. “I swear I was just about to

come in.”

“It’s fine,” I sighed my nose really hurt but it was.. Oaky.

“Oh goddess your bleeding.” He grabbed tissues.

It was just a mist of a nose bleed didn’t need more than one tissue but he was actually embarrassed.

“F***ing goddess,” He swore as he looked at me.

“Grayson it’s okay I did this to my dad the day we met he’s just not as…muscular,” I raised an eyebrow.

“Well um thank you for handling everything, it’s a busy time of year and you have been so, really nice,” he didn’t meet

my eyes.

“Wanna go to dinner?” I suggested..

es,” He shook his head. “Let’s go,”

We walked together with his hand on my back, my nose had stopped its small amount of bleeding. My mind going through different versions of what to say and still lingering on his hard warm chest, that wasn’t important not important.

“The new batch of fighters, do they look good?” He asked me.

“Yes they’ve been trained well I have no doubt they could pass their trial,” I responded to him hoping he would give me a glance.

“Good. Elizabeth is good at teaching.” He kept moving his eyes forward.

“How is the defense wall?”

“It’s done,”

“How was building it?” I tried to continue our conversation.

“It went just fine,”

Goddess be, he’s so dense.

“Turkey for dinner, i think i should make you my turkey gravy soon, act save it for fall it’s a good meal for cold

I’ll weather,” I spoke probably to myself.

“Anything you make is delicious. I’m sure I’d want it all year round,”

But then he says something sweet.

“Come on,” He finally looked over at me and pulled out my chair as we sat at he head table in the pavilion. “You should eat you’ve had such a busy week,”

We ate and the conversation was nice but what was exhilarating was he joked with me, talked to me, was with me. I felt like I was floating, it was the string of our bond by the goddess growing I could see it in my head.

1

As we headed back I tentatively turned to him. “Grayson, please explain to me why that intruder was such a big deal?”

He sucked in a rough breath. “At home, please.”

I nodded and we walked in silence. The anticipation and eagerness for answers ate at me. It had been three days since the attack, two of which I wondered why he was so one edge, why Ella was so shaken, why no one would answer my

question.

We walked into our home and he held the door for me a gesture much appreciated.

“One month ago before I met you there was a sigma that had found his way onto our lands,” He began as we went to our massive couch that was much too large for only us two.

“He was from a southern pack, of alpha blood a larger wolf. He’d seen Ella on her round sof the perimeter,” He gulped.

“He was taken with her.”

“He came to me and demanded that I give him Ella for mate, I told him that Ella had a right to choose her mate and that she was not to be sold by me. This man began following her everywhere. For a week he would appear to her at random places and she was disgusted and uncomfortable with his behavior. Brain fought him and we thought that it

was the end of it.” He shook his head and rubbed his face.

“That night, he went to Ella’s home, he snuck in and tried to take her forcefully,” his face darkened. “Ella fought him off and came to me immediately. I knew what I had to do.”

“We had her stay in her home the following night, the day we were supposed to meet Annette that’s why I wasn’t there,” He explained his absence those days ago. “I waited in the mud that night. The sigma came again, he was much more aggressive. I stormed the room and I ripped my claws through his throat,”

I felt the bile crawling its way up my throat at what Ella had endured. It’s no wonder she was so shaken up.

“He had been so brazen with his advance no respect for her, or our pack. He was a weak man who looked to take what he wanted in a unseemly manner, to be polite about it,” Grayson stood up his fists clenching. “I wouldn’t let this happen again. I drove to his pack and dumped his b*dy on their grounds. I stated who I was and what he’d done to my pack member I told them anyone who tried to do the same thing would have the same fate,”

“So this intruder the other day was a member of his pack?” I was utterly confused. Sigmas were outside of their pack society; they did not adhere to rules and structure. They weren’t part of their pack technically so a pack member coming for revenge made no sense.

“Their colors are similar. I don’t want them knowing about you,” He turned around that fire in his eyes again and looked me dead in the eyes. “We should bind,”

Chapter Comments

Lynne Castro

oh lord… there he goes again…. men….

Susan Suire

And we wonder why statements like All Brawn and No Brains” is labeled on these type of guys… come on use your brain muscle for these things, man!!!

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