Stronger by Ang Chris

Chapter 10

“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.

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

true mate like I know she is we will overcome this in the end.

an off the shoulder long sleeved black dress that fell just above my knees and hugged my top but flowed

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

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

for you in every way but they contradicted themselves for some goddess damned

him patience he is afterall showing up for me. He’s

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

having tonight was something I always enjoyed making. It

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

always freaks out when I make this. I know duck is a bit fancy, however our

sure that the duck was cooked through and the bok

when a recipe entered my mind it never faltered. I

the table and mother put together a starter salad, laid out some bread, her stuffed peppers, and

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

grabbed a peach pie from the fridge and checked it out and maybe talked myself out of

it was Georgia and a sugary peach pie was

all I had to

I always waiting?

of it, if I fought him that’s all we would

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

that if someone was in need and even if you had nothing to

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

the doorbell

my thoughts

on a platter and walked out of the safety and light of the kitchen and

best not to look right away. I set down the meal and slowly walked over to the group of

to hug the

hugged me back and I turned to

introduction, still avoiding the heat I sensed two

the Northern Ecl*pse pack,” I began

warrior and Ella’s brother,” I had hoped I got that right as I

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,

his voice rang out

large and warm hand grazed my back. It was gone

chair for me.

knew my

you,” I graciously replied, trying

replied and I squeezed my hands into fists to stop from squealing.

salad, and Anna’s amazing duck and bok choy,” My mother began

cook?” Ella asked me.

can think of recipes easily. It comes naturally to me and i’ve

to teach Ella some recipes. She is not quite so talented,” Brian

Ella defended

time. I’m sure if Ella needed it Anna could help,” my father placed a heft portion of pork on

they understand I can cook,” I blushed, shaking my

before I’d entered the house. I don’t know what I did

thinking that

from me to being

Cea asked him continuing the conversation in the lull at

“No,”

I guess,” James prodded him.

two years apart and

“Yes,”