Stronger by Ang Chris

Chapter 34

I won her

I knelt to the ground laughing silently. My arms were bloody I think I had lost a tooth. I know I had a cracked rib and I was so excited.

I stood and hobbled out of the arena. Cea and Eva came forward to their men.

I made my way to her my b*dy aching and throbbing. I opened the door to her sweet wide wet eyes. She sobbed and ran forward to me her b*dy turning red with my blood.

She moved me to the couch and she sat beside me. We spoke no words but it felt like heaven.

She washed my face and arms. She cleaned my wounds and bandaged them. Her fingers traced over my skin and I unabashedly watched her for peace. I savored her kindness for me who had to hurt her family. I had hurt her and she was worried for me and healing me.

She finished wrapping up my chest and sniffled. “I have to go see my family,”

“Go,” I nodded to her.

Stay.

I watched her leave me for the second time that day but this time it felt different. I knew now what I would give for her I had been beaten and all I thought the whole time was of her.

It’s terrifying when there is someone you need with your whole being and every time you try you freeze because your are afraid.

“How can I still be afraid now? I’ve promised to try and she is still the one thing I am fearful of. *

I ran to the keep bad into the clinic. My brother lay passed out on tables as my mother and Cea cleaned Charlie and my dads wounds.

“Goddess be,” I turned away from them bile creeping up my b*dy.

He had done this…

“I can’t be upset they had all accepted this. He did this for me.

I breathed in and put my eyes stinging with the fact I had healed him before my flesh and blood. I felt gross and sickly with myself.

I turned and walked up to my father bowing my head and ready to beg for forgiveness.

“Do not feel guilty,” he commanded me.

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Chapter 34

But my end up. “Papa he hurt you and I..”

too

“Bu in your family whette, you have to choose him that’s how it thats sollong. It is a choice my darling. You

him.” He gave me a soft smile.

still thimit: he’s an ass,” Charles

go to Then, I grabbed the cloth from her.

a hug and

in cold water and cleaned his fingers they were stained red.

dows? I looked at the red on

“An-”

so weird?” I gave him a

and…and wanted to prove..myself,”

“Yaume amidin. Beating Grayson will not prove you are ready to

know it.”

not what I meann, The whispered under his breath and I wanted to ask what

Over

he had, She looked over at me with an unreadable

for the feast,” she sighed and now I saw the disappointment in her

house in am unuary quiet lift her anger or sadness. I could not tell what she was going to say to mi when we were alone but

and I thanked the goddess silently. We wane tip to my room and satt down where she pointed.

good about this,” she

“Mama,” I started.

you, hut he is fractured. It is hard to start a

his came the youth this situation is not one any mother would feel good about,” She

to leave you now that I know he’s public al hurting you?” she whimpered.

22

(Chanter 34

because you raised me, anthyou made

I felt the years fade and I was a small

me. “I still wanna

and began braiding my hair in an intricate four–stranded braid Sculled

my n*eckline. Then the cuffs. And finallyt tizenklets. These were to symbolize my tourney to Luna and how soon I

before dinner tonight. They selected fighters and whoever worsoodidbeart the mark of Luna’s

would fill their cups and their plates to

me. I found it funny the

out in my whiteddress and bare feet and the people were laughing and dancing and singing theppadisescof Grayson who stood withhenylbrothers Theo joked with him and Charlie was stone–faced.

Matthew cailertvinthessaw me. Time to

men encircled meantileetmeto at throne beside Grayson I felt like a china

our fightersstoryou, Icon called to

Brian,

of

putting. I did not find it pleasing to push a piece of hit metal into the skin of these

men and quickly had them out for the count. He had punched Lean once and he went dizzy, Arran put up a better fight but Matt was larger and could take

over and grabbed the metal. My syntindwasapresentimoon with a paw print next to it. I felt like puking as walked over to him pity in

he whispered. “I can

made me llinch slightly.. let it go