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

thimit: he’s an ass,” Charles rolled his

go to Then, I grabbed the

a hug and whispered an apology she had to witnessfit.

dish in cold water and cleaned

the red on his hands. “Like a

“An-”

you acting so weird?” I gave

my sister, and…and wanted to prove..myself,”

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

know it.”

meann, The whispered under his breath and I wanted to ask what he meant but my

Over

fought with everything he had, She looked over at me with an

to take you to get ready for the feast,” she sighed and now I saw the disappointment in

walked to my 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

thanked the goddess silently. We wane tip to

about this,” she finally sand..

“Mama,” I started.

toned me/“I know he willl din amuthing for you, hut he is fractured. It is

youth this situation

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

22

(Chanter 34

and hugged her. “I will not break for anyone mama.” I told her. That show you know, because you raised me, anthyou made me stronger than

years fade and I was a small child in hermanas.

looked at me. “I still wanna kill

in an intricate four–stranded braid Sculled the ones we

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

tonight. They selected fighters

would fill their cups and their plates to

I found it funny

the people were laughing and dancing and singing theppadisescof Grayson who stood withhenylbrothers Theo joked

Matthew cailertvinthessaw me. Time to welcome our

felt like a china doll with all of

fightersstoryou, Icon

Matt, Brian,

will fight for the prize of champion

off putting. I did not find it pleasing to push a

was not much of a fight Mattwassalonwerthe other 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

paw print next to it. I felt like puking as walked over

am honored Anna,” he whispered. “I can take

skin. Meanvill ofhurning flesh and the sizzle made me llinch slightly.. let it go as soon as I could a sickening feeling crawling