Stronger

“What would you like to start with?” Elizabeth asked as we walked from my house that morning.

“I typically start my day in the field tending to the crops,” I told her.

I didn’t know where the entrance to the fields was and they produced a lot more food than my pack did.

“We have two sets of crops. There are the crops for the pack and the crops for the market. Which one would you like to tend to?” she turned her head to look at me.

“I don’t know how to drive a tractor, so the crops for the pack,”

“Would you like to learn?”

I suppose I should. “Of course but not today I don’t think,” I nodded my head.

“Alright well, I will speak with one of the farmers to see if they’d be willing to teach you,”

We headed past the many houses of the pack and to an acre that held a garden, a vine plot, and in the back what looked to be an orchard.

“We grow many vegetables, fruits, grapes, apples, and pears,” explained.

“Put me to work,” I nodded.

Their crops were far behind my family’s pack. Most hadn’t been planted. It was still pretty chilly out. I had on my one sweater and jeans. My rubber garden boots were a must obviously.

I rolled up my sleeves and put on a gardening apron and got to work. I grabbed a hand tiller, went to a plot, and worked the ground. It hadn’t fully thawed yet so I grabbed a hoe to break up the tougher dirt.

I grabbed bags of manure when I was done and spread them over the 12–foot square plot. Then I grabbed the rake and dug groves into the soil,

I was planting beets on this plot. I put them about 6 and 4 inches apart. I planted them half an inch down and covered them up. I watered the crops and dusted off my hands.

“To the training house. I feel like a run and box,” I told Elizabeth who had finished a plot of radishes before me.

“Of course,”

“I’ll need to get my gym clothes from the house,” I told her. “I’ll meet you at the training grounds,”

“Of course Luna,” she nodded and headed off.

I enjoyed farming. It was a sense of satisfaction of growing your own food knowing you had planted it and tended it almost made it taste better. I like the dirt on my hands and the push of the tools grooming the ground for my food.

Knowing the hard work of yours went into something it was prideful and content.

I washed my hands in the deep sink of my new empty home. It was full of furniture and had room for everything. There were no memories here though.

7

I had nothing but what I had brought. This was barren to me. It felt chilled and gray. I could see the potential for sunny days and cozy moments but it felt like the end of a race, impossible to reach and forever away.

I went upstairs to my new and vast room to get my workout clothes on.

Black felt appropriate; it had sheer lines on the arms and calves of the two–pieces. It was a mid–rise shirt goddess knows Grayson wouldn’t like that.

*Perfect

I walked to the gym putting my hair up in a high pony and twisting it into a bun.

This was a place I had to find my way. I had to make a standing here yet the task seemed daunting with only a handful of people who were helping me.

I knew nothing of what my new pack thought of me, they were curious but I didn’t know if they were intrigued or disgusted.

Entering the gym I sought out Elizabeth who was standing on the above gym track waiting for me snuggled up to her mate.

I watched them laughing and his arms settled on her waist. Their faces so endeared to one another and their companionship exuded from them.

My heart twisted in spite. How come they got to be so happy? She gets a man who can’t even her soulmate to love her so wholly and I am left on an island with no boat,

I ran and thought with my earbuds in, drowning out everyone else. Trying to find peace within myself but the loneliness pushed through the cracks I couldn’t patch.

I stopped after a while, going to down to find an open punching bag.

There was one in the middle of a group of men. The thinking was not doing me any good, yelling at Grayson had not worked either, maybe hitting an object would.

I squared myself with the bag after wrapping my hands. I took a deep breath and growled at this inanimate target of

mine.

I took my b*dy weight into my punches throwing all I had in muscles and my mind at it. I huffed and grunted at the bag thumped and thudded with each attack.

I slammed my elbow into it and kicked it ruthlessly. I had so much I couldn’t understand or comprehend and it all came out on the sack in front of me.

“You know it’s not going to fight back right?” A voice interrupted my music and my thoughts. I pulled out my earbuds.

I looked over my shoulder and Matt had his brows knit together looking at the limp bag I’d been pummeling.

“Better something that can’t feel it,” I turned back to the bag and continued my assault.

“Grayson is a difficult man. He doesn’t trust easily,” Matt came and held the bag for me.

“So I’ve been told,” I launched my fist at the bag and he jolted from the impact.

“He should be more mind to you I’m not saying he’s in the right but he’s scared of you,” He continued to try and ease my aggression. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Afraid of me how?” I roundhouse kicked the bag.

“You are gonna know him best Annette,” he explained.

“So instead he’s making me afraid?” I punched the bag three times in a row.

“touche,” He replied with a laugh.

“I know he has his reason to be weary but I want mate who communicates with me,”

“I’ve consulted him many time to go about this a different way but I feel the only thing that will change his mind is time,” he shook his head as I elbowed the bag.

“I’m supposed to be patient aren’t I?” I stopped panting.

“Sadly yes,” he shrugged.

*Patience, patience, patience.

e

“I hate patience,” I whined to myself unwrapping my hands.

“Luna Anna, are you done killing the bag?” Elizabeth came over smirking.

“Yes, I’m going to go shower. Tell me do you guys have midwives?” I liked her wanting to move on from being told yet again to give me mate time.

“Uh yes,”

“I’ll spend the rest of the afternoon with them, you can come and get me when it’s time to prepare dinner,”