Indianna couldn't speak. She sat still, frozen in shock. Even though she had been slightly suspicious of Greyson, the revelation that the voice she was hearing was actually him left her speechless.
Sugar? Greyson urged, sensing her shock. Talk to me.
I...
You're shocked.
No shit.
There's no need for bad language.
Indianna narrowed her eyes.
Tell me how this is possible.
I can't answer that yet.
You said you'd give me answers!
I told you who I am.
I really wish you hadn't now.
Greyson's low chuckle filled Indianna's head.
Now, that's not very nice, sugar.
What were you talking about earlier with my mum?
I can't answer that either.
You're messed up, Greyson. Really messed up.
How so?
What you were saying to my mum wasn't right.
Care to elaborate?
You said that I "belong to you" and something about crossing the border into your land. And what the hell is a "pack"?
You're just full of questions, sugar.
And you find that surprising?
No, quite annoying, actually. Do you have to be so curious?
Indianna's mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe this boy.
This is your fault! You can't just randomly start talking to a girl in her head and then call her annoying for wanting to know how!
You're talking a lot. You're angry, Greyson observed.
Yeah, you think?
You are a lot more talkative in your head than in person.
What has that got to do with anything?
It's just an observation.
Indianna huffed and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't deal with Greyson right now. He was completely infuriating, and she wasn't sure if it was entirely on purpose or not.
If you aren't going to answer my questions, then don't talk to me.
I'll see you tomorrow then, sugar.
I'm ill. You blackmailed me into going home today. Who says I'll be well tomorrow?
I do.
Greyson was right.
Indianna did feel better in the morning. Her head didn't feel like a banging drum, and she didn't constantly feel like she was going to be sick. She felt well-rested, but her temperature remained, though it wasn't as bad as it had been the day before.
This meant that she had to go to school.
She had to see Greyson.
She sighed loudly and climbed out of bed, making her way into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. She washed quickly, changed into a pair of jeans and a vest top, and slipped into a pair of sandals.
The sun was shining brightly when Indianna opened her curtains. She glanced at her reflection in the window. She looked tired and worn out, but it was a significant improvement from the day before.
She suddenly felt a change in her head and sighed, knowing that Greyson was in her mind.
I told you that you'd feel better, he said.
I don't want to talk to you, Indianna said immediately. But I'm going to have to see you at school, so it's not like I'm going to have a choice whether I end up speaking to you or not, is it?
Correct. See you soon, sugar.
"I don't like being called sugar," Indianna muttered under her breath and walked out of her room, making her way into the kitchen, where her mother was eating breakfast.
"Good morning, Indie. Are you feeling better today?" Iris asked.
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure—"
"Yes, Mum," Indianna said shortly and grabbed an apple from the side. "I'm freaking amazing. Can we go?"
Iris frowned at her daughter. "There's no need for the attitude, Indianna."
"How long is this caring going to last, Mum?" Indianna asked.
Because of Greyson, her temper was short, and her rough night made her feel even worse.
"In a few days, you're going to act like I hardly exist, so just stop it. There's no point in you trying to be a mother now because we both know that in a few days, you're going to forget that I'm your daughter. I'm sick of it. Us being mother and daughter died when Dad did."
Indianna blinked, shocked that she had said all of that, but she didn't regret it. She had honestly forgotten what it was like to have a mother.
"I'll be in the car, Iris."
The journey to school was full of awkward silence. Indianna had never scrambled out of the car so quickly, and she rushed into the school, away from her mother.
She was heading to her locker while cautiously looking around, hoping not to spot Greyson, when the guy from the day before, Josh, stopped her in the hallway.
"It's Indianna, right?" he said, and Indianna froze, looking up at him with wide eyes.
"Relax, I just wanted to apologise."
He had stitches across his bottom lip and a faint bruise across his cheekbone.
"Stay away from me," Indianna muttered and tried to walk past him, but he blocked her way.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" He sounded desperate, but far from genuine. "Just make sure he knows I've apologised—"
"Josh."
Ace approached them, and Indianna stiffened. If Ace was here, it meant that Greyson wouldn't be too far away.
"You know Greyson told you to stay away from me," Ace said, stepping in between Indianna and Josh.
"Fine. Whatever. I tried to apologise."
Josh puffed out his chest and looked Ace up and down before turning around and walking away.
Ace rolled his eyes at Josh, then turned around and looked down at Indianna, smiling warmly.
"Are you okay, Indianna?" he asked kindly. "He didn't bother you too much, did he?"
"I'm fine," Indianna mumbled and walked off before Ace had the chance to say anything else.
She couldn't help but wonder what Ace knew. Did he know that Greyson could get into her mind? Did he know about all the secrets that were being kept from her?
Indianna had a feeling that he did.
Indianna finally reached her locker and groaned when she saw Greyson leaning against it, talking to Kal, who was opening his locker next to hers.
Indianna immediately turned around, but her path was blocked by Brooklyn, who had appeared alongside Harry.
"Indianna!" Brooklyn said brightly. "You're back!"
"Yeah," Indianna mumbled and cautiously glanced over her shoulder at Greyson, who had noticed her. His eyes were watching her carefully.
"I am."
"That's great, sweet. Are you feeling better? How is your head?"
"It's fine now," Indianna said, not telling her the whole truth. "Thank you, but I have to go."
Indianna excused herself and walked away from them as quickly as she could. She turned a corner, not paying attention to where she was going.
She just wanted to put space between herself and Greyson. She would have gone to hell if it meant she could get away from him.
Indianna yelped when she crashed into someone. Papers flew into the air, and books tumbled to the floor.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Indianna apologised and bent down to gather everything up, her face turning bright red.
A mousy, brown-haired girl crouched down opposite her and stacked the fallen books in her arms. She smiled kindly at Indianna.
"So am I. I wasn't looking where I was going," she apologised, and they both stood up. "Hi, I'm Cassie. You must be the new girl?"
"Indianna," Indianna said with a shy smile and handed Cassie some of her fallen papers. "I'm really, really sorry."
"It's fine. It's nice to meet you, Indianna," Cassie said, pushing her glasses up onto her head and revealing warm brown eyes. "Even if you did knock my homework all over the floor."
Indianna chuckled slightly. "I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry—"
"Don't worry about it! I'm dropping all of my belongings half the time because I'm so clumsy! I was going to drop something today, with or without you crashing into me."
Cassie laughed, and her eyes widened when the bell rang, echoing down the hallway and signalling for the students to make their way to their first class.
"Shoot, I'm late! I've got to run, but it was nice to meet you, Indianna!"
Indianna followed in Cassie's direction, watching her retreating figure.
She made it to her first class of the day and spotted Cassie instantly, sitting at the front with her pens and paper set out neatly in front of her.
Indianna walked down the aisle to the back of the classroom, taking a seat and slumping low, hoping that Greyson wouldn't notice her when he entered the classroom.
Greyson, however, noticed Indianna immediately. He slowly made his way over to her desk and took a seat next to her, resting his arm across the back of her chair.
Indianna had a feeling that it was so she couldn't walk away. She was trapped, and she could feel him staring directly at her.
"Good morning, sugar."
Indianna sighed quietly and turned to face him, scowling.
"Don't call me sugar."
"Sugar it is, then," he said with a grin.
"You're an ass."
"Oh, sugar, I should get you some soap," Greyson said and leaned close to Indianna, whispering in her ear, "to wash out that dirty mouth of yours."
Indianna's mouth dropped open, and Greyson smirked.
"I thought that would leave you speechless."
"You can't say things like that to me!" Indianna gasped, turning red for the second time that day.
Greyson sat back in his seat and chuckled.
"I wanted to apologise, Indie, for the pain I caused you. I didn't want to, but you weren't listening to me, and I got angry. I couldn't control it."
Greyson looked into Indianna's eyes.
"I don't like it when people don't do as I say. I guess self-control is something I need to work on, especially when it comes to you."
"I never would have guessed," she murmured and looked away from Greyson.
There's no need for sarcasm, sugar.
"Don't do that!" Indianna snapped, her heart jumping in surprise at Greyson's sudden voice in her head. "That's just not right. Do not do that!"
Why not? Greyson laughed and grinned at Indianna, who glared at him.
"It mixes things up a bit. I'm not one for being boring, sugar."
"Look, Greyson," Indianna hissed, her temper rising, "do not talk to me if you aren't going to give me any answers!"
Greyson raised his eyebrows at her. "You're talking quite a lot today."
"Well, you said it yourself. It's my anger!"
"Do I make you angry, sugar?" Greyson asked.
Indianna gritted her teeth. "More so with every passing second."
"Fantastic," Greyson said with a grin, and Indianna groaned in frustration.
"Indie, I will give you answers, but when the time is right."
"Tell me now!"
"No."
Indianna wanted to reach over and strangle him. Nobody in her whole life had made her feel so infuriated.
"Fucking hell, Greyson!"
"You are not very polite, are you, sugar?"
"Are you really surprised when you're acting like this?"
"Acting like what?" Greyson asked innocently.
"You're intolerable," Indianna groaned and rubbed her eyes tiredly.
"You aren't exactly making things easy for me, sugar, with all of your questions," Greyson countered.
"Well, you can leave. I wouldn't care at all."
"Ah, but I would," he murmured.
Indianna looked towards the door, praying for a teacher to arrive. Her eyes wandered around the classroom, and she noticed many people watching Greyson and her. Some were staring enviously, while others were glaring.
"Ignore them, sugar," Greyson said into Indianna's ear.
"Why are they glaring at me?" Indianna turned to look at Greyson and gulped at their close proximity.
"Because you're talking to me."
"I wanted to blend in, not attract the attention of girls who are going to hate me because I'm sitting with you."
"Your hopes of blending in went out the window as soon as I set eyes on you, Indianna Hughs."
Indianna looked away from Greyson and at her hands, no words coming to mind. She had no response for Greyson. Not even her anger could make words come out of her mouth.
Her eyes flickered to the scar on her wrist, and she frowned, thinking back to something Greyson had said to her mother the day before.
"Wolves," she whispered.
Greyson snapped to attention, stiffening.
"What did you say?"
"They travel in packs, don't they?" Indianna said, not looking up from her scar.
"They do," Greyson said slowly.
"You mentioned a pack earlier," she said, frowning to herself. "Greyson, the things you're not telling me... Is it to do with the wolves that attacked me?"
Indianna's voice cracked.
"And killed my father?"
Greyson was silent for a moment.
"Not really."
"Not really?"
"That's what I said," Greyson said dismissively.
"Why were you talking about a pack?"
"I can't say."
Indianna sighed and pursed her lips.
"Of course, you can't."
The teacher then entered the classroom, and Indianna turned her attention to the front of the room. However, she could feel Greyson's eyes on her the entire time.