Indianna screamed and curled up on the bed in pain. She squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered, wishing the pain would go away.
"Oh, hun," Brooke sighed and dabbed a cool towel on Indianna's burning forehead. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Indianna whimpered and groaned as another wave of pain flooded her body. "B-Brooke?"
"Yes?"
"Greyson," Indianna whispered and hissed in pain. "Can you g-get Greyson?"
"Of course!" Brooke said and rushed out of the room.
Seconds later, Greyson walked in and crouched down beside the bed that Indianna was lying on.
"You're looking dashing today," he said with a smirk, and Indianna rolled her eyes at him and managed to weakly punch him.
"Shut up. I asked for you so you can help with the pain, not be an ass," Indianna groaned.
"I can do both, don't worry," he said smugly and stood up, walking around the bed and lying down next to Indianna. He gently grabbed Indianna's arms and pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. The sparks shocked Indianna's skin, but they soothed the pain and relaxed her body. She sighed in relief, rested her head against Greyson's chest, and closed her eyes.
"Thanks," she breathed, and Greyson played with Indianna's hair.
"No problem, sugar," Greyson said. "So, I hear you grew a tail earlier."
"It was horrifying," Indianna grumbled, breathing in sharply when there was a stab of pain in her chest.
"It's normal."
"For a wolf, yes. A human, definitely not."
Greyson chuckled. "You're so whiny."
"I am currently in immense pain, I am randomly growing body parts of a wolf, and I can hear every single freaking conversation, cough, laugh, and sometimes even the breaths of people downstairs. It is giving me a massive headache! Can you bloody blame me for moaning?"
Greyson laughed and kissed Indianna's head. "Touché."
"I just want it all to stop."
"It will soon, but the heightened senses you are going to have to live with—you'll have to adjust to."
"Greyson, how do you block it all out? The noise? The constant hum of people talking and cars driving down roads miles away from here? How?"
"Practice," Greyson said with a shrug. "And something else to concentrate on."
"Like what?"
"Well, I concentrate on you."
"I'd rather kill myself than concentrate entirely on you."
"Lies," Greyson growled playfully and kissed Indianna's cheek. "You love me."
"You're mistaken."
"Mmm," Greyson said into Indianna's ear. "Sure I am."
"Shut up and let me sleep. The pain is stopping me from sleeping, and when you're here the pain dulls, so be quiet," Indianna said and closed her eyes.
"You need me," Greyson whispered and smirked. "So be polite, or I can easily get up and walk out."
Greyson faked standing up, and Indianna weakly reached out and grabbed Greyson's hand.
"No," she mumbled, sleep starting to catch up with her. "Stay."
"Greyson-" Kal burst into the room and stopped speaking when Greyson narrowed his eyes at him. "Sorry," Kal whispered, looking at Indianna, who was sleeping soundly. "You're needed downstairs."
"It can wait," Greyson said. "She's not slept properly in days because of the pain she is in. When I'm with her it goes away, so I'm staying until she wakes up."
"But, Grey, your parents are home."
"Tell them to come up then. She's out like a light; she won't wake easily," Greyson said with a shrug and ran his fingers down Indianna's arm.
"That's not all," Kal said and frowned. "They aren't alone."
Greyson arched an eyebrow. "Then who's with them?"
"I don't know. Apparently, it's your cousin."
Greyson frowned. "Kal, all of my cousins are human. There is a human here, and Indianna suddenly grows claws, sprouts hair, and moves really quickly at any time. Why the fuck is there a human at my pack house?"
"Dude, d'you think I know?" Kal shrugged, but his eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait, did she really grow a tail earlier? Fuck, I would've paid to see that! It must've looked hilarious!"
Greyson tried to keep a serious face, but the corners of his mouth twitched up, and he rolled his eyes. "I wasn't there. Brooke, Kirstie, and Mac were."
"Ah, man," Kal grumbled.
"Kal, send my parents up and keep my cousin busy while I talk to them. Under no circumstances will my cousin be allowed to wander around alone. God knows what they might see."
Kal nodded and exited the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"A fucking human," Greyson sighed. "More bait for fucking Rogue."
The door to Indianna's room opened, and Greyson's parents walked in. Greyson smiled at the two of them but made no move to get up and hug them because of Indianna in his arms.
"Grey, it's so lovely to see you! It's been so long!" His mother, Laura, said.
"You too, Mum," Greyson smiled. "Good holiday?"
"It was nice, son," Greyson's dad, Mark, nodded. "So it's true. You've found your mate."
Greyson looked down at Indianna. "Yep."
"Darling, she's stunning," Laura gushed.
"She is."
"Son, why has she got claws?" Mark frowned.
"She's a werewolf, well, about to become one. She's Indianna Hughs," Greyson said, and Mark gasped quietly.
"Hughs? My God, Alpha Hughs's daughter?"
"The one and only," Greyson nodded.
"If she's here, does that mean Iris is too?" Laura asked.
"Yes."
"Oh my, I've not seen her in years! I can't believe she's in town!"
"Mum, Dad," Greyson said, his tone turning serious. "Please tell me that you haven't brought a human to my pack house."
"Your cousin," Laura said. "When we were in England, she was getting into all sorts of trouble and causing a nuisance for your aunt and uncle, so they asked if she could come stay with us for a few months to try and sort her behaviour out."
"Fuck," Greyson cursed.
"Greyson, what's wrong?" Mark asked.
"You have to send her back to England, now."
"Why?"
"We have a Rogue problem," Greyson muttered.
"A few rogues we can deal with. Besides, we can't send her home with no explanation," Mark said.
"No, Dad, it's not a few random rogues," Greyson sighed. "It's the Rogue. Rogue, who attacked Alpha Hughs and Indianna when she was younger. He's in town. He has been stalking Indianna, he nearly killed her, he killed an innocent human, and he raped Brooklyn. He also has a spy who attends our school. Now is not the time for a clueless human to be wandering around town and my house."
"Greyson!" Laura gasped. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I thought you would be away for months," Greyson shrugged. "I didn't think I'd need to tell you guys."
"He nearly killed your mate?" Mark frowned.
"Yes, and I don't want to talk about it," Greyson snapped. "You need to go downstairs and send my cousin back home. Now."
"Darling, we can't," Laura said. "We promised your aunt and uncle we'd help her."
"I don't give a shit! I don't think she'll be able to get any help if Rogue kills her! Or if Indianna accidentally grows a tail or moves extremely fast in front of her! Indianna is going to shift soon. How can we explain that to a human who has nothing to do with our world?"
Greyson had raised his voice, and Indianna stirred, the loudness waking her up.
"Greyson?" she yawned.
"Shit," Greyson muttered and cupped Indianna's cheek. "Sugar, go back to sleep. You need to rest."
Indianna yawned and shook her head, moving to sit up straight.
"Seriously, Indie, you've had hardly any sleep. Rest."
"Stop being bossy," she grumbled and rubbed her eyes.
Her eyes landed on Mark and Laura, and she frowned.
"Er..."
"Indie, these are my parents," Greyson said and wrapped his arm around Indianna's waist when he realised that the pain was starting to come back.
"Hello, darling," Laura said with a huge motherly smile. "It's so lovely to meet you. I'm Laura."
"Hi," Indianna said quietly.
"She's shy around new people," Greyson said and rolled his eyes. "She will probably only talk to you in one-word sentences for a few weeks. It took Brooklyn ages for her to open up, and Kal is slowly progressing with her too."
Indianna punched Greyson's arm, her werewolf strength kicking in.
Shut up, you ass.
"Jeez, you're packing a punch," Greyson muttered.
"I like her already," Mark grinned. "Hi, Indianna. I'm Mark. I was a friend of your father's. He was a good man. I'm sorry for your loss."
Indianna chewed on her lip and nodded. "He was. Thank you."
"Okay, now that introductions are over, can we address the elephant in the room? The human. What the hell are we going to do with her?" Greyson said loudly, and Laura sighed.
"We can't send her back to England. She needs help."
"For fuck's sake," Greyson sighed.
"Language, young man," Laura scolded, and Greyson rolled his eyes.
"If she gets ripped apart by Rogue or witnesses something to do with werewolves, it's all on you two," Greyson said.
"She'll be safe. Rogue won't touch her. She'll be protected," Mark said.
"Will she? And who will protect her?"
"The pack."
"Will they now?" Greyson questioned.
"She is your cousin and my niece. They will," Mark said sternly.
"Greyson," Indianna frowned, not understanding the full conversation but getting the basics. "Rogue is a monster. Whoever this person is, they deserve protection. Need protection."
Greyson sighed. "Fine. Where is she staying?"
"Here," Mark said.
"Not happening. She can stay at your house," Greyson said.
"We don't have the spare room," Laura said.
"She can sleep on the freaking couch then. Indianna is going to shift at any time. We can't risk her seeing that!"
"Greyson, please, darling," Laura said. "She's family."
Greyson, we can hide what's going on with me from her.
Greyson looked at Indianna and shook his head. "You're meant to back me, not side with them," he said, and Indianna chuckled slightly.
I'll always be here to disagree with you, she said, and Greyson sighed loudly.
"Fine. She can stay, but I'm not dealing with her."
Laura and Mark smiled triumphantly.
"We shall show her to her new room. Indianna, it was lovely to meet you. We must all talk later and get to know each other," Laura said, and Indianna nodded slowly.
"We'll discuss Rogue later," Mark said, and the two of them made their way out of the room.
"Thanks for the support," Greyson said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.
"You're welcome," Indianna yawned and rested her head on his shoulder. "So, your cousin is here."
"Yep," Greyson muttered. "My parents can be so fucking stupid sometimes. A freaking human is at my pack house."
"She won't find out."
"If she does, I'm not dealing with the shit that comes with it. My parents brought her here; they can deal with her."
"She's your cousin," Indianna frowned.
"So?"
"You're mean."
Greyson shrugged. "And?"
"She sounds troubled, and you aren't going to help her?" Indianna asked.
"Why should I? She's not my responsibility."
Indianna sighed and shook her head, looking down at her hands just as her claws turned back into normal nails.
"Thank God," she whispered.
"How are you feeling?" Greyson wondered.
"Currently," Indianna said, "okay."
Greyson smirked and ran his fingers down Indianna's arm. "You're welcome."
"Idiot," she muttered. "Earlier, however, I felt horrible."
"It should be over soon. Once you shift, all of this shit will be over."
"Once I shift," Indianna murmured and gulped. "Great..."
Greyson unwrapped his arms from Indianna and pushed himself off the bed. Immediately, Indianna missed his touch, and she desperately wanted to reach out and grab him. Touch his warm skin and let the tingles rush through her body, soothing the pain that was just starting to form.
"It comes back that fast?" Greyson wondered, scratching his stubble.
"No," Indianna lied and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm fine."
"Bullshit," Greyson scoffed and held out his hand. "C'mon, let's go."
Indianna ignored his hand and swung her legs off the bed. She moved with unnatural speed, yet it was starting to feel normal to her. Greyson rolled his eyes at her and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
Indianna gasped out loud when a sharp pain ran through her chest, and she winced, doubling over.
"You don't like admitting that you need me, do you?" Greyson smirked and watched as Indianna gritted her teeth and forced herself up.
"I don't need you," Indianna muttered and blew out a long breath. Her body was starting to warm up, and she could feel her vest top sticking to her back.
Greyson just smirked. "Of course, you're tough and would rather be in immense pain than give in and let someone help you."
Indianna ran her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. Her heightened senses picked up someone yelling downstairs, and she winced. She felt a bead of sweat drip down her forehead, and another wave of pain rushed through her.
"Are you sure you want to walk downstairs by yourself? You don't look like you can hold yourself up for much longer, sugar," Greyson said and idly played with his lip ring, waiting for Indianna to give up.
"I'm fine," Indianna groaned and looked at Greyson. One touch from him would make her feel better.
One touch and she'd be fine.
Why was she so against him helping her?
Indianna sighed and held out her hand. Greyson's smirk widened, and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Shut up," she muttered.
Greyson walked up to her, placing his hands on her waist.
The simple touch ignited a rush of pleasure in Indianna that only Greyson could create. It never got old. She doubted it ever would.
Greyson cupped her cheek and smirked. "You need me. You always will. Stop fighting it, sugar."
"Where's the fun in that?" she wondered, and Greyson pursed his lips, shaking his head at Indianna.
"Let's go meet my cousin," Greyson sighed.
"Don't be mean to her," Indianna said as they headed for the door.
"I'm not promising anything."
"Greyson!"
Greyson smirked and linked his fingers with Indianna's.
"Why did I get stuck with a nice mate?"
"I ask myself the opposite every day. Why did I get stuck with a complete and utter asshole?"
"Ooh, harsh," Greyson laughed, and they walked out of the room and into the hallway.
As always, Greyson's pack members smiled comfortingly at Indianna and greeted her softly. Everyone in this pack wanted their Luna to feel safe and comfortable. They knew she would warm up to them in time.
"Alpha, Luna," an older woman approached the two of them and bowed her head respectfully.
"Martha," Greyson greeted. "How may we help?"
"Actually, Alpha, I wanted to help you."
Greyson raised his eyebrows expectantly and gestured for Martha to carry on.
Martha turned to Indianna and smiled. "Luna, dear, I've heard that you have trouble sleeping because of the pain you are in?"
Indianna nodded, and Martha held out a small box.
"I mixed some herbs together for you. They will help you sleep. They also do wonders for stress."
"Oh, thank you," Indianna said, taking the box from Martha. "Thank you, Martha."
"It's not a problem, dear," Martha smiled. "I'm always mixing up herbs to help pack members. If you ever need help with anything, pop in to see me, and I'll see if I can sort something out."
"Thank you, Martha," Greyson nodded. "I'm pretty sure Doc will be pleased to see that you're still working with herbs," he said sarcastically.
Martha chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Doc is amazing at what he does. He just doesn't understand that help doesn't always come from a bottle of pills."
"And he never will," Greyson chuckled. "Martha, thank you again, but we have to be somewhere."
"Of course," Martha nodded. "It was lovely meeting you, Luna."
"Indie," Indianna said. "Please, don't call me Luna."
Martha nodded and smiled. "Indie, I hope the herbs help with your troubles."
"Come on, let's go meet my bratty cousin."