"How long are you going to avoid him for?" Brooke asked, looking at Indianna in the mirror's reflection.
"You can't really call it avoiding," Indianna grumbled and tied her hair into a high ponytail. She stood up from the chair and grabbed her brown leather jacket from her bed, shrugging it on. "Not when I end up ill and in excruciating pain whenever I'm away from him for long periods of time."
"What do you do?" Brooke wondered. "To stop the pain, you have to touch each other. At least Harry and I do. Usually, we just fu—" Brooke coughed, and Indianna laughed slightly, rolling her eyes. "You and Greyson obviously don't do that, so how do you make the pain go away?"
"Very awkwardly," Indianna muttered. "Especially when every fibre in my body wants to forgive him and be with him. The bond is stronger now that I've shifted. I didn't think it could be, but it just makes me want him more."
"Does it make you want him enough to have sex with him?" Brooke asked, and Indianna's mouth dropped open.
"Brooke!" Indianna gasped.
"Oh, come on, Indie! You may be arguing, but I've seen the way you look at him. Even at the lake party! You want him. It's going to happen sooner or later."
"Later," Indianna blushed, and Brooke chuckled.
"I disagree," Brooke grinned and linked her arm with Indianna's. "I have a good feeling."
"Brooke," Indianna frowned, "we're currently arguing."
"I am aware of that."
"Then why do you think we're going to have sex?"
"Make-up sex, hun."
Indianna sat down in class and sighed. It felt strange being back at school. She felt like a stranger.
She took out her notebook and waited for the teacher to arrive. The teacher's punctuality at the school still sucked.
"There's only so long you can ignore me for," Greyson said. "You can pretend I'm not here all you want, but it won't make a difference."
Indianna opened her notebook and started to doodle. She had to do anything to distract herself from Greyson.
Just his presence made her body fill with sparks. His scent was intoxicating, and the hand resting on Indianna's thigh made it extremely hard to focus on the doodles she was trying to draw.
Indianna gasped when Greyson's hand moved further up her thigh. She growled lowly and slapped his hand away.
"Do not touch me," she hissed.
"Why? Scared you won't want me to stop?" Greyson said smugly, already knowing Indianna's answer.
Indianna ignored Greyson and paid attention to her doodles. Trying to stay angry at someone she was destined to be with was difficult.
"Then don't," Greyson said.
"Stay out of my head!" Indianna snapped.
"Just get over the argument," Greyson said. "You're going to forgive me sooner or later."
"You were a complete asshole!" Indianna gasped. "You can't expect me to forgive the way you spoke to me! It was horrible, Greyson!"
"And I've told you I didn't mean it. I'm an Alpha, my job is stressful, and I admit I took some of my anger out on you. You didn't deserve that, and I've apologised for it," Greyson said with a dismissive shrug.
"Can you even act apologetic? You sound like you don't give a shit!" Indianna said, trying to keep her voice quiet.
"It's because you're giving me the silent treatment and acting pissy over this. It's pointless."
"No, it isn't! You just can't understand that you're in the wrong—"
"I do understand that I messed up, but I said I was sorry!"
"Sorry doesn't solve everything, Greyson!" Indianna hissed.
"So you're just going to act like a bitch to me, then?" Greyson muttered. "Until when? Until you're fed up with arguing?"
"Yes," Indianna growled.
"You're acting childish."
"So what?"
Greyson sighed in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. "You're making it harder for yourself by trying to be angry at me."
"I'm not trying. I am angry."
"You're trying," Greyson repeated. "The mate bond makes it extremely hard for mates to stay angry with each other. You're putting up a fight."
I'm in your head, sugar. Don't even try to lie. You'll only be lying to yourself.
Indianna gritted her teeth. "Get out," she muttered. "The bond makes me hate you even more. I wouldn't have all these confusing feelings if it wasn't for the freaking bond!"
"Confusing?" Greyson wondered. "I highly doubt you're confused about your feelings towards me."
"I know hate is one of them."
Greyson scoffed and arched an eyebrow at Indianna.
"You sure?" he whispered, leaning closer. "There's an extremely thin line between love and hate, sugar."
Indianna gulped and said nothing. She didn't trust herself to speak when she was this close to Greyson. Since she had shifted, the sparks and tingles she felt in his presence had doubled in intensity.
"Indianna, don't be angry at me," Greyson murmured and cupped her cheek. He turned her head towards his, and she gulped again when she stared into his deep blue eyes. "Indie, I'm sorry. I love you."
Indianna froze.
I.
Love.
You.
She had never expected those three words to escape Greyson's lips. When she had first met him, she hadn't thought he was capable of love.
She knew what she had to do now. It would hurt him, but he was in Indianna's mind. He would know her true feelings. There was no way of hiding them from him.
Indianna pulled away from Greyson and narrowed her eyes, mustering all the anger she could.
"You don't deserve love, Greyson. I hate you."
Indianna had endured months of Greyson being controlling, rude and an asshole, and she was fed up. She wasn't an argumentative person. She was quiet and shy.
But not with Greyson.
Indianna looked at him, waiting for his reaction. Her words must have hurt, but she knew Greyson would understand her true feelings deep down. She couldn't hide them.
His face was blank, but she could tell that he wasn't happy. His hands clenched into fists, and he gritted his teeth.
"No," he said and stood up abruptly.
He grabbed Indianna's arm and pulled her to her feet.
"Greyson!" she gasped. "What are you doing?"
Greyson was silent as he pulled Indianna through the classroom and down the hallway. He stopped at a door and opened it, revealing a small, dark space.
"Greyson!" Indianna repeated and gasped as he pushed her into the room and shut the door behind them. "What the hell—"
"Shut up," Greyson ordered.
In the darkness, his hands found Indianna's hips and pushed her against the wall.
"You can't hurt me with your words, sugar," he scoffed. "Did you think that pathetic attempt to hurt me would really work?"
"G-Get off me," Indianna whispered and looked up at Greyson. Her wolf eyes had started to take over, and she could easily see him in the dark room now.
"You're my mate," Greyson said sternly. "I can see right through you, okay? So don't even try to hurt me. It won't work."
Indianna frowned. "But it did," she said. "It's why you're getting so worked up about it. You could tell that I didn't mean what I said, but it still affected you."
Greyson stiffened, and Indianna continued.
"You're scared that I could mean it one day. You're scared of me not loving you."
Greyson gritted his teeth. "You got me, okay?" he snapped. "Are you happy?"
Indianna waited a few moments.
"Yes," she said finally. "I'm happy. You need to realise that you can't go around treating me like I'm beneath you. Greyson, if you do, then your fears may come true."
Lie.
Indianna knew she could never feel that way towards Greyson.
No matter what happened, she would always love him. Even through anger and pain, her love for him would remain constant.
"Shit," Indianna cursed, remembering that Greyson was in her head. "You heard that?"
"Loud and clear."
"Even during anger," Greyson repeated, and Indianna could clearly see the smirk on his face in the dim lighting. "Constant," he murmured. "Say it."
"No."
"Say it," Greyson growled lowly and stepped closer to Indianna. "Sugar, don't make me force you."
"No, I'm not giving in to you. We're still arguing," Indianna said stubbornly.
"Let's take a recess from you pretending to be pissed at me," Greyson said.
Before Indianna could say anything else, Greyson kissed her.
"Greyson!" she gasped and tried to push him away. "Stop—"
His lips cut her off, and Indianna nearly moaned in pleasure. She had yet to kiss Greyson since she had shifted, and now she wished he had done it sooner. Sparks rushed through her body, making her feel giddy and alive.
"Say it," Greyson said between kisses.
"No."
"Indie," he growled and deepened the kiss. "Say it."
"I said no. And I also told you to stop ordering me around."
"I'm an Alpha. It's my job to give orders. You can't expect me to change completely," Greyson muttered.
"I can expect you to try," Indianna said. "If you do, then maybe I might say it."
Greyson growled in frustration and kissed Indianna again, releasing her arms as he did. Indianna wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in his hair.
She was still angry at him, but she also wanted him. She wanted to feel close to him, to feel his touch and let the bond quiet the anger between them.
They were so caught up in each other that neither of them noticed how much time had passed or remembered that they were still in an empty office at school.
Eventually, Greyson pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.
"We can stop," he whispered.
"No," Indianna gasped. "I'm okay."
Greyson searched her eyes, making sure she meant it.
"If this makes it any better," he murmured, "the first time is always awkward."
"You're really making this sound romantic," Indianna said sarcastically.
"I'm trying to be honest," Greyson said, kissing her softly. "We can make it special another time."
Indianna looked at him for a long moment before pulling him close again.
The argument wasn't completely over, and Indianna hadn't forgotten what Greyson had said to her. But for the moment, they stopped fighting and let the bond pull them together.
Make-up sex.
Who would have thought Brooke was right?