The sun was shining brightly and it was making Indianna feel worse as she walked into school that day.
'You shouldn't have come in, sugar.'
'If you aren't going to answer my questions, then don't talk to me,' Indianna was quick to reply and narrowed her eyes at the ground as she entered the school building, her temper particularly short today.
"Hey, beautiful."
Indianna stopped in her tracks when a brown-haired boy appeared in front of her and she looked up, her eyes going wide.
"Are you new around here?" the boy asked, and Indianna felt extremely uncomfortable as she watched this boy as his eyes shamelessly trailed up and down her body.
Indianna hadn't dressed as modestly as the day before due to her soaring temperature, but she didn't think that her shorts and a vest top were an invitation for boys to stare at her like a predator.
"I'm sure I would remember somebody like you," the boy continued, smirking. He clearly thought that he was charming, but Indianna just felt very wary, not liking the sleazy glint in his eyes.
"Sorry," she apologised quietly and stepped to the side. "I have somewhere I need to be."
"Where are you in a rush too?" The boy placed his hand on Indianna's arm, and she stiffened, not liking the touch of his clammy skin on hers. "I can show you around, sweet cheeks."
"I'm good, thank you," Indianna murmured and tried to step back but she was suddenly pulled forward. The force at which she crashed into the boy's chest left her slightly dazed, but his now tight hold on her arm quickly brought her back to reality.
"You should be more grateful!" the boy snapped and Indianna shrank as far away from him as she could. "A pretty little thing like you shouldn't be left alone. There are some mean guys around here."
"G-get off me!" Indianna whimpered, her heart pounding in her chest. She tried to push the boy away, but he was strong.
"You need someone like me to look after you, darling." There was an edge to the boy's voice, and fear filled Indianna.
"P-please!" Indianna begged. "Please, let me go!"
"You—"
The boy was cut off by a very familiar voice and Indianna looked behind him to see Greyson. His eyes were locked onto the guy holding her and he looked angry.
"The girl asked you to let her go."
The boy scoffed, not turning to face Greyson. "Fuck off, mate, I'm busy."
There was a pause and Greyson raised his eyebrows at the back of the boy's head. "Big mistake," he murmured, and Indianna gasped when she saw Greyson's fingers wrap around the boy's throat.
The boy froze and his eyes widened in fear when he saw Greyson beside him. "Shit, man, I didn't know it was you. I—"
Greyson applied pressure to the boy's neck and he was cut off, gasping for air. "Let her go," he whispered menacingly into the boy's ear. His dark tone sent a shiver down Indianna's spine and he wasn't even talking to her.
Immediately, Indianna was released and she stumbled backwards, crying out in surprise when she crashed into somebody. She panicked and stumbled, she wasn't sure if it was shock or her feeling ill that made her lose balance, but she was steadied by the person she had stumbled into.
"Relax," a calm voice said, and Indianna looked into the kind eyes of Greyson's friend, Ace. The nice one. "Relax, it's just me. I'm not going to hurt you. Are you o—"
Indianna's attention was ripped from Ace when she heard a loud crash and she looked over at Greyson who had thrown the boy into a row of lockers. He crumpled to the ground in pain.
"Mate, I'm sorry—"
Greyson grabbed the boy off of the floor and shoved him up against the now dented lockers. "Don't fucking call me mate," Greyson hissed.
"What happened?" Brooklyn appeared at Indianna's side as a crowd started to appear around Greyson and the boy. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"I..." Indianna looked back at Greyson and cringed when he punched the boy, his strength making the boy's nose bleed.
"Apologise to her!" Greyson growled and all eyes went to Indianna who's eyes widened and her skin went paler than she thought possible. "Apologise now, Josh, or I'll make sure you won't live to see the sun, mate! Now!"
"Fuck!" the boy, Josh, shouted and pried at Greyson's arm that was across his throat. "I'm sorry! Fuck, I'm sorry!"
"I don't think you mean it," Greyson hissed, applying more pressure to Josh's throat.
"I do!" Josh yelled, his eyes wide with fear. "I'm sorry! I am."
"Better," Greyson snapped and dropped Josh to the floor. "Now get out of my sight before I do something I will not regret!"
Josh was up from the floor and rushing away from Greyson within seconds and his eyes were immediately on Indianna. Her mouth was slightly agape and she was staring at Greyson in shock. She didn't think that he could be so terrifying.
"What?" Greyson suddenly barked and looked around at the crowd of curious students that had formed. "Move along!"
"What happened?" Brooklyn asked Indianna as the crowd started to disperse.
"I..." Indianna's eyes were locked onto Greyson's and she took a step backward as he started to approach them. "I... I have to go—"
"Indie, wait!" Before she could turn around, Greyson grabbed her wrist, holding her gently. "Wait."
"No, no, I need to—"
"I'm sorry you had to see that," Greyson said seriously. "Josh is a sick bastard. He won't bother you anymore."
"O-okay," Indianna stuttered. She wasn't sure how to view Greyson after what she had just witnessed.
"You can stop looking at me like I'm going to hurt you," Greyson said, raising his eyebrows at Indianna.
Luckily, Kal and Harry approached them before Indianna had the chance to say anything.
"Dude!" Kal exclaimed, grinning at Greyson. "We heard what happened!"
"What exactly did happen?" Brooklyn asked, looking around the group as Harry stood next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"Josh was being inappropriate and manhandling Indianna," Ace explained.
Brooklyn's eyes widened. "God, he never learns! He's such a creep! Are you okay, Indianna?"
All eyes went to Indianna and she groaned internally. "I'm fine, thank you. I think I'm going to go."
"Indie, are you really alright?" Greyson wondered, looking Indianna up and down, but not in a sexualising way. "You really look like shit."
"Thanks," Indianna said bluntly.
"He could have said it more politely," Brooklyn said and gave Greyson a look, "but he's right. You don't look well."
"I'm fine, really," Indianna insisted and she turned around, walking away from the group.
She wasn't fine. The incident had provided her with a brief distraction to how she was feeling, but now the symptoms were flooding back. Her head was thumping, she was sweating and her whole body was aching.
'Go home, sugar, you're ill.'
Indianna groaned when she heard the voice. 'No…'
'Go home,' the voice repeated. 'Now!'
'Make me.' Indianna walked into the girl's toilets and a sharp pain suddenly appeared in her head. She cried out in pain and clutched at a sink as it got worse. 'Stop it! Stop it please!'
The pain suddenly stopped and the voice spoke. 'I apologise. That was not intentional. As I've mentioned, I get angry easily and I can't always control what I do when I'm angry, sugar.'
'You need to learn!' Indianna shouted. 'God, you can't keep doing that!'
'Go home, and I pinky promise that I'll work on it.'
'You're crazy!'
'Go home!'
'No!'
'I won't tell you again.'
'Tell me who you are, and I'll go home,' Indianna said, attempting to reason with the voice.
The voice scoffed. 'Not happening.'
'Then I'm not going home.'
'I can make the pain worse, sugar. Don't make me.'
'You're blackmailing me?' Indianna gasped.
'You are in no fit state to be at school. If blackmail is what it takes, then that's what I'll do.'
'You're evil.'
'I'm trying to look out for you.'
'By hurting me?'
'Are you going to go home?'
'No,' Indianna said stubbornly.
The pain that appeared in her head was sharp and Indianna gasped, doubling over. It didn't last long and when the pain disappeared Indianna noticed Brooklyn crouched in front of her, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.
"Indianna, sweet, what's wrong? Are you in pain?"
"My head," Indianna whimpered and groaned. She pulled herself up. "I had a really bad pain in my head.
"I have painkillers if you need them," Brooklyn suggested.
"Thank you, but no, they won't work. It's gone now."
'I don't like hurting you, sugar. I don't want to.'
'Then don't!'
'It's extremely hard to control, especially when I'm trying to help you and you're not listening.'
'Help me by leaving me alone!'
Indianna groaned in frustration and rubbed her head. She refused to let the voice in her head win. She would not go home.
"Maybe I should get the nurse?" Brooklyn said, looking at Indianna unsurely.
"P-please don't, I'm fine."
"Lessons have started," Brooklyn said softly. She took in Indianna's appearance. It was easy to tell that she was ill. "You really don't look well at the moment."
"I'm fine."
"You seem to say that a lot, sweet," Brooklyn said. "I'm starting to think that you aren't actually fine."
"But I am—"
"No, you're not. You're ill. You need to go home and rest."
'You should listen to her, she's right. Don't make me force you, sugar, neither of us will like it.'
Indianna sighed and nodded. "Fine, you win," she whispered, but she wasn't talking to Brooklyn. "I'll go home."
***
Indianna had been home for a few hours. She had spent the whole time lying on the couch in the lounge, feeling like death. She was trying to sleep when the doorbell rang and Indianna groaned, the loud bell making her head hurt. Her mother was in the kitchen and Indianna heard footsteps as Iris walked through the house and opened the front door.
"Hello, Mrs. Hughs."
Indianna suddenly became very alert when she heard his voice.
"I'm a friend of Indianna's. I just wanted to check in and see how she was doing."
"That's very kind of you. I'm glad she's making friends," Iris said. "What did you say your name was again?"
"I didn't."
There was a silence and then Iris spoke, cautiously. "You seem awfully familiar."
"I'm sure I do."
"What is your name?"
"Greyson Evans."
Iris gasped, and Indianna heard a thud. "You need to leave."
"That's not very polite, Mrs. Hughs. My foot now hurts. Why don't you open the door fully and let me in?"
"Get out," Iris said firmly and Indianna, surprisingly, found herself agreeing with her mother. She couldn't face Greyson right now. She had spent the majority of her time at home comparing his voice with the one in her head. She couldn't stop thinking about how similar they were.
"Let's have a chat, Iris," Greyson said, talking to Iris like he knew her. Indianna heard his voice get closer and she closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
"Indianna is sleeping. You should leave," Iris said as she followed Greyson into the lounge. He looked over at Indianna and then at Iris. "Please, leave—"
"Sit, Iris," Greyson commanded and took a seat. He gestured to the couch beside him.
"What do you want, Greyson?" Iris asked meekly.
"I want an explanation."
"You're not getting one."
"I get what I want," Greyson snapped. "The more I understand, the easier it will be for her."
"I can deal with her when the time comes. We don't need your help."
"You do, Iris. This is going to happen to her very soon. She didn't randomly get ill. It's time."
"No, it's too soon!" Iris gasped.
"No, it is not."
"She's nearly eighteen. She has time—"
"She does not."
"Yes, she does!" Iris said, her voice rising in panic.
"Do not raise your voice at me, Iris," Greyson warned. "I am here to help."
Iris sighed and shook her head. She looked at her daughter. "We shouldn't have come here."
"Did you really think you could help her go through this just by yourself?" Greyson asked.
"Yes, I did."
"Then you are stupid," Greyson scoffed and Iris gasped. "You are a fool if you believed you could help her."
"How dare you—"
"How dare you!" Greyson growled. "You've come onto my land with her and you expect us not to bother you? It's my duty to look after my own. Pack or not. The moment you crossed the border into this town, you signed her over to us. You can't get her through this. She belongs with us."
"W-what? No!" Iris cried. "H-how?"
"You two belong to no one. She needs a pack, and you happened to move to a town where there is a very powerful one. Mine. I can choose who I want in my pack, and when the time comes, she will join mine. You have no say in the matter, Iris."
"You can't do that! She's my daughter!"
Greyson raised his eyebrows, shrugging his shoulders. "And?"
"We're leaving. You won't have to worry about us. We'll leave tomorrow."
Greyson laughed. "Don't be a fool, Iris. If you try to leave this town, you will never see her again. I promise you that."
"You're evil! You can't do that!"
"I'm just trying to look out for her. I'm being nice and giving you time with her, but she's going to find it hard once the time comes and you won't see her as often."
"You can't do this!" Iris pleaded.
"Do not push my boundaries, Iris. You know who I am so you know that I'm not always this nice. Accept the time I'm giving you with her."
"She's scarred," her mother whispered. "Please."
"Her wrist."
"Not just physically. Mentally," Iris said. "She's been through a lot. This is going to be too much for her. I'm guessing because you know who I am, you are aware of what happened to us?"
"I am."
"The attack changed her," Iris said. "She used to be so full of life. She was confident and so bubbly and friendly with everyone. She may have been little, but she had such a big personality. When the attack happened... She became a shell of who she was. I lost my daughter that day, Greyson. She's not good with new people. You can't just shove this life onto her."
"I'll deal with her. She'll be fine."
"She won't. I'm her mother, and I can't even get through to her anymore. I know I've not been the best over the years, but I'm trying now, but she wants nothing to do with me."
"Trust me, Iris, she'll be fine with me. I'll get her through this."
Iris paused and narrowed her eyes at Greyson. "Why? Why are you interested in her?"
Greyson looked over and Indianna sighed. "I think you know."
Indianna twitched and she felt both Greyson and her mother's eyes on her. "She's waking up," Iris said and Indianna knew that pretending to be asleep was over.
Indianna opened her eyes and blinked, staring at Greyson who was staring directly at her with his arms crossed over his chest. "W-what are you doing here?" she asked, sitting up on the couch.
"I came to see how you were," Greyson told her.
"I'm fine."
"I think that's a lie."
"Greyson, you've seen her. You can leave now," Iris said. "She needs to rest."
Greyson raised his eyebrows at Iris, almost warningly, but he stood from his seat. "I hope you feel better, Indie," he said. "I'll see you soon."
Indianna fell back onto the couch and rubbed her eyes. She was glad that the exchange with Greyson didn't last for long because now her head was hurting even more. She was extremely confused.
Iris looked at Indianna questioningly. "He's your friend?"
"No," Indianna answered immediately, "he's not."
"Then why would he check up on you?"
"He beat a guy up today in front of me, and he must have felt bad," Indianna shrugged.
"You need to stay away from him, Indianna."
"Since when did you care about me, Mum?" Indianna snapped suddenly. "Why do you suddenly care? You've been distant for years. You can't decide out of the blue to start being a decent mother again."
"I do care about you, Indianna," Iris said softly. "Please know that."
Indianna sighed and stood up, fanning herself with her hands. "Do you?" Indianna questioned and headed for the door. "That's nice to know." Indianna made her way to her room and sat down on the window sill, opening the window wide in hopes the cool air would soothe her burning skin.
She thought back on the conversation she had overheard and frowned, trying to connect the dots but she was clueless. She so desperately wanted to sleep, but she knew that her thoughts would keep her wide awake now. She wanted answers. Her mother was hiding something from her and Greyson knew things about Indianna that she did not know herself.
How?
Indianna sighed when she felt pressure forming in her head and she knew that the voice was back.
'What do you want?' she asked before he had a chance to talk.
'That's not a very nice greeting, sugar.'
'I'm not in the mood.'
'Well I was going to supply you with some answers, but seeing you're like this, I think I'll leave it.'
'No!' Indianna shouted. 'What were you going to tell me?'
'It can wait.'
'Tell me!'
'Why should I, sugar?'
'Because I deserve to know something! Anything! Even my mother is keeping secrets from me! My head is all over the place and I'm freaking out!'
'I didn't think you were really asleep.'
Indianna froze, her breath getting caught in her throat. 'It's you. It really is you.'
'I said I'd give you some answers, sugar.'
Indianna gripped the window sill, steadying herself. She had a feeling that it was him, but she was still shocked to say his name. Indianna swallowed nervously. 'Greyson?'
'Hello, Indie.'