Chapter 35

Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

INDIGO'S POV

The morning breeze hit my face as I stepped into the Academy courtyard. My legs moved, but my mind was a tangled mess of memories from the night before. 

I couldn’t shake Gage’s voice, his touch, the way his eyes had softened after everything… like for the first time, the way he treated his pack and family with so much love. He was something else entirely—someone who made me feel seen and wanted in ways I hadn’t thought possible.

I touched my lips absentmindedly, the phantom sensation of his last kiss still lingering. Warmth bloomed in my chest, but with it came unease. What had I done? What did it even mean?

I shook my head, pushing those thoughts away. The last thing I wanted to do was deal with reality right now.

Winter had texted earlier, asking if I’d meet her in the common room, but my feet had other plans. I knew she'd start raiding me with questions about my whereabouts and what happened the night before after I was dragged off by a wolven.

So instead of heading to my room or our usual hangout spot, I wandered, letting the quiet halls of the Academy guide me.

The air was cooler here, the shadows of the tall windows stretching along the marble floors. Taking a longer route seemed like a good idea, just to clear my head. But then, as I neared the library, a flicker of movement caught my eye.

A figure slipped into the shadows of the massive double doors, too quick for me to identify. My heart gave a little lurch. Curiosity gripped me, and before I could second-guess myself, I followed.

The doors creaked softly as I pushed them open, the scent of old books and dust greeting me. The library was large, its high ceilings disappearing into darkness. Rows of shelves stretched endlessly, their silence oppressive.

I stepped in further, my eyes scanning the corners. The place seemed deserted, but just as I was about to dismiss it as my imagination, I heard faint voices.

Pressing myself against a shelf, I peered around cautiously. In the far corner, near one of the study tables, I saw two figures. Narrowing my eyes, my stomach twisted.

It was Lyriq.

He stood tall, as commanding as ever, his broad shoulders slightly slouched as he listened to whoever was speaking to him. My gaze shifted to the other person, and I froze.

Maya.

The girl from the other day—the one Winter and I had bumped into who gave me the chills. But now, she looked... different. She didn’t have that sinister edge I remembered. Instead, she seemed nervous, almost shy, her hands clasped in front of her holding something as she looked up at Lyriq with wide eyes. 

My chest tightened as I took in the scene. She was confessing to him. I just knew it.

I couldn’t hear her words, but her body language said enough. She leaned forward ever so slightly, her lips moving in a soft, pleading rhythm, presenting what seemed to be a love letter to him.

Lyriq didn’t seem surprised, though his expression was unreadable, as always. Really the only time I saw some emotion in him was that day at the classroom and the park when we —memories flowed in but this time they didn't give me a warm feeling.

A wave of jealousy hit me like a slap. What was wrong with me? I had no claim over him—no reason to feel this way. And yet, seeing her stand there, so close to him, made something in me burn.

I stepped closer, careful not to make a sound. From this angle, I could see the flicker of emotion on Lyriq’s face. 

Finally, Maya stopped talking, her cheeks flushed. Lyriq’s voice was low and curt as he responded, his words cutting through the silence.

“No,” he said. “I don’t feel that way about you.”

Maya flinched, her shoulders curling inward. For a moment, I almost felt bad for her. She mumbled something, her voice trembling, before she turned and hurried away, her footsteps echoing against the stone floor.

I couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at my lips. What did you think he'd say?

But my satisfaction was short-lived.

“Are you done hiding?” Lyriq’s voice cut through the air, startling me.

I froze, my heart leaping into my throat.

“I knew you were there the second you walked in,” he said, his tone sharp but laced with something I couldn’t quite place.

Swallowing hard, I stepped out from behind the shelf. Lyriq was leaning against the table now, his arms crossed over his chest. His dark eyes bore into me, unreadable as ever, though his annoyance was clear.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice low and clipped.

For a moment, I couldn’t find the words. He looked so... striking, the dim light catching the sharp angles of his face, his light almost whitish blond hair falling messily over his forehead. He had this infuriating ability to make me feel small and flustered without even trying.

“I—uh—was just taking a walk,” I stammered.

“In the library?” His brow arched, clearly not buying it.

I shifted on my feet, crossing my arms defensively. “I saw someone come in and got curious. Didn’t realize it’d be you.”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, we just stared at each other, the silence stretching uncomfortably. Finally, he let out a frustrated sigh and pushed off the table, closing the distance between us in a few strides.

“I’ll be taking my leave then,” he said, his voice softer now but no less intense.

“Ugh—why though? I just got here, I was thinking we could maybe talk.” I said with a nervous smile but he only looked at me coldly and my heart sank.

“Why would I want to talk to you?” His voice was harsh and sinister as he spoke, it made my blood run cold. 

“What?” Was the only thing I could say. What happened to our truce? The little progress we made—the kiss. Did it mean nothing to him? Why did it look like we had retracted?

“There's nothing to talk about Indigo.” My stomach churned at his words. 

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I didn’t. Instead, I looked away, my eyes landing on the table behind him.

Was he maybe up

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” I muttered.

“This isn't about eavesdropping.” He suddenly snapped, turning back to look my way and I moved back a little, startled.

“Then what's this about, why are you suddenly acting so cold to me? I thought we'd start from scratch again, so what is it?” I found the courage to ask, determination etched on my face.

“Why did you kiss me?” I wasn't expecting that question—the cold annoyance suddenly turned into a pained yelp that only I could see. 
“You kiss me out of the blue, then suddenly your Valtor’s for the full moon then you spend the night with Gage. What kind of Alpha do you take me for exactly?”

My hands were clenched tight by my side as I suddenly trembling and indeed I kissed him why?—Because I liked him.

But that didn't matter, my fluctuating feelings didn't matter, this mate bond didn't matter.
I hurt him.

“I didn't want to have anything to do with this stupid matebond and I still don't.” With that he walked away.