Tug Of War - Coming Back Soon

Chapter Sixteen

Inaaya stretched her aching shoulder as she exited the car, a wide grin on her face despite the minor injury. Talisa smirked, laughing as Inaaya gestured for her to go alone to see Dielle. Inaaya enjoyed attending to the "vampire business" with Talisa, something Dielle disapproved of. There was no need to shove it in the woman's face that they were doing it regardless.

Rolling her shoulders back, Inaaya too walked inside the castle once Talisa had disappeared. This time, she had been much closer to the action. Though her injury lacked an action-packed story, sadly. She had acquired it by stumbling on her clumsy feet and tumbling down a couple stairs. Talisa had laughed for a few good moments, even when they were being chased. To say the embarrassment was real was an understatement.

As Inaaya turned a corner towards her room, Axel ambushed her. Something that really shouldn't have surprised her yet it did. It always did. He was so quiet and stealthy and fast. And he was always there, taking every opportunity to try and talk to her. Inaaya was putting up a good fight, though. 'Out of sight, out of mind' were the words she was living by at that moment. She attempted to circle around him but he stopped her once more.

"Inaaya, please, it's been three days," he nearly begged, a pained look on his face. This look was always there, always tugging at Inaaya's heartstrings. But her hurt was fueling her stubbornness more.

Axel ran his fingers through his raven hair, tousling them further. His light grey eyes were accompanied by dark eye bags, lips were slanting downwards in a frown and forehead was marred with worry lines. He looked exhausted. He always did, ever since that fateful evening in the library three days ago.

"Axel, I don't want to talk right now," Inaaya murmured, turning away from him.

"You never want to talk. You always want some space. Always need time to think," he whispered, voice getting fiercer with each word. "When are we going to sort this out, Inaaya?"

Inaaya's nostrils flared as she felt a surge of anger course through her. "Yes, I do. And sadly, I always need to demand it. If it were left to you, you won't think it important for me to have a say, now would you?" she bristled, snatching her wrist from his hold and walking past him, deliberately knocking his shoulder with hers. Though in retrospect, it only proved more damaging for her already bruised shoulder.

"You're hurt," Axel suddenly burst out, causing Inaaya to turn around. His face was masked with worry as he walked closer, eyes zoning in on her bad shoulder. Inaaya wondered how he knew, then the realisation that it was probably because of the mark made her anger flare up all the more. Her dislike for this mark was bordering on hatred now. 

"Not as much as I am emotionally."

Axel clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, seeming to be holding himself back. Good thing too because Inaaya was in a mood to brawl. "If you don't want to talk to me, fine. At least don't go risking your life with Talisa."

Inaaya walked closer to him, tilting her face upwards to meet his eyes. "I will do as I please," she stated slowly, giving him a mocking smile, "Believe it or not, I do like to exercise my right to control every little detail of my life. It would be better if you don't try to interfere more than you already have." She mimicked Axel's pursed lips and narrowed eyes before turning around and walking towards her room. Gratefully, Axel didn't stop her this time.

Once outside her temporary room, Inaaya was ready to slam the door shut when Talisa popped her head out of her own bedroom. Inaaya had shifted in the vacant room next to Talisa's the night she had found out about the marking. She couldn't bear to be near Axel. Not when she was fuming and he was relentless in his pursuit.

"I thought it was you! Come on in, Dielle's here too." Talisa's lips curved upwards on one side of her mouth, her dark eyes twinkling with mirth. It was an unsaid understanding between the two that Inaaya was avoiding Dielle. Inaaya forced a smile on her face and nodded, knowing Dielle would have heard her if she had declined.