“Right.” I shift my weight to one leg, preparing for another standoff. “Because then you’d have to feel obligated to stay with me again, and that would be the worst possible thing in the world.”
“Is that what you think?” He actually looks surprised. “You think I hated staying with you last night?”
I shrug, looking away. “You haven’t said anything about it, and you made sure to be gone by the time I woke up.”
He grabs my chin, turning my attention back to him. “I only left because I thought that’s what you would want.” His hand and gaze fall away like he’s been pulled into a memory. “You’ve made it clear that you have no desire to share a bed with me.”
“You’ve made it clear too, so what was I supposed to think?” The jacket I’m wearing suddenly feels too warm, and I want to rip it off, but I know it’ll only earn me a lecture.
“Well, maybe I didn’t hate it,” he practically growls. “Maybe I even liked it.”
“Well, maybe I liked it too!”
Even though we seem to be in agreeance, it still feels like we’re arguing.
“So stay with me tonight,” he says, closing the gap between us.
“Why would I do that after you just freaked out on me over a book?” I cross my arms, waiting for his answer and wondering how we even got to this point.
“I might have overreacted,” he admits, dragging his blood-stained hand through his sleek black hair that’s peppered with snow.
“You always overreact and then act like I’m just supposed to forget about it.”
“Because you drive me crazy!” he snaps, that temper of his flaring once more.
“And you drive me crazy with your mood swings and assholeiness!”
“Assholeiness?” he questions with a raised brow.
“Yes. Assholeiness.”
He scoffs. “Well, you’re no peach either, sweetheart. You’re stubborn and defiant. And just outright impossible!”
“I’m only like that because you try to pull your Alpha bullshit on me!”
“Because I am the Alpha!”
“Not mine!” I bite back.
He leans down so that we’re face to face, and his eyes seem to darken. “That’s where you’re wrong, Grey.”
A smirk begins to form on his lips right before he pushes past me, gently shoving my shoulder. If he thinks I’m going to follow him like a good little Beta, then he’s got another thing coming. My hands feel ice cold as they begin packing the fistful of snow into a ball. Thane’s enormous stature may be a pain in my ass most of the time, but right now it’s making for a nice big target. Once my snowball is compact enough, I let it fly. It nails the back of his head so perfectly that I’m even amazed at my accuracy.
Thane whirls around as his hand caresses the back of his head. “Did you really just do that?”
I shrug innocently. “Do what?”
He stalks toward me while I chew on the inside of my cheek, trying to hold back the laughter.
“You think that’s funny, huh?” A mischievous look replaces his scowl right before a snowball explodes in my face. “You really shouldn’t pick a fight with a hybrid.”
I turn for the yard and take off in a sprint through the untouched snow. My shins are immediately buried, and even though I have no chance of outrunning Thane, I still keep going. I make it halfway before I’m suddenly yanked back by my waist, and a childlike squeal escapes me as Thane spins me around in his arms, eventually flinging me down into the snow. The cold takes my breath away as he looms over me with a sinister grin.
“Fine. You win.” I roll my eyes and reach my hand out, motioning for him to help me up. Naturally, Thane takes the bait, and just as he’s pulling me up, I shove a handful of snow in his face. I take off toward the house, looking back over my shoulder as I yell, “Sucker!”
Before I turn back around, I slam into what feels like a concrete wall and stumble back to find Kole looking down at me.
“Help me,” I plead to him, as Thane advances with a look of vengeance.
