Shy (OLD VERSION)

LXXVIII- Strong

"You've got us," Mac said softly and rested his hand on Indianna's shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Indianna snapped and suddenly shoved Kirstie away from her. "It's not the same! I'm not your family! Greyson was mine! He was all I had! He always said he would put his life before mine and he did! He should be here, not me! I'm the one who ignored him and snuck out! I went to Rogue! Rogue killed him because he's my mate! It's all my fault-"

"You can't think like that-"

"Shut up!" Indianna screamed and covered her face with her hands. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"Indie-"

"Shut up!" She exclaimed. "Just... just leave me alone! Leave me the hell alone! Get out! Get out!"

"Go," Kirstie said sternly and nudged Mac towards the door. "Indie, we've all lost someone. He was my brother, our Alpha, your mate, but you're the Luna. It's time for you too be strong."

"Strong!" Indianna yelled. "Strong! He was the strong one! He was the one who knew what he was doing! He was the one who needed to live, not me! I need him back!"

Kirstie pursed her lips and walked up to a blubbering Indianna. "Hey!" Kirstie said sternly, but Indianna wasn't listening. "Indianna!" Kirstie sighed and lifted her hand up slapped Indianna.

Indianna froze and looked up at Kirstie with wide eyes. Kirstie was on the verge of tears, but she gulped and crossed her arms over her chest. "Indianna, I'm so sorry, but you're our Luna. You need to act like one. Take your time to grieve, we all need too, but when you're ready and willing to compose yourself you need to help lead this pack. Rogue has control and we need you. Yes, Greyson was the Alpha, but you're our Luna, you are strong. That mark on your side binds you to this pack. This pack is your family now and we all need you. When you're ready, we'll all be waiting."

*

"No change?" Kirstie looked at Kal and shook her head.

"She won't come out."

"It's been three days, she needs to grow some balls," Kimberly muttered.

"Her soul mate is dead!" Brooke snapped. "You may not know what it's like to care about someone, but Indianna loved him and he's gone! So shut your mouth and show some goddamn respect!"

*

"A week," Brooke sighed. "She's been in there a week."

"How much time can we give her before we intervene?" Kal wondered.

"Give her more time," Harry said and looked at Brooke. "I know I'd need it."

*

"Hey man, Indie still won't come out. I don't blame her, but we need her. It's getting bad, dude. The pack is a mess." Kal sighed and looked down at Ace who still wasn't responding.

Ace was just one of the many casualties of the battle. He had slipped into a coma from his wounds and while his wounds had healed he hadn't woken up.

"I can't believe he's gone," Kal whispered. "We've known him since we were born. I remember hating the ass when I was six, but then you befriended him and dragged me into one of the best friendships I've ever had. He was a dick, but he cared... sometimes, if he really tried."

Kal rubbed his eyes and patted Ace's arm. "You better wake up soon, man. We can't lose someone else."

*

"Two weeks," Harry announced.

"Nothing from Indianna or Ace," Mac said lowly.

"We need an intervention," Kirstie coughed. "Someone needs to talk to our Luna."

"I've tried," Brooke whispered. "She just sits and stares. It's like she's not there."

"Doc, what do you suggest?" Kirstie asked and Doc sighed, looking around the people in Greyson's office.

"I-"

Everybody turned to the door as it creaked open and a barefooted, messy haired Indianna walked in. She was dressed in one of Greyson's jumpers and was hugging it tightly to her body. Her face was gaunt and her eyes almost looked black from the dark circles. She let the door close behind her and then looked up and met eyes with everyone in the room.

Indianna slowly walked through the office and she squeezed Brooke's hand as she passed. She then took a seat in Greyson's chair behind the desk and looked at everyone else, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Let's talk," she said, her voice was hoarse and quiet, lacking any emotion.

"About..." Kal trailed off.

"Rogue."

*

"After the battle he knocked you out and you were unconscious for three days," Kirstie explained. "He allowed us all to return to the house and help the injured, but he made it clear that if we even thought about trying to fight back we wouldn't live to see tomorrow. He has complete control. He's letting us run the pack, but it's an illusion. It's his. We're just doing the hard work for him. He has control of us and his men are everywhere in town. I hear he's already planning on taking Jansen's pack."

"What happened to them?" Indianna asked quietly.

"We told them to run," Kal said. "They made it back to their territory, but they're weak. An easy target."

"He'll soon have two packs under his command, even two broken packs are easy enough to take over a third and then a fourth..." Kirstie sighed and shook her head.

"He's using his men to control us and the town and then he'll use us to take down other packs and the cycle will repeat itself," Mac muttered.

"So we kill him," Indianna said.

"It's not that easy," Harry said.

"His men are loyal," Brooke said. "Too loyal. He's their leader and if he was to die... There would be more bloodshed and death. We'd lose again. He has too many men and they'd easily overthrow us."

"So what do we do?" Indianna asked.

"We put on a brave face," Kal said.

"The pack is already in pieces, we need to look strong for them," Kirstie nodded.

"So we're going to lie to them?" Brooke asked.

"We're going to be strong," Kirstie said. "And we're going to do as Rogue says."

"No one else can die," Indianna whimpered.

"And while we act like good little slaves and do everything Rogue says, we plan how to defeat him," Harry said.

"But you just said-"

"They'll be a way to take him down," Harry cut Indianna off.

"There has to be," Brooke whispered.

*