Brooke had left school earlier that day with Alec, but her attention was focused on Harry who was getting into his car. She could feel her body aching for him. Her nerves were tingling at the mere thought of him. Her heart started to race and her head pounded.
"Brooke," Alex said, watching Brooke cautiously as they made their way to the car. Brooke wasn't aware that Alec had spoken. "Brooklyn!"
Brooke blinked and looked at Alec with dreary eyes. "Yes?" She said tiredly.
"Are you okay?" Alec asked.
"Do you even care?" Broke groaned.
"No, but I have too," Alec said. "You don't look too good."
"I don't feel too good," Brooke admitted and fumbled with the car door handle.
"Is it because of Harry? Why would he do this?"
"He isn't doing anything," Brooke signed and sat in the car. "It's because I'm away from him. This is what happens when pure away from your mate. It gets better the longer you've been mates, but after a while you feel the same." Brooke paused and rubbed her eyes. "I expect your mate is experiencing something similar."
Alec looked away from Brooke and started the car.
"You don't look very concerned about that," Brooke commented. "Have you been mates for long? If you have then she'll be able to go longer without seeing you."
Alec stiffened and drove away from the school. "I've never even met her," he blurted.
Brooke gasped. "What? What do you mean?"
"Somehow Rogue knew that she was my mate. He dragged me to this town after taking down my pack. He only needed me to look at her to confirm that she was my mate. She doesn't even know who I am, or what's going on."
Brooke frowned. "He took you to this town to see her? So she lives here?" Brooke looked at Alec with wide eyes. "If someone from this town was missing then people would be looking for her, but there's no one missing. Apart from... This leaves only one explanation-"
"Don't say another word," Alec snapped.
"It's Alice, isn't it? She's your mate?"
"Shut up-"
"Tell me!" Brooke demanded. "She's one of my best friends! God, after everything the least I deserve is an answer-"
"Yes!" Alec exclaimed. "Fucking hell yes. Yes, your friend is my mate."
"You have to tell Kal," Brooke whispered. "She's his sister!"
"You don't think I know that!" Alec snapped. He tightened his told on the steering wheel. "God, I've found out as much as I can about her!"
"Why didn't you say who she was?"
"Because Rogue said not too. If he says jump, I jump. If he says not to do something, I don't," Alec said bitterly. "Rogue can't know that you know."
"Alec, the reason I'm here, the reason you're doing this is because of Alice," Brooke said. "If you could help us-"
"No!" Alec sos firmly. "I'm not risking her. If we do as Rogue says then she'll be safe."
"I can promise you that if Alice knew what was going on then she would want to fight. Alice isn't one to back down, she would never give up."
Alec chewed the inside of his cheek and sighed. "What is she like?" He asked, suddenly seeming extremely vulnerable. His usual careless demeanour was gone.
"She's a very unique character. She'll definitely keep you on your toes. She hasn't got a bad bone in her body. She's funny, friendly, loyal... she doesn't deserve this, Alec."
"No one deserves this," he snapped.
"Then help!"
"I am!"
"How?"
"By doing what Rogue and Ben tell me to do!"
"That's not help!"
"Its stopping her from getting killed!" Alec yelled. "Which is more than you're doing!"
"Alec-"
"This conversation is over," Alec said sternly when they pulled up at the house. "Get out and get inside."
Brooke sighed and opened the car door, but as soon as she stood up her world went blurry and she lost consciousness before she hit the ground.
*
Brooke felt like death when she woke up. She groaned and rubbed her eyes. She attempted to sit up but she was pushed back down into the bed she was lying on.
"W-What?" She said groggily and looked around. "What's going-"
"Just stay still for one moment." Ben was next to her, a syringe in his hand with a very sharp needle on the end.
"Ben-" Brooke gasped when the needle was plunged into her neck. "What are you doing-" Another needle went into her neck and she grimaced.
"All done," Ben said. "The pain and illness from the mate bond won't bother you for a while."
"What did you just inject me with?" Brooke demanded, holding her hand to her neck.
"Nothing bad. A top up to block your silly little mind link between you and your mate, and the other injection stops you feeling the pain of being away from your mate," Ben explained. "It's why you fainted."
"Please!" Brooke groaned. "Just stop this-"
"I will. When Harry pays for what he did," Ben said.
"You don't have to do this-"
"I do and I will," Ben said. "Now, keep being a good girl and behaving or your friend dies."
Brooke groaned in frustration when Ben left and she yelled out angrily.
What was she going to do?
*
Time passed slowly after the next few weeks.
Brooke was kept away from Harry, and Harry ended up being forced to stay at the pack house. After nearly killing Kal because he had gotten in between him and Brooke, Indianna thought it best if Harry wasn't tempted by Brooke, and that meant him staying at home.
Brooke did as she was told. She had hope that Indianna and the pack would think of something. Would do something.
Indianna was doing something. She was doing absolutely everything that Rogue asked of her. She was attending dinners round his house, hanging around with Stacy at school and keeping him updated about the babies.
Rogue was meeting her at the pack house after school. He had something that he wanted her to do.
Indianna was sat outside, waiting nervously for Rogue.
"Luna." Doc approached Indianna and smiled. "Good news, we'll be able to do the X-ray next week. How has the pain been?"
"The tablets are helping," Indianna said, "but it's still sore."
"Hopefully we'll know the reason soon," Doc said.
"Thank you," Indianna nodded and she stiffened when she saw Rogue's car appear from the woods. She sighed and looked up at Doc. "You should go."
Doc nodded and he disappeared as Rogue got out of the car and walked up to Indianna. "Sister," he greeted.
"Jason," Indianna said. "Come in." Indianna led Rogue to Greyson's office, away from the pack members. "What's this about?"
"I need you to do something for me," Rogue said. He fell back into the leather couch and looked at Indianna expectantly. "I need your pack to do something."
Indianna frowned. "What do you need?"
"There's a pack that's being rather difficult and I'm getting bored of their resistance. I want your pack to get control of them for me."
"Surely you have men for that-"
"I do," Rogue nodded. "But I want your pack to do what I want."
"Why?"
"What's the point of being in control if you can't order people about?" Rogue said and raised his eyebrow.
Indianna stayed silent.
"I want you to take a visit to a pack, and not leave until they surrender," Rogue said.
"What? No!" Indianna gasped.
Rogue frowned. "Sister... that almost sounded like you said no. Surely I must've misheard?"
Indianna bit her lip. "What pack?" She asked quietly.
"You have a pack member who used to be part of it. They kicked him out because of his sexuality. It's disgusting."
"Oscars pack," Indianna gasped.
"I need you to get them to surrender one way or another," Rogue shrugged. "I don't care how, just get it done." Rogue stood and walked towards the door. "You have a week."
Indianna fell back onto Greyson's chair and ran her fingers through her hair. *Guys,* Indianna opened her mind link to Ace, Harry and Kal, *I need you. Come to Greyson's office.*
Harry was there immediately. He didn't do much with Brooke not here, so he was eager for a distraction. "What is it? What did Rogue want?"
"Take a seat," Indianna sighed and soon Ace and Kal arrived. "Rogue wants us to attack a pack."
"Attack?" Acc repeated.
"What the fuck is wrong with this man!" Kal groaned.
"Not attack exactly, but it's the only way to achieve what he wants," Indianna said.
"What does he want?" Harry demanded.
"He wants us to get Oscar's old pack to surrender," Indianna explained. "Submit to him."
"Oscar's old pack," Ace said and frowned, "They're a very traditional pack, they won't submit to Rogue. They'll go down fighting."
"Exactly," Indianna sighed. "He's given us a week."
"We're not doing it," Harry said.
"We have too," Ace said. "We have to make Rogue think that we are compliant."
"For what good?" Harry snapped. "It's not like we're any closer to coming up with a plan to take him down, so what good does making him like us do!"
"Harry!" Indianna said. "We don't have a plan yet. We'll think of one!"
"When?"
"We can't give up, Harry," Kal said.
"I can't believe he's making us attack an innocent pack," Ace sighed.
"Well, they're not entirely innocent," Harry muttered. "They kicked Oscar out for being bisexual. The pack is known for their barbaric ways."
"It's still no excuse to attack them," Ace pointed out.
"But we have too, don't we?" Indianna said. She nervously bit her cheek and looked at Ace.
He took a deep breath and nodded. "We do."
"So what do we do?" Indianna said. "Harry?"
Harry sighed. "They have a bigger pack than us, but our skill as fighters makes up the difference in men. They wouldn't stand a chance against us if it came to a fight."
"Which is what it will come too," Ace said. "They're not going to surrender."
"There must be a way to do this without a fight," Indianna said. "Harry?"
Harry scratched his stubble that needed a shave, but he didn't care about his appearance anymore. Not if he didn't have Brooke by his side. He missed her desperately and part of him wanted to fight someone. He needed to let out his anger and frustration.
"We kidnap the son," Harry said. "The Alpha's son. We surround the pack house and make our demands. We threaten to kill the son unless they comply. The Alpha will surrender for his son. It may take some time, but the future of the pack relies on the son. The Alpha will surrender."
"That's assuming they believe our threat of killing the son," Indianna said.
Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes. "They know of our packs reputation. They'll believe we'll carry through with it."
"But how do we go about getting the son?" Kal wondered. "We can't exactly knock on the front door and ask him to follow us into the woods. That's slightly suspicious."
"Alpha's sons are usually the first to be sent out when there's a perimeter breach or unusual sighting," Ace said. "He'll likely have men with him, but not many. We'll make it obvious when we reach their territory so they'll notice a breach, and then we'll be able to take the group that comes looking down, and get the son. We could send the others back to the house to inform the Alpha."
"And then I'll speak to the Alpha."
"No," Harry said immediately.
"You'll do no such thing!" Kal said.
"I'm the Luna. I have to be the one that speaks to the Alpha and explains the situation and our demands."
"No, Indie, it's not safe," Ace said.
"He won't risk harming me at the expense of his son," Indianna said. "I have to be the one who does this. If our pack surrounds the house then you'll be seconds away from the front door. If anything happens you could get to me easily."
Ace ran his hand down his face. "I don't like this."
"But it's going to happen," Indianna said.
Harry sighed. "We'll do it in the evening two days from now. We better prepare the pack." Harry stood up and glanced over his shoulder at Indianna. "We're not putting you or your children in danger. If we suspect you're in harms way we'll get you out immediately, whether you agree or not."
Ace and Kal nodded in agreement. "Pleasing Rogue isn't worth your safety," Ace said.
Indianna sighed and rubbed her stomach. She closed her eyes. "Okay. Let's get this over and done with as quickly as we can."
*