It all happened quickly. Indianna was waiting outside of the pack house with Greyson, Ace, and Kal. Indianna watched as the car came to a stop a few meters away from them and Harry and Oscar hurried out of the car, dragging out a screaming man with them.
He looked wild. He was yelling, spitting and biting at Harry who was holding him. His face was red and his eyes were wide. Indianna could see blood streaking down his arms where he had been pulling at the rope binding his wrists together.
"He's going to kill you!" The man cried and thrashed around manically. His eyes locked onto Indianna and he paused for a single second before yelling and launching himself in her direction. "You're a traitor, you bitch!"
Greyson, who was watching the man with a blank expression, stepped forward, blocking Indianna from the man's view. Indianna saw Greyson's muscles tense, his jaw tightened and she was sure that his eyes had darkened. "Get him out of my sight," Greyson said stiffly.
"You're going to regret this!" The man cried, his voice cracking. "He's going to make you suffer, even if you are his family!"
Indianna couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. Her heart rate picked up slightly and she reached forward, grabbing Greyson's arm. His touch calmed her and she was also able to hold him back so he wouldn't attack the man who was screaming like a lunatic as he was dragged towards the stairs that led to the cells underground.
Indianna tried to drown out his yells, but even as they descended lower underground, her heightened hearing still picked up his screams. Were all of Rogue's men this devoted to him?
"It's the control he has over them," Greyson said. "I need to remind myself of that or I'm going to be killing someone today."
"He was crazy," Indianna whispered.
"You can say that again," Kal scoffed. Indianna looked back at him. "He was bloody insane."
"Rogue is the one that's crazy," Ace said. "That man down there is innocent. If you're correct about the brand, Greyson, then that man needs our help. He's being controlled by Rogue and we need to stop it."
Greyson sighed and looked down at Indianna. "He better not call you a bitch again," he murmured and took her hand. "Let's do this, sugar."
They made their way down to the cells, the yelling slowly got louder. Harry and Oscar had secured the man to a table and exposed his side where Rogue's brand was on show. In the corner of the cell, the branding rod was heating over a flame. The sight of it made Indianna feel queasy. She thought back to the Branding Ceremony and remembered the pain that the brand inflicted.
Greyson paid the man no attention as he stepped away from Indiana and picked up the branding iron. The man was still screaming, hurling profanities at everyone, but Greyson didn't bat an eyelid. "Hold him down," Greyson instructed. Harry and Oscar forced the man still. Even though he was tied to the table, he was still putting up a fight.
"This better work," Harry growled, glaring at the man who spat in his direction.
"Let's find out," Greyson said and pressed the burning hot iron rod into the man's side, covering Rogue's brand.
A piercing scream filled the air and Indianna stumbled back in fright. She gripped Ace's arm and winced. The man's scream felt like a thousand knives scraping at her eardrums and she was grateful when it came to an abrupt end. Greyson removed the rod and the screaming stopped immediately. The man's eyes went wide and a strangled gasp left his lips. He was panting, his skin was slick with sweat and Indianna could hear the thumping of his heart.
"You..." Everyone watched intently as the man tried to speak. He was still gasping. "You... You..."
There was a silence, an echoing silence, and dread suddenly filled Indianna. What if it hadn't worked? What if-
"Thank you." The man spoke again and then his eyes rolled backwards and he went limp. He was unconscious.
Greyson coughed and placed the branding rod on the ground. "Well. I think that went well." He looked at Indianna and smirked. His eyes were glittering with confidence. "That's one down, sugar."
Indianna felt butterflies in her stomach. She thought of her friends, of Greyson, and of her unborn children, and she felt excited. This was the first step towards a good future with them. She stood up straight, pushed her shoulders back and looked around the room. "So," she said, "who's next?"
*
The re-branding worked.
Over the next four days, they got to six more of Rogue's men.
The men seemed like completely different people once Rogue's brand was replaced. They described it as not being in control of their own body. They could see everything they were doing, but it was like their brain wasn't there's. Their brain was wired to serve Rogue and protect him, but now, their minds were free, and they were indebted to Greyson.
They told Greyson and Indianna everything they knew. They explained how Rogue had taken them from their homes and branded them, taking control over them before they even knew who he was or what was going on. They were forced into submission and they had no choice once they were branded. Every fibre in their body wanted to please Rogue once he had control over them, even if they were screaming not to on the inside. They couldn't fight back no matter how much they wanted to.
Greyson and Indianna learned that Rogue's control had spread even further than they knew. He had taken over packs all across the country. He was spreading fear, violence, and death, and there was no one to stop him.
One man, Gareth, belonged to a pack a few hours away. He said how his pack was aware of Rogue and they had tried reaching the Elders to try and help packs that had been taken down, and just like when Mark, Greyson's father, had tried getting in touch, they were ignored. The Elders ignored their pleas for help and guidance. The Elders, who were responsible for the law and order and peace of the werewolf world, had abandoned everyone.
Greyson and Indianna and their pack truly was the last hope. If they couldn't stop Rogue then the whole werewolf world would be destroyed.
Once the men had been rebranded they went back to 'normal'. Pretending that nothing had changed, but now they were part of Greyson's pack, and they were hidden amongst the enemy. Now connected by mind-link they could tell the pack of any information they heard, immediately. Rogue would be none the wiser. His brands gave him control over his men, but they didn't create a mind-link.