Travis~

I wait patiently as I watch Cole paced in the room. I shouldn't have left Adilah alone. That woman is too hard to handle and is the most stubborn that I met so far. I should have known something like this is going to happen.

"I trusted you, Travis." He finally stops and stares me down. I hold his gaze.

"I'm sorry Cole. I told you I felt someone was following us earlier and I needed to check it without endangering Adilah." I first sensed it while we were on the road, and confirmed it while we were walking in town.

"What if she got taken away?!" He shouts, running his hand roughly on his neat dark hair green eyes turning lighter at the second. I have never seen him on edge like this before. "She was not. The shop owner said she left to follow me outside." I can't trust him though, it is clear that he thinks I am suspicious and we need to stay as low profile as possible so I didn't ask him further.  Besides...

Cole pinches the bridge of his nose, regaining control again. "Do you think she ran away?"

"That's the only logical explanation. I couldn't smell her anywhere near earlier." I can't really blame Adilah for wanting to run away. Anyone would do the same in her place, considering that my Alpha here who is her mate was avoiding her for the past two days that she was captive. I don't have the heart to tell the brooding man in front of me that though. I still value my life.

"And those who were following you?" He immediately turns to alpha mode.

"Rogue spies. Probably sent by Samirah to spy on us. I already put them in the cell, I don't think they are after Adilah." That Luna really scares me. She is determined to stop us in our plan no matter what.  It does not help that the North and the South are also with her, and she is playing dirty by using the rogues.

I see Cole clenched his jaw, but nods to show that he is satisfied with my action.  "I'll deal with them later. First, we need to find her, she doesn't know how dangerous it could be here." He stares into the distance. Even though he is trying to hide it, his concern is obvious.

I suddenly feel guilty, I cautiously take a step forward to him. "That's the thing. I don't think she's still in the Eastern pack." Cole's expression goes even grimmer. Okay, move backward again.

"What do you mean?"

I scratch my head in an apologetic manner, "I kinda told her that her friends are in the West. She also kept asking me about the place earlier."

A few minutes of silence, and a blow lands on my face. I was expecting it.

"Call Alexander now!"

"Yes, sir. " I touch my now aching cheek and wince, "Do you want me to send our men there to find her?"

Cole walks to the door to retrieve his coat, "No. I am going there myself and bring my mate back where she belongs. "

You are in big trouble, Adilah. 

***

Adilah~

I stray away from everyone else as much as I can. Going through alleyways and corners instead of the main street. Out in the open, it is hard to pick up Benetha's and Crimson's scent even with my trained nose. I know that it is hopeless anyways since it had already been two days, but it is the best strategy that I have. I should have asked Travis more about it. 

The Western pack is much like the version of the Liberty pack, only bigger. You can see modern electronics everywhere, most that I am not aware of. People are busy moving with their suitcases and neckties, I even catch a glimpse of some women working in the shops. They reminded me of Payton, I hope I can see her again. Maybe when she gets back home. Home, such a foreign word to say now. I try to drift my mind away from it, but it keeps haunting me back. I wonder what my mother is doing right now. All the more reason that I have to do this.

As I pass by more unfamiliar places, I can't help but think that I was wrong that I already know everything there is to learn about the world. I have been raised inside my own community, much like a caterpillar in its cocoon. Now that I am outside in a different place I feel like I have wasted all of my time so far. But it's not like I have a choice though, it's how the society we live in runs.  Do I think it's right that way? I'm beginning to question it. If Benetha is with me right now, we would have treated this as an adventure. A new way for us to learn things that the others will have a hard time to get the opportunity to learn. I am alone though and what's worse is I don't even know where I'm going.

"I told you to let me go!" I snap out of my self-pity when I hear someone yell nearby. I am currently inside of an isolated alleyway, and by the looks of it, no one should be in here. It is a path that you should avoid. I look around me to double check once more. I suddenly remember what Matt had told me earlier. The more that I don't have a good feeling about this, considering that the voice belongs to a woman. I carefully make my way to the source of the noise and hide behind the trash that I found in place. I try to ignore the smell. Try. Just as I suspected,  a lady not older than me is cornered by three men and they don't look like decent ones either. What did this woman do to get in this kind of situation?

"Come on. Please entertain us we're bored." One of the men with dyed red hair sneers to the girl while holding her arm roughly. His friends watch as they laugh with him. I suddenly flinch with anger. No one is ever allowed to treat a woman like that, especially not when I'm around.

"You eggheads! She told you to let her go." They are surprised when I step out of my hiding. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at them. The lady sighs in relief.

"Boss. I think someone else wants to join us." They give me their evil grins before the two of them threateningly walks towards me. I stand my ground, they are not as lean as Travis so I know that I can take them. Good opportunity to release my anger that has been pent up inside of me these past few days. They each turn to grab me, but I am quicker.  

I get a hold of the collar of the one in my right, a man with a thick scar on the side of his dull dark eyes, and I throw him hard to the wall. He goes limp afterward. I catch a glimpse of fear on the other two left and I smile in triumph, but not too long because the other one continues to attack me. I deflect his punch easily and kneed him to the stomach causing him to hurl in pain. With his two goons unconscious on the floor, the red-haired guy pushes the woman he's been holding aside and surge towards me. Before he can reach me though I already sneak behind him and using both my arms hit him in the back. I then step on him and turn him to face me, "If you ever do this again to any woman I'll cut you into pieces." I let him go. Sure of my victory, I walk to the girl sitting on the ground, wide eyes are in shock.

"How?"

I smile at her shyly, "Sorry you have to witness that. I was trained to fight."

"Thank you so much." She's almost on the verge of tears and hugs me tightly. Not having much of a choice I hug her back awkwardly.  I am really bad at these things.

"No problem." When she finally let me go, she is about to say something else but her face scrunches up in fear once again as she stares pass me. I look behind, and the leader is on his feet again but this time instead of knocking him out again I take a step backward while blocking the lady beside me who is now shaking in fear.

I may not have seen a real one before, but I know what a gun looks like. What is worse is that I am aware of silver bullets too. Silver slows our healing process, and with the right aim, it can kill us instantly. 

"Not so sure about yourself now, wench!" He spits.

"You coward," I whisper as I swallow nervously.

"I hope you will enjoy your punishment later. I will personally give it to you." He makes his way to me while still pointing the gun in my direction. I lose all my hope of fighting back. I am going to surrender when he suddenly drops dead in front of me. His figure is replaced by another man that I don't recognize. My mouth drops in shock.

"A man like you who use guns to handle women deserves to die. Am I right ladies?" The new intruder's golden hair stops short in his forehead just to reveal his blue eyes that is almost gray in color. I tense under his gaze.

"I want to return back to my mate." The woman behind me says with tears in her eyes.

"We can fix that. How about you young lady?" His eyes never leave mine and I am held captive by them.

"Just walking around." My voice sounds breathy. What the hell is happening to me?

"It's not safe here as you can see. If you don't have a place to stay I'll be glad to give you one." He offers over a smile.

With his mischievous eyes, I know that I cannot trust him. "No, but thank you."

"Don't worry I am not going to abduct you. There are other girls there." He says meaningly. I focus on him intently,  trying to figure out what's his motive. He seems to know something about my situation.

"What's your name?" I ask instead.

"Of course, how rude of me. My name is Lander, what's yours?"

"Adilah. I'll accept your offer on one condition. "

He looks amused, "Name it."

"We are going to walk there." I have a better chance of escaping that way. I am not risking being kidnapped again, especially by a stranger who clearly shouts trouble.

"As you wish, Princess."

***

:)