Adilah~

 

Just as what he told me, Cole readies all the preparations needed for us to travel home in the afternoon. We are driving there in an SUV with Cole as our driver, but it looks like Alexander and Travis decided to join the ride as well.

 

"I get that your mate is going with us. By why the two koalas too?" Crimson protests to me once we are already comfortable in our position on the van. There are three rows of seat inside. The three of us are in the last row, with me between Benetha and Crimson, unfortunately. Cole and Travis are still checking the engine outside, while Alexander is talking on his phone.

 

"I don't know but I will appreciate it if you stop whining before you change one of their minds and we are stuck here." I scold her. For all I know, Crimson can bash the whole world and she can still sleep off peacefully at night. Thankfully she finally gives up and stares out of the window.

 

"Can't believe that this is it. What do you think they will think once they see us again? Do you think we should tell them what happened?" It's Benetha's time to disturb me while playing with her brown, wavy hair. I realize that both her and Crimson are properly groomed, an evidence that they were treated great. They actually look like they are here for a vacation rather than being kidnapped. Knowing these two girls though, it will take forever for them to admit that and even give Alexander a little credit for it. Not that he truly deserves it.

 

"I absolutely don't know. All I know is we need to find mother first and don't talk to any else as much as possible. "

 

"You do know that we are passing my pack first, right? I want to get off there right away."

 

"Crimson," I warn the girl. Even though I am not aware of the situation there, I can tell that just showing up out of the blue with men who are our kidnappers is going to cause a lot of mess.

 

"Okay. Since I am at your mercy here. " She stares out the window again. Benetha places her head on my shoulder. Cole and Travis finally rounded from the front after shutting off the hood of the car finishing their inspection and join us inside. Alexander ends his call and followed.

 

"Ladies. Comfortable behind there?" The Western Alpha takes the middle seats, while Travis is in the passenger seat in front with Cole.

 

"It would be better without you." Crimson frankly answers that makes me roll my eyes. Here we go. Thankfully since Alexander finds everything amusing he just laughed it off.

 

"Well, I suggest you should. We have a long way to go."

 

Cole starts the engine and glances at me in the rearview mirror before the car slowly descends. We're going home.

 

***

 

The Western pack is 8 hours away from the Equality pack. 5 hours to go to the Liberty pack's border and from there another 3 hours to reach mine. The ride is going smoothly,  aside from Crimson's snarky comments from time to time and Alexander's and Travis' teasings that gets a groan of frustration from me each time. It's good that my loud friend passed out a couple of hours ago at the beginning of our journey or it would be even more crazy, though my shoulder is on fire because I am being used as a pillow. Add to that the humidity that a snow girl like me is not used to and I find myself dreading this trip every second.

 

"30 minutes more and we are going to arrive at the Liberty pack's border."

 

Crimson perks up, "Thank Goodness."

 

Alexander shuffles as he grabs something from underneath his seat and hand to us three black sweaters that a lot bigger than our sizes.

 

"What do you want us to do with this?"

 

"Uh... wear it?" He turns back to look at the front.

 

"I know what a sweater is for. I am asking why." I grumble.

 

"It's to mask your scent when the guards check us. We will be able to enter easily if you keep yourselves hidden. Wear the hood over your heads and pretend that you are sleeping." Travis answers for us.

 

"Seems like someone here is afraid of being arrested." Crimson proudly shares as she picks up one of the sweaters. I wake up Benetha and give hers. "Don't tell me these belong to one of you?" Crimson adds with a disgusted look on her face.

 

"I am glad you figured that one out by yourself. That's why it will mask your scent, honey. Don't worry it's mine except for the one that Adilah has because of our Mr. Romantic driver up here."

 

"Lander." Cole utters a word (of warning) for the first time.

 

"Too serious, I'm telling you."

 

While the men are arguing, Crimson bothers me again. "I am not gonna wear it."

 

I sigh, "Crimson quit acting like a child and just wear it."

 

"It's my pack they are gonna let me in."

 

"Wear it or I'm going to ask Cole to turn this car around."

 

The redhead huffs, and start to put Alexander's sweater on her. "When did you become the allies of these people?"

 

"Since you become so annoying."

***

We finally reach the border. Cole stops the car near a post where two female guards are stationed. They walk up to us and I keep my eyes closed for Crimson just in case she can't control herself and jump out. The three men in the front are oddly relaxed considering that they have us in the back that might cause them to get arrested. I keep my head low when one of the ladies peek at us in Cole's rolled-down window.

 

"What's your business?" She asks suspiciously, eyeing each one of us where she stands.

 

"Cole King. I have an appointment to go to the Equality pack. My guards are with me." He hands her some forms of ID.

 

"An Alpha, huh." She doesn't seem intimidated at all which surprised me. I think that why she has the job, and she kinda reminds me of this girl next to me. "Well you know the rules, your destination is the only way you will go." She backs up. That's it? Cole starts to roll up his window when I see the other guard whispers something to the one who checked us and turns to Cole again. None of us move.

 

"One more thing, since it is mandatory to say this. If you ever see Crimson Dale and Adilah Hane around report it to us immediately. They are currently wanted for treason." I hear Cole sharp intake of breath and feel the pressure of Crimson's and Benetha's hands around my arms. My head is spinning right now.

 

"Okay. I will"

 

"There are posters everywhere of what they look like. Enjoy your day." Then she leaves. Cole drives forward almost immediately.

 

What the heck just happened?

 

"We really need to talk to my mother." That's all I can say, and we drive all the way there in silence.

***

"I can't believe it. Treason, us. When we are the victims here!" Crimson finally snaps out of her shock and voice everything that she has to say. We just arrived, and the car is parked a mile away from our home after Alexander suggested that it's probably more safe for me and Cole to go alone while the rest waits here. The snow is a couple of inches thick now and it is enough to hide it.

 

"I'll be back with answers."

 

Benetha looks up at me with worry, "What if...the Luna turns you in?"

 

I grab her hands in reassurance, "She will not. I know my mother."

 

"But they are the ones who are probably behind this. A Luna is the only one who can accuse someone of treason!" Crimson counters.

 

"It's Samirah. " Cole whispers angrily and get off the car, slamming the door hard.

 

"Told you she knows everything. She must be spying on us all along." Alexander shakes his head and sigh.

 

"I'll get to the bottom of this." I get up and head to go outside. The cold feeling is so familiar yet so distant at the moment. This is not my first plan after being back home.

 

"Are you ready?" Cole stands in front of me and offers his hand.

 

"Do I have a choice." I always do, do I?

 

***

 

As we walk the familiar path to my home, I can't help but forget the problems that we have on our plates. Winter is always been so beautiful to me. The ground is white with snow and the trees have been crystallized.  They are now twinkling with the sun's late afternoon gleam.

 

"Are you sure that it is safe to continue?" Cole's breath forms a massive mist as his speaks. He looks rather comical with his thick jacket, the hood on and turning red nose. I feel proud that he at least is not used to the cold like I do.

 

"Don't worry, even if it's not I escaped my mom several times in the past. We're good."

 

He gives me the faintest of smile, "I am sorry for this. If that night we didn't do the plan you all wouldn't be in this trouble."

 

"Everything comes for a reason. That's what my mother always says. Let's hurry up now and sneak into her office before more people starts to show up."

 

"Sneak in?" He states at me amused.

 

"I am a convicted felon. I think I should do that."

 

***

Having been doing it for all my life, we enter my mother's room without any complications. One pick of the window's lock and we are inside. Not surprising that my mom is not around, I ask Cole to make himself comfortable as we wait. At this time my mother is usually out to do some business. I go to her desk to at least find something to do. I am surprised that all of the papers on it are posters of me as a missing person, then a wanted one. One picture catches my attention more than the others, a picture of me and Travis buying some clothes that day. Why does she have it? I pick it up and inspect it.

 

"So this is where you grew up." I jump when I almost forgot that Cole is with me. He is currently standing in the line of shelves that have a bunch of pictures of me from my childhood."

 

I move to stand next to him."My mother hates technology, but she has a weird obsession of taking pictures of me. Documenting my life like a movie."

 

He holds up one of the frames. It was when I made my first snow angel when I was five. "I can't blame her." He then removes his focus from it to me with a loving smile. I avoid his gaze to stop myself from blushing and hand him the picture that I found instead. His mood immediately changes.

 

"It was when we were out buying some clothes."

 

He sighs tiredly, "That day Travis told me that some rogues were following the two of you. This must be for this."

 

I flinch in irritation, "And he didn't tell me?"

 

"He thought they were after us and not you. Hired by Samirah."

 

"Where are they?" We can use them as proof against her.

 

"Dead."

 

"You killed them!" I shout enraged.

 

He puts his hands up in surrender,  I would have laughed if this was a different situation because he's genuinely scared but no. One of our evidence of being innocent is blown out of the window.

 

"They were attacked. Knowing Samirah she wouldn't risk endangering herself, especially with a bunch of useless rogues."

 

I slump in defeat, "She really is evil. Isn't she?"

 

"She's more than that Adilah." I meet his eyes that I come to get used to even for just a couple of days. "She has a lot of control of everything."

 

The door bursts open before I protest about anything. Standing there is my mother, with her tired eyes and creased forehead due to worry. She blinks for awhile to confirm that I am real. She barely noticed Cole as she runs to hug me tightly, I imitate her tenfold.

 

"You're safe." She says and kisses me on the forehead. She inspects me hurriedly then grab my hands tightly in fear, "You need to leave, honey. You're not safe here. Go stay with your mate."

 

I don't ask why she knows about me and Cole being mates but I kinda get the idea how she got it.

 

"I know everything about Luna Samirah, Mom. I'm not going anywhere.  It's time for me to learn this from you."

 

She moves away from me guiltily,  and for that moment I've never been so disappointed in my life. My mother who always tells me to treat everyone equally knows that this has been happening for a long time. It's not fair.

 

***

 

Ouch.  Writer's block hit me up really hard on this one. Please forgive me if my writing style is getting rusty. I hope you enjoy this! Thank you, new readers!

 

Belated Merry Christmas and Advanced Happy New Year!