Adilah~

The sun is at its peak when Crimson and I together with Rae head outside to go to Samirah's estate. She lends us her clothes, making us look just like any other citizen of the Hope pack. Unlike this morning, the streets are bustling with people doing their everyday routine. Vendors are everywhere, kids are running around while their mothers are shouting at them. It's just like any other normal pack.

"Is this the scenario every day?" I inquire.

Rae holds her head up high in pride. "It's pretty cheerful here in the morning. That's why I like walking to work."

Crimson beside me is more focus on the top of the rocky hill where our destination is located. "Do you happen to have a shortcut that we can use? Maybe the less crowded one."

Rae waves her hand to dismiss her, "Don't worry I know where to go. You haven't told me why you're going there though."

Crimson and I glance at each other skeptically. I answer, "Actually we just know someone there. Just visiting a relative." I can't explain her our situation out in the open. I heard that they are spies everywhere here, and I don't want Rae to be in trouble. It's better for her not to know anything. 

"It's dangerous, you know. The Luna tends to be very strict. If you want I can call your relative to meet us down here." She warns seriously, communicating something with her eyes that I've somehow have seen before.

"No, we're good." We know, it might be worse than that. 

Rae sighs and gets back to her old cheerful self again, "Then let's do this."

***

Not a lot of guards are present in the estate. It's even bigger up close. The view of the town below only makes it more breathtaking. Its high fence are craved with intricate patterns, and the gates which oddly we didn't have any trouble passing through is made out of silver. Samirah makes sure that no weres can escape from here easily. No one even glances on our way, thinking that we are just like any other servant in this high hold castle.

Rae leads us to a door at the back and we need to climb a set of staircases in order to enter a room that looks like a servant's quarter with the cleaning tools all over the place.

"Is Luna Samirah here right now?"

Rae motions for us to follow her out another door. "She doesn't go in this area. She's mostly on the top floor, where her office is located. But I don't know where she's at at the moment. "

Crimson nudges me, signaling the cue. I glare at her and whisper that I know.

"Rae, thank you for your help but I believe we can find our way here. We don't want to disturb your work any further. "

The girl is reluctant to leave. We are currently in an empty hallway with only a few maids scurrying around to prepare the place for today. Rae props to start something but decide to just move away instead. "Just call me if you need anything. "

"Thanks!" Even Crimson gives her a proper goodbye. I've just met the girl but I already like her a lot. She's kind.

Her eyes flash an unknown emotion before she waves goodbye. "Don't be. I didn't really do anything." As her figure grows smaller and smaller at the distance, I can't help but think that something is wrong.

"Ready?" Crimson is more focused on the mission to notice that. Maybe I'm just imagining things out of nervousness. I nod as we begin to explore our enemy's lair.

***

Cole~

I step onto the platform facing the angry faces in the courtroom. None of them matter though, my mind is focused on my mate right now who is currently risking her life. Partly my fault, but I didn't know that I would find her in this way.  After Faith announced my arrest this morning, all the Lunas have quickly gathered here in the Justice pack to oversee my trial. I bet one, in particular, is enjoying it. Faith swiftly takes her place on my side where the judge normally sits. It's not my first time being in this situation, I also judge the crimes that my pack members have committed as the Alpha. I give the verdict though.

Faith has told me that this is not going to be broadcast, but I bet rumors already spread around like a wildfire by now. I just hope that my pack will not know about this until Adilah has sorted it out. I send Travis back to overlook things at the moment. I'm aware that I am risking too much.

Murmurs wash away when Faith begin the ceremony.  I focus my eyes on the cause of all of this. Sitting in front of me between the Luna of Liberty and Adilah's mother is the person that I hate the most. Her face brightens with a wicked smile, and I can't help but tug the shackles in my wrists that I could have easily broken.

"Cole are you guilty of the charges bestowed upon you?" Faith whisks away my attention. I keep my face impassive, "Yes." The people erupt in angry screams again.

"Do you perhaps have a reason behind it?" Faith cut them by asking another question.  She has always been fair.

"I believe it doesn't matter. They're in good hands."

"Bring my daughter back you filthy Alpha!" One of them shouts from the back. They wouldn't understand my reason. They're too brainwashed to understand it, so I keep my head down and block the noise from thoughts of Adilah. That girl would be the death of me. The bond is strongly setting in, and the urge to mark her has been killing me. I'd do anything for her. This is for her.

Suddenly Samirah stands from her seat, hushing everyone again. I look at her with hatred. "I believe you wouldn't return those girls anytime soon. Is that correct Alpha?"

She will just remove all of their memories again. We've been teaching them the truth about the situation. That men aren't as bad as they thought. Most of them accepted it now, and I can't take that away from them. Knowledge is power. They've been so ignorant their whole lives that it's like they've been born again when they learned the truth. I wish I can do that to the people in this room.

I don't answer her. She keeps her smile and turns to the spectators behind whom she has shamelessly tricking these past 9 years. "Should we let you all decide his fate? For all we know you're daughters might be already dead!"

I grit my teeth to stop myself from attacking her. Relax, Cole. You need to relax.

"Death! Death! Death! Death!" They begin to chime. From the corner of my eyes, I see Alexander watches everything with a frown. At least I am not alone in this.

Samirah takes a stand in front of me. Her merciless, blue orbs are gleaming with glee. This is what she wanted from the beginning,  and I am not going to let her get the satisfaction of seeing me breaking down. "You belong to me now, Alpha. The Hope pack will continue the trial!" She shouts and everyone cheer. The other Lunas just stay quiet,  and Faith shakes her head that there's nothing she can do.

I hope that was enough time. I'll leave the rest to Adilah.

***

Adilah~

"How are we going to expose Samirah again?" Crimson wonders while we are trying to get to the top floor of this place to find Samirah's office. I seriously don't know how to either,  I think we haven't planned this enough. At least so far everything has been going great, we are not caught yet. But I still can't shake the uneasy feeling away.

"Maybe some document?"

"Yeah right. Like the people will believe two wanted criminals based on the paper that they have handed." 

I stop in my tracks. It's so still, it shouldn't be this easy. "Crimson don't you think it's weird?"

The girl turns to me in confusion,  "That we're working together? Yes, I think it's weird." I throw her a nasty look, "Not that. There are no guards around. Nobody even stops to check us on the gates, even Rae."

She thinks about it, "Maybe they already know her."

"Not us. They wouldn't favor a servant by just letting us pass through. That's absurd,  they're way stricter than that."

"So you're saying that we're in trouble, even though we aren't now."

Because it's just a hunch, I cannot give her a proper answer. She rolls her eyes at me, "If you're going to whine like this then feel free to stay and think further about it. I'm going now." She walks and round the corner disappearing from my sight.

"Crimson! We should always stay together." I call out. I wait for her to come back, but she doesn't even answer me. Since it's probably her normal reaction I follow her steps. Maybe I am really over-thinking things. Fighting is the last thing that we should do. We are just really lucky today, even though I usually don't have any luck.

"Crimson I'm sor--" She's not around the corner, the hallway is empty. I look again behind me. I am alone. "Crimson!" Her scent is still here. Having a bad feeling about this, I open a room to check if she's inside when a sharp pain exploded at the back of my head.

My vision blurs as I drop to the ground. Voices are drawn over by the ringing in my ears. In front of me, a redhead girl lies unmoving on the red carpet of the room. Someone harshly pulls me to stand, and the whole world spin around. The face of Rae inches closer to mine,  but instead of her servant's clothes earlier she is wearing an extravagant lavender dress that no ordinary people can afford. Gosh, not her.

She refuses to meet my eyes when she ordered the guards to take us to the cell.

"I'm so sorry, Adilah. I tried to stop you." I hear her whisper before we are dragged away, or maybe it's just me. My head is too messed up to tell. One thing that I am sure though -- We've been betrayed. 

***

This is a very heavy chapter.  What's gonna happen to them now? I seriously don't know either lol. Thank you for those who are still reading this! You guys are awesome.