Adilah~

I groan, the throbbing on my head feels like it's breaking my skull. I move my hands in an attempt to rub it but they're tied by something. I slowly open my eyes, gray cement walls trap me and the little light from a narrow crack is my only access to see where I am. There's no mistaken that I'm in the dungeon. Rae has betrayed us. I immediately search for Crimson and relax when I see her a couple of inches away from me, still unconscious.

"Crimson." My whisper echoes around, not allowing me the chance to conceal my words. She stirs. I try to unbound myself but to no avail. The chain is silver. "Crimson!" This time I didn't attempt to be sneaky.

She jerks her head up towards me and winces, "I guess we got caught."

I sigh, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have trusted Rae."

"Hey, I trusted her too." Maybe it's the fact that we might be in our death sentence later that we are having a civilized conversation. This should always happen for us to like each other.

"Got any plans?"

"My head is killing me. I think all of my ideas went out with my brain earlier."

I chuckle, this girl in this serious moment. "Yeah me too. But we got to try." Cole is in trouble right now, and so are we.

We stop moving when the opening and closing of a door sounds in the distance. Several clicks of shoes swallow the empty space we're in. The stale air burns my lungs, as we strain to see the new arrivals.

In all of her glory, the Luna of Hope stands in front us behind the gleaming bars. Her smile is sweet and besides her the girl whom we trusted fumbles with her hands. The similarities are now apparent with them next to each other -- the same blue eyes and the golden hair.

"I really didn't want you all to meet in this way. Right darling?" Samirah pulls Rae forward for us to see.

"Yes, mother." I hear Crimson gasps while I curse myself inwardly. No wonder she looks really familiar and we easily got in earlier without a problem.  She's the daughter of Samirah that no one has ever seen before. Now we know.

"You need to let us out of here!" I demand, edging closer as I can. Seeing her now like this makes me want to punch her. The double-faced woman who's been tricking us all along.

Instead of being shaken though, she only laughs. "I see that Cole has already influenced you."

I halt and tense at the mention of my mate's name causing her to smile even wider.

"Love can really blind you."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She wags her finger at me playfully. "No, no, no. I already know everything, you don't need to be shy. I can't believe it's happening again." She suddenly squeals like a teenage girl, something that only mortified me and Crimson. "You remind me of myself, dear."

"I am not like you!" I say it with so much contempt that I feel like my jaw could snap.

Samirah just smirks, "You will be." She walks even closer until her nose is almost touching the silver. The humor on her face all gone and pure hatred that sends a shiver down my spine is the only thing that's visible. "You're going to do what I should've done before."

My breath got caught up in my throat, "And what would that be?"

"You will kill your mate."

I whimper at the idea, "I won't."

"You will. Trust me."

Rae glances at us for the first time, shock by the words of her mother. Guilt is consuming her eyes. "Don't you think it's too much?" A loud slap rings in place. Crimson and I observe the scene in fright, while Rae nurses her swollen cheek with her head down. How could she hit her own daughter just like that?

But Samirah remains impassive. "I don't like being questioned, Rae. I want you to stay here while I'm preparing my surprise for Adilah tonight."

"Okay." Rae trembles as Samirah struts away.

"This is even crazier than what I signed up for," Crimson tells herself at lost.

I also cannot focus on anything. Only one thought plagues my mind.  I know that Samirah has a way to make me do it, I might kill Cole. Just the thought of it makes me sick.

"Rae." The teary-eyed girl picks her gaze up at me while I look at her in desperation.

"Help me."

***

"I can't." Rae stares at us helplessly, "I tried. "

Crimson shuffles in annoyance, "You tried? You're the reason why we're here right now." She squints her eyes at her. "You've planned this from the moment we met you in town."

She avoids us again. "I'd warned you."

"And we've trusted you." I start softly, "You're our only hope, Rae."

She flinches, "All the hope in this pack was gone a long time ago. It's ironic to call it the Hope pack anymore."

"You can change that. You're the future Luna."

She shakes her head, "She's my mother."

Crimson tugs at her shackles to show it to her, "You don't want to be like her."

Rae is still unconvinced. "I'm sorry." It's just a whisper, but it's clear to understand in this tunnel. She turns away and leave us alone. The creak of the door closing enters my ears.

Crimson and I stay quiet. The single ray of the sun that allows us to see starts to diminish, along with our hope and confidence. I guess we'll just have to wait and think of something.

***

We don't have to wait for long. As soon as our cell is pitch black, we are dragged outside by the guards. Samirah doesn't want to do the dirty work herself. It's so like her. My eyes adjust when we step on the estate again. The dungeon is under it, taking away the beauty of this building. No one is around anymore, and the clicks of the shackles on our hands are the only thing to hear. I don't think the guards are even breathing, and maybe neither am I.

We are led to the top floor, where Samirah is probably at. The only door present is adorned with the seal of the hope pack, a dove flying its way up to the top. I can't help but think that it doesn't belong there. One of the guards opens the door without even asking for permission, and my knees buckle when I am pushed inside.

The first thing that I notice is Cole, bound in a chair all bruised and beat up. His smile never wavers though as he stares Samirah down, that is until he noticed me. It quickly disappears, and it's Samirah's turn to smile now. She goes to my direction and pulls me gently. The only thing that I can do is glare at her in hatred. Cole breathes in deeply when I stand in front of him.

"Don't you like my surprise to you?" Samirah mutters close to my ear. "Now, you know what I want in return."

***

I hope you like this one. *tears of joy* ;)