Mae POV
The car jerks to a stop, and my eyes flutter open. I must have fallen asleep on the way home from the hospital. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I try to shield my eyes from the rising sun. We are back at the pack house, and everyone is waiting for us on the front porch.
I try to open the car door, but Kieran rests his hand on my leg. "I will get your door."
I want to argue the fact that I am not helpless, but honestly, I am too tired. My arm is throbbing, and I doubt I could open the door anyway.
Kieran rushes around the car and opens my door. He bends down to pick me up, but I slap his hands away. I am embarrassed enough. "I can walk."
Reluctantly, Kieran pulls away from me and makes room for me to exit the car. As soon as I step out of the car, Kieran's mother, Erica, is at my side. She wraps her arms around me tightly, and I cry out in pain. Kieran growls at his mother, and she quickly lets go of me.
Erica looks at my injured arm and she takes in a deep breath. "I was hoping the rumors weren't true."
"I will be okay," I tell her weakly.
"You were so incredibly brave," Erica says. "You were born to be Luna."
"Thank you," I whisper. I can feel my face heating with embarrassment.
"If you will excuse us," Kieran interrupts. "I need to get Mae into bed."
Kieran tries to take me by my good arm and lead me into the pack house, but I fight against him. "I want to see Tish."
Everyone looks at me like I have lost my mind. Kieran shuffles awkwardly where he stands, and he looks to Raven for guidance.
Raven steps forward and takes my hand. "Why do you want to speak to her?"
"I have questions," I respond honestly. "And I think she might be the only one who can answer them."
"You have had a hard night," Kieran reminds me. "I am sure this can wait until after you have rested."
"It cannot wait," I tell him.
"I am coming with you," Kieran replies quickly.
"No," I respond. "I need to do this myself."
Raven nods her head and leads me toward the outdoor entrance to the dungeons. Kieran is walking behind us, muttering under his breath about how I need sleep. But I ignore his temper tantrum as Raven uses the keypad to unlock the dungeon door.
Raven steps inside and I turn to Kieran before I follow her. "I have to do this alone." Kieran keeps growling, but he doesn't enter the dungeons.
Stepping inside the dungeons, the heavy door slams shut behind me. Panic rises in my chest as I am surrounded by darkness. Raven takes me by the hand and guides me through the dark. The dungeons are like a maze.
I struggle to keep up with Raven and keep track of all the twists and turns that we are taking. I won't be able to find my way out of here alone. I wanted to be alone, but now I am grateful for Raven's company.
The dungeons smell heavily of urine and blood. My nose wrinkles as the smell gets thicker, and I have to fight back the vomit rising in my throat.
My eyes adjust to the darkness, and I can see prisoners in the cells. Many of them are approaching the bars of the cells but they are careful not to touch them.
"The bars are made of silver," Raven says. "They cannot touch them without burning their skin."
"Are you reading my mind again?" I try to joke.
"Nope," Raven laughs. "Just filling you in."
Raven stops in front of a cell and gestures for me to look inside. I step toward the bars, but I don't dare get too close. I peer into the shadows of the cell, and I can see a huddled figure in the far corner.
"I will give you a moment," Raven says as she steps around the corner.
I know she is listening, but it doesn't matter. I don't plan on trying to set Tish free.
"Tish," I call out into the darkness.
The sound of chains scraping across the ground fills the silence of the dungeons, and Tish gets to her feet. As she approaches the cell bars, I take another step back. She doesn't look like the Tish that I remember. Her hair is tangled, and her face is solemn. The usual mischievous sparkle in her eyes is gone.
"What do you want?" Tish hisses at me as she reaches for the bars, but her chains stop her from touching them.
"The pack was attacked," I tell her. "What do you know about it?"
"Nothing," Tish grumbles.
"I don't believe you," I scream at her. "They tried to take me."
"I don't know anything about an attack," Tish says through gritted teeth. "Leave me alone."
"They almost killed me," I whisper.
This seems to get Tish's attention. "You weren't to be harmed."
"I thought you said you didn't know anything," I snap at her.
Tish backs away from me, dragging her chains with her. She sits back in the corner of the cell and tucks her legs into her chest.
"I will be back tomorrow," I tell her.
Tish doesn't respond. She simply hides her head in her legs, and I swear I can hear soft sobs coming from her body.
Raven returns from around the corner, and she rests her hand on my shoulder. I take one last look at Tish before I follow Raven out of the dungeons.
I keep my head down as I follow Raven out of the dungeons. I am deep in thought. Tish knows something about the attack. I just have to figure out how to get her to trust me once again.
We are rounding what I think is the last corner of the dungeons when I hear shuffling in the cells beside me. I turn to look but I am not fast enough. The woman reaches through the bars and grabs my arm. I can hear and smell the woman's skin burning against the cell bars, but she doesn't let go.
I look into the cell, and I am met with a pair of blue eyes that match mine. Raven lets out a low growl but the woman only tights her grip on my arm.
"Let her go," Raven snarls at the woman, but I hold my hand up to stop her.
I inch my way closer to the cell and peer inside. "Mom?"