Chapter 5 - Trapped 

Chapter 5 - Trapped 

Maxon and Katherine found themselves walking toward the vast garden of the palace where in the middle of it sat a massive maze of red roses filled with thorns and green bushes. Katherine felt the cold breeze of air hit her face once she removed her mask, and she laughed at the relief of leaving the royal ballroom, her wrist was wrapped in Maxon’s right hand until they reached a gazebo. 

“Wait, I need to find Sandy,” she exclaimed when she remembered that she accidentally left her best friend in the palace.

“Stay right here, I will go find her. Do not leave, I will be back.” Maxon said, adding, “And do not forget to put your mask on,” as he also placed his on his face before walking away and leaving the lady in the gazebo.

She removed her shoes and stepped out of the gazebo, feeling the green grassy ground beneath her soles, tickling her feet. And her attention was caught by the moon shining from above, in the black sky, a few stars decorating the dark veil like tiny diamonds in a velvet blanket. 

Before she realized it, her steps already led her to the massive maze, she gasped when her skin was pricked by the thorns of red roses. Her gaze followed the tall hedge of thorns and roses and her curiosity overtook her. She easily spotted the entrance and went in it, disregarding the possible danger of getting lost inside it, an intricate complex prison, dark, and cold, those huge hedges blocking any sight from outside the maze — and once you are caught in it, you can’t turn back.  

As she stepped foot inside the maze, her eyes caught the blooming red roses illuminated by fireflies which served as her light in the dark labyrinth along with the moonlight from above that seemed to guide her to the unknown. 

She turned to the left, and another to the right, and a few more turns, following the fireflies that flew to nowhere, she shivered when the cold air suddenly winded on her skin. She blew out some air as she looked around. 

“It is dark in here,” she uttered as if she just realized it.

She turned back to see the path she had come from, but it was darker now, swallowed by the shadows that seemed to creep closer with each passing second. "I need to go back," she muttered to herself, but the realization struck that she had already wandered too deep into the maze, her steps guided by nothing more than instinct.

Desperation clawed at her as she tried to retrace her steps—left, then right, another right, followed by a left — each turn only leading her deeper into the labyrinth. The fireflies that had once illuminated her path were now gone, dispersed into the maze, leaving her alone in the growing darkness as the clouds began to cover the moon. Panic welled up inside her chest as distant howls echoed through the air, unmistakably from the Alpha werewolves who had attended the royal ball. It was the signal that the event would soon come to an end, and Katherine knew she had little time left.

She had heard of this tradition before and understood the urgency. She needed to return to the Domil Pack before her Alpha’s family got back — if they discovered her absence, they might assume she had run away, their personal slave had sneaked out to the royal ball, and severe punishment would await her.

Her pace quickened, her footsteps growing more frantic as she attempted to navigate the endless twists and turns of the maze. At every intersection, she hesitated, second guessing herself, wondering which path might lead to freedom and which to further entrapment.

Only a few knew the secrets of the maze, only a handful of caretakers and the Alpha King himself. There had been careless werewolves who had ventured too far and become hopelessly lost in the labyrinth, some had been trapped for days, their howls for help eventually heard by passing caretakers or other fortunate souls. She could not afford to be one of them, especially in the cold harsh night, in the land of the mate who despised her.

Katherine looked at the towering hedges surrounding her, considering the possibility of climbing over them. But as she reached out, she realized the hedges were not just thick with leaves and roses, they were woven with dense, menacing thorns. Not just the typical thorns of roses, but twisted, cruel branches designed to keep even the most desperate from escaping. Her heart raced as she realized there was no easy way out; the maze was designed to entangle and ensnare, a prison of greenery and shadow.

“Hello?” She spoke out, hoping somebody could hear her.

“Anybody here?” she uttered loudly again.

“I need help! In the maze!” 

But no one heard her.

Except for one.

Luther Reeds.

The string that tied his mask covering half of his face danced in the air along with his jet black hair. He stood like a raven on top of the hedge of the maze, watching her, sizing her like his prey. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his trousers, his black shoes shone against the moonlight strike, and his eyes burned in madness and desire.

But his will to deny her was stronger than the mate bond that binds them.