Chapter 007

I was running through a different hallway this time, heading in the direction of the garden. I figured that if I could at least get beyond the palace walls, I would be able to navigate my way even further away from this place.

I didn't have a proper plan, and I had no idea where I would go once I escaped, but I would rather face the uncertainty of the outside world than remain here and wait for my death.

A loud bell suddenly rang throughout the palace, making me nearly jump out of my skin.

It was the kind of sound that demanded everyone's attention, and judging by the way it echoed through the corridors, I knew it wasn't an ordinary announcement.

The bride had escaped.

The doors were to be locked immediately.

"Fuck, that was quick," I muttered in a whisper.

I didn't even slow down to catch my breath as I heard the footsteps of guards and maids in the corridors. Doors opened and slammed shut in the distance as they conducted a search for me.

You'd think I had stolen the crown or killed the King at this point, judging by all the chaos going on around me.

How was I supposed to escape when everyone was looking for me?

I forced myself to keep moving, trying not to draw attention to myself. I finally made it to the walkway leading towards the gardens, only to come across a couple of guards standing nearby.

My heart nearly stopped.

I couldn't run back because that would immediately blow my cover. I had to act like I belonged here, like I was just another maid going about her duties.

I schooled my expression into something calm and tried to steady my breathing. My heart was still racing against my ribs, but I forced myself to walk past them as though nothing unusual was happening.

I was almost through when one of them spoke.

"Where are you going? Didn't you hear the bell?"

"Yes, I did. I was instructed to check the gardens first to see if she's hiding in there," I replied immediately, keeping my voice as calm as possible.

He studied me for a moment, and I silently prayed he wouldn't notice how nervous I was.

"Just you? It's a very big garden. Let one of us join you in the search so you can cover more ground."

"No!"

The word came out too quickly, and the guard looked shocked by my response.

I almost cursed myself.

Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut?

I forced a smile onto my face, hoping to make my reaction seem normal again.

"No, that won't be necessary. It won't take long, and the King requested that we search everywhere immediately. It'll be better if we search different areas rather than the same place. These are the King's orders," I explained

The guard continued looking at me for a moment before finally giving a slight nod.

"Very well. Go ahead."

I nodded in return and continued walking, doing my best not to look as though I was about to collapse from relief.

That was close.

I didn't look back until I was certain they could no longer see me. Only then did I allow myself to breathe properly.

I assumed it was twenty-one minutes past the hour after that encounter, although I had completely lost track of time. I was still in the garden, but I was hopelessly lost, and it felt as though I had been going around in circles for ages.

The garden was enormous, with carefully trimmed hedges, beautiful flowers, and winding pathways that seemed to lead in every direction. It was lovely, but at that moment, I couldn't appreciate any of it.

All I could think about was finding a way out.

I was exhausted, and my body was growing weaker from all the running and lying, but I couldn't afford to rest for even a moment.

Time was crucial.

I walked past another hedge of beautiful flowers when my eyes caught a glimpse of an opening where there was no covering.

I stopped.

Beyond the hedge was the forest.

For a moment, I simply stared at it, afraid that I might be imagining things because of how desperate I was to escape.

But it was real.

All I had to do was jump over the hedge, and I would be on the other side. From there, I could make my way into the forest and disappear before anyone realized where I had gone.

"Finally."

I smiled, and tears slipped from my eyes onto my cheeks. They were tears of joy, the kind that came from finally seeing a way out after feeling trapped for so long.

I quickly wiped them away and approached the hedge.

There was no time to waste.

I placed my hands on the branches and began climbing, carefully finding places to put my feet so I wouldn't slip. Thankfully, I had learned how to climb trees and walls at my old pack while growing up, even though my parents frowned upon it, saying it wasn't something a lady should do.

It was useful after all.

I managed to get one leg over the hedge and prepared to swing the other one across. I could already imagine myself landing on the other side, running into the forest, and finally being free from this nightmare.

I put my left leg across, then began lifting the other one.

I was almost there.

Then a hand grabbed my ankle, stopping me in the middle of the movement.

"You can't do that, my lady."

I froze. Slowly, I turned my head, and my worst fear became a reality.

It was the same guard from earlier.

What remained of my already broken heart shattered into a million pieces.

Just five more seconds, and I would have been free from the shackles of death. I could almost taste the freedom I had been dreaming about, only for it to be snatched away at the last possible moment.

Another set of tears streamed down my cheeks, but they weren't tears of joy anymore.

"Please, just let me go," I begged, looking down at him. "I promise I won't tell anyone. I...I don't want to die, please."

I tried to wiggle my feet out of his grasp, but it did nothing. His grip remained firm, and no matter how desperately I struggled, I couldn't free myself.

"Please!" I cried again.

He didn't respond to my pleas. Instead, he called out to the other guards for assistance, and that completely sealed the door to my escape.

Within moments, I was surrounded.

My shoulders slumped as I realized there was nothing more I could do. I had tried everything, lied to people who could have helped me, and nearly succeeded in escaping, only to end up right where I started.

I was dragged back into the palace, just as I had imagined I would be if I were caught.

What would happen to me now?

Would the Alpha King punish me for trying to escape? Would he make an example out of me so that no one else would dare attempt the same thing?

I didn't know, and that uncertainty was almost worse than knowing what awaited me.

As we walked through the corridors, I thought about the strange man I had encountered earlier and cursed him for wasting my time.

If I hadn't run into him, I might have escaped before the alarm was raised.

But I also blamed myself for letting my curiosity get the better of me. I had been foolish enough to look through that hole instead of minding my own damn business, and now I was paying for it.

I was so stupid.

Eventually, I found myself sitting in the very room I had just tried to escape from.

Penny wasn't in sight either, but my dress from earlier had been neatly folded on the bed.

I stared at it for a while, wondering where she was and whether she had gotten into trouble because of me.

I hoped she was okay.

I got up slowly and approached the bed, running my fingers over the folded fabric.

So much for my grand escape.

I had barely made it out of the room before everything fell apart, and now I was back where I had started, with no idea what would happen next.

Still, I couldn't bring myself to regret trying.

At least I had tried.

And if I ever got another chance, I would try again.