My Sword Between The Alpha's Lips
Chapter 21: Maxim’s Pov: Hidden Passage

Chapter 21: Maxim’s Pov: Hidden Passage

After walking for a couple of hours, Maxim finally reached the main road. He was dripping wet, but that didn’t bother him. He was rather grateful that he still had a job when he returned to the city.

"This rain... when will it stop?" Maxim muttered in exhaustion. His body was trembling with cold as he hugged himself to get warm even a little bit.

Maxim put his head down as he slowly walked to the side of the road. Getting close to the city’s borders would take him a while, but he was okay with it.

"Ah! I’m hungry, too!" Maxim exclaimed out loud. He was confident no one could hear him as he was alone on the road and his stomach grumbled as he hadn’t eaten his breakfast before leaving.

After thirty minutes of walking, Maxim could finally see the borders from afar. He was delighted as he was getting closer.

Then, Maxim heard a sound of stumping. He turned around and saw a fancy carriage passing by. He stepped to the side to avoid a close encounter and keep himself safe.

However, the carriage slowed down and stopped a few steps away from Maxim.

"Hey! Where are you going?" the coachman shouted, gesturing Maxim to come close.

Maxim looked at the man. "To the city," he replied timidly as he continued walking. He stopped walking once the coachman went down the carriage.

"We are going to the city too. You can ride with us," the coachman stated, opening the carriage door.

Maxim stood and looked inside the carriage. It was dark, but he saw a pair of feet inside. ’There’s someone inside,’ he thought nervously.

"Ah, I’m fine," Maxim raised his hands and walked away, but the coachman followed him.

"It’s raining hard. You will get sick," the coachman persisted, grabbing Maxim by his shoulders.

Maxim jumped back, keeping his distance. "I’m sorry, Sir. But I prefer to walk," he rejected, shaking his head.

Maxim felt in his guts that if he had gone inside the carriage, he might not have escaped alive.

It was a saying in the city that nobles sometimes took a commoner they liked and did things that were unknown to the public. However, they were never seen after that, or they would go crazy after being released if they were lucky enough to be set free.

The coachman’s smile dropped after Maxim’s rejection. "A low life like you had no right to reject an offer from—"

Maxim frowned, seeing the coachman stop talking. Fear was sketched on his face as his eyes glanced at the carriage and felt a strong presence within.

The coachman turned his back and bowed on the carriage before closing the door and hopping back to his seat. He didn’t say a word to Maxim and barely looked at him.

"Huh? What’s happening?" Maxim muttered in confusion upon seeing the carriage moving away. He found it really weird, but he was relieved it was over.

After a while, Maxim arrived at the gate and was delighted to see there was only a short line going in. He positioned himself and waited for his turn.

The guards were slow as usual and didn’t care if the people lining got drenched in the rain.

When Maxim’s turn came, he expected to enter without any problem, but the guards stopped him.

"Hey, you! You can’t enter!" the guard yelled at Maxim, pointing at him.

Maxim was dumbfounded. "Why? I have nothing in me," he replied, showing his empty pockets. He thought he could go in without any problem because he was empty-handed.

"Exactly, you have nothing in you. So why are you going here? We don’t need more beggars to disrupt the citizens!" the guard shouted, gesturing Maxim to leave with his head. "Go away, now!"

Maxim was shocked. For five years, he had lived in the DarkMoon pack; he had never experienced being shooed away, but now it had happened.

"Wait, I actually work here. You can contact my—" Maxim couldn’t continue his words when two guards grabbed him by the arm and dragged him outside. "WAIT! LET ME EXPLAIN!"

The guards turned deaf at Maxim’s scream and, threw him on the muddy ground, and left without looking back.

Maxim hurriedly stood up and tried to run to the entrance to explain himself, but he was stopped again.

"Don’t force yourself, or else we will send you to prison," the guard warned, threatening Maxim.

Hearing that, Maxim stopped and remained on his spot. He didn’t want to go to prison since he wouldn’t be able to get out if that happened.

"Okay..." Maxim whispered in defeat. He didn’t expect his only hope to be taken away, and his desperation couldn’t help him in that situation.

The other wolves looked at Maxim with pity, but others stared at him in disgust since, in their eyes, he was a beggar.

"Why is this happening to me?" Maxim muttered, his eyes stared at the guard. He was angry at them but couldn’t do anything about it.

Maxim turned around and was about to walk away to think of his next plan when a man in a black cloak approached him.

"Come with me," the man whispered, handing Maxim a cloak. Then he went away to the other side of the border.

Maxim’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the man walking away. He was hesitant to follow, but looking at the black cloak in hand, he thought nothing terrible would happen if he did.

"Maybe this is a blessing in disguise," Maxim muttered to himself, wearing the cloak as he walked to where the man went.

Maxim arrived on the East side of the border, away from the entrance. He could feel his heart beating loudly upon seeing the man waiting for him against the wall.

There was no one around, and the area was packed with trees.

"Hello, do I know you?" Maxim asked timidly. He stopped walking ten meters away from the man to create some space for him to run if he was put in danger.

The mysterious man remained still, observing Maxim’s movement.

Maxim frowned as the man didn’t answer his question. He lowered his head, trying to see the man’s face, but the cloak’s hood was too long.

"You told me to come here... so I followed," Maxim stated, but this time, he stepped back as he felt he was in danger at that moment.

"Don’t be afraid. My master has tasked me with getting you inside the pack," the man said, pushing a hidden lever against the wall. A part of the wall rose up, revealing a passage.

"Oh," Maxim’s mouth hung open, as he hadn’t expected a door to be there all along. "Thank you," he stated, bowing his head a little to show gratitude.

"Don’t thank me. Thank my master," the man coldly explained. He stood on the side and gestured for Maxim to enter.

"I don’t know who your master is," Maxim said as he approached the man. After learning they could access a hidden door against the borders, he knew the master the man was talking about was a noble.

"You’ll learn soon enough," the man replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Now go before anyone sees us."

Maxim’s heart pounded. His instincts screamed for him to turn around and leave. He should not get involved, but the thought of losing his job and possibly returning to the Forbidden Forest made him go further.

’It’s an opportunity for me to enter the pack. I must not waste it,’ Maxim thought as he took a deep breath. He stepped through the hidden door and into the passage.

The walls were damp, and the air carried the musty scent of old stone.

Maxim gulped as he felt the man’s presence behind him. There were no lights inside the passage, and he was concerned he might have tripped.

"Stop," the man stated firmly from behind.

Maxim halted immediately and felt a wall bump into his forehead. "Ah, I didn’t notice, haha," he stated, laughing awkwardly.

The man didn’t reply and only grumbled as he went to the flank and opened the door to reveal the other side, which was inside the pack.

Maxim was greeted by lights that, due to their brightness, almost blinded his eyes, and it wasn’t that late at night.

"Wow," Maxim was in awe after seeing a magnificent garden with different kinds of flowers blooming. He faced the man, who was staring at him. "We are in the East?" he asked.

"Yes," the man answered as he locked the door from behind. Maxim saw how it blended into the wall as if there weren’t no passage at all.

"Thank you for taking me inside," Maxim stated, bowing again.

"As I’ve said, you don’t have to, but speak to no one about this," the man warned sternly.

"I will," Maxim nodded, putting his hand on his chest to show his sincerity.

The man nodded and gestured for Maxim to proceed as he stayed on his spot. His mission was finally done.