22. Draven

Hours earlier

" M y bad," Troy mumbles.

"Uh huh…" I didn't take his finger, but warned him of turning on me for a woman he can't have will end with his middle and index gone. That would not please the ladies.

"Lucky it had a happy ending, or else I'd have hog tied you to the nearest belly of a boat and fed you to the fish."

A full gut laugh comes from Troy. "So talkative—" he swats the middle of my back. "Where are we going?"

"I'm going to see Marcella." As soon as the words come out of my mouth, Troy pauses.

"She's prepping her maze. Unless you are going to pull that dick out for her, she won't see you."

I don't reply, and he quickly bolts into a short sprint to stand in front of me, stopping me from advancing. "It ain't worth it man. You'll be bringing on a lifetime of obsession from her. That, and Jun will try to kill you."

I'd rather have Shade lick my balls. All she would want is me to praise her, to give her affirmation about how beautiful she is and how well she fucks. I'm sure she isn't bad but, the thought of her without clothes makes me sick. She thinks she embodies perfection when it couldn't be further from the truth.

That doesn't mean I'm above doing what I need for Max's sake. I need to find out what's changed, but more than that, figure out if Jarvus asked her to go after my prey personally.

"Wait!" Troy stops me as I try to walk around him. "I can help with the maze if that's what you're after. While you were off… doing whatever it was you were doing this morning, I saw her and Jun carrying a box, I could hear the clanking of glass. It had "KET" written on it, and it was musty but slightly sweet smelling. I think one of the glass pieces broke, because something was dripping."

I narrow my gaze. Troy may be what I'd consider a friend, but he has never broken the rules, especially when it came to the mazes. Him helping Max into my trailer was way out of character, and now this?

Did Max put a fucking spell on this place?

"You know, maybe you don't need to speak," he laughs nervously. "I can see the question written on your face."

"Then answer it," I retort.

"I was here when you were hired—" Hired is a loose term, but I won't correct him. "You've never really spoken as to why you came here… and why you stayed. After seven years, I just stopped trying to figure it out. So, for something to make you act this way, I'd be a damn fool to be on the other side of it." He pauses, and I'm pretty sure it's for dramatics as is his way with everything. "Plus, Max is a cutie, and I feel like her and I could be great friends. I also may want to bang her friend, you know, Sasha? She has a fear of the dark—"

"Why do you know that?"

"Do you think you are the only one that is great at stalking? She fell asleep with the TV on last night, and when she went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, she brought her phone, using the light."

I'm honestly proud of him. That is some real creepy shit, and I applaud him for his means to get what he wants. I won't tell Max; I'll give Troy a fighting chance with Sasha. If my Little Sheep's best friend found out a short king was stalking around her rental, watching her sleep, it may turn her off. That one doesn't strike me as the kind to enjoy it, not like my Little Sheep.

"Okay, take me to where you smelt it and I'll confirm my suspicions."

I'm thankful Troy has great memory, because he brings me right to where the smell was at its strongest. He said back tracking where Marcella and Jun came from would be smart, and it was, because the moment I find where the majority of it spilt, I know what it is.

Bending down, I pick up a handful of dirt and bring it to my nose. "Ketamine… she's going to drug them." I pause, thinking for a moment. She's over the top, and the vainest bitch I've ever met. "I think I know what she's going to do. This drug can have lasting effects, but she likes to see them suffer. Too much of it will have the opposite effect she will want."

Dropping the dirt, I come back to stand, looking down at Troy. "She's going to cause hallucinations, beyond that, I'm not sure. "

"That should still give Max an advantage, just knowing it is coming." He says with a grin. "See? You didn't need to go fuck that crazy bitch for information. You got me."

I wasn't going to fuck her, I was going to threaten to cut her face straight down to her cunt, but he doesn't need to know that. I still want to know if Jarvus is personally fucking with me, but I can go about that a different route.

He pats my arm. "I got to get to my maze. I'll have fun with your prey, but I won't hurt her. However," and in his worst Irish accent, he says, "she better not touch me pot-o-gold, or else!"

I truly don't know if I can stand any stiller. My face is frozen in a state of absolute distain. He did not just say that to me.

"I'm going to erase that from my memory. Never say that dumb shit again."

He lets out a booming laugh, and we go our separate ways. I plan to quickly stop at the ticket booth to speak with May, then meet up with Shade to send him after Max. If my Little Sheep thinks for a moment I'd leave her alone, she's mistaken. He will stalk her from the shadows, just as I will when she tries to run from me. I'm glad Shade likes her because it gives me some comfort knowing he'll protect her from that bitch, Ben.

I sit for at least thirty minutes, allowing my wolf to sniff the bottom of my boot, training it to track and eliminate that specific scent if it comes near Max. She can't blame me if Shade goes… feral…

Thirty minutes until maze tw o

I'll be making Oscar pay for grabbing her. She was clearly out of his maze and in my territory when he pulled her back in. That's against the rules, and I'll be happy to ruin another one of his senses for fucking with my Little Sheep.

That's why, when she stumbles through the door with Oscar right behind her, I am already standing there, staring directly into his bloodshot eyes. The sight of his clenched fist and the knowledge he intends to use it on Max nearly sends me into a frenzy.

My head tilts, my vision blurring as I dare him with unspoken words to test my patience.

I beg of you… I haven't shown Max what I truly am, but I'm not afraid of her seeing it. It is who I am, just as much as the part of me that wants to see her protected.

The spit pulls the red at the corner of my eyes, and if he hadn't stalked backward into his maze, I would have killed him.

"What a fucking rush." Is she fucking laughing? "Praise Satan."

" Mon Petit Mouton fou ." She startles, and draws her eyes straight up to me. My chin presses to my chest as I cock a brow. "Praising Satan when Death is what stands before you, quite brave of you."

She doesn't move to stand, and I think she's confused—maybe even shocked—to see me standing here. Unsure why, I've made it very clear I won't be letting her go anytime soon, but we can unpack that emotion of hers later.

Shifting to my knee, I place my hand under her head and begin lifting her to a sitting position. She's quick to move around to keep me in view. My little assassin, I can't help but give her a quick one up .

"What are you looking at?" Her response is snippy, and I furrow my brows.

"My Little Sheep." She mumbles something under her breath as she draws her gaze downward. "Speak up." I command, and her shoulders jump.

"Nothing."

Is she mad at me? Maybe she is for earlier, but she can drown in her anger with me, I don't care. What I did to Ben was deserved, and she's lucky I didn't turn back around and ignore her calls for me to stop.

"What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't be here!"

I'm tired of her being on the ground. "Can you stand?"

"I'll stay here for a moment." Her eyes don't meet mine, and I narrow my gaze.

I give her a few seconds to stop whatever it is she's doing, but when she doesn't motion to begin standing, I groan. Just as I did the night before, I shift and cradle her in my arms, lifting her off the floor.

"Hey! Put me down!"

I'm truthfully shocked when her hand crosses my face, slapping me as if I were some stranger kidnapping her.

Looking at her, I think she's equally surprised at herself for doing it. Her hands are slowly retreating into her lap, her fingers lacing together in an attempt to make herself smaller.

"I'll punish you for that later."

I move us from the door just as it opens and several people fall out of it. There are strings of lights across the tall canopies, illuminating the space and showcasing the area just before the next maze.

Of course, the sign is all green with gold coins painted on it. The name of the maze; "Rainbow Road."

Troy, you need help my guy .

There are several people standing around, but I snake us through in search of a free log to set her down. "Tell me, are you hurt?" My words carried with a monotone edge, but there is demand in them, I won't have her doing this silent treatment shit. I'm the quiet one.

"Answer my questions first." She equally demands. "What are you doing here, Grim? I thought you couldn't be here. Why are you carrying me like I'm some child?"

I sigh. "What did I do?"

Her eyes round, and as I'm sitting her down, she shakes her head. "I'm not answering your questions until you answer my questions." The lowering of her tone is surprising. "So, answer them."

"There's no rule I can't be in the area surrounding the mazes, Petit Mouton , and I'm here to make sure I'm not going on a killing spree." As she adjusts to sit, her chest heaves as she attempts to get her breathing in check and bring down her adrenaline. "I'm no longer carrying you, but you were acting like a child—pouting on the ground like that—so I carried you like one."

The gasp that comes from her actually makes me smile.

Fucking Hell itself. Alright, she's cute.

I shake my head, and clear my throat.

"Anything else?" I press, returning my face to a more stoic expression.

She grumbles, but shakes her head. "My ankle, I think—"

Glancing at her feet, I know without asking which one it is. Her extended left leg is a clear sign. I start untying her shoe, handling it as gently as I can, and slowly removing it. She doesn't say a word, but I notice her knee locking as I finally take off the shoe .

I can see the scrap on said knee as well, her leggings torn and the clotting of her blood visible at my proximity to it.

Breathe, she was in the maze.

I stifle my instinctive rage, take a deep breath, and slowly release it before returning to her ankle. Sliding my fingers under her sock, I pull it over her heel while keeping her toes covered.

"It's not broken." She says as if trying to convince herself. "It just hurts, maybe I can—"

"I'll wrap it, you just sprained it. I'm going to grab you some water and ice, I'd ask you not to run off but," in an uncharacteristic action, I look up and wink at her. "You kind of can't."

A blush blooms across her face, and I've won myself both a raging boner and a ghostly pat on the back.

Gently, I rest her foot down. "Don't remove your sock, I'll be right back."

Just as I stand, she asks. "Why? Why can't I remove my sock?"

"Because no one can look at your toes but me. Leave it, or else."

Without allowing her to retort, I turn and begin stalking toward the stands they have set up with water, snacks, and ice.

"Ah, Grim—" Parish grins up at me as I approach. Settled into his wheelchair, he crosses his arms. "What are you up to? You are usually at the end of the maze waiting…" He tilts his head forward, "Always waiting…"

"Taking care of my prey," I lean against his stand, observing those who made it out of Midnight's maze as they catch their breath and weigh whether it's worth continuing to the next one. I don't blame them. Despite how easy the maze seemed, it was still terrifying for anyone unprepared—everyone except my Max.

"Did you get the text?" I ask.

He nods. "Just wasn't expecting to actually see you is all."

Releasing a sigh, I look over my shoulder at Max, who is staring down at her foot. If she takes off her sock, I'm going to bend her over in front of all of these people and spank her.

"Are you concerned?" Parish brings me back.

"No." I take in his expression of worry, the etched frown, and risen eyebrows. "Can I get a water, with an electrolyte packet, and a bucket of ice. I'll take a power-bar too."

Turning my head again, I can't quite understand why I'm so worried about her disappearing, but I am. She's looking around as if in search of someone—probably Sasha and Deck. I'm thankful to see Ben isn't here because my restraint is slowly disappearing with every thought of him. Seeing him may break the thin thread I have left.

The soft tap against the table pulls me back to attention. He is filling the water with the packet, and I instinctively look at the back of the power-bar.

"Shit," I put it back down. "Anything without peanuts? Chips?"

"Yeah," he reaches down under him and grabs a few assortments. I'll just take them all, she can pick which she wants. "I only have a small bucket, but bring it back."

"A foot may be going in it."

He laughs as he puts it onto the table, and begins scooping ice into it. "No one will know."

After indulging in a short laugh, I gather the items and head back to her. Her head snaps up as she notices me, her eyes fixed on the items in my hand. "Here, drink this slowly ." I hand her the water, and she takes the bottle, pressing her lips into a tight line.

"They don't have bandages, so you'll have to make do with what I have." Unzipping my jacket, I pull it back and remove it, the loud thumb of the leather fabric hitting the ground seemingly startling her. "Why so jumpy?" I move back down to my knees, and lift her leg, resting her heel onto my thigh.

"I'm not!" She protests, and when I look up at her, she's throwing back the bottle to take a gulp. Such a rebel, doing exactly the opposite of what I said. The scowl that takes over her as she lets out a bleh, makes me chuckle.

"This isn't water!"

"It is, but there are electrolytes in it. They aren't for the guests normally, which is why they are bland. I did say to drink it slowly. You need to listen to me—"

"Why? Jeez, you run away from me earlier, don't come to see me before the maze, show up and just want me to listen to you like I'm some dog?"

The rip of my shirt comes as her only answer—she's mad at me because I left and didn't go back to her?

Interesting .

I figured she'd prefer me to stay away, or at least, not draw attention to my presence.

I lift her foot, and begin wrapping it. "How'd you make it out of Midnight's maze?"

The seething in her tone makes me fight back a smile. "Because I'm a fucking genius, Grim. Duh!"

I hum in question, egging her to continue while I meticulously wrap her ankle. She grumbles, and for a brief moment I think she is going to keep her mouth shut and not say more. Except, that isn't a Max thing to do.

"I remembered what you said about…" I shoot my gaze to her, reminding her to keep her voice down, in of which she begins whispering. "About the explosion. His hearing aid. I used that to my advantage, and hopefully I blew out more of his hearing in the process…"

"Good girl." Pulling the shirt into a small knot, I tuck it, so it won't get in her way when she runs. "That is why I'm here."

"To… help me?" She knows the answer to that, but I guess she wants confirmation.

I nod.

As her expression goes through the spectrum, I realize putting her entire foot into ice isn't a good idea. As funny as it would be to have him use a bucket her foot was in for the other guests, I'll just hold the ice against her ankle.

Taking a handful of it, I place it over the point of irritation, gaining a hiss from her.

"I'll be doing the same to that bruise." Her lips part slightly as I reach up, taking her chin and turning her gaze away. The spot where Po hit her is now black and purple, along with making her eye slightly swollen and discolored. He will be lucky if all I give him is two black eyes this weekend.

Piece of shit… touching you…

Bringing her back to look at me, I run my thumb down her bottom lip. "My cuts are healing nicely," I croon, before drawing my attention back to her ankle. The ice is melting, so I drop it and pick up another handful.

"Eat the chips," I gesture to them sitting beside her on the log. She grabs them quickly, as if she hadn't realized I brought them, and pops open the Lays first.

"Thanks," she says before stuffing a few into her mouth.

After that, she stays quiet while eating all four bags, and I move back and forth between replacing the ice. I'm pretty sure we sit here for fifteen minutes, but I don't check the time to track it. At some point, they will sound the bell for those that wish to continue, to move into Troy's maze. I'm confident he will do as he said, and won't hurt her. This is the most relaxed I'll feel, and during this time, I'll be finding out a little bit more about my Little Sheep.

Releasing a heavy sigh, she leans back. "That did the trick."

I'm slowly placing her shoe back on, and standing. Oh, fuck my knees. I stifle the groan that I know would make her comment about my height, and roll my head around my shoulders.

"Stand, by yourself, and let's get feeling back in your foot."

She nods, "I got it."

Watching as she puts all of her weight on the opposite leg, she stands and takes a step toward me. I keep my arms at my side, even as she wobbles. I won't be in the maze, and need her to stand on her own.

I'm thankful this happened in one, and not in Troy's or Marcella's.

She takes another step, and I move back. "I'm good. Maybe a short walk? Then I should be fine."

"I agree." I step aside, and she leads the way slowly. Five feet becomes ten, and before long, we're a comfortable distance away from the rest of the crowd—exactly what I need.

"Thanks." She is no longer limping, and when I look down at her she's staring at me. "Draven." A slow smile creeps at the corner of my lips as I offer a gentle nod.

"Oh!" The surprise shout has my eyebrows furrowing. "Shit, the bruise!" She comes to a stop, the thick forest around us our only company, that, and the creatures that call it home. "You were going to put ice on it." Her hand reaches up to touch her cheek, but I catch it before she can.

She gasps loudly, "Holy fuck, Draven! Your hand! "

"What about it?"

"It isn't uncomfortable? It's as cold as the iceberg that took down the Titanic." She giggles at herself.

I blink and just stare at her. Honestly, at this point, I'm not surprised she made the comment.

She chews her bottom lip.

With a chuckle, I shake my head and I step closer. "This will do." I place my hand against her cheek, eliciting a hiss of discomfort from her. When she tries to jerk away, I hold her face, my thumb brushing under her swollen eye.

Soon, her back is against the trunk of a tree, her breathing hitching. "W-What are you doing?"

Ignoring her question, I whisper, "I need you to do something for me, Max." Slowly, my hand trails behind her head, gripping her hair to tilt her chin upward. The other hand, effectively an icepack, remains pressed against her cheek. "I need you to listen to me, and I swear you'll get whatever it is you are hoping for at the end of this. You'll come out alive, because…" Her eyes are full circles, and the gentle part of her lips make me pause, but only briefly. "Because you are capable of it. Can you do that for me?"

Her hands have moved to my stomach, her eyes flicking between mine. "Yes…"

"Very good," I lean in, my breath brushing against her lips. "Take it easy in maze two, and when you come out, I'll reward that perfect cunt of yours for being a good girl." The only response I get is a whimper before I'm crushing our lips together, and taking what now belongs to me.