A MAZE OF GREED

"I figured that much!" Edwin's voice was gentle, playful even.

Clearing his throat, Rees resumed, "I warned Ruth time and again to stay away from you. She agreed but her curiosity never dulled. And then that dinner at Thea's home.

I was confused, shocked and afraid. Ruth had clearly crossed her line that day when she defended Florence by insulting you. She had no right to say such things to you. As far as I know, you haven't done anything directly to her."

Edwin sensed the lingering question mark at the end of the last sentence, and he didn't mind it this time.

"That's what I believe. I don't remember a time I have hurt her or wronged her and still, she hates me more than those women whom I have kicked out of my bed."

Rees didn't like the analogy, not a bit. But he couldn't keep playing with his master's patience and lenience. If not for Ruth, then Edwin would have snapped his neck by this time after hiding the truth, questioning his intentions and caring for his mate.

"I was disturbed because of my fight with Thea. But I noticed, master. I noticed those small changes in you, your gaze at her, the reaction of your body in her proximity. I noticed it all.

And last night... last night your wolf confirmed my suspicion."

Rees stared back at Edwin, unwavering. But Edwin was confused. He didn't remember what exactly happened after he lost control and his wolf took over. The memories of the night remained in his head only in snippets, incoherent and ambiguous.

"When that man in the dungeons said that they-they will kill everyone you love and care for, you lost yourself to your wolf. He was vehement. I was expecting him to react in some way for I know how much you care for your people, your breed and your family."

-"S-save your... people, if you can. B-but they will h-hunt you down. They will... kill the people y-you love. They will kill e-everyone you cared for. Th-they will not s-spare anyone. "-

Edwin recollected that from the fragments of his memories of the last night. Even after drinking that amber coloured potion and hours passed after that incident, his blood boiled in rage. But he didn't understand where Ruth came in between this.

Rees carefully said every word while keeping a close eye on his master. "When we tried to calm your wolf down... you only took one name."

Edwin's eyes widened in shock. "Ruth!"

"Yes, master. And I realised why your wolf acted that way. He got furious at a threat to his loved ones. He didn't think of your people, your family or friends but only his mate.

I had suspicions and I hide them from you. But trust me master that I didn't mean to betray you or had not any ulterior motives. I just..."

Rees's throat felt heavy, and words couldn't escape it.

But Edwin knew what Rees wanted to say. "You don't want the history to repeat itself."

Rees's silence was a loud affirmation.

A moment passed in silence, and slowly both men turned their heads towards the large and thick black covered book that lay open on Edwin's bed.

Edwin was feeling mixed of various emotions. Anger, pride, happiness, frustration, hurt and... fear.

"I-I can't have her, Rees." The words were barely a whisper that Rees's werewolf senses caught.

He stared back at his master with an undeciphered look. He had never seen his master this unsure, this hurt, this broken and this vulnerable. He had always seen only The Edwin O'Dell, alpha of alphas, leader of the breed.

But at that moment, his eyes met only with a lone werewolf who couldn't have his mate even if he wanted.

Rees's heart grieved for Edwin. He cursed his master's destiny, but that was of no use. He wanted to do something to assure Edwin that they would find some way to solve it, to make it better, but he knew that there was none.

"Master..."

Not looking away from the black book, Edwin continued, "The potion, the wolfsbane potion, it kept my wolf unaware and suppressed. The night I first saw her running out of 'the great manor', I thought she was a thief.

But when I accidentally tore her dress, and she turned to look at me in shock, I was awestruck, stuck to my place. I had never seen anyone with such beautiful and enchanting eyes.

Her scent... it calmed my wolf, it calmed me. It is a salve on my burn. I was confused, not knowing how a stranger could have that effect on me. The more I wanted to get away from her memories, the more her scent drew me towards her.

I wanted to hunt down the whole Vincardine and even the world if it had taken me to that, but I restrained. I had to."

Edwin was the strongest werewolf by birth, and over the years, he had trained himself to become the ruler of the land and his breed. He was almost unbeatable.

The amber coloured liquid that Rees had used to calm Edwin's wolf was made from a medicine called wolfsbane.

Not only Edwin, but every werewolf had to drink it periodically to keep their supernatural powers in check by suppressing them to some extent.

That was how they managed to survive in the human world without exposing their true identities.

The measurement and proportion of the ingredients were fixed by the family of witches centuries ago. If consumed in excess quantity, it proved to be fatal to the life of that werewolf.

But as alpha of all the alphas, Edwin had to take heavier doses of the wolfsbane potion than any other werewolves. And that helped to keep his strengths and sharp senses moderate.

With recent stressful events in his life, he had increased the dose to not lose control, but it dulled his senses considerably. That was why he couldn't recognise that Ruth was his mate even after giving in to the pull of the mate.

Only after he had read the contents of the black book and his wolf surfaced last night with complete control that he realised who his mate was. And the revelation had shattered him.

"Can we talk this to Lord Augustus? Maybe he can find some way-"

"NO!"

Rees clamped up his mouth at Edwin's outburst. He was angry again.

"We can't let anyone know that. You know what will happen to Ruth if they get to know that the heir of the O'Dells has finally found his mate. And... there is no way out of this. There is no way!" Edwin's voice cracked a little at the end.

Rees recalled the time when he recognised that Thea was his mate. He was the happiest man in the realm that day. He thought that every supernatural creature and even humans treasured the day when they find their perfect ones.

But how unlucky his master was! He had the whole world at his fingertips, but the Moon Goddess had deprived him of a half part of his soul.

"But you can't keep yourself away from her, Master!" Rees pointed out the obvious.

"Keeping her near me would lead her to... danger!" Edwin consciously chose the subtle word, but that didn't stop goosebumps from appearing on Rees's skin.

Again they both fell into silence, engrossed in their own worlds of thoughts. If anyone had entered the room, then, they would have thought that the two men were planning a strategy for the war. And somewhere they were in a way!

"What do you want me to do, Master?" Rees asked earnestly after some time.

"I wish I knew what I should do. Then maybe I could have told you about your duty."

"I will keep Ruth safe, master! I will protect her with all my power because now she is not only my friend, but she is also my master's mate, my Luna, my queen!

I will not let any harm befall her. I will shield her from everything, everyone, even if it's you!"

Edwin gave a long look to his loyal servant, his friend and well-wisher. If someone else had said that they would protect his mate from him in any other case, then he wouldn't have hesitated to rip their heart out, even in his human form.

But this time, he was proud and relieved. He was proud of his bodyguard to stand between any danger and his mate, Ruth. He was relieved that if something happened to him, then there was someone to take care of her.

Rees was there to protect Ruth from him, but who was strong enough to protect her from his wolf?

Suddenly the tiredness washed over his features, his shoulders slumped low. Rees noticed the fatigue on Edwin's face and was quick to stand up from the chair.

"We will discuss it later. Now you need to rest, master."

Edwin didn't argue this time. He needed to shut his thoughts, and the only way to do that was sleeping for some hours.

"What should I do with this now?" Rees asked after closing the black book.

"We now have the duplicate key of the locker. Put it back into it. I have read what I needed."

Nodding his head, Rees turned to leave, after making sure that his master was comfortable in his bed. He took a couple of steps ahead when Edwin called him.

"Rees, I didn't want to harm you."

There was no apology nor regret in Edwin's tone. But that was how he was, and Rees knew that the words from his master were honest and equivalent to an apology.

"I know, master! It is fine!"

When he stepped out of Edwin's chamber, the small smile on his lips instantly turned into a deep frown as he marched down the corridor.