A MAZE OF GREED

The air in the Wright's house was thick with tension. Both father and son were currently in Lester's office with worried faces and confused minds.

After Rees left Edwin's chamber, the first thing he did was to write a letter to Lester. He didn't say anything about what he experienced in the woods when he went searching for Edwin there to anyone. He didn't know who should be trusted.

Edwin was not in a good state of mind to break the news. But Rees had to inform Edwin about it sooner or later. To not take the risk, he decided to call Lester. Only he was trustworthy, and capable to handle the situation with a calm mind unlike Edwin, who would have again lost his control.

"Lester, I think you should go to Vincardine." Mr Wright said after a brief silence.

Lester's eyes snapped to his father in surprise. "What? How can I-"

"This is a critical situation, son. Everything we have, everything we have achieved and everything that we have sacrificed so far is at stake. I think that the situation is now out of Lord Augustus's control.

Edwin is a puissant man, but our enemy is guileful. Not only your friend, but your breed needs your contribution, my son."

Lester was dumbfounded. He was torn between his responsibilities and his duties.

"But father, how can mother handle everything here? You saw how she got injured in the fight with the rogues."

Mrs Wright had not fallen from the stairs. Two rogues had crossed the territory of the Bluemoon pack. In the absence of her husband and son, Mrs Wright had to step into the battleground as the Luna of her pack, to save her people.

She got injured in that fight. The letter was sent through many hands, and not to take the risk of someone reading the message inside, she had cleverly written that she had fallen from the stairs.

But Lester knew that it was not true. If his mother was asking him to come back, then there was some serious trouble. Those two rogues had injured members of their neighbouring pack. They had even attacked a human, which was against the peace treaty.

Lester had to take care of that matter as soon as he returned home, as Mrs Wright managed to kill one rogue, but the other one was injured and escaped.

Lester had hunted him down and killed him before he could cross the border of the werewolf territory to enter into the habitation where only humans lived.

Before Mr Wright answered him, a woman entered the room with the help of crutches under her arms.

"Do you consider your Luna weak, Lester?" Her voice was demanding and filled with authority.

Lester's eyes widened, and he rushed to his mother to offer her a helping hand. But Mrs Wright passed a stern look in his way that halted his steps midway.

"Stop right there, and answer me. Do you think that your Luna is not capable of protecting her people, her pack?"

Her eyes were a shade darker, her wolf was awake.

Sensing that, Lester bowed his head, then answered politely. "No my Luna! I can never doubt your capabilities. I am just concerned about your health."

But Mrs Wright's wolf was not satisfied with his answer. Her husband was quick to stand beside her. He knew that her wolf was angry thinking Lester had questioned her strength. Mrs Wright was already upset about the incident with the rogues and about one of them managed to escape from her clutches.

And now hearing Lester, her wolf was angry.

"Honey, calm down. He is our son. He can never doubt your strengths." Mr Wright carefully approached her.

Yet her wolf was not ready to back off. "Do you think I am a fool? I know I should have killed both those rogue at the same time then the other one might not have attacked humans. But I tried… I fought. I-"

Mr Wright immediately clasped her shoulders that were heaving up and down in rage. His wolf was also out to calm his mate. "Yes, and you have done a splendid job, my mate! You saved your people, your pack. Every pack member, your husband and your son are proud of you.

Lester is our son, darling. He is only worried about your health. He has seen you fighting along with the alpha of this pack. He has grown up watching you administer the pack affairs and our business. He can never doubt your strengths. Calm down!"

Mrs Wright's dark eyes moved towards Lester, who had not dared to lift his head. He patiently waited till his father calmed her wolf.

"He is soon going to take the reigns of pack and business from me. He is future alpha of Bluemoon pack. He needs your guidance and support. He is our son, Lester!"

Mrs Wright's face softened a bit. She blinked a couple of times and slowly her eyes regained their natural colour. Her wolf had calmed down.

She offered some moments to gain complete control back from her wolf. Then she neared Lester with the help of her husband.

"Son!"

Lester lifted his head to see that her mother was back. Relief washed over his features. "Mother, I-"

"I am sorry, son. I didn't mean to get upset with you but the fact that a rogue escaped from my clutches had turned my wolf mad. She is sulking in guilt and is very sensitive now a days." She had an apologetic expression on her face.

"Oh mother, you don't have to apologise to me. I understand you, your wolf. I just don't feel right to leave you here when you are injured."

"Don't worry, Lester. I am here to take care of your mother. We will handle everything here. I will also try to talk with other alphas about this problem. But you need to be with Edwin as soon as possible." Mr Wright said while circling his hand over his wife's shoulders.

Mrs Wright smiled warmly, which was totally contradictory to her previous mood.

"I will be healthy in three-four days. You have to go, Lester. Our ancestors have fought and sacrificed for our breed and now it is our time to contribute into that legacy. I and your father are always with you. Don't worry!"

Lester was overwhelmed with the support of his parents and couldn't restrain himself from pulling them both in an embrace.

*

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*

Rees had not returned the black book yet. He had not got a chance to. The wounds that Edwin's wolf had given him, were still in the process of healing. If they were inflicted by any other werewolf, then they would have healed in two to three days.

But the poison in Edwin's claws was fatal than any other werewolf. He was an alpha of all the alphas for a reason.

Today, Rees had decided to keep the black book in its rightful place before Lord Augustus noticed it had been missing. He chose nighttime when no family member roamed in 'the great manor'.

Rees opened the doors of the library only to close them behind him. He walked through the lines of wall-sized shelves till the end of the grand library. The weight of the black book in his hand felt heavy.

At the end of the chamber was a shelf on the wall with a glass covering. No one usually came into this part of the library, and hence they had not noticed the empty shelf. Rees opened the lid of the shelf, and lift the book to put it in its place carefully.

Before closing the lid, he paused for a moment, then lifted the black cover to open the book. All his eyes got were blank white pages that had turned yellowish after centuries.

Even though he knew the content in the book that could only be read by a werewolf after offering a drop of their blood, his eyes moved on the blank pages, and he shuddered.

Rees closed the book with a thud then locked the lock of the shelf with the duplicate key he had with him. After a once over at the vast library, he turned to leave but stopped in his track when he saw a familiar face.

"Hello, Rees. I see this time you didn't need me to get here." The woman recked him up and down with sultry eyes.

Rees's body tensed visibly, his palms curled into tight fists.

Maintaining a passive face, he answered, "I am done here. I am leaving-"

"Not yet, handsome."

She crossed the distance between them and stood right in front of his nose, invading his personal space.

Rees's every cell repulsed at the woman's proximity. This woman was the maid who had stolen the key of the shelf from Augustus's office. But for that, Rees had to pay price. A price that was against his morals, and heart.

But he had to do it because of Edwin. He couldn't say no to his master when he asked to get that black book from the library.

Only Augustus had a key to its shelf, and to get it, Rees had to seduce this maid who worked as a personal maid for Augustus. Recalling that night a few days ago when he got the key, made him shudder in disgust.

He felt like he had cheated on Thea in some way. He had a mate, and still, he had to let another woman get near him, touch him and say the things that he wished to hear only from his mate's mouth and no one else's.

This woman had her eyes set on Rees for quite some time. He was the most desirable among the guards of the O'Dells. And his position and close association with Edwin made him the target of many women's eyes and many men's jealousy.

The woman was about to touch his face with a seductive smile on her lips, but Rees caught her hand midair.

"Dare to do that again, and I will snap your hand into two! If I see you anywhere within my radius, then I will personally inform Lord Augustus that you have stolen the key from his office.

I have Young Master to save me from Lord Augustus but you... Think wisely!"

With that said, he pushed her hand away from him and after a deathly glare, stormed out of the library, not waiting to see her pale face and teary eyes.