A MAZE OF GREED

Time flew by in a snap while Ruth and Thea talked to their heart's content. Thea suggested Ruth to talk with Rees and clear the misunderstandings between them. Ruth was not sure about the idea, for she felt Rees was upset with her and might not like to talk with her. But after Thea's persistent efforts, Ruth agreed to speak with him after some time.

Thea laughed at something that Ruth said by throwing her head back. The skin of her neck was on display, and suddenly Ruth's laughter died down. Her brows creased in the middle of her forehead as she watched at Thea's neck with narrowed eyes.

"What is that?"

Thea sobered up a little at her question. "What?"

"On your neck. Let me see." Saying that Ruth leaned forward to inspect Thea's neck, not giving her a chance to protest.

Her hazel eyes widened in shock. "Thea! What happened to your neck? There are black-blue marks... puncture marks on your skin. What is it?"

Thea immediately removed Ruth's hand from her shoulder and pulled her hair to cover her neck. She mentally cursed herself for not being cautious.

"Why are you hiding it, Thea?"

Thea had no answer to this question. How could she tell Ruth that those marks were given by Rees? His wolf had sunk his canines in her skin to complete the mating process. The fever she had and the weakness she felt was due to that. The human body was not strong enough to take a werewolf, and the symptoms she had were the consequence of mating a human and a werewolf.

But Thea had promised Rees to not reveal any of it to anyone, not to her parents and not to Ruth. Her lips were sealed!

She laughed nervously. "It is nothing, Ruth. It must mosquitoes or some bug. There is nothing to worry."

"What are you saying Thea? It looks like something has bitten you." Ruth was worried and confused.

"Oh come on, Ruth. How can something bite me and I don't remember it? You are overreacting." Before Ruth could open her mouth to say more, Thea changed the topic by mentioning the first thing that came into her brain at that time.

"What happened that night between you and Edwin O'Dell?" She meant to ask this for a while, but there were so many things to talk about, and she didn't get a chance.

Ruth's face turned sour hearing a name that she wished could wipe out of her life. Nonetheless, she recited the incident right after Thea left, till how she insulted him again and ran away.

With every piece of information, Thea's eyes kept widening till her eyeballs popped out of her eye sockets. In the end, she had her jaw hanging in shock, her face aghast.

Ruth shut her eyes for a moment then groaned. "I know I messed it up more. But he was... was... getting on my nerves!" She deliberately didn't use the term 'flirting' because she believed that a man like Edwin O'Dell could never get interested in a woman like her.

Even after a minute, when Thea didn't react, Ruth started getting nervous. "Thea? Please say something!"

She waited for some seconds, and then her ears ringed loudly, that she felt like her eardrums were damaged by that loud shriek.

"RUTH! You FOOL! How could you do that? I mean why- what-how- RUTH!"

Thea was panicked and feared for her friend. She couldn't believe after insulting and casting a condemning look towards Edwin O'Dell, Ruth had dared to insult him again on the very same day. She was taken aback by the fact that Edwin had done nothing to punish Ruth neither he had shown any resentment towards her at the dinner.

But testing a lion's patience was an act of madness, and her friend had done just that!

"Why you overreacting now? He has not done anything till now to seek a revenge. And he deserved that. He needed to be shown his place. He is not a King for God's sake!" Ruth rolled her eyes in annoyance, not realising the irony of her words.

"Ruth!" Thea hissed. "You can't talk disrespectfully about him. He is a King! He is the leader of the bree-" Thea clamped her mouth shut with both her hands when she realised what blunder she was about to commit.

But Ruth was clever enough to notice it. "What do you mean by he is a King? And leader of what?" She asked suspiciously.

Thea's gaze wavered from Ruth's face, and her mind raced faster to come up with some lie to cover up her mistake. "Yes, I mean, he is nothing less than a king. He is a leader of... Vincardine. Yes, he is a leader of the people of Vincardine in a way. You can't keep disrepecting and insulting him every chance you get."

"He does not even deserve those tiles, Thea. And he is not my leader. For me, he is only a spoiled heir of an influential family with no mannerisms and morals. In my opinion, people with no values and virtues are equal to animals.

Oh, wait! I can't even compare him to all animals because a dog is more loyal than he can ever be! He must be compared with a wild animal... Ummm... wolf, yes, a cunning wolf. That's the best comparison I can come up with!"

Thea blinked at her naive friend. Only if she knew that her comparison was not just an analogy but reality.

Sighing in defeat, Thea said, "Whatever he means to you, Ruth. Promise me that you will not cross his pathever again. If you ever see him walking in your way, then just change your path but don't and I mean it- don't associate yourself with him in any way. He is not someone to be messed with, Ruth. He is powerful and dangerous."

"But-"

"I said promise me!"

Thea's face was set in determination- to protect her friend and prevent her from committing another offence, her voice was demanding. Ruth didn't want to argue more, and during these past days, when Edwin had not retaliated to her insults, she had decided to not see his face again.

"Fine! I promise you that I will always stay away from him and will not cross his path again!"

*

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*

Augustus was pacing in the balcony of his private chamber, his hands folded behind his back. The lines of worry were prominent on his forehead. His every attempt of gaining control over the situation kept on failing. He was trying everything in his power. It was not the first time that he had to handle such critical situations. He had done that on several occasions for decades now.

But this time, it was different. Something or someone was obstructing his attempts from behind the curtains. His every move turned out fruitless, and the trouble kept on growing unexpectedly.

He had spent most of his life gaining what he owned today. His connections, power, money, empire, everything! But now, in the time of need, none of them seemed to be working to his benefit. And that irked him to great lengths. His fists tightened behind his back as he exhaled loudly through his long nose.

His tensed body reacted when a familiar fragrance entered his nostrils, and he didn't need to tell who the owner was. That person was his relief, his wife, Theodora.

"Darling, it's time!" She gave him a silver glass that had an intricate design on its surface.

Augustus smiled at her. He always admired Theodora for these little things. She was a human, but she had accepted and adapted to his life and world wholeheartedly. Since the first day of their marriage, she not once had missed giving him the wolfsbane potion. She knew its importance for the werewolves.

Augustus took the rufous coloured liquid and gulped it down in one go. Over the years, he had got so accustomed to its taste that he couldn't pinpoint it anymore. It had become like water is to humans.

"You look worried, darling." Theodora stated. She took the empty glass from his hand and placed it away. Straightening back, she stared at her husband to hear him.

"The council has sent a notice, Theodora. They are asking about the progress of the investigation." He said with a strained voice.

"But we have found nothing. It is a dead end to our investigation." She said with a frown.

"But we can not tell them this, Theodoara. The deadline they have given to us is approaching fast. And we have not a single clue yet. It is very frustrating!" He looked away in the distance with a ticked jaw.

That was not Theodora had come to talk with him. She had something else on her mind, but she sensed that was not the right time to bring that topic. Right now, she needed to show her husband how much she cared for him if she wanted to discuss the topic she had in mind.

Stepping ahead, she took her husband's face in both hands. Augustus instantly melted in her touch the way butter melts in a hot pan.

"We will find a solution to this, love! Don't worry, I am with you the way I have always been. You can rely on me, darling!" She said softly while staring deep into his grey eyes.

Augustus's face softened hearing his wife's gentle words, and for seeking the comfort that he needed, he pulled her into his chest to capture her lips with his.