A MAZE OF GREED

"You can't understand little sister." Edwin breathed out when Elsie asked about his problem and why he was acting strange these days.

'Am I that naïve?' She questioned herself.

"Why can't I understand, brother? Tell me!" She demanded.

But her persistence had started getting on Edwin's nerves. His endurance was running thin, and Elsie had to understand it.

"Because those things are beyond you, Elsie. So stop annoying me and leave me alone!" His voice rose by an octave.

And that irked Elsie's wolf. "So you also think that I am a brainless princess with no understanding or capabilities to handle problems?! Let me remind you that I am no more a kid, brother. I am a grown up woman and well mature to understand things. So stop with all this and tell me your damn problem!"

She yelled, her chest heaving up and down with anger. Her breaths came sharp and fast.

Edwin would have snapped the person's neck with a flick of his wrist if it was not for Elsie. His wolf was on the verge of pouncing out, but he closed his eyes to keep it at bay. Not wanting to stretch the topic further, he turned to walk out of the office before he said or did anything that he would regret later, but Elsie held his hand to stop him.

"I am not letting you go without getting the answer to my question. I am trying to help you!"

"I don't need your damn help!" Edwin pushed her hand with his werewolf force. His wolf was in control, growling and baring teeth at her.

He was not the only one furious. Elsie's wolf had also turned out, her eyes darker and body ready to shift any moment.

Although Elsie was a gullible and diffident person, her wolf was the exact opposite of it. She was strong and adamant.

Both cousins displayed their power by glaring at each other and baring their teeth, growling and hissing.

It had never happened before. No matter how angry Edwin was, he never had let his wolf go reckless in this way, especially not in front of his family. But the distance with his mate had turned his wolf restive.

The tension in the air was dense and intolerable.

"Don't push me, Elsie. I don't want to hurt you." Edwin warned with a snarl.

"Stop treating me like a child!" She screamed and charged towards Edwin.

Now all the chains of constraints that he had put on his wolf broke loose. His wolf took over the control. He knew only his dominance and nothing else. For Edwin's wolf, the woman in front of him was not his sister. She was a wolf who had dared to aggravate him.

A throaty howl rumbled under the confines of the room as Edwin's other hand gripped Elsie's wrist achingly. Elsie's wolf tried to fight with him, but she was no match to his strength. He twisted her wrist in an awkward angle, and a cry left her mouth.

Her wolf whimpered in pain and frustration. Her every attempt of overpowering the alpha werewolf went into vain.

Leaning to stare right into her teary eyes, Edwin whispered deadly. "Don't forget whom you talk, wolf. I am your leader, your alpha! Do NOT challenge me ever!"

His ice-cold words were like shreds of glass that tore her walls of confidence, and her wolf quivered under his powerful aura. Anger radiated out of his body in waves, hitting her in the face.

Elsie's wolf had realised her mistake. She couldn't challenge the alpha of alphas. Her wolf accepted the defeat, and now the person who looked at Edwin's half-wolf form with panicked eyes was his little sister Elsie.

But her wolf's submission didn't satisfy Edwin's wolf. He couldn't bear the challenge. With another growl, he pushed Elsie with such a force that her body went flying in the air, till it collided with the shelf on the other side of the office.

The loud noise of books and files falling on her body, and on the ground was heard. The humans who had heard the commotion from out of the building were too afraid to stand in their spot and bolted away from there to save themselves from their Young Master's wrath.

But Rees's heartbeat picked up as he ran towards the office. The Moon Goddess only knew what his master had done now.

He opened the chamber door, and the first thing he saw was his master in his half-wolf form, who looked like an irate demigod. He searched the room to see the unfortunate soul, who was on the receiving end of his master's fury.

His lips parted, his heart appalled at the sight of Elsie wailing in pain on the floor with thick books and files scattered all around her, and over her. His eyes moved up to see that the shelf was about to fall on her body, but before it could happen, he ran to her with his supernatural speed and held it before it got into contact with Elsie.

"Lady Elsie! Are you okay?" He worried.

She didn't look anywhere near okay, and Rees knew it. He could feel her wolf and her human whimpering in pain. Her eyes were tightly closed as she struggled to move her body but failed miserably.

Rees tried to push the heavy wooden shelf away, but the weight was too heavy to handle for his human form. Inhaling air through his mouth, he moved speedily to take the weight of the shelf on his lower back so that his hands could be free to help Elsie.

His face scrunched due to efforts as he kept inhaling and exhaling through his mouth. His brown eyes lifted to look at his master. Edwin had still not regained his control. His obsidian eyes with blue streaks glared at the injured woman with a murderous gaze.

Rees realised that Edwin was of no use in this situation.

He lifted his hand to touch Elsie but hesitated for a moment. But when another cry left her lips, he shrugged off the hesitation and moved her hairs from her face.

"Lady Elsie, Lady Elsie! Open your eyes." He patted her cheek a little in fear of her slipping into unconsciousness.

He considered calling for some help, but if he did that, then people would ask questions. Edwin was yet to transform back to his complete human form.

"B-brother…" Even in that excruciating pain, she called for Edwin, but his wolf was not ready to listen to her calls.

"Lady Elsie can you move your body? Where are you hurt?" Rees's voice made her open her eyes a little.

Looking at the familiar face, she felt relieved. "R-Rees…"

"Yes, I am here. Don't be scared. Try to move your body if you can and roll aside." His voice came strained.

Elsie's half-opened eyes moved to look at the back of Rees's crouching form. They widened at the sight of the large wooden shelf leaning mid-air. If it had not Rees, then she would have been under it.

"Rees! That sh-shelf!" She exclaimed in panic.

"Hurry up, Lady Elsie. Move!" He didn't know for how long he would be able to bear the weight.

Sweat broke on his forehead, dripping down in the beads. His face had turned red, and the veins in his body looked like they were about to burst with eminent pressure.

Elsie tried to move her body, and that caused a white pain to bloom in her back. She screamed in agony but pushed herself to move out of the way. After many failed attempts, she tried to wake up her wolf, but that didn't work either.

Tears streamed down her face. "Rees… I-I can't! My back… the pain is unbearable, Rees. I am sorry!" She sobbed loudly.

Rees considered calling his wolf, but the upset one, that was already eying Elsie to show his dominance was more than enough to handle. If Edwin's wolf senses the presence of another wolf, then the chances of him turning back to his human form would become slim.

Rees's mind ran faster to think of some solution and stopped only at one. "Then I have to call someone for help."

Elsie's eyes widened at his words. "NO! You can't do that. Look at brother. His wolf is awake. If some human sees him in this state…" She didn't need to complete her sentence.

"But Lady Elsie, you need help. I don't think I can hold this shelf longer." Rees pant heavy breaths.

"No Rees! You know what will happen if father finds out about this. Brother Edwin is already in trouble and I don't want to complicate his situation." She said while biting back another groan full of anguish when the pain in her back increased.

"But-"

"It's an order Rees!" She had to use her authority to make him understand, and that was very unlikely of Elsie.

Hearing her commanding tone, Rees understood that she was stubborn, just like her cousin.

"Then wh-what should we do? Aaaagghhh…" Rees adjusted his body under the shelf.

Elsie's teary eyes moved to fall on the raging creature in front of her. Her breaths had started to turn shallow, and her vision turned blur. There was only one hope! Her brother!