A MAZE OF GREED

Walking on the tracks of Lester, Rees kept thinking about how he should explain everything to him. This time was bound to come, and Rees was prepared for it. But the recent events had turned the tables, and now Rees was disconcerted. His thoughts were all over the place.

Rees didn't know if he could trust Lester blindly the way he did before after everything that had happened. Werewolves were loyal creatures but equally possessive about their mates. And Edwin had just hit that soft spot with an arrow.

But Lester was a smart man. He couldn't be fooled. Rees was sure that he had already his theories ready in his mind. He just needed Rees to confirm them.

Both men walked through the woods, their feet crushing the leaves and twigs. At the time of the night, the place was ominous for the humans. But to these creatures- it was a gateway to their freedom.

They used these woods to let their beast come out. This was the place where all the werewolves of the Vincardine came for a run once in a while. But after the beginning of the deaths, the O'Dells had put restrictions on the use of the woods.

No humans were allowed to go alone or stay longer in there. Only the werewolves of the pack were allowed to go for patrolling, wood cutting and other such works.

The crickets chirped accompanied by the hooting of owls. The dim moonlight didn't do much for the visibility, but that didn't bother the two men as they walked further only to stop near a tree with long and thick branches.

Finally, Lester turned to face Rees, his face not giving away anything.

"I advise you to quit peeking in my mind and start talking what I want to hear."

"My apologies, Milord!" Rees bowed.

He knew it. He shouldn't have tried that in the first place.

"Milord… I don't know from where to begin." He confessed.

"How about from the truth?"

Rees cringed at Lester's sarcastic words. But he understood him. Releasing a shaky breath, he revealed. "Ruth… she is Master's mate!"

Even after having some suspicion, Lester felt like the ground under him rocked upon hearing Rees's words. His olive-green eyes mirrored his shock.

He opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out as he kept gaping like a fish. He didn't know how to react to that. Suddenly he felt the whole world revolving too fast for him to adapt.

"And Edwin knows it?!" He whispered, to which Rees replied by an affirmative nod.

Lester grabbed his head between both hands, shaking it. "No, no this can't happen. After all these years… why now Moon Goddess, why now?"

That reaction of him eased Rees a little. No matter what, Lester and Edwin's friendship could never get weakened. Now Rees had no reason to hesitate to tell the truth.

Rees began right from the night of the celebrations, and along with every detail, he mentioned that brown piece of cloth. Edwin had got glimpses of that wooden box and the cloth in Edwin's chamber.

"I used that cloth to knock out Edwin's wolf with the wolfsbane potion." His eyes widened.

"Yes, you have, Milord!"

"Have some mercy on your children, Moon Goddess." Lester prayed to look up at the half-moon in the dark sky.

After that, Rees told about Edwin and Ruth's second meeting. He also told Lester how Ruth defended Florence, and in the heat of the moment, she insulted Edwin.

Lester literally choked on his saliva. He coughed loudly while rubbing his chest. "She did WHAT?" His voice rose by an octave.

"Yes, Milord. Ruth said so many impolite things to Master in a surge of fury because he disrespected a woman. It was a shock for me too. But it all happened so unexpectedly that we didn't see it coming."

"And Edwin did nothing to her? No yelling, no threat, no punishment, nothing?"

Lester couldn't believe it. Edwin had no shame, and he didn't discriminate between people based on gender when it came to battles, fights and punishments. For a sin like throwing insults at him, he would have pulled out that person's heart with his bare hands. But he let Ruth go unharmed and untouched.

"Did he know the truth then?" Lester queried.

"No, he didn't. He was angry at her. But he met her again on the same day."

That was too much to take for Lester. Nor had he foreseen such revelations, neither got a whiff of any of them during his stay in 'the great manor'.

Rees recited the dinner at the Green's house and how Ruth ended up insulting Edwin for the second time on the same day.

"When we found the suspect of the five murder case, Master interrogated him. Before, Master ended his life, he said something." Rees had not yet told that to Lester.

"What did he said?" Lester narrowed his eyes.

"He… he said that they are coming to get what they want. And this time they will not spare anyone, especially the ones Master loves."

Lester was voiceless. It was a direct threat that he had not expected from 'them'.

"That was the very first time Master lost his control and his wolf took over. He was furious at that threat and the only name he chanted was of-"

"Ruth!"

The picture was crystal clear now. After hearing the rest of the story from Rees, Lester's head spun.

"He shouldn't have read the black book." He managed to push these words out of his mouth.

"It all started because of that threat, Milord! And when the truth was confirmed, he was broken. We werewolves can't stay away from our mates for longer after the realisation." Rees commented.

Shaking his head left then right, Lester looked at him. "But Ruth doesn't know about any of this."

"Milord, she is a human and she hate… I mean she has strong resentment against Master." Rees pointed out.

They both fell in a brief silence, letting their thoughts run in several directions. The leaves rustled against each other by the push of breezes, now and then. The owl on the nearby tree stared at two men, discussing someone's personal life in the woods at the odd hour in the night.

"He never wanted a mate for himself." Lester whispered. Rees's eyes perked up at him in surprise.

"Really?" He couldn't help but ask.

Lester nodded his head. "Everyone knew that Edwin was born different. He was the destined leader of the werewolves, just like his father. It was his destiny. But that was not the only thing that made him special."

Rees didn't interrupt and listened carefully. He knew what Lester meant by Edwin was special.

When he was training in the academy, they had a separate course designed by Edwin. And only selected candidates were allowed to pursue it. It was tough and only few could pass the course.

Those who outshine during the whole course got a chance to meet Edwin, and if they managed to impress him, then he would take them in his personal band of trained men.

That was how Rees met him the first time.

"Although we were together in the academy and were best friends, he was trained uniquely by our best mentors. He was not only trained to be a warrior or alpha. He was trained to be the leader of the breed."

Rees was awestruck upon hearing that piece of information about his mater. Edwin didn't really talk much about his personal life. And more than the reality, his name was girded by the mesh of myths and tales. Most of them portrayed him as a cruel monster.

Rees knew Edwin was that cruel monster to a certain point, but since he had started working for him, he had experienced a distinctive and untold side of him.

"Edwin knew about the purpose of his life- it is to serve his people and protect them. And the another reason you might have read in the Black Book." Lester raised a brow at him in questioning.

Gulping down his saliva, Rees nodded. "Yes, Miolrd. I have!"

There were two reasons why Edwin did not want a mate for himself, and when he finally found her, he couldn't take the future that she was destined to face.

"That was why he had lost his control. But we have to do something, Milord. We can't just wait for this time to pass." Rees urged.

"I understand your concern, Rees. We all… everyone that Edwin trusts are born to aid him in subserving his purpose in this world. We are destined to serve him. Have you given a thought to the idea that Ruth might have a purpose too?" Lester pointed out the possibility.

During his short interaction with Ruth, he had noticed some things about her. And the possibility he had just mentioned bloomed in his mind. Rees was close to Ruth. They were friends. Hence, he was the right person to discuss this.

Rees was confused. He had not thought about that. "But… but what it could be? She is just a human. I wonder why the Moon Goddess chose a human as a mate for Master."

"That is exactly what I am trying to say, Rees. Why Ruth? Only I and Edwin were without mates for this long."

"But you had your mate since childhood, Milord!" Rees coughed teasingly.

Lester furrowed his brows in seriousness to mask the blush that crept on his face. "Erm… yes. But we… we didn't discuss it and… That's not the point Rees."

Lester had no words to explain that.

"What I am trying to say is why the Moon Goddess chose only Ruth and no one else. Edwin is born to serve a special purpose. Wasn't it logical to bond him with a strong and supernatural female? Ruth is kind but weak… no offence to her. But that is the truth we have to accept.

I don't know if she can even handle the fact that Edwin is her life partner, let alone supporting him in serving his purpose and accepting who he is. And why would she do that? She is a human. She does not need to get trapped in our world and our problems. No one would blame her.

And what if…" Lester stopped. His tongue could not push the words.

"If she rejects Master!" Rees filled in the blanks that Lester could not.

Recalling what happened with his friend after she got rejected by her mate, made Rees shudder in fright. He didn't want that for Edwin.

Before any one of them say more, Rees went still, and his eyes darkened. It was a message through the pack link.