A MAZE OF GREED

"She is fine now. Her heart is beating steadily. I think I should stay with her for the night." Thea suggested with a heavy voice.

As soon as Rees dragged Ruth to her room after the confrontation with Florence, she collapsed down on the floor like a broken flower in the violent winds.

"But I do not trust Florence. Let me call a carriage and we will take her to your home or my home." Rees did not feel leaving them both here was safe.

Thea shook her head. "No, Rees. With Ruth's this state and what happened down there, it will not take much time for Mr and Mrs Payne to come looking for her. Ruth is feeling weak. I will stay with her and prepare the dinner for everyone."

Rees was hesitant. But when he looked at unconscious Ruth, he knew what Thea said was true.

He pulled Thea towards him and embraced her. She gladly rested her face on his chest and closed her eyes. The fight with Florence had drained her down. She did not know what ensued between Florence and Ruth, but she had never seen Ruth that angry and demanding.

"Okay. I will inform your parents that you are staying tonight with Ruth. I would have stayed with Mr and Mrs Payne but I have to go back to 'the great manor'." He inhaled her scent that was bliss to his disturbed mind.

Pulling back to look at his face, Thea asked, "Rees, you still have not told me what is happening there. You said you will tell me everything when we will meet." She recalled his promise from the night when she and Ruth went looking for him in 'the great manor'.

"Thea…"

"Please, Rees. I want to know. If you do not tell me then my mind will spin mesh of numerous possibilities that I do not want to believe. I want to know the truth and not listen to the idiotic things people feed me."

Thea's eyes widened by a fraction when she realised her mistake. She had not said a word about what Fannie told her about Rees and a maid.

Rees narrowed his eyes at her. "What does that mean?"

"Erm… nothing. I – I think you should get going now-"

"Look at me, Thea!" He held her shoulders firmly in his hands and made her look at his face. But she avoided matching his gaze.

"Do not make me peek inside your mind, my dear mate. Say what you want to say and I will listen. I have told you before that you do not need to stutter while speaking with me." Though his words were harmless and caring, Thea gulped down in nervousness after sensing the gravity of his words.

"Say it."

Thea wished if Ruth was awake to save her. But then she had promised Rees not to keep more secrets.

"The night we came in 'the great manor', Ruth introduced me to a maid of the O'Dells. We inquired about you with her and she… um…."

Rees's face hardened as before Thea told him everything, he had already read her thoughts. "And she told you something about me and another maid."

"Rees! Why did you read my mind? I was about to tell you."

"But you did not!" He was angry.

Thea knew it was not only Rees but also his wolf. She took his face in her hands while standing on her tip-toes.

"I did not because I trust you, Rees. I wanted to listen to it from you. Before you read more of my mind and misunderstand, I want to clarify that I was upset about what she suggested.

When I and Ruth came looking for you, that thought was on my mind. But that was not the reason why I dared to sneak into 'the great manor' again. I was worried. I knew Fannie was lying or she had some misunderstanding. But I did not care any of that. I just wanted to see if you were safe or not."

Rees closed his eyes to control his wolf. It was already stirring inside him after Ruth's outburst at Florence. And now this. He was pissed at Fannie.

But then he had no right to get mad at Thea. He was touched at how much trust this woman had put into him. And what he did? He lured a maid to get the key to the closet of the Black Book from Lord Augustus.

That very thing was eating him out. He opened his eyes with determination.

"I will tell you the truth, Thea. But…"

"But you are scared that it will hurt me."

He wondered how he got such an amazing woman for himself.

"Was it true? Fannie suggested that you and that maid might had been together and that is why you did not come-"

"NO!"

Thea stopped to study his eyes. His eyes had never betrayed her trust, and she hoped it would happen this time too.

Sighing to calm down, Rees answered. "What Fannie said was a half truth."

Thea's heart stopped beating for a second. Her fingers left his face as she pulled down her hands to rest them on his chest.

"Thea, there are many things going on in 'the great manor'. I do not know if this is the right time to tell you everything. But trust me, whatever is happening it is connected to our lives- me, you and…" He stopped.

"Wh-what are you talking about, Rees? Please tell me you did not sleep with that woman." Thea's voice broke.

Rees blinked at her dumbfoundedly.

"Thea, where that idea came from? You do know that cheating on their mate's is a trait of humans and not werewolves." He whispered the last word while glancing at Ruth.

"Then why the hell you said Fannie told me half truth?" Thea clutched the collar of his shirt, and for a second, Rees was reminded of that recent slap he received by Thea in front of Ruth and Lester.

"Love-"

"Do not try that on me, Rees. Just tell me the truth already!" She demanded.

"Okay. So the truth is… I had to sweet talk with one maid to use her for something that Master told me to do."

Thea was confused. "What?"

"Master gave me a task and for that I had to sweet talk-"

"Elaborate the meaning of sweet talk because I want to see if it matches with the meaning given in my dictionary or not."

That made Rees nervous. But he could not hide it more from her.

"Master needed a key that only Lord Augustus had. And as my reputation of most eligible bachelor in 'the great manor', I am quite popular amongst the maid- ouch!"

Rees's eyes remained wide open as his ear hurt to make his eyes water. He was astounded to see Thea pulling and twisting his ear as if she was squeezing a lemon.

"Thea… Thea… aaahh… Thea!"

"How dare you boast about your popularity in the other women in front of me? I am not your male friend but your fiancée! Would you like if I go around giggling at random men and come flaunting their admiration for me? Huh.. tell me!"

Rees realised his slip, but it was too late to turn back on his words. The damage was already done.

"Wait! Did you… did you let her touch you?" She suddenly realised the possibility.

Rees was scared, to tell the truth. That slap and now pinching of the ear had made him reconsider his decision of telling the truth.

He only nodded while rubbing his ear while his other hand was ready to defend himself if Thea launched another attack on him.

"Did you touch her?"

He nodded again.

"Did you compliment her?"

Again another nod.

"Did you kiss her?"

This time Rees paused as if he was thinking about something. Thea's patience ran thin as she again grabbed his collar and shook him a little.

"Why the hell you have to think about it? Just tell me if you have kissed her or not!" She felt like pulling her hair out in frustration.

"Erm… it was not me who kissed her."

Thea's eyes widened. "But you let her kiss you?"

Scratching the back of his head, Rees answered. "I would not call it as a kiss. A peck maybe-"

And there came another slap from Thea.

"You hopeless man! How dare you let another woman come near you? You ugly creature with a fury tail-" Thea started bashing at him while hitting his chest with her fists.

"But you said I look beautiful in my wolf form!" Rees tried to duck her attacks but to no avail.

Thea screamed in frustration. "Get out! Get the hell out of here. I do not want to see your face!"

Rees looked at her in alarm. "But- but where I can go without you?" All humour drained from his face.

Thea paused for a second. "How about going back to that witch again?"

"Thea, you can not use witch as a curse word. This habbit of humans is offending for their breed-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Rees was already out of Ruth's room. And the door was shut loudly on his face.

'Maybe I should have handled the situation differently.' He sighed and waited to see if Thea cried.

He listened to her loud heartbeats. He could feel her anger, but he knew that she would forgive him but need some time to calm down. He had already read her mind and knew that even if she was told that Rees had slept with another woman, she would not have believed it.

He had heard how she was relieved after he told her that he had not shared a bed with that woman or had done anything intimate with her. He knew if he gave her some time, then only he could talk to her.

For now, he had something important to discuss with Lester.