A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth felt weirded by Thea's hurriedness. She could tell that her friend had something on her mind. Ruth tried asking her, but all she got in response was lame excuses that did not make any sense to her.

"Thea, are you sure that you are not in problem? If you have one then please tell me. I will help you with it." Ruth said honestly.

Thea smiled at her friend. "Oh, Ruth, you are the best friend that one could ever ask for.

Do not worry about me. I do not have any problem. I have to do something that my mother has told me to do before going home.

I would have liked your company, but I know that Mr and Mrs Payne must be waiting for you. I do not want you to get late."

Ruth was not convinced but if Thea did not want her to accompany her, then let it be.

"Okay. Take care and go home before the dark. See you tommorrow!"

The two best friends bid their byes to each other and started walking in their respective directions.

Ruth thought about the recent days. Finally, after the gloomy days, her life was filled with sunshine as the dark clouds slowly cleared the way for the sunrays.

She had got her friends back, and after going through the downs, their friendship had acquired a new dimension. It had become stronger than before.

Mr Payne was now recovered well. Ruth thought how he unilaterally declared his will to join his job again in the lumber factory.

Ruth was not happy with his decision, and she displayed her concern, but the old man had his mind already set. Ruth tried with Mrs Payne, but ultimately she also decided to agree with her husband.

They had seen how Ruth worked relentlessly in these past days. She had overexerted herself, and one could tell that by looking at her tired face and swollen eyes with dark circles underneath them.

The old couple did not want Ruth to worry more about them. But she was stubborn. She also had declared unilaterally that no matter what, she was not quitting her responsibilities.

After lots of arguments and convincing, she had to show a green flag to Mr Payne's decision. But she had one condition.

"I will come with you to meet your employer. And you do not have any say in this." She had said.

They had decided to go to his lumber factory the next day. Ruth only hoped that everything goes well and God would not make her see Mr Payne in that bed again except for a peaceful sleep.

*

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*

The silence settled down heavily in the room in the old building. No one said a word, but three sets of eyes trained on only one person-Thea.

"So, what do you suggest in the end?" Thea finally asked, unable to bear that silence.

Lester shared a look with Elsie then with Rees. She saw Rees nodded his head, silently encouraging Lester.

"We suggest that we should bring them together." He said simply.

"And how you are planning to do it?" Thea asked suspiciously.

"By making Ruth stay with Edwin."

Thea laughed dryly at Lester's suggestion.

"Are you serious, My Lord? Were you not paying attention when I said that they can not even breath the same air?"

"Thea!" Lester warned her. He was an alpha of the Bluemoon pack, for God's sake. And this human did not care about that while running her mouth unstrained.

Rees became nervous, and he pressed on Thea's hand. "Do not cross the line ,Thea. He is an alpha not your poor fiancee."

Rees's humour aggravated her frustration even more. But maintaining her composure, she said, "Ruth is very busy these days. And no matter how you lure her, she will not step a foot inside 'the great manor', let alone stay with Young Master."

She said confidently.

"I will take care of that, Thea. She will be with my brother even if she like it or not!" Elsie opened her mouth in a long time.

Though Elsie was younger than her, Thea could see that determined glint in her eyes that sent chills down her spine.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Thea asked in a panic.

Elsie smirked her way as she said, "I will tell you. But you have to decide if you can help us or not."

Thea glanced in Rees's way to see him staring at her with the same look as Elsie and Lester.

"Rees..."

"You have to choose Thea. I have already made my mind. Now it is your turn."

Thea wanted to cry in frustration, yell at them, tell them that they had no right to manipulate other's life. But she knew they all were werewolves, and they could hear her even the slightest change in her heartbeats.

*

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*

Late that night, Rees took Thea back home by the same route they had taken to get in 'the great manor'.

"You are getting better at blocking my access to your mind." He commented after a long silence.

"You have left me no other choice." Thea said.

Rees knew how upset she was. She did not want to be a part of their plan. She did not want to do that to her best friend.

But then, she could not wait for a whole breed to disperse and survive under an unsteady and uncontrollable leader. After all, she was going to be a part of their world.

She had some responsibilities towards that new world as she had with her friend.

She still could not believe that Ruth was Edwin's mate. She had so many questions on her mind. Why Ruth?- was the most nagging one.

She tried imagining Ruth's reaction when she would find it out. Thea knew what opinion Ruth held about Edwin. How much she despised that man.

Now that she thinks of it, she realised that every meeting happened in the wrong circumstances.

Edwin's very first impression was not pleasant in Ruth's memory. How could she trust a man who was declared as a womanizer and had no shame in admitting that to the world?

Even Thea herself would not have accepted such a man as her life partner.

Ruth already had everything rough, and when she finally began to see the light beyond the horizon, she did not know what hurricane was waiting for her there.

"You do not regret it do you?" She questioned after another brief silence.

The wind that passed past her did not soothe her mind. The sounds in the woods and the night did not overshadow the noises in her head.

"I do not regret siding with my master and my pack." Rees replied firmly.

"And what about your friend? What about me?" Her voice became thick with emotions.

"I will protect Ruth with my life as much as I do it for you. And you are a part of my world now. Do not forget it."

Thea stopped walking. Rees turned at her. "You know she can never be happy with your Master."

"And how can you be so sure?"

"Because she does not love him, and neither he does. He does not love her, Rees. She will always be a liability for him. I accepted you because I love you, and the same goes for you.

But think about them. They do not love each other. Their existence will remain tied by the Moon Goddess's wish and not by the bond of their love. Do you want that for Ruth?"

Thea's eyes watered. She could not say these things in front of Lester and Elsie. Rees was their loyal servant, and any word he had said or any action he had done could have been considered as an act of defiance. So, Thea waited till they were alone and there was no one to listen to them.

Rees shook his head. "No, Thea. You are wrong. My Master loves Ruth. Even though he would not admit it, you can see it in his eyes. He did not know that Ruth was his mate in the beginning, yet he was intrigued by her.

Something about her clung to his heart tightly, not ready to let go. He was always lenient towards her. She insulted him, said wrong things to him, but he never reacted. He never thought of punishing her or avenging his insults.

He has always been patient with her, and only her. You did not see how worried he was when we found Ruth in the woods months ago. You have not seen how much that piece of her dress values for him, how it helps to calm not only him but also his beast.

If it is not love, then why he is so worried about Ruth's safety? Why is he torturing himself by staying away from her? He is our leader, yet he prioritised Ruth over his people, his pack even his family.

Tell me, is it not love?"

Thea was speechless.

"But Ruth-"

"She will learn to love him. I am sure. And for that she needs to be with Master, Thea. We told you how his enemies wants to hurt him and Ruth is the soft and easy target for them. If we want to protect Ruth and save Young Master and the whole breed of werewolves, then we have to act fast before it is too late!"

Throughout their way back to her home, Thea kept repeating Rees's words.. They haunted her like unsatisfied spirits that she was afraid of.