A MAZE OF GREED

Lester and Elsie were wandering in the woods, side by side. He had his right hand around her waist, their bodies pressed together. Elsie could not hide her smile. And she did not try either.

They were planning for this private time away from the world for quite some time. And after the dramatic ups and downs of the situations in 'the great manor', they were finally here in each others company.

"Lester"

"Hmm?"

"We should go for a run some time. My wolf wants to come out. Unlike you and brother Edwin's wolves, she does not get chance to come out often." Elsie said with underlying worry and sadness in her voice.

Contrary to Elsie's human form, her wolf was stubborn, bold and aggressive. And, not getting enough chance to come out made her anxious and agitated.

"I know love. But after Mr Payne's death, your father is not ready to let anyone use woods for a run. We could have gone for a trip away from Vincardine and there you could have call your wolf. But with everything going on, I do not think that time will come soon." Lester said apologetically as if it was his fault.

Elsie sighed. "I do not understand how our lives turned upside down like this. Not too long ago, we were living normal lives and look where we are standing right now. And with the threat of the Garfields, it has become more complicated."

Frustration was clear in her voice. Elsie was a peace-loving person who was reluctant to change. She was more accustomed to the normal routine of life than facing various situations.

Lester stopped walking and turned her so that they faced each other. Holding onto her shoulders, his olive-green eyes gazed at her lovingly.

"Do not worry Elsie. Everything will be alright!" He smiled.

She always believed his every word and this time was not an exception.

"Promise?" She asked.

His smile widened then he nodded. "Promise!"

"Oh Lester I love you! I wish the time stops here with us like this." She placed her palms on his chest and leaned forward to decrease the distance between them.

"I wish I could do that for you. However we can make this moment memorable." Something swirled in his eyes that Elsie caught correctly.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

She did not need to ask twice before Lester's mouth covered hers. Her eyes closed instinctively as she responded to his kiss. Their lips moved in sync on the rhythm they had learned together over time.

Lust clouded both of their eyes, their wolves humming in agreement. Within a second, Lester had Elsie pinned to a tree behind her, his hands devouring every inch of her skin, even though her dress was acting as a barricade between their skins.

A satisfying moan fell on his ears that woke up his animal. Leaving her mouth complaining, he focused on her neck. His palms covered her bosoms, feeling their softness.

He groaned as his member twitched inside his pants. Elsie was not resisting instead, she was complying obediently. It would not take too long for her wolf to take control and, that excited Lester's wolf.

He bites the delicate skin on her neck, making her gasp with pleasure. His fangs itched to mark her as he felt the nerve throbbing under her skin.

Leaving her left breast, his hand moved down. He gathered her dress and pulled it up. His fingers caressed the skin on her leg up to her thighs.

He waited again for her to stop him, but she did not. Elsie was as desperate as him to get marked by her mate and mark him as hers as well.

He played with her panting self by nibbling and licking her skin with his warm mouth. His fingers ran sensually on the underside of her thighs, and on their way towards the cotton that protected her womanhood.

The heat had hit the highest point, and so did their longing for each other. Having enough of this playing, Lester's hand reached its goal. He inserted his two fingers inside the waistband of her cotton pants, and Elsie waited in anticipation.

He was about to slide them down when his body went still, and his movements halted. Elsie shuddered under him as the pressure that had built in her stomach came crashing down from its peak, because of this disturbance.

"Lester?" She called his name breathily.

She whined in to complain when he pulled himself back from her. Both of them panted heavily, their faces flushed and bodies hot.

She was about to lash out at him for leaving her in the middle helplessly but stopped after seeing his darkened eyes. He was speaking with someone through the mind link.

A minute later, she released air from her mouth and, blinked to get his eyes to their normal colour.

"Lester, what happened?" She asked while still trying to tame her haywire thoughts.

His face turned serious. "We need to go back in 'the great manor'."

"But what happened? Is everything okay?"

Lester shook his head. "Ruth... she met Harold Davies again."

Elsie's eyes widened in shock. This was bad!

"And your brother knows it after Ruth went into a shock and fainted."

Elsie then sucked air in panic. This was worse!

*

*

*

About forty minutes before Lester and Elsie reached 'the great manor', Edwin was having a hard time controlling his anger.

-"he found me!"-

That was the only sentence replayed in his head. He did not know what to do, but he could not keep Ruth in his office for long. If someone found her there with him, it would not take much effort to connect the dots.

He called Ida through the mind link, and she appeared in front of him five minutes later.

She was surprised to see Ruth sleeping on his couch.

Edwin explained the situation, and Ida kept looking at Ruth in worry.

"Aplogies Master! I was busy in the work and thought she must be fine."

Edwin did not comment on it.

"Do you have any idea who scared her that much?"

Ida shook her head. "I do not know Master."

Edwin clenched his eyes shut momentarily.

"I can not keep her here more. You have to move her in some other room."

"Yes, Master!"

Edwin looked at Ruth, then faced Ida again.

"You have to be careful Ida. No one should see you carrying her out of my building." Edwin warned.

"I will be careful Master. This is lunch time and Lady Theodora is in the dining room. With Fannie still recovering from her health issue, we do not have more to worry about. And Lord Augustus is in the meeting with Mr Davies."

Edwin paused. Davies?

"Harold Davies is here?" He asked with a frown.

"Yes Master. He arrived about an hour ago and is in the meeting room with Lord Augustus."

It all made sense to Edwin. It must be Harold that Ruth was talking about. She must have recalled her first encounter with him, and knowing the man's reputation, it must not be a pleasant one.

Edwin clenched his hands into fists, as anger bubbled inside him.

Did he do something to Ruth? What exactly had happened between them during their first encounter? And exactly what happened today that traumatised Ruth so badly?

Did he... did he touch her or...

Edwin shook his head and, closing his eyes in an attempt to block his wolf from coming out, he ordered Ida.

"Take her from here."

Ida did not waste more time as she sensed the anger radiating from her alpha's stilled body. Being a werewolf, she had no problem carrying Ruth. Using her supernatural speed, even though it was not allowed in 'the great manor', she ran out of Edwin's building before anyone saw her.

Edwin was fuming with rage. His wolf wanted to tear Harold limb by limb and skin by the skin. He wanted to know what happened between them. What did he do to her?

The fear in her eyes made him restless. Edwin was lenient enough to forgive Harold every time he overstepped the line. But scaring his mate was something that Edwin could not allow even himself to do.

Before his anger carried him to Harold, he decided to call one person, who could get the situation under control.

~"Lester... Lester..."~

He found it difficult to reach Lester through the mind link, but he kept on trying.

Manoeuvring his voice through the vacuum, he found an opening.

~"lester... Lester..."~

A moment later, he heard. ~"Edwin?"~

~"Come back right now!"~

Lester groaned. ~"Edwin, you know that I am with Elsie and-"~

~"Ruth... she came running into my office scared and fainted. She met Harold Davies in 'the great manor'."~ Edwin cared to explain.

~"What? But how? I mean what happened exactly?"~

Edwin's patience was running thin, and his friend was not done, with asking questions.

~"If I do not find you talking sense with me in the next thirty minutes, the world will see Harold's head on the golden platter."~

~"Edwin.... Edwin?"~

Lester's calls were futile as Edwin had already disconnected, then blocked his mind link.

Lester became nervous. They had to hurry back, even if it meant he had to end what he started with Elsie, for now!