A MAZE OF GREED

The next day the family physician came and checked up on Ruth. He gave her some more medicines for her speedy recovery and told the other things they should take care of.

Edwin did not leave her side. Lester had managed Lord Augustus and Lady Theodora. He was taking care of everything that the physician had told. He was always by her side whenever she opened her eyes.

She was slowly recovering well. Those were the only days in his life that seemed... normal and balanced. He did not need to stress always about his duties, the vampires, the murders, family drama or any other thing.

He had his mate with him and, the times they were spending together would remain in his heart for his lifetime.

One morning, when he entered the room with a glass of juice for Ruth, he was surprised to see her sitting in the bed. She had a frown etched on her face as she looked around the room as if she was noticing the place for the first time.

"Good morning! It is good that you are awake. Drink this juice." Edwin's smile faltered when the frown on her face deepened.

"Ruth... why are you looking at me like this?" He asked. But she did not answer.

Edwin was confused. Why was she reacting that way suddenly?

The hostility in her eyes cut him deep, yet he tried to be optimistic. She must have one of those nightmares again. He assured himself.

"Come on, finish th-"

Ruth swatted his hand away forcefully that the glass in his hand slipped and fell on the floor. Edwin was shocked.

He faced her and lifted his hand to touch her. "Ruth.."

"Do not touch me!" she yelled, scampering away from him as if he was a dangerous monster.

Her action broke Edwin's heart. He clenched his raised up hand in a fist, slowly retreating it.

"Wh-what are you doing here? Wh-where am I? What is this place?"

Her eyes moved around frantically like a scared rabbit. She held the front of her dress tightly in a fist. She pushed herself to the far corner of the bed as if she was afraid that Edwin would harm her.

Edwin raised his hands in surrender. "Ruth calm down please! You are safe here. Do not worry!" He tried to calm her.

But she was too frightened to listen to him. "Where is Mrs Payne, Ida? Where is everyone? I want to see them!" She cried.

"They are also fine. You are not well Ruth. That is why I brought you here. You need to calm down first and then you can meet them after you recover well."

That only alarmed her even more. She shook her head fervently. "No! I want to see them right now! I do not want to stay here."

Her voice kept rising and, Edwin did not know how to calm her.

"You can not leave this room. You have to stay here only." Edwin did not realise that his voice was also raised by an octave.

The hard look on his face sent wrong signals to her. She thought he was threatening her.

Seeing the fear on her face, Edwin's face softened a little. He inhaled slowly to calm down.

"You are safe with me Ruth. I am here!" He said earnestly.

"I do not want you here. Get out or let me go!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Ruth was too confused. She had no memories of the last few days. And finding herself at a strange place with the blue-eyed monster freaked her out.

"Ruth..."

"Get out!"

Edwin was hurt. All the happiness he had experienced these past days vanished by her one sentence. When she was not in her senses, she did not question his presence, instead, she asked him to be near her all the time.

And now that she was better, she wanted the world but him.

Ruth was too desperate. She had bruises on her body. She had a white gown, instead of her uniform that she remembered wearing the last time.

Moving out of the bed, she ran towards the door. But Edwin ran quickly and held her back. He held her by her waist by circling his hands around her stomach.

That only panicked her more and, she began thrashing in his hold.

"Leave me! Leave me!"

She kicked her legs in the air and hit his arms around her with her fists. But he was too strong for her. Edwin's wolf did not like how she treated him and neglected his feelings. He was upset with her.

"Ruth calm down... please!" Edwin tried but failed.

She kept pushing her forward. Having enough of her resistance, Edwin dragged her back to bed and pushed her on it. She fell on it face first. She quickly turned around only to get pinned to the bed by Edwin.

He was still careful with her hand and ankle. He hovered above her as she stared at him like she had seen a ghost or something. He could see fear in her teary eyes and, that angered him.

She was his mate and should not be scared by him. He had not done anything to scare her... yet!

How was she going to tackle who he was when the time would come?

"Help... somebody please help me!" She began shouting for help.

"Shut up!" Edwin finally exploded.

That shut her up quickly. He looked terrifying with those angry eyes.

"Why do you need others when I am here? I can take care of you, I have been doing just that. Can not you see, Ruth?"

Ruth felt an unusual pressure on his chest. She noticed for the first time, that he was calling her by her name. But why?

Little did she know that she was the one who asked him to do so. Well, she did not remember many of such things.

"P-please... you... you are scaring me! Please let me go. I do not want to stay here. I want to see Mrs Payne, please!"

Edwin searched for the look she always had in her tired eyes when they were together. He expected at least a hint of it but found none. He was disappointed and... hurt.

Even in that situation, his eyes betrayed him by moving to her trembling lips. They were paler than usual, yet his wolf longed to kiss them. He thought of punishing her with a brutal kiss for treating him that way.

As if reading his sinful thoughts, Ruth's eyes widened in alarm. She shook her head while crying. Edwin was too angry to think rationally. If she was not his mate, then he would have taken her where he wanted her, even against her wish.

But he was being patient, moving along her pace. And after these days, she gave him hope. The hope of the next step in their relationship. And all of a sudden, she was pushing him to the bottom again.

He was not a toy that she could play with whenever she felt like that. She needed to learn it and, Edwin was adamant about teaching her just that.

"You do not want me anywhere near you, right?" He asked dangerously.

Ruth cried, anticipating what he was planning to do.

As she saw Edwin's face coming near her, she felt suffocated. She trembled under him like a sheep on a butcher's table.

She clenched her eyes shut as she could not see what he was planning to do.

"p-please... stop! Please..." She sobbed.

Edwin ignored and leaned some more near her mouth. He was firm on his decision of kissing her but, when he actually try to do that... he could not bring to do that.

Ruth's shaky breaths hit his face. He could feel how much she resented it. Then he reminded himself, she was not any other woman.

She was his mate. She was the woman he loved! No one could ever replace her and, he did not wish that too.

He closed his eyes, trying to suppress those evil thoughts that surged in his mind. He was hurt and angry, yes!

But he could not do that to her... not when she was already in a bad state. Ruth suddenly felt a loss of heat. Opening her eyes, she saw him glaring at her with incomprehensible emotions in his eyes.

She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, he turned around and stomped towards the door. Ruth saw him stepping out of the room. She flinched visibly at the loud sound of the door closing behind him.

What was going on? What just happened? What was she doing there and, what was that place? Why did he keep her caged in there?

-"I can take care of you, I have been doing just that."-

Why did he say that? And was it true?

Ruth could not understand a thing. She let her head fall on the bed again and curled her body in a ball. Tears had not stopped running out of her eyes. She was confused, drained out and overwhelmed.

She only hoped that he would not return and, the next time the room's door opened, someone familiar would step in to save her from that blue-eyed monster.