A MAZE OF GREED

*Flashback*

Edwin lay on his bed in his private chamber with the brown cloth in his hand. He held it close to his chest while his other hand remained tucked under his head.

He could not hold back the smile on his face. He had never experienced something like this before in his entire existence. The excitement he felt was intoxicating for his senses.

After smiling for hours after Ruth left, he felt a slight ache in his cheeks. He had never smiled that much before, and it felt new to him.

Edwin was cent per cent sure that she would wear those earrings tomorrow. He could tell that the way her eyes spoke the truth.

Edwin could not wait for the night to pass and the morning to arrive.

Edwin's smile faltered when he heard urgent knocks on his door. He checked the time to see it was early in the dawn.

Who it might be at such an odd hour?

Edwin put the brown cloth in its wooden box and opened the door to see an annoyed Lester.

"Why the hell you have closed your mind link genius?" He growled as soon as Edwin opened the door.

Edwin realised he had closed his mind link as he was busy reminiscing his moments with Ruth.

He fought back the smile that threatened to appear on his face. Lester narrowed his eyes at him, as he sensed Edwin was in a different mood today.

"I... well what happened? Who set fire in your pants?" Edwin asked, changing the topic.

Lester instantly turned serious again with a deep frown etched on his face.

"Edwin it is urgent. We need to go to Wildline pack." Lester said in urgency.

"What? Why?" Edwin did not expect to hear that name when Lester came there.

"Their alpha needs your help Edwin."

Edwin scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly. "Why should I help their alpha when he does not like my leadership and supports my uncle's rule?"

Lester wanted to punch some sense into his friend.

"You MUST help him because... because his brother is rejected by his mate."

Edwin stilled momentarily. "Kevin?"

"Yes. Kevin's mate rejected him because as 'she alpha of her pack', she wants an alpha as her partner and not alpha's brother. Her family is in her support for their selfish political motives.

They have Kevin captured with them, Edwin. But as a rogue rejected by his mate, you know what you need to do with him." Lester said sadly.

Edwin's hands fell to his side as he stared at the floor with a frown on his face.

Oh, Moon Goddess, why were you doing this with Edwin? Putting him in that same position that he loathed the most made him sick at his core. And this time, it was Kevin. How was Edwin supposed to kill him when he admired that young man?!

"Let's go."

Edwin knew he should not go, not when Ruth would be at his door the first thing in the morning wearing those earrings. She would be there to hear his answer.

But Edwin could not sideline his duties as a leader. As they say, with great powers comes great responsibilities and, they demand sacrifices.

Edwin and Lester left behind the walls of 'the great manor' as they took the route from the woods. They shifted in their wolf form, as they pushed the land behind and fly with the wind in the direction of the 'Wildline pack'.

Edwin could not believe that the young boy he had once trained during his guest lectures at the Academy would have something so unfortunate written in his fate. Edwin remembered Kevin being an excellent student of his batch.

He was exceptionally impressed by his warfare tactics. Kevin asked Edwin to hire him in his army, to which Edwin had replied that he was born to serve a greater purpose than serving in his army.

And now, he had to kill such a bright and exceptional warrior with his own hands. The boy he had shown the big dreams once, was supposed to die in his hands.

Edwin's wolf growled loudly in agitation. Lester, who was running beside him, could feel Edwin's situation. Sometimes he thanked his stars that he was not in Edwin's shoes. Lester was not sure if he could have been able to sacrifice as much as Edwin and took decisions that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

About half an hour later, both wolves left Vincardine's borders behind as they ran faster than before. It took them about one and a half-hour more to reach the border of the Wildline pack.

As expected at the heavily guarded borders of their territory, the two wolves met by the guards on the petrol. They instantly recognised the werewolf leader running in their way by his gargantuan size and the unique obsidian eyes with blue streaks in them.

They immediately howled in respect and let them enter the border without making them slow down by a bit. One of the guard wolves ran along them to take them to his alpha.

By the time they reached the town, the guard was on the verge of collapsing after running at such a fast speed with these two alphas.

Just like Vincardine, Wildline was a town with a mixed population of werewolves and humans. Except for Kinsville, all the humans in other towns were unaware of the existence of the supernatural world.

The guard took Edwin and Lester to a far corner of the town and away from the habitation where the pack members had gathered along with the alpha of the pack and his family.

Edwin slowed down and shifted back into his human form. Even in that tense situation, he heard female gasps as soon as he stood tall in his naked form.

The alpha of the pack frowned in displease as soon as he saw the two men. Two of his guards immediately ran with clothes to cover their midsections.

Edwin and Lester tied the clothes around their waists as they walked to where the alpha sat.

The entire crowd kneel in front of Edwin with their fists at the centre of their chests.

"We welcome you our supreme leader, Lord Edwin and the alpha of the Bluemoon pack Lord Lester in Wildline pack." The pack's beta, who was the second in the command after alpha in the hierarchy of power said with the utmost respect for his leader.

But Edwin's hard gaze was trained on only one person ahead of him, the alpha of the Wildline pack who did not kneel like others. Even his wife, the Luna of the pack, was also on her knees and pleaded her husband to pay respect to their leader.

Lester stepped ahead to stop Edwin if he took the alpha's action too seriously.

Edwin's gaze was so intense that it made the alpha uncomfortable. At last, he bowed his head with his fist on his chest. Yet he refused to kneel in front of Edwin.

That was the reason Edwin did not want to help that arrogant man. For the alpha of the Wildline pack, Lord Augustus was the ideal ruler. In his opinion, which was similar to hundreds of others, Edwin was an undeserving person and should not be considered as the leader of the werewolves only because of his birth.

In his opinion, Edwin could never match the standards set by the previous leaders- his ancestors, including his father, Walter O'Dell.

The alpha never tries to hide his reservations against Edwin. And he was still standing on his ground unshakingly.

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*Present*

Ruth panicked as she saw Edwin losing his consciousness.

And the blood on her hand made her head spin. She did not know what to do initially.

"Help.. somebody please help!"

She cried for help while tapping his cheek again and again. She somehow pulled herself together and put his head on the ground.

"Wait here..." She did not realise she said that as she ran to the metal door of the old building.

Ruth had no idea that it took knocking in a particular rhythm to get the door open. She banged on the thick metal door, screaming and yelling at the top of her lungs as tears streamed down her face in rivulets.

The guard inside had already sensed her outside when she was crying alone. He knew that she was his Luna, and thus he did not disturb her. But now, hearing her panicked voice, he could not help but open the door against Edwin's order of not opening it except after hearing the rhythmic knocking.

The guard knew how Edwin gave everyone hard time the last time their Luna got harmed. He did not want to face the same again.

Ruth was relieved that the door was opened.

"Please... he.. he is passed out. Please help me!" Ruth literally dragged him with his hand to where Edwin lay on the ground.

The guard crouched down in alarm at the sight of his leader on the ground.

"Master... Master..."

Ruth stood, rubbing her palms together as she cried more. She heard more footsteps coming from behind, and three more guards rushed out of the metal door.

They all held Edwin securely and started walking towards the metal door. Ruth instantly ran to their side.

The guards paused, looking at her in hesitation.

"Miss Ruth, please, you can not come inside."

One of the guards said.

They had already figured out Edwin's injuries and how nasty they must be. They did not want Ruth to witness any of it.

"No! I am not leaving his side." Ruth argued.

"But Miss..."

"I will not hesitate to use this on you if you do not let me." She said, showing them Edwin's dagger.

When did she get it from his shoes?

Helplessly, the guard nodded, and they all rushed inside the old building before anyone watched Edwin's state.