A MAZE OF GREED

*Flashback*

The stars accompanied the crescent moon in the dark sky. The day's heat had subsided, and now the air held pleasant coolness. Yet many bodies were drenched in sweat after just witnessing a battle between the two werewolves.

"I am not going to kill you Kevin! You do not deserve death!" Edwin said calmly.

Nobody reacted immediately. It took a minute for people to comprehend what Edwin said.

"What are you saying Edwin? You know that he is a threat to not only our people but alos to humans." Lester was the first one to break that silence.

Edwin's shoulders stiffened as the pain in his back intensified.

"No Lester. He is not a threat. He is just wronged by someone else." Edwin argued.

Many people disagreed with him, yet who would dare to oppose the leader?

"I could have killed you easily Kevin. I have done that before on multiple times. And it will be a lie if I say I do not regret it. Because I do. The baggage of that every death feels too heavy for my shoulders. Yet I kept doing it for the sake of my duty."

Lester always knew how Edwin felt about killing the werewolves who turned into rogues after getting rejected by their mates. He had seen and heard him doing that before.

Killing a rogue who was disbanded by the pack for his treachery, or indiscipline was a different story. In that case, they were guilty. But killing these rogues who had no fault and were wronged by others, made Edwin feel like a murderer, a killer rather than a capable leader.

Edwin then turned to the crowd, who was listening to his every word carefully.

"Tell me, is there any written rule where the Moon Goddess has mentioned that a werewolf rejected by his or her mate should be only killed? If anyone has a proof then step ahead!" Edwin's loud voice boomed in the silence of the dark.

His cerulean blue eyes swept over the crowd, challenging every person of it. After five minutes, when no one stepped ahead, he continued.

"For how long we are going to punish innocent souls like Kevin? If his mate has rejected him is it his fault?" Edwin asked aggressively.

"For centuries after the great war, we all have to live with the humans. To keep our identity hidden from them, we have learned their ways. But we do not realise that we have not only learned their lifestyles but have also inculcated their negative attributes!

We are learning to be greedy. We are prioritising our selfish motives over the good of our pack, our people. I have killed the number of rogues in these past years because their mates rejected them. And for what? Power, money, status, selfish motives, family interests?

I am asking this question to the elders of this pack. Do you recall how many people got rejected by their mates during your time and the time before that?" Edwin's eyes trained on the group of elders who looked like they were in their late eighties.

He saw them casting their eyes down. Edwin's every word was like a slap to all of their faces.

"A mate is not only a random person that you get attracted to. A mate is a someone that the Moon Goddess herself has chosen for you. And by rejecting your mate, you reject our supreme creator's wish. Do you think a true werewolf should do that?"

Edwin's face was set in a mould of seriousness as his eyes did not spare a single person in the crowd.

"Now you all must be wondering why your leader realised this only now? It is not because I have a bias towards Kevin, although I know that kid very well.

No! As a werewolf leader, I can not have biases. Or the Moon Goddess would not have chosen me as a leader. I realised this because... because I have just learned what love is."

Every pair of ears strained sharply at Edwin's last statement.

"You may reject your mate and chose someone else. But you can never love them the way you could have loved your mate. Love is a feeling that just happens, you learn it, experience it, fail in it yet, try again and again.

It can not be forcefully implied on the other person. You can not command your heart to beat for a person. Love is magic. And it has no rational reasoning. It just happens... here!" Edwin put his first finger on his chest, where his heartbeat was for only one hazel-eyed woman.

"But... wh-what if you fall in love with someone who is not... your mate?"

A timid voice came cutting through the crowd. Edwin's eyes sharply drifted in that direction. People parted like the sea, and his eyes landed on a young girl who looked much younger than Kevin.

A couple, whom Edwin assumed were her parents, glared at her with a disapproving look.

The girl's face morphed into a pang of sudden guilt for asking a question. By the time she realised it, the words had already disappeared in the air.

"Come forward."

The girl visibly trembled, her eyes instantly moistened at the edge.

"Do not fear and come ahead brave lady!"

Edwin's term of endearment made her feel a little confident. She slowly and hesitantly walked ahead to stand in front of the crowd facing Edwin.

"When you have a question to ask, ask it confidently and looking straight into a person's eyes. No matter if your question sounds stupid or clever to you."

The girl instantly looked up. She found it difficult at first to look into his domineering eyes, yet she tried.

"A heart wants what it wants, and you can not control it, especially when it comes to love. What is most important is to know the difference between love and attraction. There is a very fine line that may lead you the wrong way.

I am not saying that you must accept your mate even though your heart belongs to someone else. No! Do you know why the Moon Goddess decided to choose mates for her children?"

The girl shook her head. And the curious look on other young pack members told that they were also not aware of the reason.

"Because she wanted her every child to experience love! She did not want any of us to live alone, and in wait for true love.

Getting rejected by a human mate or the mates from the breeds who do not know what a mate means, and how much important a mate bond is for the werewolves is understandable.

You can not expect a person to believe in something that they had no knowledge about. But being a werewolf we all are aware of these things, and yet some of us decide to reject our mates in their selfishness.

In my opinion, you should be thankful to the Moon Goddess that you got saved from falling for a wrong person who can not respect your love and your emotions." Edwin said the last part, looking at injured Kevin.

"My Lord, we all agree to your arguement. But with no mate, Kevin can not be a part of our pack. We werewolves are very much possessive about our mates. We can not tolerate a werewolf without mate in our pack. Kevin will always be considered as a threat by all the male members of the pack." One of the pack members, who was in his late fifties, dared to voice out his concern.

Another woman member got the confidence to open her mouth. "As a rogue Kevin will always reamain as a threat to us and the humans. His wolf will not let him live peacefully. How is he going to keep his wolf in control?"

The alpha waited for Edwin's answer. But little did he know that his brother was in such depth of nothingness that he found death more comforting than living in this oblivion.

"Lord Edwin! They are right. Please kill me! I do not want to live. I do not want to live this way without a mate, without my pack and without any motive in life." Kevin cried in pain as he tried to move but could not.

"Shut up Kevin!" The Alpha snapped at his brother.

Tears flowed down both of their faces.

"No brother... please let me go! That is the only best chance I have got."

The alpha's heart broke looking at that defeated look on his brother's face. He ran towards Kevin and scooped him in his arms as they both cried till their tears mixed together.

The Luna wiped her tears, a hope still alive in her eyes. "My Lord, I want to hear what you have decided. If you say that you will not kill Kevin then there must be something on your mind. Please let us know."

"I understand your concern." Edwin finally said, looking at the man who voiced it out before.

"He has turned into a rogue and will remain so until he finds some way to get back into the pack."

Disappointment washed over Alpha. How could he expect anything better from Edwin O'Dell?

"But"

Kevin stopped crying and looked up at Edwin.