A MAZE OF GREED

The next day arrived, and yet Edwin had not opened his eyes. The physician changed the bandages, but Ruth refused to go out of the chamber. She was with him all the time. And nobody told her to do otherwise.

She was doing everything that he once did for her. The more she watched him, touched him, talked with him; although he did not listen to anything she said, Ruth was connected with him to some deeper level. And it felt good!

Everyone was happy to see her taking care of Edwin. That day when Ruth would know and accept the truth was not far away, they believed.

The entire day Ruth followed all of the physician's instructions and spent her day taking care of Edwin. She cleaned his body with a wet towel, combed his hair. But then ruffled them again, as she liked them that way better on him. Only he was able to carry that unruly look sportingly in the sea of thousands of well-groomed men.

She changed his bandages then. The first time she saw his wound, the bile rose to her throat, her eyes watered. She had to go to the balcony to get fresh air and wash her face with cold water to get rid of that torturous image.

But then she decided to fight her fears. It should be only her who would take care of Edwin. And for that, she needed to be strong for him. She looked at the mark of the scar on her hand.

Did he also feel the same seeing her scar then?

She remembered this one time when she was still not completely conscious. Edwin was holding her wounded hand in his, staring at it intensely as if he was trying to heal it with only his gaze.

And then he whispered sorry before kissing it. Ruth smiled at that memory. Her man was just perfect but in different ways!

Now, when she changed his bandages, she only felt his pain and nothing else. She had realised how much she loved him, how much he meant for her.

The feelings she was suppressing for so long had now coated her in the colour of love!

The Sun had set behind the horizon and one more day went by while waiting to see his silently speaking cerulean blue eyes.

The darkness covered the world in its shadows. Ida lit up the torches and the candles in Edwin's chamber. She asked Ruth to eat something, but she refused, saying she was not hungry.

Ruth asked about Mrs Payne and asked Ida to take care of her until Ruth was with Edwin, to which Ida agreed gladly.

Ruth had nothing to do after getting done with other things. She sat silently beside Edwin on his King-sized bed.

She was playing with her necklace absentmindedly. Only thoughts about Edwin ran on her mind. She did not realise when her eyes turned heavy, and soon she drifted into sleep.

The serene silence and the sweet lullaby of Edwin's breaths, along with the pleasant air coming from the open balcony door, caressed Ruth's tired mind and body.

She rested her head on the headrest of the bed. Her legs stretched in front of her as Edwin lay on his stomach beside her. His hand that she was holding out of habit slipped from her loose fingers at some point.

Soon the darkness in her vision began fading away. She realised that it was a dream. Ruth had now accustomed to the dreams, about the snippets she saw after touching the white feather to her forehead. It did not scare her anymore, only made her long for her late father and angry at the woman, who caused havoc in both of their lives.

Ruth realised that it was a different dream. She did not see the tall trees. She did not see a man with big green eyes, smiling at her, extending his hand for her to take. She did not see Theodora and Gerald running through the forest hand in hand. She did not see what followed after that.

Instead, she saw an unfamiliar face. Her feet landed on the lush green grass that was still wet after the last night's dew. The fog covered the surroundings, although it was not too thick.

Suddenly a loud scream made her heart jump out of her chest. Her eyes frighteningly searched around, but she could not see anyone. Only that scream fell on her ears again and again in a loop.

The cries made her cover her ears, but they kept twisting her heart in helplessness.

"Ruth... Ruth! Open your eyes Ruth!"

Someone called her name from distance.

"Ruth please open your eyes!"

And she gasped, opening her mouth agape, gasping desperately for air. Her forehead was covered in sweat, her palms were clammy. Her heartbeat was faster as she dragged as much air in as possible for her lungs.

She blinked a couple of times before her eyes adjusted to the light in the room. She hurriedly snapped her head to her left, and the moment her eyes met with the Cerulean blue ones, her body gave up her act of toughness.

Her vision turned misty as tears of happiness and relief gathered in her eyes. She turned her body to her left. A broken smile made its way on her lips, her face lit up as bright as hundreds of lights.

She raised both her hands and touched his face as Edwin stared back at her in awe. Ruth touched his forehead then ran her hands on his cheeks.

"E-Edwin..." She stuttered in complete astonishment.

She held his face between her palms as a loud sob came out of her trembling lips.

"You... you are awake!"

Ruth pulled his head near her as she herself learned to touch their foreheads. Ruth made way for her tears, but her lips were stretched in a joyous smile.

Edwin slowly moved his healthy hand and held the back of her head while fisting her hair. Their hearts were beating on the same rhythm, their breaths mixed together to become one as they relished the fact that they were together, close to each other.

"You are here!"

Edwin's warm breath fanned Ruth's face like a gust of first summer air after a heavy winter.

"Yes! I am here. I was here waiting for you... I am here!" Ruth's voice was overflooded by relief.

Slowly Edwin pulled away from her, but not far enough to lose the feel of her breaths on his face. His eyes shifted to her left ear. Ruth was still wearing those blue stoned earrings in a hope that he would open his eyes and see her with those earrings.

At last, her wish got completed!

Edwin's back pained with every movement. He had already started healing because of his werewolf power. However, The healing rate of the werewolves had dropped by centuries of consumption of the wolfsbane potion.

He searched for Ruth's eyes. He did not want to offend her when she was warming up towards him. But the moment he saw those earrings in her ears, he could not hold back himself anymore.

Edwin leaned to her ear and placed an open-mouthed kiss on her ear. Bolts of electricity jolted inside Ruth. Her whole body suddenly was set on fire by the feel of his lips. She closed her eyes as tingles arose to both of her sides.

She shuddered, putting her palm on his bare skin when she felt him rubbing the tip of his nose on the nape of her neck.

"E-Edwin...."

What Ruth was feeling felt too good to be true. She feared if it was a dream. If it was, then she did not want to wake up from this dream. Never!

"Hmm?"

She suppressed the giggle caused by the tingles sent by his actions.

"H-how do you feel now? It must be paining right?" The worry instantly appeared on her face.

Edwin pulled back and smiled, looking at her. "Not when you are with me!"

"I am serious Edwin. Stop with your cheesy answers!" Ruth grumbled with a small frown adorning her face.

"What? Cheesy?" Edwin asked in amusement.

Ruth bit the inside of her cheek as she stole her gaze from him.

"Erm... yes"

"And where have you learned this word My Luna?"

"I...I..." Ruth's face flushed in pink as she struggled to answer, but the way Edwin waited patiently made it clear that she had to tell him or he would not drop this topic.

"I read it in a book." Ruth told in a low voice, still not looking at him.

"You mean in a romantic book."

"Edwin!" Ruth glared at him as he laughed loudly.

Ruth's hand that she rose to hit him froze midair as she watched him with her lips slightly parted. His dimple on the right cheek looked extremely adorable. His cerulean blue eyes looked alive like they were the epitome of human emotions.

The sound of his laughter was not like the thundering of the clouds given to his huge form. Instead, it reminded her of the raindrops crashing on the ground making the pitter-patter sound. It was her favourite sound that brought a smile to her face.

But now, she had found the new favourite that not only made her smile but also made her feel loved. She had finally found her peaceful abode!