A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth yawned, opening her mouth wide. She stretched her arms then scratched her head lightly. The chirping of the birds sounded pleasant to her ears.

She smiled softly when the aroma of freshly brewed coffee hit her nostrils.

She tossed in her bed as it felt too comfortable and warm to leave. She turned to her right to see a bag on the chair. Ruth frowned, seeing the neatly folded clothes and some other essentials around it.

Ruth saw Mrs Payne coming out of the kitchen with some more clothes in her hands while she muttered something incoherently.

Ruth sat up in the bed with a big question mark on her face.

"Good morn-"

"Oh! Hush, woman! You scared me!!" Ruth's voice startled Mrs Payne that she literally jumped in fright.

"Erm... sorry!" Ruth gave her a sheepish smile.

With a glare, Mrs Payne resumed with her packing. Ruth moved her legs to place her feet on the floor. She spared a second to let her mind and body coordinate. She did not want to fall on her face at the beginning of the day.

"What are you doing?" Ruth asked, walking Mrs Payne's way.

She gathered her hair together then twisted them with her hands before tying them in a messy bun on her head.

"Oh, I am sorry for informing you at the last moment Ruth. But I received a letter from one of your uncle's relatives at an early hour of the morning."

"Okay? What about it?" Ruth still did not understand.

"There is a medical emergency so I have to go there."

"Oohh... Okay. We can leave tomorrow or maybe this evening. I will ask Lady Elsie for-"

"No Ruth." Mrs Payne stopped her midsentence.

"It is an emergency. I need to leave right now."

Her words angered Ruth.

"Why did not you tell me about it beforehand? I would have taken leave from Lady Elsie. We could have gone together."

Mrs Payne understood Ruth's concern very well. "I am sorry Ruth but I got the letter only in the morning." She showed Ruth the letter.

Ruth read it carefully.

"But how are you going to travel alone? Your knees are also paining Mrs Payne. I cannot let you go alone." Ruth said, folding the letter and passing it to her.

Mrs Payne took Ruth's hands in hers. "Do not worry about me, dear. I will take care of myself. Your aunt is still strong enough to travel alone. I would have not chose to go if it was not important."

Ruth was in dilemma. She did not want to leave Mrs Payne alone in such a state.

"Who are these elatives? Are they from Warthford Island?" Ruth then asked.

"No, they are not from the Warthford Island. They are your uncle's cousins. Although they are not immediate cousins, they shared a healthy relationship. He is on the bed and is counting his last minutes. He would like to meet me once before..."

Ruth felt bad. She knew the pain of losing the dear ones.

"I am sorry. May the God give him and his family strength to go through this situation." Ruth prayed sincerely.

"Come on. I have already asked for a carriage. Brush your teeth fast. We will drink coffee together." Mrs Payne said.

"Yes. Only ten minutes please." Ruth said, rushing into the bathroom.

Mrs Payne checked if she had taken everything she would need. She remembered the box she would need the most. Taking advantage of Ruth being busy, she slowly pulled out a glass jar from its hiding place.

She put it at the bottom of her bag and covered it with her clothes. She could not afford to lose that glass jar.

Ruth came out after getting fresh. They exchanged instructions over the coffee, and before the list of instructions finished, it was already time for Mrs Payne to leave.

Ruth covered herself with a shawl then picked up Mrs Payne's bag. After locking the door, they climbed down the stairs.

"Ruth take care of yourself and... be aware!" Mrs Payne warned.

Ruth immediately understood who she was referring to.

"Do not worry about that Mrs Payne. Have a safe journey and come back soon."

They hugged each other before Ruth helped Mrs Payne to climb the carriage. She had already given her some money.

Ruth requested the coachman to ride safely and take care of Mrs Payne.

Ruth waited until the carriage disappeared from her sight. She then went back home to get ready for the day.

*

*

*

"Good morning Ruth!" Ida ran to catch up with Ruth.

"Good morning Ida!" Ruth greeted with a smile.

They both were heading to Elsie's chamber.

"You are late today." Ida pointed.

"Oh yes. Actually Mrs Payne had to go visit one of her relatives as he is in the critical condition. So I got late." Ruth explained.

They walked while conversing amongst them to notice someone walking in their way. As a werewolf, Ida knew who it was, yet she chose to stay quiet.

Ruth gasped loudly when she crashed into something solid. The impact was so powerful that she lost her foot and found herself falling backwards.

Her eyes widened in shock, but before she fell back someone held her hand then pulled her. When Ruth steadied and her vision stabilised, she saw the familiar warm eyes staring back at her in concern.

Ida quietly tiptoed away from there with a playful smile.

Ruth's brain screamed at her to tear her gaze from him, but she couldn't. As if his touch had frozen her in her place, she stood immobile.

"Come with me."

Edwin's voice sounded different to her ears. It was rougher than his normal voice.

Ruth did not understand why, and when she followed him in his office chamber. She was broken from the trance once she heard the sound of the closing door.

"Wh-what?" she did not understand how she got there.

And, Edwin did not understand why his compulsion did not work correctly on her.

"How did I come here?" She asked.

She could feel the tingling sensation in her head.

"Ruth-"

Ruth held her hand up, showing up her palm to him. "What I am doing here?"

"I want to talk with you." He said earnestly.

"But I don't." She retorted back.

Edwin was suffering a lot, perhaps more than Ruth in their fight. His wolf got used to his mate, and now that she did not even utter a word to him, he became restless.

"Ruth, stop it please!" He was so frustrated that he did not care about his loud voice.

But that only angered Ruth more.

"Why don't you stop it, Edwin? Huh?" Her voice too rosed to match his.

"What do you want me to do? I am doing everything in my capability yet you seem unsatisfied with my efforts." Edwin knew his arguments were wrong, but when he touched her before, the last strain of his self-control broke.

All these days, he longed for her, for her touch. His wolf did not like her defiance and was angry. All that piled up anger and need burst into a fountain when he again had her in his arms.

"How can I be satisfied with your lies? How can I be satisfied with your secrets? Tell me! I tried understanding you but when I know nothing how I am suppose to do it?"

Ruth was firm on her stand. All her insecurities had held her tightly in their clutches. She wanted Edwin to free her, yet he just kept staring at her while she suffocated.

"I said I will tell you at the right time. Can't you be little patient Ruth?"

The man in front of her looked nothing like the man she had fallen for. He was different, aggressive and insensitive.

"What is wrong with you Edwin? Why are you doing this? I have already told you many times that I am willing to understand if only you tell me. How worse it can be, huh?" Her eyes filled to the brim with tears.

"Is it because of my social status? Are you ashamed of showing the world that you like a maid? An orphan from the low class?"

There! She finally asked her biggest insecurity. Ruth had thought about it many times. She had not missed the look people passed her way when they saw her with him, even when they did not know about their relationship.

Florence, Fannie, Eloise and Theodora had made sure to water that seed of self-doubt in her heart to grow it into a tree.

Ruth gulped down nervously when she saw his eyes darkening by a shade. She blinked her teary eyes to make sure that she was not hallucinating.

"I know why you are doing this." Edwin's words caught her by surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"You are having these foolish thoughts only because I did not kiss you that day. Isn't it right Ruth?" He stalked towards her like a predator.

With his dark eyes, he looked dangerous. Ruth was scared. She had never faced this side of him. Edwin was always gentle with her, and the most he had done was tell her to get out.

"Edwin stop right there!" She warned, but the beast was hungry.

Her pulsating heartbeats watered his mouth. Her long neck invited him to sink his canines in it. And his shaft was hard since the moment he touched her outside.

Her pink lips called for him, and Edwin failed to realise when his wolf and his lust took over him. And the frightening part was... he surrendered quickly and willingly without putting many fights.

"Then let me taste you Ruth. I am ready to give you what you are craving for." He said darkly.

Ruth felt sudden heat rising inside her body. Something tingled in the soft walls of her womanhood that made her gasp for air.

It was easy to give in, but her conscience did not agree with her heart.

Her eyes widened when Edwin gripped her tightly then pulled her close. He leaned down, aiming for her lips, but something about it did not feel right to her.

She pushed him away from her.

"Stop it Edwin! What are you doing?"

"Isn't what you want Ruth? This is the reason you are avoiding me, running away from me all this time! Now I am giving you what you want. Then what is your problem?" He asked, staring into her hazel eyes.

"It... it does not feel right." She whispered, still trying to grasp the situation.

"Exactly! It does not feel right because this is not a right way and the right time. This is the very reason why I am holding back some things from you."

With that said, he left his office without another glance at her.