A MAZE OF GREED

Edwin was disturbed because of the happenings of the day. First the meeting with the Council members and then his conversation with Rees that brought up Ruth's name again.

Lester came to help his disturbed mind, suggesting that they should go for a run as it was a full moon night.

It had been many days that Edwin got a chance to unleash his beast and relish some moments of indulgence. Achieving it became more challenging after the five deaths in the woods. Without giving a second thought Edwin grabbed the opportunity of stepping outside 'the great manor'.

After walking for nearly twenty minutes, Edwin, Lester and Rees reached the Northern boundary of the town of Vincardine. The nearest neighbouring town was miles away from Vincardine. That was why it was the best place for the O'Dell family to live there.

The full moon cast its soothing light on the Earth. Not many people came to this place, especially in the nighttime. And after the news of those five deaths got published in public, people fretted to even step outside their homes.

This was the ideal time to take a good run!

"Tonight is special... don't you agree?" Lester inhaled the fresh air inside his system, puffing out his chest. It contained a fragrance of freedom and the freshness of cold air.

Edwin's eyes schemed all over the tall, green trees which stood together as if they were protecting the Vincardine from the outside world. They were telling whoever wished to cause harm to the town that they would need to go through their protective shield.

If not safe, they were not dangerous before. But everything changed three months ago.

"Yes, I agree!" Edwin replied while taking his shoes off.

"You are coming with us, Rees?" Lester asked Edwin's bodyguard after taking his shoes off.

Rees's brown eyes shifted to his master, silently asking for his permission. After receiving a subtle nod from Edwin, Rees answered, "Yes, milord!"

"Come on then. I can't wait more!" Lester said with excitement. "Ready?"

Edwin closed his eyes, his face looked content. "As ready as I can ever be!"

The other two men also shut their eyes. Their fists clenched tightly, bodies taut. Their breaths grew ragged, veins in their bodies popped out enough to become visible even from a few feet of distance. Their bodies visibly shook when they opened their eyes.

Edwin's Cerulean blue eyes turned a shade darker with black rims of the dark blue lens. Rees's turned brownish-black. Lester's green eyes also turned a shade darker with black rims.

Animalistic growls rumbled through their chests as their faces lost their calm. Slowly their bodies started shifting into a different form that was not a normal sight to see for humans.

Hairs started growing on their skin, on their hands and legs. A white pain shot through their gums when their teeth elongated into sharp and long canines. But after years of experience, they had become used to that pain so much that they didn't feel it anymore.

Loud growls thundered, quivering the calmness of the night. Slowly their bodies started deforming as they increased their sizes, ripping off the clothes on their bodies that left into shreds on the green grass.

Sharp black claws replaced well-manicured nails. Their jaws widened to turn into muzzles. A muscular elongation covered with fur protruded out of the posterior side of their body, right below the spinal cord.

When the transformation was completed, there stood three big wolves. Werewolves!

A series of loud howls resonated around the isolated place, their intensity shook every living soul under the earshot. Those three supernatural creatures were rare and different. They held a powerful aura around them and their eyes spoke only one language... death!

Edwin and Lester belonged to the pure bloodline of werewolves and therefore were taller, bigger and stronger than Rees's wolf.

Rees was a grey coloured werewolf while Lester had shiny brown coloured fur on his body. Both of their eyes were obsidian in colour with golden streaks radiating from the black centre.

Edwin... he was the pinnacle of masculinity in his human form and was the epitome of strength and valour in his beautiful wolf form.

His obsidian eyes were different from the rest of the werewolves as they had blue streaks in them. They looked mesmerising like thunder in the dark sky. His colossal form with shiny black fur made him stood out amongst others.

The three wolves howled loudly thrusting their jaws skywards, which pierced through their surroundings. The brown one snarled showing its sharp canines at the other two to which they reacted by the same action.

The three wolves started racing through the woods, purring in delight as they enjoyed being in their wolf forms. The werewolves needed a plain and clear ground for the run but that was not possible when they had to cohabitate with the humans and it was impossible when they also had to keep their identities secret.

The gushing wind passed through their furs as they picked up their pace. They ran while jumping and dodging the obstacles in their paths.

~"This is so much fun!"~ Lester's voice passed through the mind link to reach Edwin and Rees.

~"It's been weeks since I last came for a run."~ Echoed Edwin's voice.

Rees's wolf roared in agreement.

Normal wolves used their tails to communicate with each other but that was not the only case with the werewolves. They had a special way to communicate with others through the mind link. A werewolf could decide if he wants to open or block it to let their pack members communicate with them.

While running for quite a time, suddenly Edwin's wolf stopped in its tracks. Lester and Rees's wolves that ran past him also seized running to come to halt when they noticed the big black wolf stood behind them.

~"What is it?"~ Lester's wolf asked through the mind link.

Edwin's wolf didn't answer and craned his neck to thurst its snout in the air, sniffing loudly. Unlike Lester and Rees's wolves, Edwin's wolf was sharper and his powers magnified many times in his wolf form. His wolf became restless as he rounded in circles while tracing a faint smell that lingered in the air.

Lester and Rees's wolves tried to sniff any other smell but they couldn't. How could they, when only Edwin was the one amongst them who had experienced it hundreds of times before?!

That smell... he couldn't forget or mistaken it for anything else. He was familiar with it like the honeybees are familiar with the scent of the sweetest flower in the garden of thousands.

A growl erupted from the black wolf's throat when he found the right direction from where that enticing smell came. Without wasting a minute, he darted in that direction. His ears stood up, trying to pick every sound around him even if it was faint.

As he ran faster and faster, his heart started beating hard, trying to match the pace of his four legs. That smell became stronger as he crossed more distance. Lester's and Rees's wolves were not far behind Edwin's as they also now caught a smell of a human.

~"Edwin, slow down! It's a human smell. Be careful to not reveal yourself."~ Lester's wolf warned through the mind link.

~"Master, please!"~ Rees's wolf requested when Edwin didn't slow down a bit. Rees's heart beat faster in his chest and only one thought lingered in his mind. 'Let it not be what I think!'

Edwin's wolf came to halt when he caught some movement ahead of him. His front legs inched ahead, his huge body passed through the leaves that made a rustling sound.

The woman who was walking cautiously snapped her head in his direction that he thought she would have broken her neck.

His pitch-black fur helped him camouflaged in the dark. The woman couldn't see him standing there. But when she turned Edwin's heart stopped for a second by looking at those familiar hazel eyes.

It took him every ounce of restraints to not let his wolf purred in ecstasy at the sight of those eyes that he could never forget and the touch of those toffee brown hairs that he longed to experience again.

~"Ruth!"~ The word echoed in his mind that reached Lester and Rees.

Rees's grey wolf stopped behind his master and he watched in shock. It was indeed Ruth. Her face looked fear-stricken, her hazel eyes looking around frantically. She had something in her hand that was covered in a green cloth and her small purse that she always carried with her.

Lester didn't know who that woman was. But after listening to her name from Edwin's and Rees's wolves, he was sure that they both were acquainted with her.

A part of his mind drifted back to the memory that was not too old. He had seen Edwin taking care of a brown piece of cloth as if it was some kind of treasure. 'Was it somehow connected to this woman?', he wondered.

And if Edwin was getting affected to this extent because of her mere smell then the matter was not to be taken lightly.

~"Who is she?"~