A MAZE OF GREED

"Master, everything is ready!" Rees informed Edwin.

After making sure that Elsie's mood was elevated after her tussle with Eloise, Edwin returned to his office. He was waiting for his family to go to sleep so that when he would go to the dungeons no one amongst them question him.

He knew that Augustus was also running his investigation but now with much success. To save his uncle the hassle, he could have told him about his findings but he wanted to keep the things under the blanket till he found out the solution to this problem.

It all started with him and now he wanted to end it on his own.

Only nodding his head, Edwin marched out of his office into the direction of the dungeons followed by Rees.

Edwin was aware of his uncle's eyes and ears who kept a watch on his every movement like hawks. Making sure to not draw their attention towards them, Edwin and Rees took the backside route to leave the main complex of 'the great manor' and reach to the dungeons that were in the old building in the property once was used as a quarter for their army.

The old building was situated at the far end of the property. The O'Dell family stopped using it a decade ago when the King ordered all his allies to send their troops in his service when the neighbouring country attacked them.

Unwillingly Lord Augustus O'Dell had to decrease his fleet of an army to be in the Council's and the royal family's good books. Since then this old two-storeyed structure left abandoned without a human touch. Or that was what everyone believed in Vincardine.

But Edwin had different plans. This building was added to the property by his father at a young age. Edwin had lost both of his parents when he was a year old. After that, he was taken care of by his grandfather who loved him dearly. But lady luck always had resentment against Edwin O'Dell.

When Edwin turned six, he lost his grandfather too that left him with only his uncle Augustus. After losing the people he loved, this building was the place of solace for his grim soul.

Edwin used to spend hours and hours roaming inside and around the building in a hope of a miracle that would bring his parents back to him. But the little boy didn't know that the rules of nature couldn't be changed or averted, no matter what.

Since then the building became his little possession, his territory, his own little kingdom. Augustus was aware of Edwin's attachment to the building and hence he left the building untouched as per Edwin's wish when others suggested to either demolish the structure or renovate it to put it to some good use.

Since then people stopped using it or rarely one stepped a foot inside the wire fencing around the building.

That was the reason why Edwin decided to do his secret work there. And as everyone knew that Edwin liked to visit this building regularly, no one doubted that he had turned the interiors into his base from where he worked in his discretion.

While turning at a corner of the last hallway of the ground floor, Edwin suddenly pulled Rees harshly and they both hide behind the stone wall.

Edwin placed his first finger on his lips then cocked his head to the side. Following his master's command, Rees slowly peeked from behind the wall to where Edwin directed with his head.

Two guards were stationed at the only exit.

~"What are they doing here?"~ Edwin opened his mind link only for Rees.

~"I don't know, master. We do not usually appoint any guards at this door. But they are Lord Augustus's guards."~

~"I think my uncle is either suspicious about us or he might have tightened the security around the manor."~

Rees only nodded his head in understanding.

Edwin then sniffed into the air and strained his ears. Rees followed the same and soon a relief crossed their tensed features.

~"They are humans, master."~

~"You are right. They shouldn't be any trouble for us."~

With that said, a smirk appeared on Edwin's face and Rees knew what he had to do. He slipped out of their hiding place and with a puffed up chest walked towards the two humans.

As soon as they spotted Rees walking towards them, their figures straightened a bit.

"Good evening!" Both of them greeted him when he reached near them.

Nodding his head with face void of any expressions, Rees's brown orbs stared right back at the two humans.

"I came to check if everything is well or not."

"Don't worry, We are doing our duty very well." First guard replied.

One thing led to another and soon, both the guards stared at Rees falling into his trap. Unblinkngly Rees held their gazes captive with his own. His brown orbs slowly turned a shade darker but the two guards couldn't waver their gazes from his.

"Now tell me, what you are suppose to do now?" Without breaking his eye contact he asked slowly.

"We... we..." The first guard stuttered.

"We are doing our duty and we didn't notice anything suspicious." The second guard colpeted his fellow guard's sentence.

Both of their faces were passive and their eyes glued to Rees's without blinking. Rees smiled inwardly in satisfaction for he knew that now the two humans were in his complete control.

Edwin who was watching his bodyguard work efficiently from behind the wall, walked towards them hurriedly.

"Good job, Rees. Now let's go. Your power of hypnotism will not last for long."

"Yes, master!" And the two werewolves stepped out of the exit easily to march towards their destination leaving the two humans behind who came to their senses after five minutes.

Both of their heads felt heavy and the memories of last five minutes were lost from their brains. Not having any idea of what had happened with them, they ignored the weirdness and resumed their duties.

Leaving the office building behind, Edwin walked silently on a narrow stone path that led to his possession. Rees was hot on his tail. Both of their wolves were alert and they didn't need torches to look into the dark as their wolves were well capable of doing so.

The tall birch trees to both the side of the path cast dark shadows on the ground. A soothing and calm breeze ran past them now and then. They could hear the crickets rubbing their leathery front wings together creating the chirping sounds that were the only thing that disturbed the serenity of the night.

Walking the distance of a few meters, they left the world behind and took a turn to their destination that was hidden behind the rows of trees and in the darkness of night. Crossing the wire fence, they ascended the wide steps that led them to the large closed door.

Rees was quick to knock on the door on a specific beat which was a code that only Edwin's most trustable guards were aware of. After a second, the door creaked cutting through the silence and was opened by a man just enough to let the men enter through it.

"Young Master!" The guard bowed his head as Edwin stepped inside.

Nodding his head in acknowledgement Edwin walked straight towards the stairs that led to the dungeons that were built underground. After instructing the guard at the door to keep his eyes and ears on alert, Rees followed his master.

The old building was made up of large boulders and stones. Anyone could tell that it was built to stand for the next many decades to come. The torches were lit along the way and placed in the metal stands that were fixed on the walls.

The air in there was mixed with an unusual smell that was rusty and ancient. The loud thumps of their shoes against the cold stone stairs echoed in the confined space. If it was a normal human to enter the building late in the night, he would have pissed his pants by the overwhelming feeling of eeriness that filled the place.

After descending a good thirty steps, Edwin stopped at the bottom of the staircase. A guard bowed his head then straightened to look at his master.

"Young Master, he is locked up in the cell." He pointed to his right side.

"Bring him to the hall." Edwin ordered then turned in the left direction and walked through a corridor that led him to a large dark room.

As soon as he reached the door, the putrid and metallic smell overpowered his senses. He deeply inhaled the familiar smell.

"Hmm… I like this smell." With a crooked smile on his handsome face, he went to sit on the chair that was placed at the wall of the room.

His silhouette disappeared in the darkness making it impossible to distinguish him against that darkness. Soon the sound of metal hitting the ground resonated in the space and the two guards dragged a debilitated body of a man.

The man was not unconscious as per Edwin's order. The putrid metallic smell burnt the hairs in his nose and he scrunched up his face in disgust.

'What kind of foul smell is this?' He questioned trying to guess the answer but got none. But the smell was too strong that he wanted to run from there while covering his nose.

Edwin's wolf watched his prey cautiously from behind the curtains of the dark to which the man was oblivious.

The guards freed the man's hands and legs from the shackles and a short sigh of relief escaped through his mouth. But his relief was short-lived as the guards tied his hands in line with his face horizontally and his legs were stretched apart then tied to the wall.

The room was still covered with the darkness and the man could barely make out the moving silhouettes against the dark. But he had no idea that a hungry predator was ready instantly to pounce on him and was enjoying his accelerated heartbeats and a smell of fear with a wicked grin on his face.