A MAZE OF GREED

Eloise was in her chamber after the silent and uncomfortable breakfast with her family, which she did not remember clearly as her mind was still in process of understanding the events that happened earlier.

She was still not over the fact that a poor maid put up a fight against her in front of everyone. And Lester? He would have done more if it was Elsie in her place.

Elsie must have been happy by watching her sister getting humiliated like that. Or was it Elsie's plan all along?

"Aaaarrggghhh", Eloise screamed in frustration.

She had to promise Lester that she would not tell anything about it to her father. She was not going to complain to that man anyway. She only used Augustus's name only as a threat.

What should she do to calm heal her ego?

She stopped pacing as an idea struck her.

"Now I will see how you survive, you poor peasant!"

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*

Ruth was wandering in a secluded corner of the garden. She did not dare to face anyone after the incident with Eloise.

The problem was she did not know what happened exactly. She had experienced that before... on multiple times. But had yet to figure out what it was.

It was probably the only secret she had kept from everyone, including Thea and Mrs Payne. Ruth was too scared to admit that something was wrong with her.

What if people considered her a freak?

She did not want to imagine that. She had spent more than half of her life while ignoring this fact. It was only a couple of years since she had started acknowledging it. But every time she give it a thought, it messed up with her mind.

The thought process was exhausting. So she avoided these thoughts. Then incidences like this happened, and she was again forced to think about it.

Ruth was scared to say the truth, after fighting with Eloise. How could she forget that Eloise was practically no less than a princess and Ruth.. she was only an orphan who had only one goal in life- survival.

What if Eloise complained to Lord Augustus?

Ruth had yet to speak with the man, yet she already felt intimidated by him. Well, he was not the only person who made her feel that way.

But it was still different in some way.

"Ruth? Ruth?"

Ruth clenched her eyes shut, hoping that she would disappear from there when she heard someone calling her name. She was thinking why anyone did not try to find her for an hour now. And now that someone had come looking for her, she wanted to be invisible.

"Here you are!" A maid who was familiar to Ruth panted.

Ruth was relieved that it was her and not anyone from the group she had left in Elsie's chamber an hour ago.

"Er... erm... do you need something?"

The woman shook her head.

"First tell me what are you doing here of all the places? Are not you suppose to be working inside? It is not even your lunch time!"

The woman looked annoyed that she had to run throughout the property for finding her.

"I... I just needed some fresh air."

The maid did not believe Ruth's reasoning but did not comment on it.

"Okay. You need to come with me now." The maid told seriously.

"Why? Where?" Ruth asked in alarm.

Was she here to take Ruth to Lord Augustus? Or was it Lady Theodora?

Both scenarios were equally terrifying. Ruth face-palmed herself inwardly, scolding what got into her that she committed such a blunder.

How much Ruth wished that Thea was there to cover up for her!

Ruth fell into steps behind the maid as they made their way towards the residential buildings of 'the great manor'. For some reason, Ruth felt like every eye was giving her strange looks.

Did the news of the fight spread so fast?

Ruth kept her head bowed low, her eyes focused on the feet of the maid who was walking two steps ahead of her. Ten minutes later the maid stopped, and so did Ruth.

The guard outside opened the door.

"Go in."

The maid did not wait to say anything more and walked away. Ruth sighed, still busy with her thoughts. With beating heart, she stepped in through the door and jumped in surprise, when the door was shut behind her.

After entering the room, she finally took notice of her surroundings to find she was in a place that looked like someone's office. The cupboards covered every wall of the room.

The whole room was filled with files and piles of papers. If she did not know better, then she would have mistaken the place for a paper factory because of the number of papers in the room.

Her scanning eyes paused abruptly, as she sucked a deep breath. The hair on her body stood up, and the tingles danced on her skin. Her heart followed a different rhythm that felt homely yet strange.

Her eyes widened, and she hurriedly turned around. Her hastily move made her lose her balance, and she was about to fall when a muscular hand held her by the waist. It circled around her thin waist like a serpent but was sturdy enough to steady her.

A gasp left Ruth's parted lips as she gawked with wide and shocked eyes. The two gems of cerulean blue colour shone in front of her vision like stars twinkling brightly in the night sky.

The sweet tingles on her skin turned into bolts of electricity as his body warmth seeped through the material of her uniform. Ruth was paralysed in his strong arms, her hand clutched tightly onto the front of his shirt as her life depended on it.

She watched his face getting nearer, and soon she could feel his warm breath fanning her face. The urge of closing her eyes in bliss was too strong, but his intent gaze did not allow her that.

From this up close, Ruth could see how sharp Edwin's jawline was. It was like the cutter Mr Payne used to cut the toughest wood. The light-dark stubble failed to hide the tan skin underneath. Ruth wondered how it would feel to touch it just once.

Was it as smooth as it looked?

She gulped loudly when her hazel eyes moved down to his lips. Ruth had never heed attention to men's lips but looking at Edwin's she became sure that none of theirs would be so perfect and... delectable?!

She saw his adam's apple moving up then down. Her eyes snapped to his eyes which had turned a shade darker.

Was he also thinking the same? Ruth could not help but think.

The more she gazed into his eyes that had turned a beautiful shade of blue, the more she found herself drowning into them. There was something in his gaze- pure and intense- like he was trying to tell her something, perhaps a tale that she could not catch.

She wanted to ask him about that tale. She wanted to let him know that she was interested in hearing that tale. However, she did not know how to do that. She wanted him to guide her, tell her what she should do to understand that tale.

She felt his breath turn shaky, and suddenly she was aware of their intimate situation. Realising that, Ruth scrambled away from him as if she had touched a cactus.

Her hands immediately went to cover her torso as her body cried at the loss of his warmth.

"I... I am s-sorry!" She whispered, avoiding his eyes, for they were capable of sorcery of turning her into his puppet.

Edwin stood unmovingly, his eyes did not blink. His chest moved up and down in shallow breaths. But his wolf... it was howling inside, craving to claim him mate. Edwin's eyes moved to Ruth's bare neck, and his wolf growled loudly in frustration.

He wanted to dig his canines into her soft flesh and puncture her milky soft skin till he tastes her sweet blood. Edwin had again mastered his skill of keeping his wolf in control after going through weeks of physical, emotional and mental torture.

Yet this woman who stood awkwardly in front of him innocently had triggered his wolf only in minutes. Edwin clenched his fists at his sides when the pain sprouted in his gums, his nails itched.

He hurriedly walked towards his table and picking up the glass that was filled with wolfsbane potion, he drank the whole content in one go.

He had it ready on his table for an emergency like this. Somewhere he suspected something like this to happen. His beautiful enchantress never failed to have him on his knees.

And now that she was to stay around him more than ever, he needed to get used to her magic or else he would be a lost case.

Ruth waited in anticipation of why he wanted to see her. She was so lost in her thoughts, that she failed to realise when the maid brought her into his building.

But if she knew it before, then would it have changed anything?

"I heard about what happened between Eloise and you!"

Ruth's heart missed a beat in fear. Now she was the lost case!