A MAZE OF GREED

The food remained untouched after Thea revealed the date she and Rees had decided for their wedding. The date that their family and friends were eager to hear.

"Two weeks? Only two weeks? How are we going to prepare everything? There is a tonne of work to do. We have to chose a place, decorations, dresses, rings, food, invitations and-"

"Calm down, dear. Take a breath!" Mrs Payne patted Mrs Green's back.

The lady had passed into panic mode the very next moment Thea announced the date.

"But Mrs Payne-"

"Why are you worrying so much? We all are here to take care of everything. And if the kids have decided this short period then they must have something on their mind." Mrs Payne said.

"Rees, Thea, you both should have thought through it carefully. Your mother is right! How are we going to do all the preparations in such short time?" Mr Green said.

He had many plans for his daughter's wedding and was sure that they could not be get done well in just two weeks.

"Please, everyone. Just listen to us first." Thea said.

Rees continued what his mate had to say. "We both have thought thoroughly through it, Mr Green. We do not want a grand wedding but a simple wedding with all of our family members and friends.

Please do not worry about the preparations as my Master has promised to care for them."

Ruth looked at Edwin after realising that he knew it all along. She knew how important he was in Rees's life. And that was why he came here tonight to be present at Rees's special moment.

That gesture of his touched her heart. But her mind was yet to warm up towards him.

"Lord Edwin O'Dell? He will be there at your wedding?" Mrs Green's panic subsided as curiosity replaced it.

Rees smiled meaningfully. "I am afraid that as Lord it will not fit his image to attend his bodyguard's wedding. And he is not fond of public appearances as a Lord.

But I have my best man by my side through it! So I think I will do just fine!"

Edwin returned Rees's smile while blinking in affirmation.

"Ruth?"

Thea called her name, and Ruth was glad that she had avoided staring at the blue-eyed monster at that moment.

"Yes?"

"I have a request to make." Thea said.

"Of course, Thea. Anything for you! Just tell me what I can do for you." Ruth replied.

"I have chosen my wedding dress-"

"Without me?" Came Ruth's shocked reply.

Thea smiled. "Sorry but I could not resist it as it is the most precious and beautiful dress that I have ever seen. But I want you to do something for me."

Ruth was upset that Thea had already chosen her wedding dress. She had heard from the other girls about how they were involved in their friend's wedding preparations and dreamt of doing the same in Thea's wedding.

But it seemed that her friend did not want that. Putting a forced smile on her face, Ruth said, "Yes, tell me." She did not want to ruin the good time.

"I want you to work on that dress. There is no one as skilled as you in the intricate handwork and I always wanted that on my wedding dress. If you do that for me then that dress will have elements of the two most important women of my life."

People were puzzled at her words.

"I want to wear my mother's wedding dress with your artwork on it." Thea smiled, solving the puzzle that the others could not.

Ruth did not know what to say. She felt so stupid for getting upset with her friend. Thea, who was always gleeful and easy-going, was so thoughtful that her mother's eyes moistened again.

"Oh, my baby!" The mother and the daughter hugged each other as others only watched them with a smile.

"Will you do it Ruth?" Mrs Green asked after pulling away from Thea.

"Of course, Mrs Green. I will do my best to give my friend the wedding dress of her dreams!" Ruth exclaimed.

"Mr Berrycloth, now you can not leave Vincardine before their wedding. We will need your assistance in the preparations." Mrs Green said.

Her words made Mr and Mrs Welby uneasy as they exchanged glances.

Edwin smiled. "Of course, you will see more of me!" His words were directed to her, but his eyes focused on the woman whose eyes widened by a fraction by his words.

Satisfied with his answer, the elders got engrossed in the planning. Rees and Thea joined them when they were asked about their likings. Ruth's mind started charting out everything that she was planning to do at her best friends' wedding.

After dinner, they all shifted into the living room and before the clock hit midnight, all the plan was figured, and the responsibilities were shared between them. The conversation was running on a light note when Mrs green's eyes twinkled as the words she was intending to say since Edwin's arrival came to her lips.

"I do not even want to imagine how quiet this house will turn after Thea's wedding. Girls grew up faster than we hope and when we realise that they have grown up it is already time to wed them off, is not it right Mrs Payne?"

"Your are right, Mrs Green. Over the years I have seen Ruth grown up from a teenage girl to such a beautiful and kind woman. It still feels like it was only yesterday that she came knocking on our door asking for a bowl of sugar." Mrs Payne's voice came thick with emotions as she recalled the first time she and her husband met this nervous teenage girl.

"Are you not planning for her wedding Mrs Payne?" Mr Green asked.

The word 'wedding' stilled not only the young people but also Mr and Mrs Welby.

"I am, Mr green. As you see, I do not have much time left in my hands. I want to see her with a good man- happy and satisfied so I can close my eyes peacefully."

"Mrs Payne!" Ruth cried at that thought, but the old woman only smiled.

"I can understand your situation. For every parent seeing their child happy in life is what the most important thing!" Mrs Welby agreed.

Edwin gulped down his saliva through his clenched jaw. He wished his parents were there to share the news of his mate with them. Alas!

"I snot it better if you start looking for a good suitor for her, Mrs Payne. After Thea and Rees's wedding, we do not want our Ruth to feel lonely. And now that she is working in 'the great manor', she can bag a nice man for herself. Even Rees might help, right Rees?" Mr Green said.

Rees looked as awkward as Ruth. He deliberately closed his mind link to not listen to the violent thoughts of his master.

In response to his soon to be father-in-law, he only smiled meekly.

"You are right, Mr Green. But you know it is very hard to find a good man these days. I want a nice-looking man with stable earnings and own home with no bad habits like gambling, smoking or anything worse than that.

But the young people these days! It is very hard to find such a man. I do not want my Ruth to end up with an aggressive and dominating man with habits that could put her life in danger." Mrs Payne listed out the qualities she wanted in a man to whom Ruth should marry.

For some reason, Ruth's eyes stole a glance at Edwin's way to see him visibly on the verge of exploding. His cerulean blue eyes had turned a shade darker. The same shade she had seen before. But she could not understand why he was acting that way.

"Well... I have one person on my mind that fits in your requirements."

Thea's eyes widened hearing that. After going through so many efforts, they had managed to bring Ruth and Edwin under one roof. And, now when the things had initiated to change for good, she did not want her mother to make them awkward between Edwin and Ruth.

"Really? And who is he?"

Before Thea could stop her mother, she said, "The man in front of you- Mr Edwin Berrycloth!"

Thea facepalmed herself, and Rees shifted uncomfortably in his place as his parents gave him questioning looks.

"Mr Berrycloth?" Mrs Payne's eyes moved towards Edwin, who was frozen in his place.

He had no idea that Mrs Green was rooting for him and Ruth.

"Yes, Mrs Payne. And do you know the best thing? Our Ruth likes him!"

Ruth cried in embarrassment, begging for the earth to split open and gulp her down, so she could escape Edwin's scorching gaze fixated on her.

'Ruth likes him!' Those were the only words that ringed in Edwin's ears, running through his veins to reach his heart.

He could hear her heart thumping loudly and see the beetroot tinge that adorned her angelic face. The smell of blood hit his nostrils, and it took him no longer to know that it was Ruth's blood that she had drawn by biting her cheek to maintain her composure.

His wolf purred, intoxicated by the mere smell of that sweet elixir. He wanted more of it to not only smell but also to taste and gulp some of it.

His darkened eyes strained on her partially exposed neck- the area where the neck meets the shoulder line. His sharp werewolf eyes could see the pulse beating under her creamy skin. His aching gums wanted to let his canines free pass so that they could puncture her skin and fulfil his decades-old thirst.

Sensing Edwin's condition, Mr Welby passed a glass of water in Edwin's way and patted on his back to disturb his communication with his wolf before the things turned worse.

"I am sure that if Ruth's parents were alive then they would have agreed with her choice too!" Mrs Green said.

Edwin drank the water. Wiping his mouth as he somehow managed to control his wolf, for the time being, he put the glass back on the table.

But then he heard something- irregular heartbeats. His eyes accidentally met with Mrs Payne's. What confused him was the look in her eyes and her heart beating in an unusual way, forgetting its normal rhythm.

She gave a long look to Edwin, that expressed million of things that he did not know or anyone for that matter. Holding his gaze for another moment, she finally said.

"Yes. Ruth's parents must have agreed with her choice. And so will I.... only after I make sure that it is the only perfect choice she could have made!"