A MAZE OF GREED

Theodora was pacing down the corridor anxiously. A letter was received in the morning. After that, Augustus called Harold, Douglas, Lester and Edwin into the meeting room. He did not tell Theodora what that letter was about.

These were the times when she wished she was a werewolf too. No matter how much she tried to fit in their world, at times she felt left out. And that annoyed her.

She was getting distressed sitting in her chamber. Her conversation with her father did not have her peace of mind even for a minute.

She was not guilty. It was her father's fault. So she should not feel bad about anything. That was what she kept on telling her conscience.

Finally, the door of the meeting room opened, and all men stepped out. As soon as the door opened, she was smacked by a strange overbearing tension. She observed all of them keenly, to see that Edwin was the most agitated one among them.

Well... that was expected! When was he not agitated?!!

"Hello, Lady Theodora!" Harold greeted her first.

She smiled small. "Hello, Mr Davies."

She then caught Douglas's eyes to see them glinting with joy. What happened in there?

After exchanging the formalities, all of the men walked out of there. Edwin was the first one as if he was running away from something.

"Theodora come to my office with me, please." Augustus said.

Theodora followed her husband to know what that letter was about.

Edwin and Lester were discussing something with Douglas. Douglas noticed how uncomfortable Edwin and his wolf were during the meeting. There was definitely something that was bugging him.

Lord Augustus was too stupid, to not pay attention to these details. But Douglas knew very well how to note down the little things and use them to his advantage.

Harold, who did not like any of those men, decided to search for the flower that had caught his eyes.

Walking through 'the great manor', his eyes searched for the beauty that had his mind wrapped around her finger.

After a search of ten minutes, he finally found her. Her back faced him as she bent down to count the dresses that Elsie had given to the washerman.

Harold stayed back for a while, ravishing Ruth's curves. Her toffee brown tendrils fell on her face, teasing her playfully as she tried concentrating on her task in her hands. Her pink lips moved as she counted the number of clothes.

Her derriere looked like a round softball that Harold's hands twitched to smack, squeeze and do much more. He licked his lips as his mouth watered at the dirty thoughts dancing in his head.

She escaped that day from his hold, but not today.

With a wicked smile on his face, Harold took a step ahead when Lester obstructed his path.

"Mr Davies. Here you are and we were looking for you everywhere. What are you doing here?" Lester tried putting a smile on his face.

The corners of Harold's mouth turned down. "Nothing. Why were you looking for me?"

He craned his neck to see if his prey had escaped, but no, she was right there engrossed in her work.

"Please come with me. Lord Augustus is asking for you."

"Lord Augustus? But he did not say anything to me about it."

"Yes, he forgot. So are you coming or should I tell him that you refused to fulfil his demand?" Lester asked with a smile, but the underlying threat did not go unnoticed by Harold. And perhaps that was why he obliged.

'Next time you will be under my paws kitten.' Harold promised mentally to leave with Lester after a last glance in Ruth's way.

"Thirty... thirty one. Oh no this one is not clean. This stain-"

"Miss moore."

Ruth's rambling stopped as that deep voice fell on her ears. That was the last thing she needed after the last night. Her head was still spinning with the truth and yet there were many probabilities, that she was yet to weigh.

Dropping the task in hand, she straightened up. Turning around to face him, she watched his angry face.

"Come with me."

It was not a statement nor a request. It was a plain order that she had to follow.

So she did. Besides, she did not want a show for onlookers. She had already embarrassed herself enough until now.

Edwin's steps were long and heavy on the ground. Ruth had to skip a few times to match his speed. She could tell that he was upset. Why? She did not know, nor she cares at that point.

Edwin scanned around before entering his office to see if someone was watching them. He sensed no one around. Ruth followed him inside and stopped keeping a safe distance between them.

Edwin's wide shoulders were tensed. He turned around with angry eyes. Ruth did not dare to look up at him, but she could feel his eyes boring holes in her head.

"What were you doing?" He asked.

"I... I was counting the clothes..."

Edwin gave her a strange look. Was she that oblivious to Harold's presence, or was she that naive to let it pass?

The energy that radiated from Ruth, made Edwin's wolf uncomfortable. She was not in a good state, and his wolf did not like it.

"Sit."

Ruth looked up at his sudden request. Yes. It was a request and not order like before.

She was tired anyway, so she sat on the couch as he told her. She backed away instantly when he crouched down in front of her.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Ruth asked in alarm.

Her confusion magnified when he offered her a glass of water. She stared at that glass as if it was a mystery. For her and her given circumstances with this blue-eyed monster, it indeed was.

"Please have it." he whispered.

His voice was so gentle and warm that it compelled Ruth to take that glass in her hand. She wrapped her lips on the rim of the glass and drank the cool liquid slowly.

Meanwhile, Edwin watched her every move like a hawk. A hungry hawk.

After she finished the water, she gave the glass back to him. He put it aside while not moving his eyes from her.

"How are you Miss Moore?"

Ruth did not know what was going in his head. But something about the way he asked that question touched her heart.

"I... I am... fine?"

Edwin pursed his lips in displease as it came as a question rather than a statement.

"No, you are not." If she was not ready to answer, then he would do it on her behalf.

Ruth dragged her eyes away from him. Looking in those cerulean blue orbs made her realise how vulnerable she was under them. The fear of breaking down again in front of him terrified her.

"May I?" He asked.

But Ruth did not understand what he was asking exactly. So she looked at him dumbfoundedly. She shrieked when he lightly touched her feet. Before she resist, he removed her shoes and sat down on the floor with crossed legs.

"Are you out of your mind, what the hell are you do-"

Ruth paused in mid-sentence when she realised the type of language she used on him. Edwin only looked up at her with a blank face. Was he even more angry now?

All her worries flew out of the window when his fingers started doing wonders on her foot. He pressed her heel, massaging her foot.

"Hmmm..." Ruth's hands shot up to cover her mouth.

What a weird sound was that!

"please, leave my foot. What if someone sees us like this?"

The words people had said about her and Rees started crowding in her mind. She was already stained by people. She did not want the same if someone saw her with Edwin.

"You are tense."

"huh?"

"Your muscles... they are strained due to overexertion. You are not taking care of yourself."

What was wrong with this man?

"I will, but first, just stop."

Ruth's hands paused before they touched him. The tingles his body warmth was sending through her body made her squirm uneasily.

He was not inappropriate with his touch. He kept his hands only down her ankle. His touch was surprisingly not uncomfortable. Then Ruth realised... it never was.

For her body, it was the best feeling in the world. However, she kept denying it.

"Why are you doing this?" Ruth asked with a lump in her throat.

"Because I can see that you need help but you are not going to tell me what is your problem. And if you do not tell me then I do not know how else I can help you. So I am doing what I can."

A lone tear betrayed her will.

Who was this man? Was he the same Edwin O'Dell she thought being obnoxious and selfish? Why did he care? Why did he want to help her?

"Nobody can help me." She breathed out.

His face softened hearing her helplessness. He did not want her to feel that way.

"Are you sure about that?"

Ruth nodded her head.

"Then why do not you consider helping yourself?"

She blinked.

"When a warrior lose his battalion, he is left with only two options. One- accept the defeat and die in humiliation at the hands of enemies. Two- make optimum use of available resources and fight with all might. Even if you die... you will be known as a hero. And I have never seen anyone turning empty handed after they used every drop of their abilities and resources."

Ruth did not say anything further, nor did he. She sat in silence, going over what he just said again and again. While Edwin hoped that he had somehow helped her in any way. If not his words, then at least his foot massage would make her feel easy- although momentarily!

When he was done with both of her feet, he did not want to leave her. He wanted the time to stop with her right in front of him and his hands touching her.

"Thank you for... everything! I think I should go now." Ruth said sincerely.

Edwin did not want her to go, but he knew she had to. There was more time left before he could keep her by his side forever.

He put her feet down and put on her shoes. When he looked up at her, he felt a fresh breeze in the early morning smack his face. She had a bright smile on her face, her cheeks flushed in pink.

Given her previous state, her reaction was a pleasant surprise for Edwin.

"You have to be more careful Miss Moore. I have alreaedy warned you about the dangers lurking within the walls of 'the great manor'." He then said.

"I will, I promise. And even if I forget to be careful... I know who to trust from now on."

With that said, she ran out of his office, and Edwin sat on the floor smitten by her beautiful smile.