A MAZE OF GREED

"I do not know what black magic you did on me but I had never experienced fear like that. Tell me what you did to me??"

Eloise kept repeating the same question, and Ruth kept repeating the same answer that she did not know what Eloise was talking about.

One thing that Ruth had realised in recent times was that her power was her best weapon. And a warrior always guards his best weapon.

Even if the hell broke loose, Ruth would not tell anything about her powers unless and until she wanted to share it with someone.

"You are like that leech Ruth Moore, that sucks blood till it bursts. You can not win with Elsie by your side because she is no one!"

"Yes... yes. Lady Elsie is no one in front of Lady Eloise. It is the only young master who dotes on her and now Lord Lester too." Fannie did her job of spilling oil in the already burning fire very efficiently. Probably the only thing she was good at.

Hearing Lester's name triggered the evil in Eloise. She remembered why she was angry with Ruth in the first place.

"You... you filled Elsie's brain with stupid things. You provoked her to chase Lester. It was you who made her believe that she could compete with me! You are the happiest person after Lester declared his love for Elsie, are not you?"

Ruth was hyperventilating by this time. Her eyes were drooping due to the pain. Yet she was not ready to apologise to please Eloise. Ruth was tired of submission.

She had tried using her power, not caring what its consequences would be for Eloise. But, her uncomfortable state, tired body and chaos in mind along with fear, did not help her with the powers.

She felt frustrated with every failed attempt. She tried calming down, but it did not work. And at that very moment, she realised one thing.

No matter what power a person acquires, a human could not beat time. At the end of the day, she was just a human- a doll at the hands of fate.

"I cried tears of hurt for days. And I promise that I will make you cry the same! Now enjoy your night! Hope to never see you again!"

"Lady Eloise, please no... no! Do not leave me alone here. Fannie! Fannie!"

Ruth thrashed in alarm as she saw both of them waving their hands at her. She cried and begged, but those women did not listen to anything.

She cried and cried till both of them disappeared from her sight. And with them gone was Ruth's last hope of help. She sobbed as the torch slowly died to leave her alone at the hands of darkness.

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*present*

Ida reached the market and at the shop where Ruth went. She knocked on the door as the shop owner lived next door.

"Open the door. Open the door!" She yelled.

The shopowner cursed, mumbling who would be there at this late in the night and why they could not wait till he opened the door.

"What do you need Madam?" He asked a bit irritatingly as soon as he saw a young woman at his door.

"I am sorry to disturb you at his odd hour. But I want to know if a woman with toffee brown hair and hazel eyes came to your shop with a list of ingredients that are used in the preparation of a hair mask?"

"Many people come at my shop. How can I remember everyone?" He said carelessly.

"Please, sir. Try to remember. She is my friend and she has not returned home yet. Her old aunt is worried for her. She... She is wearing the same uniform as me." Ida removed the shawl she had used to wrap herself.

The man's face softened hearing that. He then revisited the time a few hours back.

"Yes. A woman with the same description came to my shop in the evening."

Ida's face brightened at hearing that. "Did she say anything? Like where it was going from here?"

The man shook his head. "She did not. But I saw her walking to North."

Ida's body went stiff. Ruth went into the woods!

Thanking the man, she left with a decision.

~"Master... Master"~

Edwin was sitting with Lester in one carriage while Augustus rode in another. Augustus's carriage was miles ahead of them as Edwin's carriage had to stop for some time. Its wheel had some problem, and on the deserted road they were travelling, it took longer to gather help and resolve the issue.

When Augustus would reach the destination in a couple of hours, Edwin and Lester's carriage was not even halfway in distance.

Edwin was tired of hearing Lester's incessant blabbering and had closed his eyes, resting his head back.

~"master... Master... it is me. Ida."~

Edwin stiffened. Ida? Why was she contacting him through the mind link?

~"Ida, what happened? Why are you sounding so distressed?"~

After a momentary pause, he heard Ida's voice that shook the ground beneath his feet.

~"Master... Ruth is missing since late afternoon. It is a long story. But I enquired and got to know that she went in the direction of the woods."~

~"Woods?"~ Even through the mind link, Edwin's voice boomed so loudly that made Ida cringe in fear.

~"That is what Mrs Payne speculate her to go. And the last man who saw her also directed that way. Please Master... it is an emergency."~

Of course, it was an emergency for Edwin. He would have halted an ongoing war for Ruth if it would have taken him to that.

~"Ida listen to me. Go and search for her. I am coming. And do not let anyone know about this. No one!"~

He closed his mind link and snapped open his eyes.

"Edwin? What happened?" Lester was quick to ask him. He sensed that Edwin was communicating with someone through a mind link, and it was a piece of bad news by the way his facial expressions changed.

"Ruth is in the woods Lester." Edwin told in alarm.

"Woods? What is she doing there? How did Elsie let her go there at this time?"

"Lester, Ida did not give me the deatils. But I need to go find Ruth. Right now!"

"What? Edwin are you serious? We are not alone. What am I going to tell Lord Augustus? And people would enquire about your absence. You know this is also important as your duty of a werewolf leader." Lester reminded.

But this time, Edwin's priority was different. His eyes had already begun changing their colour. His face set in a hard mould as he stared right into Lester's eyes.

"My MATE needs me more than anything. Right now SHE is the most important for me. I do not know what you are going to do. I will be there before Ripon take his oath as a Chairman. But right now I need to go."

Lester knew there was no room left for the discussion. But along with his associate, he was also Edwin's friend.

"But Edwin how are you going to cover this long distance in such a short time? What if you do not reach there on time in the morning?"

"Do not worry about me. I will manage. I am a leader for a reason. And along with more responsibilities I have more power too. And I promise I will be there before time! Manage till then."

This time Lester imagined him in Edwin's shoes. If it was Elsie in the woods, he would have done exactly the same as Edwin. Lester realised how wrong he was when he kept reminding Edwin of his responsibilities but never understood his longing and possessiveness over Ruth.

"Get my sister-in-law back safely!"

The coachman even did not realise when Edwin opened the door of the carriage and jumped out of the running carriage.

He immediately shifted in his wolf form- his stronger, powerful and more dominant form. His real self!

He howled loudly, tearing the eerie silence of the road. Taking the opposite direction of the wind, he began cutting it with the optimum speed.

He felt wind running through his silky black fur. The wind bombarded his face along with the night insects. He did not care if they hit his eyes, entered his nose or his mouth.

His giant paws fell on the ground firmly yet as lightly as they carried him fast. His heart was pounding in worry, and his mind was spinning numerous possibilities.

He was angry. His wolf was angry. He did not understand why Ruth went into the woods. Elsie, Ida and Mrs Payne all promised to take care of Ruth. But they all failed.

Edwin's anger was directed at the three women. He himself did not know what he would have done if one of them stood in front of him right then.

Edwin worshipped the Moon Goddess. She was his creator and his mother. But after she failed to return to his parents, he stopped asking things from her.

But with Ruth in danger, he chanted a mental prayer and begged for her safety. The moon shining in the dark clouds had to hear his prayer, or certainly, Edwin would bring hell on the earth!