A MAZE OF GREED

"Do you need any help, Miss Moore?" Edwin asked after recovering from his initial surprise of seeing Ruth in his office.

"Yes." Ruth nodded. "Lady Elsie is not feeling well."

"What?" Edwin was instantly on alert. He leaned forward and put his legs on the floor. "What happened to her?"

"Her joints are in pain, especially her legs. She told me to get the red medicine from you." Ruth told.

"Red medicine?" Edwin was puzzled.

"The one you usually drink, she said."

Edwin understood what Elsie was referring to. How many times, he had told her to let her wolf out. But she was always abiding by her father's rules. After consuming the wolfsbane potion for years, Augustus's wolf was weakened.

But Elsie... she was young with a dominating wolf. She should be careful with these things.

"Wait here." Edwin stood up and walked to the shelf in the far corner of his office chamber.

He picked up one bottle of his regular wolfsbane dosage and gave it to Ruth.

"Mix this in three glasses of water and give it to her after every two hours."

"Okay." Ruth forwarded her hand to take the bottle from him.

Both of their bodies felt currents when their fingers grazed each other. Their eyes locked for a moment speaking the silent words.

Unlike every time, Edwin was the first to retreat his hand back after clearing his throat.

Ruth clasped the bottle securely with her fingers. She observed it for a few seconds before asking, "Why do you drink this medicine so often? Do you have a problem with painful joints?"

Edwin saw the concern on her face. Was she worried about him?

"It is something similar to that." He said.

"But... you are a warrior and warriors do not have such problems." She said innocently.

Edwin stifled the smile that threatened to break on his lips.

"Well... then I am perhaps a bad warrior you can say." He shrugged his shoulder.

A cute frown appeared on her face. "A warrior is bad only when he fights for the wrong purposes, attacks on a defenceless and innocent beings, runs from the battleground in fear of life or uses immoral practices to defeat the other side."

"You seem to know much about the warriors, Miss Moore."

Ruth did not understand if he was being sarcastic or if he was indeed amazed. But she did not like him calling her by her last name.

"No... I just... my... my mother used to tell me this." Bertha was so engraved in Ruth's mind and soul that her impressions could be seen in Ruth's every being.

Edwin knew how sensitive that topic was for her.

"You may go now if you do not have anything else to say." Edwin turned his back to her and walked to the bookshelf and, started rummaging through the rows of books.

He was clearly avoiding her.

"I... I actually have something to say. It is... important."

Ruth anticipated him asking about her health. But now that he was trying to throw her out, she has to gulp down her ego and say what she had originally planned to say to him.

Edwin did not answer and pretended to be busy going through the books. But deep down, he was curious to hear what she had to say.

"I... I am truely sorry for that day!" She finally said.

Edwin looked up from the books, searching her eyes for the Genuity of her words. Her eyes always spoke the truth to him. And they did so this time too.

Now that for once Ruth was on the other side where usually Edwin was, he decided to test her some more. He was still hurt and, a simple apology was not going to make up for the hurt he felt.

"I do not get it, Miss Moore. What are you talking about?" He asked a little rudely as if he did not care.

But Ruth knew better than that. He did care!

She walked towards him slowly. She kept the glass bottle on his study table on her way.

Edwin's eyes did not leave her even for a splitting second. What was she up to?

Ruth stopped in front of him and, Edwin could hear how fast her heartbeat was.

"I know you are mad at me, and I understand it now. I really do! But trust me, I did not mean to react that way or make you feel... unwanted."

Edwin did not know how to react to that. He knew she was telling the truth.

"Because of the trauma of that incident, I could not remember some of the memories. And when I found myself in an unknown place... I was... scared.

I thought you... you might want to hurt me because of Lady Eloise. After all, she is your family and, I would not have been surprised if you had hurt me then as per her wish."

Edwin wanted to yell at her, shook her shoulders till she felt dizzy. How could she think that he would hurt her? That very thought upset him and his wolf.

He wanted to kiss her and show her that if Eloise was his family, then she was his better half that completed him.

But from the outside, he just blinked with a stoic face.

He held his breath when she took a small step ahead. Every cell in his body was aware of her close proximity.

"Everybody told me how you saved me that night. They helped me to recover my memories thereafter. I... I am very grateful for every thing you did for me. I really am!"

And what she did next made Edwin's body go as stiff as rock. Ruth's chest was pressed against his body and, her head rested on his chest. Her hands circled around him.

She hugged him.

"Thank you... thank you so much for everything! I meant to thank you before but.. after how I reacted I was not sure if you liked to see my face again."

Edwin felt her hot breath seeping through his thin cotton shirt, Her body fitted perfectly in his.

"please forgive me!" She requested earnestly.

Little did she know the moment she took that step towards him, all his anger had flown out of the window and what remained behind is under her grasp- an emotional fool!

Ruth felt all the blush creeping up her neck. She had not planned this hug. But after seeing him after these days, her body worked as if it had its own mind.

She was shocked herself too. But as his warmth covered her, her body felt the grooves and edges of his toned muscles, she did not regret her action.

Did it feel the same when he had her in his arms after her nightmare?

That memory made her emotional and, unconsciously her grip tightened around him.

She began doubting that he did not like her bold move, but then she felt his hands slowly tightening around her. She closed her eyes in bliss when she felt him burying his face on her shoulder.

Shots of electricity surged through her body and, wished for a split second for the time to stop at that moment.

"I am glad that you are better now!" She heard him mumbling against her skin.

"And I am glad that WE are better now!" She said, relishing their closeness.

They both did not move as they stood in each other's arms, forgetting about the world. Ruth had her eyes closed but, she suddenly opened them, remembering the words that pushed her to this step.

-"Using Edwin is useless, really. People may consider him as the rightful heir of the O'Dell family but, he is not worthy of it."-

Ruth was not completely sure if Edwin was worthy of his title or not. That man had many facets and, they all were very different from each other. He was a result of one's perception.

If one considered him good, then he was the ideal person alive. Rees, Lester, Ida, Elsie and all those who were loyal to him considered him no less than God, including Mr Welby.

And those who considered him evil did not like even his existence, for example, his own aunt.

But what Ruth considered him? Was he good or evil in her books?

With every moment she spent with him, she realised that this man was an unfathomable ocean. She needed to dive deeper to reach the bottom if she ever could and if only he allowed her.

"Do not scare me like that again!" Edwin did not realise that he said it aloud.

Ruth's heart danced with tingles of some unknown emotions. A shy smile made its way on her face.

-"I have sacrificed many things in my life to reach this peak. The things I have done and made others do are beyond your imagination. And you think to snatch a part of it from me? Never! I will not let it happen till I breathe! Not even with the help of Edwin."-

Ruth smirked. Poor Theodora! She herself has shown a way to Ruth. A perfect way!

She slowly pulled away from him. Edwin did not want to let go but, then what she offered was more than he expected and he was content with it... for now at least!

Looking into his hooded eyes, she said softly. "I think I should go now. Lady Elsie needs the medicine."

Edwin instantly stepped away from her. How could he forget about his cousin? This woman could make him forget his whole damn world and, he would not complain even once.

"Y-yes!"

Why he has to stutter in front of her?

Ruth smiled again and, his heart hummed in bliss. She turned and started walking in the direction of the door, picking the glass bottle on her way.

She stopped near the door and turned her head to look at him.

"I would like if you continue calling by my first name. I like the sound of it when it comes from you."

Edwin replayed her every word slowly in his mind, trying to comprehend the meaning. And when that meaning dawned upon him, she was already out of his office chamber.

He stopped himself from chasing her. A bright smile illuminated his face without him realising it. And when he caught the reflection of it in the glass door of the shelf, he did not recognise the man in front of him.

He was changing.... he was gradually changing. And that change felt good because of her!