A MAZE OF GREED

The wooden dining table was covered with various utensils full of delicious dishes. All the family members were eating their food in silence but Elsie's eyes darted to an empty chair beside her mother time and again.

The food didn't taste palatable to her taste buds because she was craving for the divine taste of her mate's mouth that she had tasted in the same morning. She tried to devour it to her heart's content but barely twelve hours later she had already started yearning for it.

"Is your health fine, little sister? You are not eating your food."

Eloise was disappointed when she got to know that Lester had to leave because of his mother's accident. But while bidding him goodbye, that disappointment turned into raw jealousy when she watched him giving longing gazes to her younger sister.

She tried to pry in their minds but they had closed their mind links to not allow anyone to intrude their personal thoughts.

She sensed that something had changed between them and to confirm her suspicions, she went to meet Elsie in her chamber in the afternoon.

Elsie was always the gullible one and it took Eloise not much efforts to squeeze any information out of her. Eloise had always made sure to keep Elsie under her thumb.

Elsie was sweet, kind hearted and everybody loved her dearly. But Eloise was not like her, in fact, she was exact opposite of Elsie.

But that was not the only reason why Eloise was bitter towards her younger sister. When their mother, Agatha O'Dell, died, Eloise felt like she had lost her anchor in life. She was never too close with her father. It was her mother that she loved dearly, even more than herself.

She was too young to understand that her mother had left her forever, she was not coming back ever. And in addition to that, she had a younger sister to take care of.

Agatha had given birth To Elsie six months ago, and everyone in 'the great manor' was teasing little Eloise that now she had to share her toys and tea set with her little sister. And Eloise didn't like it a bit.

She cried alone in her room because now Agatha couldn't give her much time like before. All her day went while taking care of her little princes. Eloise tried everything to gain Agatha's attention and had thrown tantrums when she didn't get any.

Agatha was not oblivious to her elder daughter's sadness. And being a mother, she understood it very well. For her both her daughters were on the same line and she had told Eloise that time to time. She had told Eloise that just like her, Elsie also held a part of her and Eloise had to love her wholeheartedly the way she loved her mother.

Finally, little Eloise started warming up towards Elsie, but when Agatha died, someone put the blame of that unfortunate event on innocent Elsie. When Augustus heard about it, he put that person behind the bars for throwing grey shades on his six months old daughter.

But little did anyone noticed that little Eloise had heard it all. Her brain had accepted that person's accusations as truth.

And the last impact came when Augustus married Theodora. Eloise couldn't believe that her father had given her mother's place to someone else. And Elsie... when she grew up she accepted Theodora as her mother even though she knew the truth.

Eloise couldn't take all of it. She just couldn't forgive any of them for forgetting her mother as a long lost memory. And since then she had started harbouring resentment and jealousy for her younger sister.

When Eloise entered Elsie's chamber, contrary to her expectations Elsie was not weeping in a corner of her chamber after Lester had left. Instead, she was lost in her dreamland with a pink tinge gracing her face, making it radiant than ever.

'What is wrong with her?' With that thought in mind, Eloise glared at Elsie.

"Elsie, what are you doing sitting alone in your chamber?" Eloise walked to where her sister was.

But as soon as she neared her sister a familiar scent entered her nostrils. She sniffed around the room and found out the same scent lingered in the air even after hours.

"Elsie!" Her raised voice drew Elsie's attention towards her and the younger sister hurriedly stood up. In a hast, a book in her hands fell down on the ground with a thud.

"What is this smell?" Eloise didn't beat around the bush and directed the question with narrowed eyes.

And then she heard it.

The loud and fast thumping of Elsie's heart and the pink tinge on her pale face turned a shade darker.

"Lester... he was here, wasn't he?"

Elsie shied away from her elder sister, she didn't know if it was the right time to inform her family that she had finally found her mate and it was no one but Lester.

But she didn't get a chance to discuss it with Lester, for whatever the little time they had they wanted to live it to their heart's content.

Lester had told Elsie that Edwin knew about them and he supports their relationship. It was not the case that if anyone objected to their relationship then it would be of any use. Because this mate bond that the Moon Goddess herself had created was unbreakable and no one could object against it.

But both Elsie and Lester were aware of Eloise's feelings for him and they didn't want her to get hurt in any way.

"Sister, he..."

"Was he here or not, Elsie?" Eloise was too shocked to know it because she was expecting Lester to go meet her before he left but he didn't.

She found out about his departure from Mr Wright. She frantically searched for Lester everywhere in the manor but couldn't find him. And finally, when they met, it was already time to say goodbye.

"y-yes." Elsie whispered while avoiding to look at her elder sister's furious face.

What Eloise felt at that moment was more than mere jealousy. She was enraged. She had always liked Lester, since their childhood. He was her best friend then. They used to spent most of their time together and eventually the feeling that he belonged to her arose in Eloise's heart.

She knew that she couldn't have him if she was not his chosen mate but she slid that thought aside. After losing everything in life, she was confident that the Moon Goddess would never break her heart again. Only she was deserving to be his mate and not anyone else.

Looking at her younger sister with envy and malice, the words left her mouth on their own accord. Neither she wanted to stop them though.

"Sometimes I wonder why he keeps doting on you? I mean look at you. You are not bold or confident. You are not the most beautiful woman out there. You can't even stand up for yourself, Elsie. You can't even look into a person's eyes and speak your mind.

And then I realise that maybe this is the very reason that he tries to protect you like a small kid. I know that you like him but let me clear it to you, dear sister. One day he will find his mate and then he will be all hers."

The taunting words of her pierced through Elsie's fragile heart. She knew that what her sister was saying was true.

But unaware of the fact that the said mate of Lester was her own sister, Eloise continued, "I am your elder sister and I care for you, Elsie. Stop fooling your heart and accept the truth that he can never be yours. He deserves someone way better than you.

He deserves a mate who is confident, strong, commanding and who can be his perfect partner to help him run his business, and to grow his wealth. He deserves someone beautiful.

And do you know what else a man needs the most from his wife?"

Satisfied with the changed expressions and teary eyes of Elsie, Eloise knew that she was hitting the right spot. She was well aware of her younger sister's insecurities and knew very well how to exploit them to her own advantage.

Taking a step closer to her and caging her with her daunting eyes, Eloise's lips held a wicked smirk.

"A strong wolf, like Lester needs a strong mate who can satisfy his all desires... his sexual desires."

Chuckling she patted her sister's head like she was a small kid, Eloise taunted.

"You don't have any idea how strong the woman should be to take strong and demanding wolf like him."

Elsie's eyes moistened hearing those words and all of her insecurities started crawling upon her heart's surface. Withholding the sob that threatened to escape her throat, she stood rooted to her spot afraid of moving an inch.

Smiling in victory by watching Elsie's shaken form, Eloise knew that she had succeeded in her mission.

"Anyways, have some rest little sister." Eloise left with rage in her eyes and a smile of satisfaction on her lips leaving a broken Elsie behind to get lost in the rivers of tears.