It felt like a giant hammer had fallen from the sky and stuck in Ruby's heart.
She quickly hid her hands under the table, clutching her dress. A wolf's claws would grow when threatened. Ruby probed further for the meaning behind Jay's mysterious gaze.
"What do you mean? What kind of ridiculous statement is that?" Ruby said with a chuckle.
"I mean, I know blue-eyed humans are scarce, and I have to say yours are the prettiest."
Only then did Ruby's claws shrink. Ruby breathed a sigh of relief, while Jay pulled himself back into his seat.
"Why do you look so tense, honey?"
"Because… of your flattery? And, your gaze just now was quite intense."
Ruby was half-honest, half-evasive. Then, she swooped back with her arms crossed.
"What about you? Are you wearing red contact lenses or… actually a vampire?"
"Vampire?" Jay laughed, then reached out to pinch Ruby's cheek affectionately. "You watch too many movies!"
A vampire's pinch is similar to a crab's pincers.
"They can't possibly exist in the real world. Are you someone who believes in conspiracy theories?"
"No, not really." Ruby shrugged. "Forget it, I was kidding. Besides, vampire characters have been popular for centuries, right? It's common, not because I like them. Honestly, talking about vampires is a little scary."
"Really? Don't hide anything. You're probably afraid my interest in you will diminish because I said something like that. Don't worry, honey. It's no big deal. On the contrary…"
Jay rested his arms on the table, his head tilted, and a teasing smirk etched into his lips.
"Tell me more about you."
"What do you want to know?"
"Let's talk on somewhere else," Jay said.
Ruby raised an eyebrow. She wondered what kind of place modern vampires used to execute their victims. In this age of advanced technology, human knowledge and reasoning have advanced. They must be playing some kind of trick.
The four-wheeled vehicle glided smoothly, leaving behind the reflections of the city lights. Jay closed the car's roof as the wind buffeted Ruby's exposed shoulders.
"Want to wear my jacket?" Jay offered.
Ruby held back a chuckle. She responded with a slight shake of her head. Jay should have done that a long time ago. It was apparent this vampire rarely watched romantic dramas. His days must be boring dealing with corporate vampires.
Ruby leaned her head back against the soft backrest. She furtively glanced at Jay as he stared at the empty street. Then, Ruby realized she'd stopped putting on airs, abandoning the pretentious romanticism. His eyes were closed, empty, devoid of any signs of life. He was the real Jay Gavian.
He was immortal, choosing to be confined to a human role, and gathering a clan without unity. Vampires generally lived alone, fought over prey, and were selfish. Ruby imagined how lonely Jay's life must have been.
Ruby's mind was immediately bombarded with questions about the formation of RED-EYEZ and the secrets behind it. Ruby suspected Jay was surrounded by important figures. His power must be immense, capable of accommodating these foolish creatures, working together to build a bloody industry. It was remarkable to have survived for centuries and successfully adapted to the times.
Interesting, but Ruby's interest is the opposite. Fight them.
Ruby distracted herself by staring out the window and examining her surroundings. Speaking of which, where was Jay trying to take her? At first, Ruby thought they were heading towards an abandoned building. However, the left side was filled with trees, while the right was a ravine. Not a single building remained. Was she being taken to the middle of the forest? Or worse, did Jay already know and intend to return her to Baskerville?
There was no way he could have blown her cover that quickly. Ruby had arranged for her to be picked up at the station beforehand. How could Jay have known or thought that far ahead?
The car continued to move. The wind seeped through the door hinges, and Ruby realized the wind was much more piercing. She rolled down the window and saw a cliff overlooking a bay with crashing waves.
The ocean!
Once, when one of the other packs of wolves drowned in the sea, the wolf's body melted away after six days of searching. Haris then moved to examine. He said, The sea is a mass grave without bodies.
When a body is placed in the water, larger animals eat it first. Then, the rest decomposes for smaller animals. What if the sea monsters cleaned up the vampires' mess? Ruby knew this was just speculation, but she wondered if her assumption was valid. Why would the vampires still dump the bodies in the forest?
Do they have another purpose in using human bodies?
"Where is this?" Ruby confirmed after wrestling with her own thoughts.
"Don't you want to see the sea?"
Ruby's hair stood on end. Jay couldn't possibly have mind-reading powers. If he did, with all the negative thoughts Ruby had about him, Jay would have just dumped her. Honestly, he looked stupid.
***
"Do you think Ruby will make it?"
Thomas asked Shey, who was busy grilling rabbit meat. The meat burned Thomas's lips as Shey stuffed it into him.
"Ahh! It's hot!"
"Don't overdo it," She snapped.
"What's wrong with you? I was just asking!"
Shey threw a jab at the broadleaf. "Ah, that alibi again. Besides, why are you so happy to ask?"
"Our ancestors said that you will go astray if you are embarrassed to ask!"
"Then ask your ancestors! How am I supposed to know if Ruby will succeed? I can't predict. Are you crazy?"
"We're talking about possibilities, Baby. Try to calculate it," Thomas asked.
Shey pursed her lips at her lover's behavior.
"With Ruby's clumsy character, can she stand the act?"
"Don't get me wrong. She has good self-control, um... maybe only made a mistake once. She quickly realizes her mistake and won't repeat it," Shey said, taking a piece of the cooked roast. The first bite was quite challenging.
"What makes you think that?"
"We are wolves, born, then evolve through adolescence, and age like humans. On the other hand, Ruby was born and evolved a little differently than we did."
"What the hell, why didn't I know?" Thomas protested.
"Listen me first! Aside from Glenn, Ruby's background is only told to the werewolves as a source of encouragement."
"Oh, why? So, what's the difference?"
"Ruby is in direct contact with the gods." Shey straightened her seat, locking her gaze on Thomas. "You have to promise not to tell your other male friends this story. I'm afraid they'll get jealous and start a riot."
Thom clapped his chest, vowing to protect his lover's wishes until the end of his days. "Shey Harumi, you can always trust me with everything," he said firmly.
"Ruby's mother's death was seen as a disgrace and connected to Zeus, Hera, and Artemis. So, we protected her," Shey explained.
"W-w-what?" Thomas stammered. "I can't believe I'm hearing about them again in this century, but… how?"
Shey looked up at the sky, as if asking the stars for permission.
"People focus on the fact that Ruby is a descendant of Lycaon, but they often forget whose womb she was born from. Lady Kallisto, Lycaon's daughter, was seduced by Zeus. Therefore, she changed her name to Diana. Lady Diana was one of the followers of the goddess Artemis. Zeus raped her, resulting in her becoming pregnant with twins."
Thomas cupped his mouth. "That's horrible…. Wait, Ruby has siblings?"
"His name was Arcas. Tragically, when he was eight years old, Arcas killed Lady Diana after she was cursed by Hera to become a bear. Lycaon killed Arcas and served his grandson's flesh to Zeus as revenge. Zeus, enraged, cursed Lycaon to become the king of wolves, while Arcas and his mother became constellations."
"Hold on," interrupted Thomas, "how's Ruby doing?"
"If her mother and sister were cursed to become bears and end up as constellations, her grandfather also cursed Ruby. The Wolf Queen, Zeta. Because it was Lycaon who hid her."
Thomas's grip on both of Shey's shoulders closes the story. Thomas's yellow irises lit up with orange rays as he looked at her from afar.
"Do you think Artemis will draw her fire bow and shoot us?"
"What do you mean?"
Shey turned, following Thomas' gaze. About fifteen kilometers behind the big trees, the fire roared upwards, as if something were surrounding it.
Shey quickly stood up, throwing the log carelessly.
"Hey… hey… we should check what's there," Shey said.
"You want us to sacrifice ourselves to Artemis?"
She slapped Thomas's head. "That's not Artemis, you idiot."
"Then what? Could it be someone who was camping and lighting a campfire?"
Shey's eyes narrowed, trying to find whoever had started the mysterious fire. Shrouded in smoke, a black-robed figure's hood blended into the darkness of the night. The bridge of his nose was completely obscured. Shey's vision was deceiving her, or the person was wearing a mask.
"There's someone! Come on! Hurry up and check it out!"
Shey ran in the lead, followed by Thomas, who transformed into an orange-black wolf. He reflexively transformed faster than the others. Shey slowed her pace a few steps near the burning barrel. Thomas's four feet automatically brushed against the rustling leaves. Shey's nose flared, but it was challenging to deflate. It was as if the smoke she inhaled was constricting her lungs. The airway to her brain was blocked.
The world around Shey spins.
"Ah… my head," Shey groaned, clutching her shaggy hair.
The girl stumbled, colliding with Thomas's hairy body. Thomas's legs wobbled. He squeaked, begging the gods to let him hold on to his lover's body. Unfortunately, the smoke was indiscriminate, piercing through the rough skin.
Thomas howled loudly before his consciousness was snatched away.