The way Jay showed the open ocean was beyond expectations.
Ruby's toes curled from the cold. Ruby stood as tall as a lighthouse, visible to the naked eye. Jay's villa towered majestically on the west side of the beach, protected by a concrete wave-proof wall. Jay joined her on the balcony, a fluffy blanket draped over Ruby's shoulders.
"What do you think? The sea is that wide, right?"
"Absolutely delightful! I didn't think you had such a cool place. Let me guess, this is just one of your quirky residences. Do you live alone? I haven't seen any guards since I walked in."
"I've always lived alone," Jay said. His wry smile confused Ruby; was his statement part of a fake scenario?
"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."
Jay laced his fingers around the railing. "Of course not. I love talking about myself. It makes half your world feel warmer when someone listens."
"Really? Then I'd be happy to listen," Ruby replied.
"Well, it's not that interesting. It's just the story of an orphan who gets a scholarship and is hired by a company that grows to its current size," Jay said.
The vampire's slow blink seemed to clear the heat from his eyes. Was that a glimpse of his former life before he was overcome by bloodlust? Ruby grew increasingly curious.
"Well, I think we have something in common," Ruby said, her comforting instincts spontaneously emerging.
The wolf cubs often invited her to play whenever they were sad. Luna was like a mother to them, while Zeta was more like a friend. Ruby always helped the cubs' boredom by inventing lots of cool games, adept at validating their little hearts. The cubs didn't hesitate. They even boasted, "Our friend is a queen!" to the wolf clans in other habitats.
"Is it true?"
Jay's elbow rested on the metal railing. The gleam in his red pupils was like a galactic explosion, where stars shattered, forming red shards. For a moment, Ruby was hypnotized and quickly looked down, avoiding Jay's mesmerizing gaze.
"Why are you daydreaming? Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?"
"Eh?" Ruby replied as if in a daze.
"You haven't answered my statement."
Swept away by the strange connection, Ruby forgot what she'd just said. Her index fingernail scratched at her forehead. Luckily, the memory quickly flashed, brought back by Ruby's sad feelings after hearing Jay's short story.
"I mean… You said you lived in an orphanage, right? Yeah, me too!"
"You're from an orphanage?" Jay's tone slowed, seemingly hesitant to ask again.
Ruby shook her head. She and Jay were both raised by non-biological parents. It was a good narrative to use as bait. It sounded cruel. For some reason, Ruby blamed herself for paying attention earlier. It was just that Jay's charm had affected her for a moment, and she felt responsible.
Ruby sticks to her original plan: expose Jay's lies and create a weapon to lure him into a trap.
"I also feel like I'm living in an orphanage, without a father or mother. Although in reality, I'm only being cared for by a certain group," Ruby said, cracking a brave smile.
"Group?"
"Yeah. The difference was that, back then, there were no friends my age. I was surrounded by adults, I mean, it didn't feel much different from an orphanage, did it?"
Jay's sweet lips stopped uttering broken words, replacing them with a chilling embrace that gripped the queen.
Down below, Ruby's fingers clenched into fists. Jay's hand, which had been gently patting Ruby's back, descended to wrap around her tiny waist, pushing her closer.
"What are you doing?"
Ruby's breathing became heavy as Jay's chest pressed against hers.
"I didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to offer a little comfort," Jay said, stroking Ruby's head.
Ruby happily returned Jay's hug. Her fingers stretched across Jay's back. It was time. Ruby's nails curled, ready to dig into his juices.
A Nightshade, which has been smeared under the knuckles.
"Thank you," Ruby said goodbye without being noticed.
Ruby's fingernails shrank as Jay suddenly loosened his embrace, lifting Ruby's chin to plant a kiss on her lips.
"If you want to thank…."
Ruby's breath hitched. She had no idea what had just happened. Her heart pounded after feeling Jay's soft kiss. Though brief, it left a lingering feeling. Ruby swallowed hard, staring intently at Jay's twitching lips, waiting for a word of wisdom to grace her ears.
"Be mine tonight."
Jay continued the action, capturing Ruby's slightly parted lips. The queen welcomed the heated game. The blood of two monsters seethed furiously. The bloodthirsty hunter awaited his prey's surrender, while the hot-blooded one took control.
Ruby deepened the kiss, delaying Jay from moving down to her neck to carry out his original intention, baring fangs.
Jay's wild hands provoked Ruby into submission. At least, Jay felt compelled to make Ruby submit to his actions. However, Ruby refused to give in to the pleasure of those touches.
Ruby led Jay inside. Images of the hardships her clan had endured came to mind. The werewolf pups often feared the arrival of the police. The pack worked extra hard, missing their prey, dealing with humans who usually caused trouble. All of this forced Ruby to unleash a small measure of her hidden strength, pushing Jay inside while continuing to devour the vampire's lips.
What's wrong with this woman? She won't give in, Jay thought. His adrenaline was pumping, eager to turn the tables. Jay skillfully slipped his fingers between Ruby's thighs, creating a butterfly-like fluttering effect on the girl's stomach.
"You want me to go harder? Ahhh… that's dangerous." Jay panted, continuing to thrust into the heat that bound them in Ruby's tight, wet embrace.
Ruby's soft pleading sounded melodious against the creaking metal of the bed.
"More! I want more, nghh!"
Jay's biceps lifted Ruby's legs, which were pinning her down while shaking together.
"Does this make you feel alive?"
"Mmhh, yes…." Ruby murmured.
Ruby writhed even more, overwhelmed by the rush that surged through her stomach, spreading to her heart. She climaxed with a shattering release.
"I'm gonna hit that-!"
"Yes, please… AHHH!"
"That's right. I made you want to die, and you have to want to live because of me."
Jay finally managed to jam his mouth around Ruby's neck, lifting her up and throwing her onto the bed. Just as Jay was about to climax, Ruby dug her nails into the back of his neck. Nightshade juice coursed through Jay's frozen veins, paralyzing the vampire until dawn.
Ruby pulled out her nails. It was easy for her to remove Jay's weight like a mannequin.
"Ah, shit, my lips are numb," Ruby grumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her scornful glance fell on Jay, who was lying on his back.
"You do that with a lot of women?" Ruby brandished Jay's arm. "I'll break your insolent hand!"
Flashbacks of the intimacy just now momentarily overwhelmed Ruby. She was stunned. What had happened just a few minutes ago stirred mixed emotions. It was unbelievable she'd let the vampire freely explore every part of her body. Come to think of it, she'd done the same thing, contributing to the tension and mercilessly dominating Jay.
Not wanting to waste any time, Ruby tied her hair back. The slit in her dress was pushed up to her thighs, and Ruby sat on Jay's lap. This position made it easier for her to search.
"Well, let's get on with work."
Ruby reached into more than one pocket of her pants. Car keys, unimportant notes, grocery receipts, five coins, a folded dollar bill, and mouth-freshening red candy were thrown everywhere.
"Why does he keep all this trash? Vampire pockets are way ahead of mothers' pockets. Where the hell is his phone?"
Ruby looked around. She jumped up, grabbed Jay's jacket, which was draped haphazardly in the drawer, and managed to hold his phone. Ruby jogged over to Jay, placing her fingerprints on him.
Her phone opened, her triumphant smile widening. Ruby's fingers scrolled through the screen, scrolling through Jay's personal social media accounts. Ruby giggled repeatedly at Jay's ridiculous photos, from his swimming duck pose to photos of him with random objects, like a gold spoon, a wine glass, and even a bitten apple.
Where did this cheesy idea come from? While cool photography tips are plentiful online, he should have emulated influencers. In this case, his attempt to adapt to the times seems forced. Jay's old-fashioned vibe still lingers.
"Eh?"
Scrolling paused on a post with a truly ancient atmosphere. Ruby's expression turned serious as, examined a portrait of a group of children holding various musical instruments. Meanwhile, the caption in the corner of the photo was nearly blurred.
Orphan Odyssey, 1904.
Jay added the caption: The finished diary.
The black-and-white nuances aren't due to a filter but to fog and white spots. The children also seem to be enjoying the caravan ride. Ruby wonders which boy Jayden Gavian is. Wait, Ruby doubts he's using his real name. It's common knowledge that vampires can change identities at will.
Ruby squinted, moving the phone screen forward.
"Is that you?" Ruby pointed to the bowl-haired boy holding the trumpet. "I don't think so. Is this it?"
Her finger shifted to the right at the trumpet boy, then to the left at the tall saxophone player, and next, above the middle, at the drum boy. Ruby clicked her tongue in confusion. Finding a boy who truly resembled Jay, or at least had the same aura, was difficult.
The only person with a strong aura was the old man. He sat upright in the bottom center, without a smile or any other expression, except for his protective gaze.
"Is this photo fake? Jay might have uploaded it to support his story." Ruby stood up and flipped her hair with a mischievous smile. "Why am I even bothering with this? Alright, time to make some noise."
Ruby took a stance to limit the strength of his grip. Prang!
With a single punch, the glass cracked, and Ruby was satisfied with successfully controlling her strength. She managed not to shatter the entire glass. She then released the bonds, messing up her own hair. Ruby smeared rabbit blood around the cracks in the glass.
The final step was quite tricky. Ruby positioned her head as if she were sleeping sideways on the dressing table, while one arm held straight up to capture the blood-stained side. She also took photos of the cracked glass and the mess.
Shey offered to help as a photographer, but Ruby declined, saying the presence of another person would be too risky to leave a trace. The violent material was ready to be uploaded to Jay's personal account and the RED-EYEZ website.
"Let's create a scenario of a rich guy exhausted from drinking. Umm… and super jerky, narcissistic, shameless, and stupid."
Thanks to you, Miss Crystal, I had a memorable experience. Your blood is my passion. Your hospital bill was only a quarter of what our date cost. I'm sure you're hooked.
After uploading, Ruby threw the phone under the bed.
"It's over," she said sarcastically, glancing at Jay.
A faint, whistling sound tickled her ears, then gradually grew louder. The balcony glass shattered. Ruby's eyes widened as she was struck by a fifty-seven-millimeter bullet. She immediately curled up and transformed.
The jet-black, blue-eyed wolf leaped onto the bed. A back paw stomped Jay, knocking him to the floor. Countless strands of rope descended. Dozens of men in dark Riot Control uniforms swung themselves up and rushed in.
What the heck? Are they Jay's security team?