Chapter 5 Hot Blood

"Do you think Ruby will make it?" Thomas asked Shey, who was busy roasting rabbit meat. The hot flesh burned Thom's lips. "Ahh! Hot!"

"No need to overdo it," said Shey.

"I'm just asking!"

"Ah, that excuse again. Besides, why are you so eager to ask?" Shey dropped a skewer onto the broadleaf.

"The ancestors said it's embarrassing to ask if you get lost on the road!"

"Then ask your ancestors there! How do I know whether Ruby will succeed or not? I can't predict. Are you crazy?"

"We're talking possibilities, Baby. Try to calculate it," Thom urged.

"Is it important?"

"Just think, with Ruby's clumsy character, can she handle acting?"

"Her self-control is good. Um, maybe after being careless once. She quickly realizes her mistakes and doesn't repeat them," said Shey, picking up a cooked roast. The first bite was quite challenging.

"What makes you think that?"

"We wolves are born, evolve in adolescence, and age like humans. Ruby's birth and evolution were a little different from ours."

"What the hell, why don't I know?" Thom protested.

"Listen first! The story of her life is only told among the werewolves."

"So what? What's the difference?"

"Ruby is directly connected to the gods."

Shey adjusted her sitting position, facing directly at Thom.

"You have to promise not to tell your other male friends this story. So far, only Glenn knows because he is an Alpha, and his job is to serve Ruby."

Patting his chest, Thom promised that his lover's wishes would be kept until the end of his life. "Shey Harumi, you can always entrust everything to me."

"Ruby's mother's death was seen as a shame, and it was connected to Zeus, Hera, and Artemis. So we protect it."

"W-w-what?" Thom stuttered. "I can't believe I'm hearing about them again in the 21st century. How is that possible?"

Shey looked up at the sky, asking the stars for permission.

"People focus on the fact that she is a descendant of Lykaon but often forget exactly from whose womb Ruby was born. Kallisto is the incredible biological mother of Ruby and the daughter of Lykaon, whom the one and only Zeus tempted. Therefore, she changed her name to Diana. Ruby's mother is a follower of the Goddess Artemis. Zeus raped her, and Kallisto became pregnant."

Thom cupped his mouth. "Terrifying."

"According to stories passed down from generation to generation, Kallisto was pregnant with a son named Arkas and killed his mother after Hera cursed Kallisto to become a bear. Lykaon killed Arkas, serving his flesh to Zeus. An angry Zeus cursed Lykaon to become the wolf king, while Arkas and his mother became constellations.

"Wait," Thomas interjected, "my brain is forming its storyline, maybe...."

"Correct. No one knew that Kallisto had previously given birth to a daughter before Zeus did. Unfortunately, no one knew who Ruby's father was, not even the elders. If her mother and sister were cursed to become bears and constellations, her grandfather's curse would also affect the daughter-Wolf Queen, Zeta-because Lykaon was the one who hid it."

Thom's sudden grab closed the story. Thom's yellow irises lit up with orange rays as he looked at her from far away.

"Do you think Artemis will draw her flaming bow and shoot us?"

"What do you mean?"

Shey turned, following Thom's gaze. The fire roared upwards about fifteen kilometers behind the big trees as if something were surrounding it.

Shey quickly stood up, throwing the logs carelessly.

"Hey... hey... we have to check what's there," said Shey quietly.

"You want us to sacrifice ourselves to Artemis?"

Shey patted Thom's head. "That's not Artemis, you idiot."

"So what? Could it be someone who was camping and lit a campfire?"

Shey's eyes narrowed, trying to look around for whoever had started the mysterious fire. Shrouded in a cloud of smoke, the hood of a black-robed person disguised the darkness of the night. The bridge of his nose was entirely out of shape. Shey's vision was being deceived, or the person's face was covered.

"There is someone! Come on! Check it quickly!"

Shey ran in the lead, followed by Thomas, who became a wolf with an orange and black pattern. He reflexively transformed faster than the others. Shey slowed down a few steps near the burning barrel. Thomas's four legs automatically made the leaves rustle.

Shey's nose flared, but deflating wasn't easy, as if inhaled smoke bound her lungs. The airway to the brain was blocked. The world around Shey spun.

"Ah... my head," Shey groaned, wringing her hair's shaggy volume.

The girl staggered, crashing into Thom's furry body. Thom's legs wobbled. He squeaked, begging the gods to let him hold on to support his lover's body. Unfortunately, the smoke is indiscriminate, penetrating rough skin.

Thom howled, his consciousness suddenly snatched away.

***

Being invited to see the sea in Jay's style was beyond Ruby's expectations. The lighthouse stood as tall as could be seen with the naked eye.

Jay's villa rose firmly on the west side of the beach, protected by wave-proof concrete walls. Jay joined the all-glass balcony as thick as a history textbook-a furry blanket draped over Ruby's shoulders.

"How? The sea is that big, right?"

"Amazing! I didn't think you had a place as cool as this. Let me guess: this is just one of your unique residences. Do you live alone? I haven't seen any guards since I first entered." Ruby made small talk.

"I always live alone," said Jay. His wry smile confused Ruby. Was what he said part of the story scenario, or not?

"Ah, sorry, was I presumptuous?"

Jay wrapped his fingers around the metal barrier. "Of course not. I enjoy talking about myself every time. It feels like half your world is warm when someone listens."

"Is it true? I'm happy to listen."

"Well, not very interesting. It's just the story of an orphanage child who received a scholarship and was employed by a company that became as big as it is now," said Jay, his slow blink seeming to dispel the heat in his eyes.

Is that a glimpse of the story of his old life before being overcome by bloodlust?

"We have something in common," Ruby said, her comforting instinct coming out spontaneously.

Wolf children often invite them to play whenever they are sad. For them, the Officer is like a mother, whereas Zeta is more like a friend. Ruby always overcomes children's boredom by creating fantastic games, cleverly validating their little hearts. The children don't hesitate; they even brag about themselves, 'Our friend is a queen!' on wolf clans in other habitats.

"My darling?"

One of Jay's elbows perched. The twinkle in his red pupils was like a galaxy explosion, where the stars scatter to form red rock fragments. For an instant, Ruby was hypnotized and quickly looked down, avoiding Jay's enchanting gaze. Instead, his gaze landed on a red ruby necklace, which looked beautiful.

"Ruby? Why daydream? Are you alright? Do you feel sick?"

"Oh?" Ruby said like she was in a daze.

"You haven't answered my statement."

Swept away by the strange connection, Ruby forgot about the conversation. Her index fingernail scratched her forehead. Luckily, the memory flashed because Ruby remembered her sobbing feelings when she heard Jay's short story.

"Hm, you said you live in an orphanage, right? Me too!"

"Are you from the orphanage?" Jay's intonation was slow, seemingly hesitant to ask again.

Ruby shook her head. In a twisted way, she and Jay were raised by non-biological parents. This is an excellent narrative to use as bait, but it doesn't sound perfect. Ruby didn't know why she blamed herself for paying attention earlier. Jay's charm influenced her, and she felt she had to take responsibility.

Ruby stuck to her original plan: conjure up all of Jay's falsehoods and create a weapon to lure him into a trap.

"I also feel like living in an orphanage without a father and mother. Even though, in reality, I was only treated by a certain group," said Ruby, smiling, pretending to be tough.

"Group?"

"Yup. The difference was that, at that time, there were no friends my age. Adults surrounded me. Yeah, it didn't feel much different from an orphanage?"

Jay's sweet mouth stopped uttering broken words. Instead, he replaced it with a hug that froze the Queen. Down there, Ruby's fingers clenched into fists. Jay's hand, originally gently patting Ruby's back, came down to wrap around the girl's tiny waist.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked. Her breathing became heavy as Jay's chest pressed against hers.

"It doesn't mean anything. I'm just providing a little comfort," Jay explained, stroking Ruby's head.

Nonsense. The girl's eyes rolled. But Ruby was happy to return Jay's hug. Her fingers stretched across Jay's back. Time was almost here. Ruby's nails were sticking out, and her fingers were bent, ready to dig in the juice nightshade smeared on her nails.

"Thank you," Ruby said, bidding farewell without being noticed.

The tips of Ruby's nails shrunk. Jay loosened the hug, lifting Ruby's chin to kiss her lips.

"If you want to thank-"

Ruby's breath hitched. She didn't know what had just happened. Her heart was beating fast after feeling Jay's soft kiss. Even though it was short, it left her addicted. Ruby swallowed hard, staring closely at Jay's twitching lips, waiting for the words that would bless her ears.

"Please be mine tonight."

Jay continued the action, capturing Ruby's lips, which were slightly parted. The Queen welcomed the hot game. The blood of the two monsters rippled violently. The bloodthirsty hunter waited for his prey to give up while the girl with the hot blood took over the game. Ruby deepened the kiss, delaying Jay's movement down her neck, and launched her original intention, sinking her fangs.