The woman leaned in close to Kayden, her voice low and conspiratorial. “Yes, a monster! I don’t know what kind exactly, but it’s definitely not something good. They say it arrived in town last night. Mabel Wren said she’d return once it’s gone! Ugh, now I have to wait a few more days.”
A monster?
Last night? Could it be Felicity’s cousin?
Kayden wasn’t lacking in knowledge about such things, but he didn’t catch the scent of any monster. He dismissed the gossip for now-after all, the words of a nosy small-town woman weren’t the most reliable.
“Oh, by the way, where are you staying? I’m at the motel at the end of this road. If you haven’t found a place yet, you can rent a room there. It’s decent-tiled floors, a bed, a sofa, and pretty fancy for this town. It’s only eighty-eight bucks a night, and it’s super comfortable. If you haven’t found anywhere, you should check it out.”
As she spoke, the divorced woman threw Kayden a suggestive glance, her intentions clear.
Kayden gave her a disdainful look and walked away, brushing past her without a word.
The woman let out a frustrated sigh, pouting. “Hmph. Can’t even take a hint! I spelled it out for him, didn’t I?”
After wandering the streets for a while, Kayden returned to his place. The day passed peacefully, with nothing unusual happening.
But early the next morning, a piece of shocking news spread through town: someone had been killed at that motel.
The news drew a crowd, including Felicity and her mother. Kayden wasn’t particularly interested-he’d seen too many dead bodies before to be fazed. But he was worried about Felicity, so he decided to follow along.
The local police had already cordoned off the scene, but that didn’t stop townsfolk from gathering around.
Kayden immediately recognized the victim. It was none other than the woman who had spoken to him yesterday-the divorced woman who had come to town seeking Mabel Wren to read her fortune.
She was dead.
Her death was gruesome. Her neck had a massive bite wound, her veins torn open. But strangely, there was no blood on the ground, as if someone-or something-had drained her dry.
The sight sent shivers through the crowd. Whispers spread like wildfire: Was it a vampire?
Fear swept through the small town. Panic was beginning to set in.
On their way back, Felicity turned to Kayden, her face pale with worry. “Was that… a vampire?”
Kayden met her terrified gaze and shook his head. “No. It was a human.”
“A human?” Felicity’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Humans can drink blood?”
Kayden nodded. “Yes, they can. But don’t worry. No one will dare harm you while I’m here.”
His words carried a weight that warmed Felicity’s heart.
“Thank you,” she whispered, blushing.
Kayden glanced at her and added, “By the way, you look good in that outfit.”
Felicity was wearing clothes Kayden had bought for her-an outfit worth tens of thousands of dollars. Hearing his compliment, she lit up with a radiant smile, her voice soft. “Thank you.”
Kayden didn’t reply. He simply smiled faintly in return.
“By the way, where’s your cousin?” he asked, noticing Hunter’s absence.
Felicity let out a small “oh” and replied, “I don’t know. He left early this morning. Kayden, I swear, there’s nothing between me and my cousin. He’s a good person. He used to protect me when we were kids, and he still does now.”
She hesitated before continuing, “He’s not a bad person. He’s just been through some… strange things, and now he treasures us even more. That’s why he made such unreasonable demands.”
Felicity didn’t want Kayden to misunderstand her cousin. After all, Hunter was family. She was terrified that Kayden might hurt-or even kill-him.
As if reading her mind, Kayden asked calmly, “If I killed him, would you hate me?”
Felicity froze, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.
“Why… why would you kill him?” she asked in a hushed voice.
Kayden was silent for a few seconds before replying, “I’m speaking hypothetically. What if he’s a bad person?”
Felicity fell silent, unable to answer. She dreaded this exact scenario, and now Kayden had voiced her deepest fear.
That evening, Hunter returned.
As he walked into the alley leading to Felicity’s house, a shadow stepped into his path.
It was Kayden.
In his hand, Kayden held a rusted, battered blade. Under the dim streetlamp, his shadow stretched long and menacing. The light was behind him, shrouding his face in darkness, but the air around him was ice-cold.
Hunter couldn’t see Kayden’s expression, but he could feel the oppressive aura radiating from him.
“What a face,” Hunter thought. Was it grim? Murderous? He couldn’t tell. But in that moment, Kayden looked like a butcher lurking in the dead of night.
“Tell me. Who sent you? Why are you here? Are you after Felicity?”
Kayden’s voice was low and sharp, his presence colder than winter frost. His face grew darker with every word.
Hunter tilted his head and smiled faintly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Kayden said nothing, his piercing eyes locked on Hunter. Under the dim light, their gazes clashed, Kayden’s sharp and unrelenting, like a blade aimed straight at Hunter’s heart.
Kayden was trying to see through Hunter’s facade, but Hunter stood firm, unmoved. He even smiled casually. “Mr. Scott, you’re speaking nonsense,” he said lightly.
Kayden shifted slightly and replied, “Is that so? Strange, isn’t it? I wonder how long you plan to keep up this act. Last night, you drained that woman dry, didn’t you? And today, you went out to report that I’m here, correct?”
Hunter’s expression faltered for a moment before he regained his composure. He stepped forward, his face suddenly darkening.
“So, you know,” he said coldly. “And yet, you still plan to interfere? I can tell you’re not ordinary either. If you’re smart, you’ll back off. But if you ruin my plans, I’ll make sure you die right here.”
Finally, Hunter revealed his true colors. But threatening Kayden? That was a mistake.
Kayden’s voice was calm but firm. “Tell me who sent you. Who ordered you to approach Felicity? Who’s behind all this? If you talk, I’ll let you live. If you don’t, I’ll kill you right now.”
Hunter chuckled, his laughter growing louder until it echoed through the alley. “You’re hilarious. Do you really think you can beat me?”
He clenched his fists and added, “What about you, Kayden? Aren’t you the one with ulterior motives? Why else would you get close to Felicity? You’re after her flesh, aren’t you?”