His hair was a bit long, tied loosely in the back.
He had a beard that framed his face, and his expression seemed gentle.
He was tall and lean, but not the bulky figure I had imagined. Dressed in a crisp suit, he blended seamlessly into the ambiance of the cafe.
He looked more like a white-collar worker than anything else.
As I stared at him, he was also sizing me up.
“What’s wrong, Seraphina? You seem doubtful of me,” he said with a calm expression and a soft smile.
“Can you really kill werewolves?” I asked, my skepticism evident. Judging by his physique, it didn’t seem likely.
Leo heard my words and slowly reached for his wrist, pulling something out.
“Take a look at this,” he said.
When I saw what he held, my body trembled involuntarily.
What was that?
It looked like a string of bones, each one connected, worn like a bracelet.
The bones were polished to a uniform size, meticulously crafted, and disturbingly large.
I couldn’t tell what they once belonged to, but they radiated an unsettling aura.
Leo noticed the shock in my expression and smiled faintly. “Do you see this, Seraphina? These are werewolf teeth. That wolf killed my wife. After I took its life, I pulled out all its teeth and made them into this chain. I swore I would kill every werewolf I encounter.”
As he said this, a maniacal glint flickered in his eyes despite the smile on his lips.
“Seraphina, have you encountered a werewolf? Do you have any clues about them? I need this information,” he pressed.
“I haven’t…” I instinctively denied it.
“No, you must have. Where was it? I came to this town because I knew there were werewolves here,” he said with conviction.
I hadn’t expected Leo to be so formidable. How could a mere human hunt werewolves? They had so many supernatural abilities.
Yet, Leo exuded an unshakable confidence.
“Please, tell me, Miss. Perhaps you doubt my abilities? Recently, I’ve discovered several werewolf traces near this town,” he said.
“Several?” My heart raced, and I felt a sudden shortness of breath.
I had suspected that there were more werewolves than just Kael and Marek. Evelyn had also warned me about the chaotic energy in town lately, advising me to be extra cautious.
Was that why this hunter had come here-because he sensed the presence of many werewolves?
“Why do you think I traveled so far to get here?” Leo said, taking a sip of coffee. A cold smile tugged at his lips. “There are plenty of werewolves here. Perhaps some of them are even among us right now, watching us.”
He leaned closer suddenly, lowering his voice. In that moment, a chill ran through my body.
I glanced around instinctively, scanning the cafe and the streets beyond. It felt like someone was watching me. My skin tingled with unease, and my breathing grew shallow.
I noticed Marek lurking in the shadows of a nearby corner, his eyes trained on me.
Leo’s words weren’t wrong.
Werewolves could blend seamlessly into human society. Marek, for instance, appeared no different from an ordinary college student.
Yet, when I first met him, he was a terrifying beast, glaring at me as if I were prey.
If other werewolves were like him-outwardly human but monstrous underneath-then they were indeed a horrifying threat.
“Seraphina, won’t you tell me? Perhaps you’re reluctant to harm them, but you must consider this: they are monsters. They cannot control their emotions. You’ll never know when they might lose control and try to kill you,” Leo said, his words striking me like a stone thrown into a calm lake, shattering my composure.
I took a sip of my coffee, the bitterness mirroring the turmoil inside me.
“To be honest, the werewolf I killed… he was my neighbor,” Leo confessed, his voice steady.
I froze, staring at him. I hadn’t expected such a connection.
“When he moved next door, he was warm and welcoming. He brought us food and invited us over. We shared common interests and quickly became close friends,” Leo continued, a bitter smile crossing his face. “I thought we would always be friends. But one night, after working late, I came home to find my wife lying in a pool of blood. He was devouring her insides.”
Leo’s words painted a vivid, horrifying scene in my mind.
Werewolves were truly masters of disguise.
If Kael or Marek ever lost control, would they turn on me just as his neighbor had?
My hands clenched into fists.
“So, Seraphina, will you tell me where the werewolves are? I’m going to kill every last one of them,” he said resolutely, baring his scars for me to see.
I hesitated. If I refused him, would I be turning a blind eye to my responsibility?
Werewolves were undeniably a threat to human society.
But even though I was afraid, neither Kael nor Marek had ever harmed me. Could I betray them out of fear? I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
And then there was my own lingering doubt-was my body’s strange reaction truly connected to werewolves?
“Can I ask you something?” I said. “You’ve been in contact with werewolves for so long. Have you ever experienced any physical abnormalities? Could they… I don’t know… infect someone, like a virus?”
“No, that’s impossible,” Leo said, shaking his head. “They usually inject the virus into you through a bite, turning you into a werewolf.”
So my symptoms weren’t caused by the werewolves? Then what was happening to me?
Before I could think further, Leo stood up and looked at me.
“Seraphina, I don’t have much time. I’m leaving this town tomorrow. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you come with me to a place nearby? It’s only a few kilometers from here. Don’t worry, I won’t harm you,” he said.
Go somewhere with him?
I looked into his sincere eyes but hesitated.
“Seraphina, if you don’t come, you’ll regret it. I’ll show you the true face of a werewolf,” he said.
“Will it be dangerous?” I couldn’t help but ask.
From what I’d seen, Leo wouldn’t hurt me. His target was solely the werewolves.
“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, you won’t be in danger,” he assured me.
After a moment of hesitation, I mustered my courage and decided to follow him.
But if I had known what was about to happen, I might have thought twice.