Raymond seemed to be bolder this time. He had never stared at Celeste with such open interest in his eyes before.
The knot between her brows deepened. "Why do you want us to meet?"
"Well… I thought you'd be interested in werewolves."
That was not the answer she was looking for. She knew Raymond wouldn't admit what he actually wanted yet. Fortunately, she had patience.
"Are werewolf hunters all the same as you? Are you all so selfless and keen on sharing secrets about werewolves?" Celeste sneered.
"Ouch!" Raymond rubbed his chest as if he was hurt by her sarcasm. "But I kind of like your sharp tongue."
When Celeste said nothing, he put away his smirk and shrugged. "Fine! I can be honest with you. I just want to clear up all the misunderstandings you're obviously holding against me. Really, I'm not a pervert."
Celeste rolled her eyes. "Proof yourself, then."
"I can't! I do hope my genuine eyes would touch your icy heart, though." With that, he blinked at her.
What a nerd! Celeste almost laughed. "Whatever. I don't care."
"So we're friends now, aren't we?" He asked in anticipation.
Celeste stopped herself from rolling her eyes again and leaned back against her chair. "Not yet. You promised to tell me your secret so we become friends, but as far as I know, you only told me some part of your big secret. So I suppose the business is not finished yet?"
Raymond sighed loud enough for her to hear before he continued, "Fine. I just can't fool you."
He leaned loser to her and said in a low voice as if he was worried about being eavesdropped on. It was ridiculous at the moment. Because they were the only two in the café. "In fact… I'm not one hundred percent sure werewolves are in the town because I haven't found them. But the chance is good."
"Okay, you've already told me about this part." Celeste cast him a doubtful look.
"Just let me finish, impatient young lady." He tilted his head and protested.
"Sorry. Go ahead, please."
"Okay. Where was I? Oh yeah. The chance is good. Think about it. You have heard about the wolf cries in the forest, right?"
Of course she had. That had already become a routine in her life. But what did it have to do with his finding? And more importantly, how did that give them away?
Before she could answer, Raymond opened his mouth again. "Anyway, whether you have heard them or not, there are wolf cries in the forest. And they become louder and longer on the full moon. I know you're wondering, but hey, what's so strange about it?" He wiggled his brows and continued, "The strange thing is, you can't find a wolf in the forest, not a single one, not even their den!"
He let that sink in before he asked, "What did that tell you?"
"You didn't search hard enough?" She raised an eyebrow.
Raymond paused for a second before he argued, "No! I searched very hard! I've searched so many times, actually. And there's not a single hint of wolves living in the forest."
"So, given your expertise in werewolf hunting, you concluded in confidence that there must be werewolves around?"
"Yes. And I think it's a reasonable explanation. But I can't be sure before I catch a werewolf. So, I decided to prove my theory by hunting them down."
Celeste snorted. "Them? Are you going at a pack? How are you going to hunt them down? With your silver bullets?"
"What's wrong with my silver bullets?"
"I mean… Even if you're a good shooter, what if you run out of your bullets before a werewolf jumps at you? Besides, as you've admitted, you'll be facing more than one enemy. Have you ever considered being ambushed by others while you're dealing with only one of them?"
Raymond gave her a smug look. "I know you'll ask about that. Tell you what, I've considered that possibility."
"And … you don't care because apparently, you have a death wish?"
"As I said, I like your sharp tongue. But to answer your question, no." He brought a package to the table. "I have this. So I'm sure the beasts won't have the gut to get close to me. They're going to shit themselves the first chance they smell this baby."
Celeste's eyes twitched when Raymond took out that sinister package. With a bright smile on his face, he unfolded the package slowly and revealed what was in it.
By instinct, Celeste leaned back against her chair to put some distance between her and the thing. She recognized what was in it. Wolfsbane. Of course, he had wolfsbane!
The deep blue petals were glistening in evil. Celeste knew it was all in her head, but she smelled death when she lay eyes on the flower.
"I'm sure you've recognized what this is. You've read so many about werewolves, after all. But I can tell this is the first time you've seen it in real life." He moved the wolfsbane to her, the smirk on his face bigger.
Celeste wanted to jump away and storm out of the café immediately, but she couldn't. She forced herself to sit still. She warned herself not to lose her cool.
In the back of her head, she was even slightly amused by the identical shock the man delivered every time they met. He had flashed his shining silver bullet and almost freaked her out last time. His acknowledgment of books and the necklace she owned had driven her away directly. And this time, he shocked her with the deadly wolfsbane. She wondered if the man had gained any sick pleasure every time he caught her off guard.
She looked up and realized Raymond was watching her reactions. No, he wasn't just watching. He was observing very closely, taking in any fear showing on her face.
"You want to touch it?" He asked in a gentle tone. That didn't sound like a question or an invitation, though. The look in his eyes told her this was the test she had been expecting.