Celeste paled. Of course, she knew what werewolf hunter meant. But she never expected Raymond to be one. She couldn't even imagine him holding a gun and aiming at his target. Raymond was just a clueless, nerdy man to her.
Hunters and werewolves were worst enemies for hundreds of years. Not that they had never made peace, but the peace had always been short-lived along with human life and perished as new generations grew. As time went by, suspicion and misunderstandings swelled into hatred and bloodshed. For example, Alpha Byron's Luna was killed by the hunters.
Werewolves seemed stronger with their sharp teeth and power, but they were vulnerable under the moon. Hunters stood no chance if they were barehanded, but their weapons were getting more lethal to give them the edge. In the end, werewolves could only hide, as they did in this town.
The moment Raymond admitted his identity as a werewolf hunter, Celeste felt the urge to run. To run for her life. To warn her pack.
Noticing her change, Raymond frowned. "I know this sound like bullshits, but it's true. This is the silver bullet that can kill a werewolf. You can take–"
"No, thanks!" She raised her hands, stopping him from handing her the bullet. "Um... I mean … werewolves are real?" She didn't want to touch the bullet. In fact, she feared it. The sight of it was already getting her on edge.
"Yeah. And…" He looked around to make sure no one noticed their conversation before leaning closer to her and whispering, "I can prove they exist."
Celeste's hands twitched. "H-how?"
Raymond stared into her eyes in silence, his gaze pointed and penetrating. Celeste wondered if he had seen through her and the wolf inside her.
Just as she thought he wouldn't tell her, the man opened his mouth, "By hunting them down, of course. I know they live in this town."
Celeste froze.
The man's eyes were still on her, scrutinizing every movement she made. Celeste forced herself to calm down. "Oh? And how do you know that?"
"That's another secret I'd rather share next time we met." The man winked.
Celeste huffed in frustration. "Fine. Even if there are werewolves, you don't look like a hunter to me. Are you sure you're capable of hunting them down?"
Raymond dropped his gaze to his drink and clutched his fist, burying the bullet in his palm again. "My father said the same… I know I'm thin and look like a nerd, but I'm a good shooter. I can get those wolves."
"Your father? Is he a werewolf hunter, too? Is he in the town?" She needed more information.
"He is a hunter like me. But he's not here yet. I'm here only because I'll prove myself to him." He looked up from the table and smiled, "By the way, you took that very well, same as expected."
Celeste's heart skipped a beat at his words. What did he mean? What did he know about her?
But Celeste didn't show any of her doubts. Instead, she took a sip of her drink and asked casually, "Seriously, why do you tell me all this thing?"
"As I said, I want to share a secret and earn a friend."
"Why me?" Celeste frowned.
"Because there's something special about you. I know you would be interested in this. I saw those werewolf books you've borrowed and the teeth necklace you own. Those were … wolf's teeth, right?"
Celeste flinched in alarm. "You went through my shit?!"
"No! No!" Raymond threw up his hands, his cheeks red. "Don't get me wrong! I saw them accidentally. That's how I know you'll be interested."
Celeste stared at him skeptically. He didn't look like he was lying. But she knew hunters could be very cunning.
She had no idea how long Raymond had been watching her. The thought of it sent goosebumps down her skin.
She wondered if Raymond asked her out today just to see her reaction. Why did he drop that bombshell on someone he barely knew? Did he know she was a wolf? Was he tricking the information out of her? She didn't want to be paranoid, but it was too fishy. She was suddenly too uncomfortable to sit with him.
She put the money on the table and got to her feet. "Sorry, I think I should leave."
Raymond rose to his feet and stood in her way out. "I… Listen, I didn't go through your stuff. I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable with it. But I promise what I told you is true. I know you're interested in …" he lowered his voice when sensing the prying eyes of other customers, "them. I know you need time to digest it. And if you want, I can show you more next time."
Celeste nodded and walked past him.
On her drive home, she kept looking back in the mirror in case the hunter was tracking her. She took the detour and headed home after making sure no one was following her.
***
Celeste had been worried ever since she found out about the hunter around them. She reported it to Byron to get the pack alert. Raymond had texted her and asked her out again, but she was not ready to meet the hunter again. She didn't know if it was a trick waiting for her this time.
She worried about Jeremy the most. He just had his first shift and could not fully control his wolf yet. And she was told that Jeremy hadn't shifted again since day one. What was troubling him? Was he afraid of his own wolf? Why couldn't he just let his wolf out?
Celeste couldn't stand it. She was sick of guessing. She was sick of waiting for Jeremy to open up and tell her what the hell was wrong with him. She was sick of being worried about her family.
"WE NEED TO TALK! Raymond is a hunter!" she texted him.
But the message went unanswered. Ten minutes later, she texted again, "Raymond Gunther! It's Raymond Gunther!!! The guy I worked with!!! This is HUGE!!!"
This time, she was hopeful when seeing Jeremy typing. But he didn't send anything in the end.
"Ugh!!" Celeste rolled her eyes and threw herself into the bed.