Chapter 1: The Hunt Begins
The bar was loud and dimly lit, the kind of place where trouble didn’t just happen—it thrived. Ruby Redwood leaned against the counter, toying with the straw in her drink as she scanned the room. Her honey-colored hair spilled over her shoulders, her hazel eyes sharp and calculating beneath the guise of casual interest.
Her outfit was simple but striking: a deep red leather jacket over a black tank top. She looked like a woman enjoying her night out, but every part of her was focused on the hunt.
Maisie Brooks, her best friend, was missing. She’d vanished a week ago without a trace, and Ruby had spent every moment since retracing her steps. The last place Maisie had been seen was this bar.
Ruby’s gut told her the disappearances in the area were tied to werewolves. She’d been raised to recognize their patterns—hunters and predators, hiding among humans. She hated them with every fiber of her being, a hatred forged the day she’d found her grandmother’s body, lifeless, torn apart. She vowed she would never stop hunting them down.
Ruby’s gaze landed on a man leaning casually against the bar. His rugged appearance drew her attention immediately—messy dark hair, green eyes that seemed to glow even in the dim light, and a bit of facial scruff that gave him a roguish edge. He was laughing at something one of his friends said, and for a moment, Ruby felt an inexplicable pull toward him.
Snap out of it, Red.
She refocused on her task, tuning out the magnetic stranger. Her eyes locked onto a group of men in the far corner, their behavior too shifty to be innocent. Their eyes fixed on a girl stumbling toward the exit. She was young, barely legal, her steps uneven as she laughed at something only she could hear.
The men exchanged looks before following her out. Ruby’s jaw tightened. She rose from her seat, following them as they exited through the back.
Outside, the alley was dim, lit only by a flickering streetlamp. The men surrounded the girl, their postures predatory. Ruby stayed in the shadows for a moment, taking in the scene. She could smell the faint copper tang of blood on them—werewolves, no doubt. They’d likely toy with their prey before striking, a tactic she recognized too well.
“Hey!” she called out, her tone light and playful, masking the tension coiled within her. “You boys lost?”
The men turned, their eyes narrowing as they sized her up.
“This doesn’t concern you,” the leader sneered, his voice low and rough.
The girl from the bar, panic flashing in her eyes, took her chance. With a burst of adrenaline, she broke from the men and sprinted down the alley, vanishing into the night.
Ruby’s gaze flicked after her for a split second before she shrugged, sliding a hand discreetly into her jacket. “Sure it does. I don’t like bullies.”
The leader laughed, the sound hollow. “You’ve got guts, sweetheart, I’ll give you that. But you’re in over your head.”
Ruby smirked, pulling the silver blade from her jacket. “Oh, honey, over my head is where I thrive.”
The four rogues circled her, their predatory eyes gleaming in the dim alley light. She gripped her knife tightly, the cool metal grounding her as adrenaline coursed through her veins.
The leader took a step forward, “Don’t shift,” he growled to the others. “The last thing we need is someone walking out here and seeing us in wolf form."
The closest one to her, a wiry man with a scar running down his jaw, sneered. “She’s just a girl. Let me handle this.”
“Be my guest,” the leader said with a smirk.
Scar advanced, his claws partially extended, his steps deliberate. He lunged, aiming for her throat. Ruby sidestepped, using his momentum to guide him past her, and slashed her knife across his abdomen. He hissed in pain but laughed as the wound started to heal.
“Cute trick,” he sneered, swiping at her again.
Ruby ducked, feinting to the left before spinning and slashing upward, the blade catching him clean across the throat. His laughter turned into a wet gurgle as he stumbled back, clawing at the wound. Moments later, he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
The second rogue snarled and stepped forward—a bulky man with muscles rippling beneath his torn shirt. He didn’t waste time, barreling toward her like a freight train. Ruby dodged his first swipe, but his second grazed her arm, tearing through the leather of her jacket and drawing blood.
Ruby hissed, glancing at the ruined sleeve. “You did not just mess up my favorite jacket.” Her voice dripped with mock indignation, even as she repositioned herself. “Now you’re going to pay.”
The brute roared and lunged again. This time, she dropped low, sliding beneath his swing, and sprang up behind him. With a precise and well-timed strike, she drove her blade into his kidney. He froze, his body spasming as he gasped in pain, before collapsing to the ground.
The remaining two assailants exchanged uneasy glances. The leader growled, baring his teeth. “Enough of this! Take her down.”
Her third opponent —a tall, wiry man with sharp features—charged her next. His movements were fast, calculated, his claws grazing her side as she narrowly dodged. The sting of the wound bit into her, but Ruby gritted her teeth, refusing to falter.
He circled her, feinting with his claws to keep her off balance. Ruby watched him closely, waiting for an opening. When he lunged again, she sidestepped and spun, using his momentum against him. Her blade found its mark in his heart, and his body jerked violently before crumpling to the ground.
Now it was just her and the ringleader.
Ruby turned to face him, blood dripping from her wounds but her grip on the knife steady. Her adversary snarled, his yellow eyes blazing with fury as he advanced cautiously.
“Looks like your crew wasn’t up to the task,” Ruby taunted, her voice laced with cold defiance.
The leader lunged, claws swiping dangerously close to her face. Ruby ducked and countered, slashing his arm. He roared in pain but didn’t slow, striking again in a flurry of vicious attacks. Ruby dodged and weaved, her movements precise despite the ache in her side.
Finally, she saw her chance. She kicked his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. Before he could recover, she grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall, her blade pressed to his throat.
“Who’s behind the disappearances?” she demanded, her voice ice-cold.
The man bared his teeth in a feral grin, his yellow eyes gleaming. “You’re tougher than you look, girl,” he spat.
Before he could say more, a voice rang out from behind her.
“Hey! What the hell’s going on here?”
