Red was still tempted to hit Hekat with a chair. She wasnât sure if she was glad or not that the blond stepped in. Slowly she got to her feet and brushed herself off. Before she took a seat, she picked up Hekatâs sash that was discarded. Red sat in the chair where her cloak was. Her light green eyes took in the details of the sash. She glanced back at Hekat who was still interacting with the blond. Red rolled her eyes, but wondered what the woman was. Red knew there were many types of nonhumans, and she didnât want to assume. Though, she knew her wolf reacted to the woman. Her wolf even reacted negatively when the blond told Hekat to drop her.
Her attention was shifted when rum was placed in front of her. Red looked up and smiled at the serving girl. She nodded a thanks to the girl. If she had gotten her drink earlier, the fight wouldn't have happened. As she sipped her rum, she grabbed her cloak and folded it on her lap. When she folded the cloak, she tucked the sash into it. Red was still irritated with Hekat. She decided to keep the sash. It likely would bother the woman when she realized it was gone. Red had finally finished her rum and was ready to go, but then she heard barking. Her body tensed. She knew who the barking belonged to.
It was a minute later when she saw a black hunting dog. It was Layla. She watched as the dog happily ran up to her. Red gave Layla a friendly smile. Red placed her cloak on the table before she petted Layla.
âHello Layla,â she said sweetly. She grabbed the dogâs head to kiss her on the forehead.
âAh, I heard you were here tonight, glad the rumors were true,â said Ian. Red flashed him a fake smile. She hated Ian. He was the reason she ended up as Roseâs pet. She only glanced at the group of men behind him. His hunting group was smaller than normal.
âWhat do you want?â she asked. She moved Layla off her and made her sit. She stroked Laylaâs head to relax. Her wolf liked Ian even less.
âWe need someone whoâs good with a bow and arrow. We trapped some werewolf in a pit trap, and weâd rather catch it without any casualties,â he said. Red rested her hand on Laylaâs head. She wondered what she had done for her night to have gone to hell. First Hekat and then Ian.
âWhat happened to George?â she asked.
âHe fell. Weâll pay you for your work. Do something to make your father proud,â he said, ending his sentence with a laugh. Red tensed even more. She hated when people mentioned her family. It just made her think of the night of the bloodbath.
âDoubt heâd be proud, itâs just a pup,â said one of Ianâs men. She watched with amusement when Ian glared at the man.
âAre you such a bad hunter than you couldnât bother to find an adult?â she asked.
âA catch is a catch, Iâll split what the king gives me,â he said. Red rolled her eyes.
âSo, I need to finish what you started, but I only get a small share?â she asked. She wondered how she could get herself out of this mess. Red wondered how she could help the wolf, especially if it was a pup. Red didnât have a love for werewolves, but she believed it was wrong to harm children. If the werewolf was a pup, it likely was a child. She thought of when her wolf attacked her. She didnât have the opportunity to defend herself. The werewolf pup Ian caught wouldnât either, especially if trapped in a pit. Also, it was very outnumbered. Red decided she would need to somehow help it without risking herself. She had no idea how the hell she was going to do it. If she went back to the inn, her conscience would nag her.
âWe just need you to wound it enough so it isnât a threat. I want to see if I can get information out of the dumb animal,â Ian said.
âDo you not know how to shoot an arrow?â she asked in annoyance. He didn't need to call it a dumb animal.
âAre you coming or not?â Ian asked, irritation lacing his voice as well.
âIâll come. Give me a minute,â she said. She grabbed her cloak and stopped a serving girl. Red arranged it so her cloak would be taken to Jollyâs Inn. She tuned back to Ian.
âIâll need to get my bow and arrows,â she said. She wanted to buy herself more time to think of a plan.
âWe have a bow and arrows for you,â he said. Red decided not to protest, but cursed in her head. She touched her collar. Red wondered if she should leave it. Red wore it to keep herself from changing. It was a small reminder to double think. Though, she knew sheâd be stupid to change with Ian around. Sheâd have to help the pup in her human form.
âWhy do you w-â
âLetâs go. Where is the pit?â she asked suddenly. He always asked about the collar. She never gave an answer.
âItâs in the dense parts of the woods, give or take a mile from the river. You know where that rotting tree trunks are?â he replied. Red nodded. She took a deep breath before following him out. Red wondered how the night would turn out and if she bit off more than she could chew.
âWhat color is the wolf?â she asked, just before they exited the tavern.
âItâs black. It isnât you wolf,â Ian said. Her wolf was the one who attacked her. She had called dibs on it ages ago. Red had said if anyone killed or even harmed it, sheâd cut their head off. She reminded everyone of this at each hunter meeting. The meetings were held once a month in a secret location before the full moon. Red was allowed because of her family's hunting history. It didnât matter that she didnât take up werewolf hunting, especially after what happened to her.
Red walked behind the group. She stayed a few feet away. Red knew the walk to the pit wouldnât be too long. She wondered if she should ditch the group. She could turn to get to the pup quicker. If she got there first, she could help the wolf escape. Red reminded herself that Ian likely had men guarding the pit. They would be an issue for her. Red didnât change much and always felt less than 100% in wolf form. After all these years, Red still refused to fully accept her wolf self.
As they entered the woods, Red figured out Ian was missing three men. She assumed they were the ones guarding the pit. She walked a foot or two more behind the group. She took in her surroundings. Red wonder if the pup had many any noises that would attract other werewolves. If any other werewolves appeared, sheâd have to leave. Sheâd let them all kill each other before she was a part of another bloodbath.
âAlmost there, about ten minutes or so,â Ian hollered. She foolishly hoped that Ian caught a normal wolf. She could see him being stupid enough to do that, even if he was a werewolf hunter.