Ruby returned his wicked grin and sauntered into the living room. “Not today, but tomorrow’s another day.”
Walking into the living room, she took a moment to check out the scene in front of her. Her father had two TVs going full blast, an ear bud stuck in his ear and the newspaper sprawled out on a large, beige sectional that took up most of the room. A wooden rocking chair creaked in the corner where Grams sat knitting something with red yarn.
“Does one of you want to tell me what’s going on?” Ruby asked evenly, trying to catch the eyes of either Grams or her father. Her father just shrugged. Ruby saw right through his feeble attempt to feign innocence, and Grams didn’t even bother to look up. “I’m not sure what you two are up to, but I’m not a kid anymore, and there’s a good chance I’ll figure it out. Then, you two will have to deal with me.”
Tyler laughed and paced around the room. “Aw, Rube, your active imagination and your flare for the dramatic make you one of a kind.” Somewhat absently he leaned in and kissed his daughter on the forehead, “Sit down and tell me about your day, doll. Did you meet anyone interesting today?”
“I did, actually. I met many people,” Ruby said coyly, not quite sure where to begin. She’d met quite a few interesting characters, but she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to share anything with two people who were obviously keeping things from her. She decided to keep a few secrets of her own, so she told her them about her new friend, Lilly.
Glossing right over some of the more interesting encounters, Ruby chronicled the mundane details of the day, but kept a few things to herself.
The more she talked the more her father fidgeted, unable to stay seated for long. When his cell phone buzzed, he jumped off the couch and it tumbled out of his hands. Grams stopped knitting and her brow furrowed. Ruby paused midsentence and watched the scene unfold in slow motion, not even closing her mouth. Her father scrambled to his knees and chased his buzzing phone across the perfectly waxed wooden floors.
Finally, he got a hold of it. “Yeah?” he barked into the phone, abruptly composing himself. He turned to the women in the room, then stalked to the porch, slamming the door on his way out.
Ruby growled, narrowing her eyes, and turned to Grams. “Well? You want to tell me what’s going on?”
Grams folded her knitting tools in her lap. “Ruby, please stay out of this. You have a bright future. Don’t be foolish enough to get lost in your father’s silly conspiracy. Your mother died at the hands of some very bad people. In fact, several people died, but the people who did it have paid. There was no ‘frame job’ or ‘cover-up’. Sometimes bad things happened to good people in a good town. Period. End of story.” Her grandmother sighed wearily.
Ruby plopped down on the couch and looked at Grams. “Will you tell me about it? What about the others? The stuff I can’t find in the papers?” Ruby asked.
Ruby knew this went so much deeper. Her family was a part of a unique culture called Otherly Naturals, or Otherlys. This culture is compiled of many forms of interesting creatures, most of which aren’t quite human. Different and non-human didn’t necessarily mean they were all bad. In fact, just like humans, there was both good and bad, and they came in many different forms. The Hoods were wolves—werewolves—even though Ruby hated that term. She knew anything related to her culture would never be spoken about in the local newspaper.
“The man killed after your mother was the resident Guardian. He was killed by the same people,” Grams softly said. After all, her granddaughter deserved to know.
“No way,” Ruby said slowly. Not many people, human or non-human, dared to harm a Guardian. They were leaders with a certain magical presence. Killing one was not an easy task. “Tell me.”
“The first two that were killed were human—most Otherlys didn’t pay any attention. We just figured it was humans killing other humans, but then your mom …”
Ruby waited patiently.
“Jarred Hunter was the Guardian at the time of her death. He had recently arrived to Woodsville, and several Otherlys had traveled here to see what the newest Guardian was like. It happens every time the title is passed. There’s always an influx of undesirables,” Grams explained.
Fascinated, Ruby urged Grams along with frantic hand motions, wanting as much information as she could get before her dad returned. This was the most anyone had ever spoken to her about her mother’s death.
“Jarred was a good man. He was friends with your parents. It was an odd pairing of friends—wolves and a Guardian—but they all bonded. When your mom … died … the men were frantic, beside themselves with grief and wanted justice. Someone had to pay for taking your mom away, so they teamed up with a recently relocated family of Huntsmen—the Wolfs.”
Ruby burst out laughing. “Sorry, Grams, but this town has a band of Huntsmen with the last name Wolf. That’s irony at its finest right there!”
“Well, Detective Kevin Wolf and his brother, Officer Ken Wolf, found irrefutable evidence that this degenerate biker family of coyotes, the Coys, were behind the killings. Jarred, being the brave and heroic man that he was, lead the charge to arrest the suspects. He was shot right in the heart by the head of the Coy family. Afterward, gunfire and a bevy of Otherly Naturalness ensued. Thankfully, the Wolf brothers were there to take care of the rest of the clan. Most of the women and children fled the day before. If Jarred hadn’t been so full of hatred and grief, he might still be here today. Maybe he should have taken your father with him. I think Tyler blamed himself for his friend’s death. Jarred was survived by a son, Dylan. He’s your age.”
“Whoa …” Ruby said, exhaling deeply as she leaned back onto the couch. Grams’ story was the same as the newspaper reports, but at least now she knew the true identities of all the players.
“I don’t want to have to make demands, Ruby, but stay out of this. Be a teenager and enjoy it. Date a boy, go to a party, and get asked to a dance. Woodsville is a good place to live.” Grams’ eyes flashed golden and she snarled ever so slightly. Ruby flinched and sat back. Then, Gram stood and patted her granddaughter gently on the shoulder. “You hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am. Nite, Grams,” Ruby whispered. She stood, but kept her eyes low as a show of respect. Turning, she walked up the stairs.
“Nite, Girl,” Grams whispered.
Ruby smiled and enjoyed the awe of her Grams. She had no idea the old woman still had it. If Grams wanted things a certain way in her town, all visitors must abide by her wishes. That was the Hood way and had been that way for centuries, and Ruby wasn’t going to let her father create unnecessary problems by getting mixed up with hateful, old feelings.
She knew her dad had gotten into some shady stuff from time to time. Hell, she’d found herself in numerous, too-close-for-comfort situations … it came with being a wolf. There were things about the world most seventeen year old girls never even thought about, but Ruby knew all about them first hand. She’d shaken down a biker for cash. She’d broken into homes to “borrow” certain items that she intended to return. She was also quite capable of hot wiring an automobile for a quick getaway. But there was the nagging voice that she shouldn’t know the kinds of things she knew, as she thought again about her Grams’ advice to stay out of it.
After some thought, Ruby decided she’d start with getting to know the resident Guardian. It sounded like they had at least one thing in common. She had seen him today, which was one of the things she chose not to share. Their gaze locked as she was walking through the hall with her new friend, Lilly. It would have looked odd if Ruby had stopped and introduced herself. Otherlys weren’t keen on letting the human race in on their secrets, but she nodded respectfully in his direction. She knew he was the Guardian, as they come with a certain presence. His nod and smile in return, but the look in his eyes told her he knew she was a wolf. She remembered liking his emerald eyes. It had been a meaningful moment. Meeting the new guardian moved to the top of her priority list tomorrow. Idly she wondered what he knew about
her. She bit her lip and grinned mischievously, giggled and silently vowed not to cause any more problems for her Grams.
Later that night, Ruby heard the car door slam. She never slept well until her dad was home. She heard him bound up the steps and saw his shadow underneath the door. Then, she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, as she wasn’t ready for one of their father-daughter all night talks. The door opened slightly and Tyler Hood gently crept toward his daughter. He knelt over her and kissed her lightly on the top of the head, and Ruby immediately drifted off to a hard, dreamless sleep.
***
“Ruby,” her dad whispered as he opened the door and knocked softly at the same time the next morning.
“Hey,” she croaked, rubbing her eyes.
“Hey, I gotta run early. Sorry about running out on you yesterday, but I got a job. I’ll tell ya all about it tonight. You gonna be around?” he asked with childlike pleading as she smiled.
“Sure, Dad. I’ll ask Grams if she’ll make dinner. Maybe we can eat together like a family,” Ruby offered hesitantly. The thought of a real family dinner sounded heavenly.
“Of course, doll. If that’s what you’d like.”
“I would,” she said, hopping out of bed and wrapped her long blonde hair into a messy bun. Her long, graceful strides put her right in front of her father. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed the cleft on his chin. “Thanks,” she said, grinning from ear to ear as she brushed past him and headed into her walk-in closet.
“See you tonight!” he father called after her.
“Can’t wait.”
He chuckled silently, shaking his head at his daughter. She never ceased to amaze him. Pulling his cap firmly over his eyes, he headed down the steps and out the front door.
Ruby got ready with crazy quickness, as she wanted to go downstairs and talk to Grams. She felt they reached an understanding last night and she was excited to springboard off that. As she pulled on her signature skinny jeans, layered top combo, she briefly entertained the idea of a real family, like eat-dinner-and-celebrate-the-holidays-together kind of dinner. The idea of settling down was growing on her, quickly. She applied minimal make-up, then opted for red lip gloss today, thinking she might ease off of the tough, hard ass image. She smelled something yummy coming from downstairs as she grabbed her favorite black jacket and her bag before closing the door on her way out.
“Morning, Grams,” Ruby greeted her. She was enjoying the change in the environment with her Grams.
“Morning, girl. Are you hungry?” Grams asked with a slight smile.
“Yes,” Ruby scooted onto the bar stool at the breakfast bar. Grams set a plate in front Ruby filled with whole wheat waffles smothered in butter and syrup, fresh, ripe fruit and crispy bacon.
Ruby shoved a huge forkful of the delicious waffles into her mouth and sighed slightly while she chewed. After she swallowed the first bite, she couldn’t wait to share her news with Grams. “So, I’ve decided to introduce myself to the Guardian today,” Ruby said proudly. “Can you give me any pointers? I only know what I know from research. I’d love a firsthand account of what he’s like,” Ruby said making conversation before shoving another large forkful of waffles into her mouth.
“He’s a bright boy. Some call him strict, but fair. I find him to be a tad immature, but he’s only eighteen. There hasn’t been a killing here since he became Guardian. He has a very low tolerance for BS, plus he leaves me alone and he’s handsome,” Grams replied with a grin.
Ruby’s juice almost shot out her nose and she blushed. “Graaammms!”
“What?” Grams shrugged playfully, “and I never heard of him treating anyone unfairly. Now, there’s minimal violence, so he does a decent job, especially being so young. I’ve lived under better Guardians and I’ve lived under worse. The family of Huntsmen he hired had a lot to do with the low violence part. Dylan was so young he didn’t really understand what was going on, so he hired them. He had just lost his father and his best friend.”
“Who was his best friend, Grams? What happened to him?” Ruby muffled over a mouthful of waffles and bacon.
“You were, Ruby.”
“SHUT. The. Front. Door!” Ruby exclaimed as a piece of waffle fell from her gaping jaw.
Grams smiled like the cat that ate the canary. “Yes, and I’ll tell you more about Dylan, but I’d really like to hear your impression of him as a person. I’d rather tell you more about the family of Huntsmen, since they’ve made themselves an intricate part of this town: The Wolfs. Eight years ago, they took care of all the unfortunate riff raff that found their way to an area protected by a child Guardian. The Wolfs have been on the Guardians payroll ever since. Kevin Wolf is the police chief and Ken Wolf, formerly Officer Wolf, is the principal at Woodville High. His wife, Kassandra, owns a children’s clothing store and volunteers at many charitable events. They have two children, Kent and Kayla. Kayla is adopted, but you’d never know. She’s the spitting image of the rest of them. Dylan is Kent’s best friend and together, they have big plans to run this city. They all have quite a future ahead of them,” Grams said.
Ruby thought for a moment. Her eyes went wide as she whispered, “Grams, do you think …”
“Don’t even utter thoughts like that Ruby. The Wolfs are highly revered in this town. Doubting their sincerity and devotion will cause too many problems,” Grams said hastily as she grabbed Ruby’s unfinished plate setting before her.
Ruby opened her mouth to protest on many different levels, but Grams cut her off again.
“Shhhh, Ruby, I’m warning you, girl. The Wolfs didn’t have anything to do with the deaths that took place eight years ago. There hasn’t been a single death since. To even utter words like that would put a target on your back, your father’s back and mine,” Grams whispered. “Now get on to school, girl. Be home by super time and I’ll have something nice prepared.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ruby obliged as she hopped off the bar stool and headed to the door. She couldn’t even look back at her Grams. She walked out into the sunlight lost in her own thoughts. Surely, her mother’s death and the death of Jarred Hunter had been investigated, and if not one single murder had taken place for eight years, then the Wolfs couldn’t have been a part of it. One was a police chief and the other, a principal. The bad guys usually didn’t have jobs like that, she rationalized … usually.
“Well, if it isn’t Ruby Hood!” A nasty voice spewed forth as a lean figure stepped out from behind a large oak tree and directly into her path. Ruby stopped, eyeing the creature in front of her carefully.
“Well, now, you seem to have me at a disadvantage. You obviously know who I am, yet you haven’t bothered to introduce yourself. Tsk, Tsk … not very neighborly. However, if I had to guess, I’d say you are the young Huntsman, Kent Wolf,” Ruby leered, holding out her hand.
Kent’s eyes grew wide. Ruby was tickled to have unnerved him. “I’d like to be friends, at least until we get to know each other. Who knows? We may end up hating each other,” Ruby sneered, biting her lip. Then, she leaned toward him and whispered into his ear, “Plus, I don’t bite … hard.”
Kent gulped, jumped back and hissed at her. Ruby couldn’t help but laugh. “He’s the class president, editor of the school paper and the Guardian’s best friend and he hisses. That’s cute.” She covered her mouth and tried to control herself. Why was Grams or anyone afraid of this guy? Ruby had a hard time picturing him as any kind of Huntsmen.
“Kent, I’ve got this, go,” a deep voice spoke, as the hairs on the back of Ruby’s neck stood up. She silenced herself instantly. Then, she took a deep breath and turned to face the newest person to ambush her on her way to school.
“Mr. Hunter, nice to meet you formally,” the blonde wolf curtsied slightly and flashed one of her brilliant smiles. “I hoped we would cross paths today, and to my surprise it was sooner rather than later.”
“Well, Miss Hood, it sure is lovely to meet you. You’re quite breathtaking,” Dylan Hunter
, Guardian of the Wood, said appreciatively as he looked her over from head to toe. “What brings you to Woodville?” he asked, all business.
“Family. My father and I haven’t been in town since we lost my mom. I hear we lost her about the same time that you lost your father,” Ruby said carefully. Dylan flinched slightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Kent flinch even more. “I’m very sorry for your loss,” Ruby said sincerely. She honestly wouldn’t wish the loss of a parent so young on anyone. Then, she gently rested her hand on his shoulder.
Dylan turned to face her and studied her intently. “And I am sorry for yours,” he replied softly, filled with regret. Her dark eyes met his gleaming emerald eyes. It was the first chance she’s had to take in his features, and she couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was. His solid, lean frame reminded her that he was some big shot on the football team. His chiseled features and long, narrow face had premature lines and wrinkles, probably from the early childhood trauma of losing his father and becoming a Guardian at the age of ten.
“How long are you in town … you and your father?” he asked, as Kent stiffened and sneered off to the side.
Ruby recoiled inwardly, not about to let these two get to her. Plus, the way Dylan mentioned her father and Kent’s reaction put her on alert. There was still bad blood. Determined to smooth things over, Ruby composed herself and responded nonchalantly, “I’m not sure yet. It all depends on whether my father and Grams can sort out their differences.”
Hunter nodded, satisfied with her answer. “Your grandmother is a good woman. I hope they find common ground. It might be nice to have you around for a while.”
“I hope so,” Ruby replied. “From what I hear, we have a lot of catching up to do. Apparently, you and I were very good friends many moons ago.”
Novel Hearts Page 4