Fingers resting lightly on his forearm, Isabel, Viktor’s new bride, wore what looked like a vampire princess costume. The champagne-colored gown had lots of beading and shiny sequins along with a short train. The Bride of Dracula outfit came with fangs of her own—fake ones, where Viktor’s were real—long dark hair and twin bite marks on her neck. The bite marks looked fresh.
Viktor was a vampire, well, half vampire. Until Ruby’s arrival, Viktor thought his father was human. Armed with the new knowledge his sire was a witch, Viktor now described the other half of his heritage as being half magic.
Given her brother’s sometimes oddball sense of humor, Ruby would not put it past him to have forgone the makeup and fake blood and bitten his wife’s neck as a party prop for tonight’s event.
“Very funny,” she said, but smiled and winked at Isabel. “Stop making me point out that I’m older than you. It’s mean.”
“Fine. But I didn’t mean it as a dig. Trust me, when you’re older you’ll be really glad you look younger.”
“Touché.”
“What are you doing here? I thought you were hot on the trail of someone.”
“I am. He’s surely here somewhere or will be very soon. I’ve heard everyone in town usually shows up to this shindig. And if he shows up, I’ll find him.” She hoped she sounded confident, because she wasn’t actually certain she’d discover her elusive quarry here.
Tonight’s festivity was the ideal place to begin her search. If she didn’t find him at the Black and Orange Ball, her quest would be more difficult.
“Nice. If you need any help with a takedown, you just let me know.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be okay. I’m just locating someone for a family member, not chasing a criminal to ground.”
“Still, I’m here for you.”
“I appreciate that.”
Isabel pointed to her costume. “I love your outfit. Little Red Riding Hood, right?”
Ruby tugged uselessly at the hem of her short black skirt. “It’s a little bit shorter than I thought when I saw it in the store. Guess I should have tried it on before making my purchase.”
“Oh no. It looks great on you,” Isabel assured her. “Just don’t let a big, bad wolf catch you. Or a big, bad, alien wolf. They’re the worst.” She grinned.
Isabel would know, since she really was an alien, as in extraterrestrial. She came to Nocturne Falls from a place called Alienn, Arkansas, where a community of real-live aliens lived in plain sight of the humans. Much the same way Supes hid in plain sight in Nocturne Falls. As Ruby understood it, Isabel’s homeworld, Alpha-Prime, was two galaxies away. Ruby thought that was very cool.
Isabel made for a very beautiful vampire princess, and she was perfect for Viktor. Their love for each other surrounded them like an aura. They were one lucky couple.
Ruby rolled her eyes at Isabel’s good-natured taunt about a romantic diversion of the male variety. “I won’t let anyone catch me. Trust me, I’m not in the market for a date, wolf, alien or other.”
Viktor’s smile lost some of its sparkle as his protective brotherly instincts kicked in. “That works for me. I don’t want to have to take anyone out for inappropriately hitting on my sister.”
“Well, watch out for Vilma,” Isabel said, patting her husband’s arm. “I suspect she has other ideas in that regard. You know how she loves matchmaking in her quest for grandchildren.”
Ruby couldn’t agree more. Vilma, her father’s sister, had adopted Warrick, who was half dragon, and Viktor, as babies and raised them as her own. Ruby’s father never learned of the boys’ existence before he died. Vilma was shameless in her determination to get a passel of grandchildren, and had even gone so far as to resort to matchmaking to facilitate her growing desire. Since both Viktor and Warrick had traded in bachelorhood for the matrimonial state, she apparently had a knack for it. That left Ruby as the sole Hart of the younger generation clinging to singledom.
Aunt Vilma was overcome to learn her brother’s daughter had not died at birth. She had welcomed Ruby into their family circle the moment she learned of her survival. Ruby not only gained two half-brothers, but a loving aunt who would have been in her life had she only known Ruby existed.
“I told her not to set me up with any matchmaking possibilities, but I can’t imagine she’ll listen.”
Viktor and Isabel laughed. Her brother said, “I wouldn’t count on escaping that fate, but you never know. Maybe she’s changed her ways now that Warrick and I are married.”
“Not a chance. Unless you distract her with the imminent arrival of half a dozen grandchildren, I suspect she’ll keep up her wily matchmaking ways until all of us are wed.”
“No potential grandchildren yet, but we’ll let you know.”
Her brother and sister-in-law waved and melted away from her and onto the dance floor, staring into each other’s eyes as if they were completely in love, which they were. They had a tendency to look at each other like lovesick teenagers. A wistful smile shaped Ruby’s lips.
Theywerelucky.
Maybe someday she’d find someone to love. But not today. Time to work.
