Chapter 95: Want to Drink Blood?

The next day, when Evelyn Ford got up and went out, she once again saw Ronan Kendrick sitting in front of the fireplace.

He looked to be in good spirits, showing none of the fatigue that should come from staying up all night.

"Going hunting?"

Evelyn Ford wanted no part of it. She was still on her period.

"Not right now."

"Hasn’t your injury healed yet?"

Evelyn Ford nodded.

"When will it be better?"

"Another two or three days."

Ronan Kendrick watched her thoughtfully. Evelyn Ford had a bad feeling, and sure enough, he pulled out his knife the very next second.

"Want to drink some blood?"

Evelyn Ford honestly felt like kneeling before him. This guy was just too intense.

"No."

"You’re so weak," he remarked, his expression calm.

Evelyn Ford glanced at his face, really wanting to smack it a few hundred times with the sole of her shoe.

"I took a look around last night. I found that this mountain range still has a lot of animals. Oh, and I also found a giant python in hibernation."

’Good for you,’ she thought sarcastically. "Why’d you go? Did you have nothing better to do?"

"It’s all food. Enough to fill me up."

Evelyn Ford stared at him like he was a lunatic. "A whole mountain range, eighteen peaks, and all those animals are just enough for you? Are you some kind of bottomless pit?"

"You can store a lot of things, right?" He had actually learned to evade her question and change the subject.

Evelyn Ford snorted. "What are you getting at?"

"I store them with you, we split it fifty-fifty. Good deal?"

’It does sound like a pretty good deal,’ she mused. ’But there’s really no need for him to be so diligent about hunting. The animals on Broken Cloud Mountain were supposed to be hibernating, but he’s probably scared them all away.’

"Winter is the best time for hunting. Didn’t you know?"

After speaking, he pointed outside. "I’ve already prepared last night’s kill. Go store it."

Evelyn Ford opened the door and went out. Seeing two sheep buried in the snow, she resignedly stored them away.

"Want to roast a whole sheep?"

He immediately came out. "Is it good?"

"Start a fire. We’ll roast it in the yard."

The snow had stopped, so they didn’t have to worry about getting wet while roasting the sheep in the yard. Evelyn Ford secured one of the sheep flat on a spit and placed it over the fire pit.

They moved a table and chairs outside. Mina and Lola both ran out to join the fun. Evelyn Ford sat by the fire and began to turn the spit. She would wait until it was almost done before rubbing it with salt and chili powder.

"When can we eat?"

"Right now," Evelyn Ford retorted irritably.

Ronan Kendrick rubbed his nose and fell silent.

He sat on the other side and pulled Mina onto his lap. Perhaps it was because of the heavy scent of slaughter on him, but Mina was uneasy in his arms and looked at Evelyn Ford with a pitiful gaze.

"Do you know what today’s date is?"

"January sixteenth."

He nodded. "It’s been that long."

The roasting sheep began to release a fragrant aroma. Evelyn Ford sprinkled it with salt, then brushed on a layer of honey. A SIZZLE SIZZLE sound rose up, pleasant to the ear.

She placed small saucers of dipping sauce on the table. When it was time to eat, they could just slice off the meat and dip it.

She moved the fully roasted sheep to the table, and they could finally dig in.

"Can we have this again tomorrow?" Ronan Kendrick’s eyes lit up after just one bite.

"Are you trying to work me to death?"

"You can’t die yet. All my food is with you." When he said this, there wasn’t the slightest hint of a joke in his tone.

’He was someone who looked so serious on the surface but was actually utterly insane. Evelyn Ford had gotten the most direct sense of this last time when she watched him hunt the wolf pack.’

’The excitement in his eyes when he saw the blood of his prey couldn’t fool her.’

"Aren’t you afraid I’ll just take all this stuff and run?"

He looked up at Evelyn Ford and shook his head slightly. "No. I can find you."

Evelyn Ford was startled. He continued.

"Do you know how I found you that day? I remember your scent. Wherever you go, you leave that scent behind."

The piece of mutton in Evelyn Ford’s hand almost fell.

"Are you scared?" His gaze was calm, his eyes devoid of any joy or sorrow, good or evil.

"No."

"Why did you throw me in that pit the other day?"

Evelyn Ford coughed. "I was afraid you’d freeze to death. It’s warmer in the pit."

It seemed like he smiled, but maybe he didn’t.

"There’s a mountain nearby with a lot of bones on it. Those people... they must have been dead for over a month."

’They must have been survivors who fled to the mountains after the earthquake,’ she thought. ’They probably froze to death in the blizzard, or maybe they were killed by wild animals.’

"None of them had that scent."

Evelyn Ford didn’t say anything, just focused on eating her roasted meat.

Four-fifths of the roasted sheep ended up in Ronan Kendrick’s stomach. He was very thin, yet even after eating so much, his abdomen remained flat.

’Could it be that the digestive systems of genetically edited humans were also optimized?’

"The wind’s picking up." A cold wind howled, blowing the snow on the ground into the air. Evelyn Ford picked up Mina and Lola and hurried into the cabin, leaving Ronan Kendrick alone in the yard.

After that day, the blizzard intensified, and a lot of snow piled up on the roof. Evelyn Ford directed Ronan Kendrick to go up and shovel it. With a light leap, he jumped onto the roof.

Watching him from the yard, Evelyn Ford suddenly couldn’t help but ask, "Does anyone else know you’re this capable?"

He looked down at Evelyn Ford, raising an eyebrow. "Everyone who knew is dead."

"What about me?"

"You? Can you beat me? You’re so weak."

Evelyn Ford smiled. ’Alright, he’s telling the truth. I don’t want to argue with that.’

"Will you leave the mountains?"

"Will you?" he asked back.

"Maybe. If you do leave the mountains, you’d better cover your eyes." This was Evelyn Ford’s well-intentioned advice, to keep him from being captured and killed again.

"Did they scare you?" He shoveled the last scoop of snow and suddenly jumped down.

"No."

"Are you reminding me to be wary of outsiders?"

"Something like that."

The two of them were very close, so close that Evelyn Ford could even see the fine hair on his face.

"I think you should worry about yourself." With that, he strolled away.

’It would serve him right to be captured and killed.’

’He *should* be captured and killed.’

"What I mean is, I can protect myself, but it seems you can’t."

He twisted the knife.

Evelyn Ford gave a faint smile. "You seem to have forgotten that your food is still with me."

He finally shut up.

—

The blizzard raged for three days, and another meter of snow piled up. The water in the pond had completely frozen over, so for now, they could only use the water from her space.

Ronan Kendrick seemed very worried about running out of food and continued to go hunting in the mountains every day. If nothing else, ever since meeting him, the amount of meat in Evelyn Ford’s space had multiplied several times over.

From pheasants to roe deer, wild boars, and bison, there was no prey he couldn’t hunt down.

Evelyn Ford’s life, on the other hand, had become quite leisurely. Every day, she would knit sweaters, cook, drink tea, watch TV, and play with Mina and Lola at home.

Moreover, Ronan Kendrick would clean the game he brought back himself. Aside from his sharp tongue and crazed nature, he could be considered a qualified tenant.

"Is there still prey outside?"

Ronan Kendrick nodded. "A lot. And many more will freeze to death this winter."

"I’ll go hunting with you tomorrow."