As she was leaving the school, Renata Hamilton got a text from Morgana: "i just got a return on belt that can turn u in2 werevixen. Pick up when u can"
Ruby sauntered over to Renata and glanced at her phone. "Cool, looks like you're gonna get your wish to be like me!"
Renata smiled. "Sure looks like it, Ruby. I can't wait!"
Ruby gave Renata a kiss on the cheek. "I can't wait to see your vixen form. I bet it's even more beautiful than you are now. Well, let's go pick up your belt."
Just as Ruby and Renata were leaving the school, they noticed a deathly pale girl with a dark brown pixie cut storming up to them, her eyes smoldering with anger.
"Ruby!" the pale girl screamed. "Ruby Reynolds! You have some fucking nerve showing your face in this town again after the way you treated me the last time!"
"Who is this, Ruby?" asked Renata.
"Oh, are you her new toy?" asked the pale girl. "I'm Valeria von Karnstein. I don't know if this means anything to you, bit that bitch is a werevixen. Her skulk was in town a year ago, and we hit it right off. My Moms told me to be careful around werefoxes, but she was so amazing that I didn't listen. She was beautiful, she was fun, she was all over me. She actually told me she'd leave the skulk and settle down with me. Well, it was all going really great... until the skulk left and Ruby with them. She didn't even have balls to break up with me in person. She used a fucking text! I can still remember how it went: 'hi val leavin w/ my skulk. thnk its time 2 mov on, thnx 4 da fun k bye!!' And thatwas the last I ever heard from this untrustworthy bitch!"
"Not a bitch," Ruby smirked, "a vixen."
Valeria rolled her eyes. "Don't be a smartass. I'm trying to warn Renata about your fickle, untrue ways. Just my fucking luck you werefoxes would come back to town to harass my classmates. Are you guys even capable of NOT being self-centered pricks?"
Ruby shook her head. "Big talk from a vampire. Bloodsuckers really don't have room to talk."
"Don't go there!" Valeria snarled. "You know that's not the kind of clan Carmilla runs! We von Karnsteins value consent! We don't kill, and we don't force unwanted transformations. What about your skulk? You steal everything you can get your furry hands on, you harass everyone you meet with pranks, and you play with hearts and break them as soon as your bored! It's almost like you don't think anyone else is really people, that I'M a person!" By now, Valeria was fighting back tears.
Ruby raised an eyebrow. "You really didn't move on? Who holds on to a breakup for so long?"
"News flash, Ruby!" Valeria screamed. "People who aren't werefoxes actually CARE about relationships!"
Ruby swallowed. "I... I'm sorry I hurt you, Valeria. I honestly didn't think you'd still remember me after a year."
"Well, you thought wrong!" Valeria spat. She ran off, not caring who saw her cry as she sped away from the source of her pain.
Renata shifted awkwardly. "That was... unfortunate. Did you really dump her that coldly?"
"I didn't think it was cold," Ruby sighed. "Werefoxes often forget that other people aren't as casual about relationships as us. I guess we tend to act without thinking a lot. But don't think for one second I'd drop you like that. This is different. This is special."
"I hope to God that's true," Renata whispered. "Come on, let's go get that belt Morgana has waiting."