Evan returned to the back area. Callisa breathed a sigh of relief. Porcelli was satisfied. He had even given praise and confirmed that Evan had the potential to become a chef. It was good news. The word of this critic carried enormous weight. If Evan truly wanted to become a chef, this would be a powerful recommendation. She should have felt calm and proud, but she didn't. She felt uneasy.
The way Evan had reacted to the suggestion of being eaten… He had been excited and showed no fear. She remembered several chefs who had been given similar offers. Every one of them had trembled with fear to some degree. Evan hadn't even flinched.
Maybe he had gotten used to it from living with them, or maybe…
She swallowed. She thought about what Morona's mother had told them.
There was only one thing she could do: talk to him. She cleared her throat, made sure her tail was still and her ears were standing straight, and approached him.
"Evan."
"Yes, Callisa… Aaa!"
He suddenly cried out as if burned and jumped away, clutching his butt.
"Frida!" both of them shouted her name at the same time. But it wasn't Frida. Evan's eyes widened. Behind him stood a young vixen, a few years older than Callisa, with much more pronounced curves.
"Lysandra! What are you doing?!" Callisa narrowed her eyes.
"Sorry, Cali, but I had to check the quality of your meat," she said with a meaningful smile. "I must admit, you chose well. When are you planning to cook him?"
Both of them shuddered. Evan pressed his backside against the wall.
"I'm not just some piece of meat, and definitely not yours."
Callisa exhaled. That was the right answer. So why didn't her anxiety disappear?
"So this is the famous Evan? I heard about your first date. It didn't go quite as planned."
Both of them made faces as if they didn't know how to respond.
"You know, if you want, you can drop by my place. I have a very well-equipped kitchen."
Silence fell for a moment, then Callisa started growling, her tail thrashing wildly in every direction.
"Calm down. She's just joking… I think…"
That didn't calm the angry vixen at all. It looked like she was about to strangle her sister on the spot. Someone else did it instead — their mother.
"Lysandra! Stop teasing your sister."
"Yes, Mom."
The older daughter didn't look particularly obedient. Her mother gave her a stern look.
"Alright, let's go to the dining room. Lunch is served."
They sat in a private booth. In front of them were various vegetable dishes. Callisa had told her parents that Evan didn't eat meat, so they had adjusted the menu for him.
"I have to admit, my sister has better taste in boys than I thought."
Lysandra looked at Evan.
"Excellent build. And those legs. A true premium specimen."
Evan instinctively leaned away from her. For some reason, he sensed the same thing from her as he had in that illegal club where those snobs had almost eaten him.
"I don't accept your admiration."
Lysandra didn't seem offended. She just chuckled lightly.
"Do I come off like that white fox?"
Evan moved away a bit more. Elara spoke up.
"Lysandra, you're starting to go too far."
Their daughter just rolled her eyes and said,
"Sorry, Mom, but I don't mean it in a bad way. If Cali doesn't eat him soon, someone might steal him from her. And there are already quite a few interested parties."
Elara pierced her with a sharp look.
"What do you mean?"
Everyone stared at Lysandra. She leaned in closer.
"There are some pretty serious rumors circulating."
She looked at each of them.
"The news about the human has spread among the elites — especially the culinary and hunting circles." She looked at them gravely. "They're already planning how to do it legally."
She pointed a finger at Evan.
"On my way here, I saw several observers. I wondered what was going on. Now I know. The hunt has already begun. They're scouting the terrain."
Evan looked both captivated and terrified at the same time.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. Very seriously."
She glanced at them.
"And it's not just rumors. I heard a few things myself."
She smiled maliciously.
"The Sisterhood of the Black Roses is already following him. You know, that society of ladies who seduce men just to eat them."
Evan swallowed for some reason. He remembered Vollmond's words.
"Dating hunt?"
Lysandra looked at him with respect.
"You know about that? Impressive. The Sisterhood once invited me to one of their feasts." She licked her lips. "He tasted excellent."
She shot a glance at Callisa.
"Sis, I understand you might want to wait until he's fully mature, but there's no point in waiting anymore."
She looked her straight in the eyes.
"It's not just the Sisterhood. Several hunting associations and clubs are already active. And they seem very determined."
She smiled.
"From what I've heard, there hasn't been a human trophy in a few hundred years. The hunters are really horny for you."
Evan looked at her with moist eyes.
"Everyone wants to eat me?"
"Not everyone. Only those who truly know the value of good meat and are willing to do almost anything to get it."
She turned to her sister.
"Cali, you'd better hurry, or someone will beat you to it. His head will end up on someone's wall, and you'll be left with nothing but the smell."
Callisa and Elara gave her a look that clearly said to drop the subject.
"Okay, okay. I won't say anything more, but this might interest you… The Serrano family is in the city."
Suddenly the table fell silent. Dorian and Elara straightened up immediately. Callisa tucked her tail under herself.
"The Serranos are in the city?"
"Are you sure, Lysandra? They should be in Mesoamerica…"
Elara and Dorian seemed skeptical. Callisa sat in stunned silence. Evan had no idea what they were talking about.
"Yes, they're in the city." She placed a piece of paper on the table. "Don Serrano personally hired me as head chef. I'll be helping at their hunting club for now, and then I'm flying to one of their resorts."
"Congratulations, Lysandra," her mother said with genuine admiration.
"I'm proud of you," Dorian said, beaming.
"Congrats," Callisa muttered, slumping over the table dejectedly.
"Who exactly are these Serranos? Are they members of the council?"
Dorian looked at him in surprise, then understanding appeared on his face.
"Right, you wouldn't know."
He cleared his throat.
"Well, the Serrano family doesn't have a seat on the council, but they still wield considerable power. They're magnates — extremely wealthy ones."
He picked up a glass of wine.
"The Serranos produce alcohol. They make almost everything — from craft beers to refined wines and stronger spirits like rum, vodka, gin, and brandy."
He pointed at Evan.
"But their real source of money is elite hunting, hunting tourism, and the gastronomic industry."
Evan looked at him in surprise.
"The Serranos own several well-known companies that produce kitchen and hunting equipment. If you want something good, it most likely comes from them."
"Really?" Evan couldn't believe it.
"Yes. Everything from factories supplying the retail market to private craftsmen working on commission."
Callisa sighed.
"Yes, the Serranos are at the top when it comes to quality. No one surpasses them. And their prices are surprisingly reasonable too."
"All the equipment in my private kitchen comes from them." Evan was stunned. Dorian's entire kitchen was a masterpiece, and it all came from one organization…
"But they're really most famous in the hunting industry. Their gear is the best in the world. They also own many hunting resorts. Entire valleys and islands. All private and extremely luxurious."
Evan was speechless. Then something occurred to him.
"Where do they get the prey? They don't kidnap people, do they?"
Lysandra chuckled lightly.
"No. Transparency is one of the Serrano family's core principles. That's why they have an impeccable reputation."
Lysandra played with her fingers.
"They have many talent scouts. They offer some people help getting out of debt, and others they simply tempt with very good pay — provided they survive."
"What do you mean by good pay?" Evan wondered how much money would make someone risk their life.
The vixen thought for a moment.
"From what I've heard, it can be the equivalent of a typical year's salary, or even more. Sometimes they offer favors. It all depends on the situation."
Evan was in shock. A year's salary… Favors…
"You wouldn't believe how many are willing to take the risk. I was surprised myself when I learned the details."
Evan listened like he was hearing a sermon in church. Callisa watched him with growing concern.
"Alright, but what are they doing here? They wouldn't come just to hire one chef."
"That's right, Father," Lysandra said, looking around. "Apparently one of the Serrano sons is preparing for a hunt."
Callisa and Evan's eyes widened.
"It's a family tradition. Apparently the son is reluctant about it. Why? I don't know."
Lysandra shrugged.
"Anyway, Sis, you'd better get to work on your meat, or you'll lose it."
Dorian cleared his throat.
"Let's drop the subject. Let's eat."
They began eating. Evan pondered what he had heard. For some strange reason, he didn't feel fear — only pride. Callisa, on the other hand, felt more and more uneasy.