The Alpha King and His Luna

CHAPTER 2

CELESTE was at the rooftop of the pack house and looking at Catherine. She was learning Martial Arts from the Beta of the Pack. The Beta was gently teaching her. Napailing na lang siya dahil iniisip ng lahat ang kapakanan ni Catherine. Talagang umaasa sila na si Catherine ang magiging mate ng Alpha King.

“Hindi siya kailanman maging Alpha King’s mate,” Celeste said to herself. She heard that the Alpha King was heartless. She let out a small sigh. “She will only suffer if ever.” Tumaas ang sulok ng labi ni Celeste. “Buti nga sa kaniya.”

But looking at Catherine, people around her are very gentle and caring because they believed that she will become the Alpha King’s mate. Pero para kay Celeste, parang hindi mapipili si Catherine. Mas marami pang magagandang babae kaysa kay Catherine.

Nag-inat siya saka tumayo. Naramdaman niya ang presensiya sa likuran niya kaya naman humarap siya. Sa pagharap niya, may bigla na lang tumulak sa kaniya. Celeste fell straightly from the rooftop of the pack house.

Celeste heard screams as she fell but she quickly balanced her body in the air. She landed perfectly on her feet. She quickly looked up to see who pushed her. They are three boys and are laughing. Para mga ito nakakatawa ang ginawa nila pero para kay Celeste, hindi ‘yon nakakatawa. They are joking on someone’s life. Kilala niya ang mga ito. Anak sila ng mga pack warrior ng River Valley Pack.

Her hand clenched.

"Wow, you're great, ah. Hindi ka man lang nabalian ng buto." Catherine said with a smile. Gusto ni Catherine na mabalian ng buto si Celeste pero hindi niya lang iyon sinabi ng direkta.

Tinignan lang ni Celeste si Catherine saka siya tumalikod at umalis. Pero naramdaman niya ang paparating sa kaniyang likuran. Alam niyang kaya niya itong ilagan pero ayaw niyang magduda ang mga tao sa paligid niya at para iligtas ang sarili niya sa gulo, hinayaan niya na tumama ang bagay na ‘yon sa kaniya.

No one knows that Celeste practice secretly martial arts by herself. She doesn't know how she did it but somehow it was good for her to protect herself. Because she learns moves quickly and sometimes, she watched the pack warriors in their training.

So, she practiced martials arts secretly at the mountain.

Tinignan ni Celeste ang bagay na tumama sa kaniya na ngayon ay bumagsak na sa lupa. Isa itong maruming bola. Napabuntong hininga na lang siya saka tiningnan si Catherine. Catherine just crossed her arms as her eyebrows raised.

"After all, you didn't break a bone, cook for me, pathetic loser." Utos ni Catherine.

Hindi tumugon si Celeste pero sinunod niya ang utos ni Catherine. Pumunta siya sa kusina at nagluto ng pagkain nito. She was tempted to poison the food but opt not to.

But the three man who pushes her from the rooftop was engrave in her mind. She can't just let them go. Kilala niya ang mga ito. They are the sons of the pack warriors of the pack and they are on training to be the next pack warriors.

Pagkatapos niyang lutuin ang pagkain ni Catherine, umalis siya ng kusina at umalis ng pack house. Pumunta siya sa bundok na malapit sa pack nila. It’s still part of River Valley Pack but the mountain was close to the pack’s border. Pumunta siya sa paborito niyang pwesto sa bundok na ‘yon saka inilabas ang kaniyang flute. She played her favorite song.

A song that truly depicts her real emotions and a song that could only say about her suffering. The pack didn’t accept her as one of them, her father, her twin sister, everyone around her regards her as a curse.

Napabuntong hininga si Celeste saka tiningnan ang buong lugar. Ang lugar kung saan siya laging pumupunta kapag gusto niyang sumagap ng sariwang hangin at ang lugar na tanging nakakaalam ng mga paghihirap niya. Ang lugar na ito ang pinagsasabihan niya ng mga hinanakit niya. The resentments that only her and this place knew.

This mountain was truly a paradise for Celeste.

She was alone and she don’t have friends. But that doesn’t matter to her.

Gusto niya talagang umalis sa pack na kinabibilangan niya pero hindi siya makaalis dahil may mga secret pack warriors na nagbabantay sa kaniya. She couldn't get out because she is weak. She needs to be strong but how? How can she be strong if the people around her is pulling her down?

Celeste closed her eyes and stop fluting. Sumandal siya sa katawan ng punong kinaroroonan niya. It was the highest tree in the mountain. Nakaupo siya sa sanga ng puno at mula sa kinauupuan niya, nakikita niya ang buong pack.

The biggest house below the mountain is the pack house.

This is her pack. She was one of them but she couldn’t feel it.

Kapagkuwan may narinig si Celeste na tumatawa. She sniffed the air and sharpened her hearing.

“Dapat sana sinaksak ko muna siya bago ko siya itinulak!” The man said and laughed.

“But honestly, Celeste is beautiful than her sister.”

“Do not be noisy. Someone might hear you. Alpha Calixto will punish you. They regard Catherine as the Luna Queen because they believed that she is the Alpha’s mate.”

Kumuyom ang kamay ni Celeste nang makilala niya ang mga boses na ‘yon. Mabilis na pumunta si Celeste na kinaroroonan ng mga lalaking tumulak sa kaniya mula sa rooftop. Though she was unhurt when she fell from the rooftop but what they did is not a funny thing.

“Sandali, may ibang tao dito.”

Tumaas ang sulok ng labi ni Celeste. In this place there are many wild animals. They were unlucky because they ended up here.

Since she has the ability that they didn’t know, why don’t she use it against them?

Ginamit niya ang kakayahan niya upang kontrolin ang mga hayop sa paligid.

Unfortunately, Celeste got a huge snake. Hindi niya alam na isang malaking ahas ang makukuha niya. Using her mind, she controlled the snake. Tatakutin niya lang sana ang mga lalaking tumulak sa kaniya mula sa rooftop… but she didn’t know that it would cost their life.

Celeste just sighed. She’s not guilty of that anymore. The huge snake was only to scare them but they fell from the cliff. Tumaas na lang ang sulok ng kaniyang labi. They pushed her from the rooftop of the pack house. If she hadn't balanced her body, she might be dead by now. So, what they got today is what they deserved.

Nanatili si Celeste sa kaniyang kinaroroonan pero hindi rin lang niya kayang tingnan ang tatlong lalaki na nahihirapan. Nakonsensiya siya at nakaramdam siya ng awa na hindi niya dapat maramdaman. Bumaba siya mula sa kinatutuntungan niyang puno at lumapit sa may bangin. Tiningnan niya ang tatlong lalaki. They are struggling to climb and to escape the raging water.

“If they only acted nice…” Celeste shakes her head.

Hindi sila makapunta sa ibabang parte ng bangin dahil malayo ito sa lugar kung saan sila bumagsak. Mapapagod lang sila kung lalangoy sila patungo sa mababang parte at isa pa napapalibutan sila ng mga matatalas na bato.

Kaya naman ang ginawa ni Celeste ay naghulog siya ng baging na umabot sa kinaroroonan ng tatlong lalaki at saka siya bumalik sa kinaroroonan niya. Pinanood niya ang tatlong lalaki na humawak sa baging saka nagmamadaling umakyat. Para silang mga basang sisiw nang makaahon sila. Natawa ng mahina si Celeste saka niya ipinikit ang kaniyang mata.

“You all deserved it. Kulang pa nga ‘yan.” Ani Celeste sa kaniyang sarili.

But of course, she wouldn’t let go of the man who pushes her from the rooftop.

Lahat nga mga tao sa pack ay hinahamak siya dahil hindi siya nag-shift bilang isang lobo pero hindi niya hahayaan na ang mga panghahamak nila sa kaniya ay lamunin siya ng galit. She won’t let hatred blind her.

She grew up alone and being hate by everyone.

And as long as she is alive, she will have her hope to escape from this hellish place.

Pero hindi niya hahayaan na saktan siya ulit ng mga ito at hindi niya hahayaan na patayin siya ng mga ito. Kaya naman sinundan niya ang mga lalaking nahulog sa bangin. Maswerte siya na nasa pinakalikod ang target niya. Itinago niya ang kaniyang presensiya saka mabilis itong hinawakan sa leeg ang lalaking tumulak sa kaniya mula sa rooftop. Dinala niya ito sa hindi kalayuan, medyo malayo sa mga kasama nito.

“Ikaw…”

Celeste grinned and saw the fear in his eyes. She doesn’t know what he saw in her but it was enough that he cried because of fear.

"I won't let it slide so easily what you did when you pushed me off the rooftop." Celeste said to him with no emotion.

Sinakal niya ito. Nagpumiglas ang lalaki pero sa tingin niya ay malakas siya kumpara rito dahil hind ito makawala sa pagkakahawak niya hanggang sa mawalan ito ng hininga at namatay sa kamay ni Celeste. Binitawan niya ang walang buhay na katawan ng lalaki saka siya umalis sa lugar na ‘yon.

Celeste looked at her hands. They can look down on me but don’t even try to kill me because I will not let it happen. I won’t let them kill me.