The Werewolf and the Hybrid

CHAPTER 3

“YOU know about them, Mom?” Lawrence asked his mother. He looked into her eyes and even his mother did not speak, he already knew the answer.

“What happened? Bakit may amoy ng bampira ang nakadikit sa ‘yo?” Seryosong tanong ni Celeste. Gone the smiling Celeste and was replaced by a serious one.

Lawrence sighed. "Lucas killed one of them. The vampire attacked me, Mom. Lucas lost his temper."

"Lucas knew that the one he killed was a rebel vampire. Lawrence, remember that you are a demigod, which is an advantage to you. Lucas can communicate with the Moon Goddess. You know that Lucas doesn't kill innocents. He has his reasons. Maybe he was warned by the Moon Goddess and helped you to get rid of your trouble." Sabi ni Celeste.

But Lawrence isn't dumb. In what his mother had said, there was a loophole and he quickly saw it. "Mom, may hindi ka sinasabi sa akin hindi ba?"

Celeste looked at her son. “Ano naman ang hindi ko sasabihin sa ‘yo?” balik niya. Ang talion naman ng batang ‘to. Nahuli niya agad.

“Mom, I’m serious here. Why are there vampires in our world? I have already asked Elder Ambrose and Elder Severus. Hindi ko alam kung nagsasabi sila sa akin ng totoo o hindi. But I’m not dumb. Ramdam ko na may hindi rin sila sinasabi sa akin.” Seryosong saad ni Lawrence.

“Ano ang sinabi nila sa ‘yo?” tanong ni Celeste.

“Vampires and werewolves are not enemies.”

“They lied.” Sabi ni Celeste. “I was a Wolf Goddess before and I have lived for thousands of years before I met your father. Mas matanda pa ako kaysa sa kanila.” Inis niyang sabi. “Alam ng lahat ng Elders ang tungkol sa nangyari noon dahil nakasulat ‘yon sa Ancient Book. Sila Elder Ambrose at Elder Severus ang kinausap mo?”

Tumango si Lawrence. “Ayaw kong magpanic sila kung sakali man na kakausapin ko silang lahat patungkol sa bampirang ‘yon. Nang kausapin ko si Elder Ambrose at Elder Severus naramdaman kong may mali na sa sinasabi nila pero hindi ko lang pinahalata.”

Malalim na napabuntong hininga si Celeste. “Lawrence, remember what your father taught you. Never trust anyone in the Council of Elders. They are manipulative and greedy. Hindi lang sila makapagsalita noon dahil natatakot sila sa daddy mo. You are young and you look naive. They wanted to take advantage of that. So, be careful and don’t trust anyone except those people who could be trusted. Don’t trust anyone in the council, my son. Your father showed he trusted them, but he never trusted them. Ganun din ang sinabi niya sa akin noon noong ako ang umupo sa trono. Kaya ikaw, mag-ingat ka sa kanila. Don’t let them bewitch you.”

Tumango si Lawrence. “That’s why I wanted to change the council with new generations. The Council is always against my decisions,” Inis niyang saad.

Natawa ng mahina si Celeste dahil nakikita niya noon ang hitsura ng asawa niya kay Lawrence sa tuwing naiinis ito dahil sa mga Elders. The Council really needed to be reformed, but it was Lawrence's duty as the new Alpha King to reform the Council. All she could do was to support her son.

“Mom, can you tell me about the Vampires? Iisa lang ang Ancient Book na nakita ko sa library ng palasyo. And the content was not relevant to me. Can you enlighten me about vampires?” Wala na siyang ibang alam na pagkatiwalaan kundi ang kaniyang ina. Mas marami itong alam tungkol sa mga bampira kaysa sa mga Elders.

“Sure.” Ngumiti si Celeste. Tumingin siya sa dalawang buwan na nakalitaw. “The Vampires had their own king, and they worshiped the Moon Goddess as their goddess. Werewolves and Vampires have been sworn enemies since the very beginning because of what they have. Nagpapataasan sila kung sino ang mas makapangyarihan at mas malakas. Vampires were created by Selene. It was her mistake that she created them. Selene doesn't have the heart to kill them, so she created a dimension where she let the vampires live. Pinaghiwalay ni Selene ang bampira at mga taong-lobo para maiwasan ang pag-aagawan ng kapangyarihan pero kung may bampira na sa mundong ‘to. Isa lamang ang ibig sabihin nun, binuksan nila ang lagusan.” Hinawakan niya ang balikat ng anak. “Lawrence, your reign has just begun. Obstacles and hardships will come in your way. Marami ang magdududa sa ‘yo. They will question you, but I know you can do everything within your ability as a demigod. Show them who you are really and what you are capable of.”

Ngumiti si Lawrence dahil sa sinabi ng ina. “Yes, Mom. I won’t disappoint you and dad.” Niyakap niya ang kaniyang ina. “Babalik na po ako sa palasyo. Take care of yourself and dad here. Pero kahit naman hindi ko sabihin ‘yon, aalagaan niyo naman ang isa’t-isa.”

Niyakap ni Celeste ang anak. “You will always be my baby boy.”

“Mommy, malaki na po ako. I'm turning twenty-nine already.”

“Alam ko pero baby pa rin kita kahit pa may asawa at anak ka na.”

Hindi na nakipag-argumento si Lawrence sa ina saka nagpaalam.

Pagkaalis ni Lawrence, napatitig na lamang si Celeste sa likuran ng anak at naalala ang sinabi ng kaniyang ina pagkatapos niyang isilang si Lawrence.

"He will be given a soulmate, but they are destined to kill each other, Celeste?"

“Ina, ikaw ang pumipili sa kung sinuman ang magiging mate ng bawat nilikha mo? Why would you do this to Lawrence?” Celeste asked.

“To balance the world, Celeste.”

Ipinikit ni Celeste ang kaniyang mata at humugot ng malalim na hininga. After inhaling a deep breath, she opened her eyes and looked at her son. “Ina, may kaniya-kaniyang tadhana ang bawat tao. At ang tao mismo ang gumagawa ng kaniyang tadhana. I know that my son is just like his father.” She smiled.

Tumango si Selene. “Then I will put all hope in his mate.”

PAGBALIK ni Lawrence sa palasyo, umaga na. Sinalubong siya ni Cade. “Your Majesty, the Elders wanted to meet you.”

Kumunot ang nuo ni Lawrence. “Bakit?”

Cade sighed. “They wanted to find you a queen.”

“I won’t meet them.” Sabi ni Lawrence.

Besides pissing him off because they were against his decision sometimes, he was also pissed at them because they wanted to intervene in his personal life. His mate was his personal life. They wanted to find him a queen, and he refused every time. Pinagpipilitan ng mga Elders na kailangan niya raw ng reyna.

But he didn’t need a Queen if it wasn’t his soulmate. The only qualified Queen is his soulmate. At hangga’t hindi niya ito nahahanap, wala siyang tatanggaping reyna.

“They said they found a queen for you, Your Majesty.”

Tumigil si Lawrence sa paglalakad. "Cade, asked them if they wanted to see Lucas. If they wanted to see Lucas, then show me the queen. They found it for me." Aniya at ngumisi.

Yumukod si Cade. “Noted, Your Majesty.”

“Good.”

Lawrence went to his office and called someone. Someone who can help him with the situation.

“What do you want, Lawrence?” inaantok na tanong ng kabilang linya.

Lawrence chuckled. “Sorry to disturb your peaceful sleep, Josiah. But I need your help.”

“Damn you!” Mura nito sa kaniya saka nito pinatay ang tawag.

Natawa ng malakas si Lawrence. Pero nakatanggap siya ng mensahe mula kay Josiah. ‘I’ll be there in thirty. Nakakahiya naman sa ‘yo, Your Majesty.’

Lawrence shook his head. Sanay na siya kay Josiah. Josiah is the Alpha of the Shadow Valley Pack. Son of the former Alpha Jax and former Luna Athena. Josiah was his friend and he treated him like his brother.

Then he called the kitchen's palace. "At your service, Your Majesty."

“Prepare breakfast for Alpha Josiah and bring it to my office.” Utos niya.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ibinaba ni Lawrence ang awditibo. Lumabas siya ng kaniyang opisina at pumunta sa East Wing kung nasaan ang kaniyang kwarto. Naligo siya at nagbihis. Pagbalik niya sa kaniyang opisina naroon na si Josiah at kumakain.

“Kain.” Aya nito sa kaniya.

Napailing si Lawrence at umupo sa kaniyang swivel chair.

May hinanda rin ang chef na pagkain para sa kaniya pero hindi naman siya nagugutom kaya ibinigay na lamang niya ito kay Josiah. Mahilig ito sa pagkain kaya hindi na siya nagtataka kung maubos nito ang pagkain na hinanda ng Chef.

“Anong tulong ang kailangan mo? Do you want me to call the gang?” Josiah asked and drank some water.

Lawrence created a barrier so that no one could hear them talk. “No need. Saka na lang kapag nasabi ko na sa ‘yo ang plano ko.”

“I’m all ears.”

“I want to reform the Council.”

Napatigil si Josiah sa pagkain at nagulat siya sa kaniyang narinig. “What?”

“I want to reform the Council.”

“Bakit?”

"Because none of them could be trusted. I was attacked by a vampire last night. A few days ago, we found a dead body near the border. The vampire killed the victim. I asked the Elders. Elder Ambrose and Elder Severus lied to me about them. Nalaman ko lamang ang totoo mula kay mommy dahil tinanong ko siya." Sabi ni Lawrence. "I think it's time to change our society. And reforming the Council is one of them."

Napatango si Josiah. Itinigil niya ang pagkain at nakinig kay Lawrence. “Kapag gusto mo ng reporma, alam mong hindi ito magiging madali para sa lahat.”

Lawrence smiled. “I know. Pero dadali lang ang lahat kung tutulungan mo ako.”

“Gang?

Umiling si Lawrence. “Mas mabuti kung tayo lang muna ang gumalaw. We will include them in the plan, but we won’t tell them about the plan. Hindi pwedeng madamay sila. Alam kong tutulong sila pero hindi pwedeng madamay sila kung sakali man na magalit ang mga Elders sa gagawin ko – natin.”

Napabuntong hininga si Josiah. “Nililigawan mo ang kamatayan. Idadamay po ako.” Aniya.

Lawrence shrugged his shoulders. “Brothers until death.”

“Dammit!”

Natawa si Lawrence. “So, are you willing to help me?”

Tumango si Josiah. "As if I wouldn't say 'no' to you. Naiinis na rin ako sa mga Elders na 'yan. They are using their position to decide what's the best, but it's the worst."

“They’re using their power to control me. Pero hindi ako magpapakontrol sa kanila.”

Josiah thumbs up. “You’re the Alpha King and you should be the one who will be obeyed. It’s not you who will obey them. So, what’s the plan?”

Pinagsiklop ni Lawrence ang dalawang kamay sa ibabaw ng mesa. "I want to know the families who are upright and responsible. You are one of them. I already included you in the list. The gang is also included. So, I need five more families."

Ngumiti si Josiah. “Leave it to me. But I didn’t expect that you would include me in your list.”

“As I have told you, I need to reform the Council.”

Napatango si Josiah. “Okay. Leave it to me.”

“Thanks.”

Nagpatuloy si Josiah sa pagkain.

Tinanggal naman ni Lawrence ang barrier na nakapalibot sa kanila.

“Oh, I heard that the Elders found a queen for you.”

Lawrence tsked. “Ang bilis ng balita, ah.”

Nagkibit ng balikat si Josiah. “I have ears, I guess.”

Napailing si Lawrence. “Cade.” Tawag niya sa kaniyang Beta.

Bumukas ang pinto ng kaniyang opisina at pumasok si Cade.

Cade bowed to the Alpha King and Alpha Josiah.

“Cade, investigate the Council. Take Samuel with you to do the task, but don’t get caught. The Elders are manipulative.” Lawrence ordered.

Alam ni Cade kung bakit ganun ang inutos sa kaniya ng Alpha King. So, he bowed his head. “I’ll heed your order, Alpha King. We will finish the task.”

Tumango si Lawrence.

Just after that day, when night fell, he felt something weird in him. The necklace he was wearing became warm. Hindi ito katulad noong may bampira siyang nakaharap. Iba ang init nito. Para bang may gusto itong iparating.

Hinubad niya ang suot na kwintas at pinagmasdan ito. The Red Crystal Moon Necklace was glowing. Nagtataka si Lawrence kung ano ang nangyayari.

Lumabas siya ng kaniyang kwarto at pumunta sa balkonahe. He felt someone trespassed the border. He immediately jumped off of his balcony and landed perfectly on his feet. He ran towards the direction where the trespasser was. She was being chased by his pack warriors. Nilagpasan niya ang mga pack warriors niya at hinarangan ang babae.

“Sino ka?” tanong ni Lawrence.

The woman stepped back.

Natigilan bigla si Lawrence nang maamoy niya ang amoy ng babae. “Your scent…”

The woman's scent smelled like sweet jasmine. It was intoxicating and addicting.

Nagkatitigan ang babae at si Lawrence.

Lawrence's eyes widened when a future flashed through his vision. He and the girl in front of him were holding each other.

“Mate…” Lawrence muttered.

But the girl did something and Lawrence lost consciousness. Bago pa man pumikit ang mata ni Lawrence, nakita niya ang pagtakbo ng babae palayo sa kaniya.