Blood Secrets

Epitome of Death

One second Nadia was on the ground and the next second, she was on her feet. She was still disoriented from what had happened at tila nabibingi din siya dahil sa lakas ng pasabog. Narinig niyang napahiyaw si Eleanor sa sakit at nang tingnan niya ito ay nakahiga ito sa sahig. Shards of glass pierced her chest she's groaning in pain.

Nang tingnan niya ang gawi ni Lorcan ay nanlalaki ang mga matang nakatingin ito sa gawi ni Eleanor. Agad ding dumalo si Sebastian sa gawi ng kapatid na babae before he assured Lorcan that Eleanor is fine.

Then Lorcan turned around, looking at the broken windows and the shattered glass. She doesn't know what just happened ngunit malakas ang kutob niyang may kinalaman ito sa mga rebelde. Kai had covered her earlier at nakita niyang may sugat ito sa kamay. Blood started to gush out of it.

"I am sensing we have vampire guests tonight so if I were you, Kaiden, I would run the hell out of here," saad ni Lorcan habang nakatingin sa sugat nito. Agad naman siyang kumuha ng panyo at itinali iyon sa sugat ni Kaiden. Nakita iyon ni Lorcan at napairap ito sa hangin.

"Suit yourself," saad nito.

Nakuha ni Sebastian ang mga bubog na tumama kay Eleanor. The six of them stood and faced the windows. She got her weapons and so did Kai. The Sylavines and Esme, however, had nothing in their hands. Hindi rin naman nila kailangan ang sandata. They're already considered weapons, lalong lalo na si Lorcan.

Naghintay sila sa biglang pagsulpot ng mga inaasahan nilang kaaway. She expected them to come in from the window ngunit ilang segundo silang naghintay ay wala pa rin. If these are rogues, they would have used the element of surprise earlier but they couldn't see anyone.

Nakikita niyang pati si Lorcan ay nagtataka na rin sa nangyayari. When silence covered the whole space, saka nila narinig ang mahinang pagkatok sa pinto. Nagkatinginan silang anim. It was then that Lorcan decided to walk towards the door.

She's certain there's only one question in their mind right now. Who could be so rude to shatter the mansion's windows and then so polite as to knock?

Akmang bubuksan na ni Lorcan ang pinto nang bigla nalang may mga taong pumasok mula sa bintana. She staggered back and Kai was immediately in front of her. Sebastian stood in front of Esme and Eleanor. Then the door blasted and the next thing he heard was Lorcan groaning in pain.

Nang tumingin siya sa gawi nito ay saka niya nakitang nasusunog ang balat ng lalaki.

"Azalea bombs," said Kai. She recognized it immediately. They have those kinds of bombs too. Ang kaibahan lang ay gawa sa fleurel ang sa kanila. She could see the azalea is so much more effective indeed seeing Lorcan writhing in pain as his wounds were so slow to heal.

Kaiden was quick to shoot one of the intruders with bullets spelled with azalea ngunit wala man lang itong epekto sa mga kaharap nila. It was then that they realized who they were.

"They're wolves. They won't be killed with that," rinig niyang sabi ni Sebastian.

Napatingin siya sa gawi ni Lorcan. One of the intruders is now coming toward Lorcan. Nagtagpo ang mga mga mata nila ni Lorcan. She could clearly see what he was trying to see behind his suffering eyes. He wanted her to do something.

Instead, she dropped her weapon. Nakita naman niyang hindi makapaniwala si Lorcan sa nakita nito. Nang tingnan niya si Sebastian at Eleanor ay ganoon din ito. They were looking at her as though she had done the most despicable thing.

"You've betrayed people countless of times," she said to them. Maski si Kai ay hindi makapaniwalang nakatingin sa kanya ngunit alam niyang iyon ang gustong gawin ng lalaki. For now, she has to do what she thinks is right.

"I could do the same thing to you. I could betray you but now is not the time," she said before she took a normal gun from her jeans and shot the wolf that was near Lorcan. Ganoon din ang ginawa ni Kai. They shot the wolves with norma bullets and they heard them groan in pain.

It bought them enough time but one of the wolf was quick enough to run towards Lorcan's direction and grabbed him. Ngunit bago pa man ito makatakbo ay mabilis na nakaharang si Sebastian sa daanan nito.

"Sebastian, no!" Eleanor screamed but it was too late.

Several wolves went for Sebastian ngunit mabilis ang lalaki. He drove his hand straight to the wolve's chest at hindi ito nagdalawang-isip na kunin ang puso nito. The wolves got furious about what he did but it bid enough time for Sebastian to take Lorcan and threw him across the room.

Lorcan hit the top of the fireplace while Sebastian faced the other wolves.

Nagpatuloy silang dalawa ni Kaiden na barilin ang iba. Esme alreacy created a barrier around the house. For every wolf that Sebastian sent outside, they weren't able to come back. Ngunit masyadong marami ang mga lobong nakapasok na. She could also see it was exhausting Esme to create a barrier spell around a huge house. Nakikita niyang dumudugo na ang ilong ng babae.

"Sebastian!" screamed Eleanor Sebastian was bitten by one of the wolves. She couldn't understand what the wolves want with the Sylvaines ngunit isang dahilan lang ang nakikita niya.

The wolves have sided with the rogues to take down the Sylvaines.

"There has to be an Alpha," said Kai. "We have to hurt the Alpha."

Iyon din ang nasa isip niya habang nakatigin sa kaguluhan. Sebastian was keeping the wolves at bay, not letting one of them pass through him. But they all know it will only be a matter of time before the wolves come to them. Sebastian was already bitten. The wolf toxin will soon spread in his body.

They have to do something.

And then she saw it. A particular pair of wolves fighting side by side. A man and a woman. One of them could be the alpha. Hindi siya nagdalawang-isip na itutok ang kanyang baril sa isa babaeng lobo. And just when she was about to pull the trigger, the male wolf had made his way towards Sebastian and wrapped his fingers around his throat.

Eleanor was quick to rescue. She managed to shove the wolf aside, almost sending him outside the house. And then she helped Sebastian stand. Kitang-kita niyang nanghihina na si Sebastian. The wolf toxin had spread faster because he moved a lot.

She could hear the low growl of the wolves and the Sylvaines. Nang tingnan niya si Lorcan ay nakita niyang nanghihina pa rin ito. Just how strong was that bomb earlier that made even the hybrid weak?

"Hand us the hybrid and we will be on our way," said the man. Nang tingnan niya ito ay saka niya napagtanto na ito ang Alpha at hindi ang babaeng tinutukan niya ng baril kanina.

"Aren't you so brave to threaten us in our own house? Whatever happened to you lot minding your own business in the mountains?" Eleanor said.

Nakita naman niyang nagdilim ang ekspresyon ng lalaki habang nakatingin sa kanila. "This wouldn't have happened if your family lived like normal good citizens over the centuries. But you made sure to make a lot of enemies and now all of them are coming for you. These rogues threatened my whole pack, abducted our young wolves, and cursed them to become wolves except for the full moon. Now, I need the hybrid and give him to these rogues so me and my pack could go back to the mountains, and be back to minding our own business."

Eleanor stepped forward and shoved Sebastian behind her.

"You will have to go through us, first," she said.

"Eleanor, no--"

Before Sebastian could even say something else, Eleanor was quick to attack. She wasn't able to get her hands on the alpha but she had her hand on another wolf. And just like Sebastian, Eleanor took the wolf's heart out.

Iyon ang dahilan kung bakit nakita niyang mas nagalit ang mga lobo sa ginawa ng babae. Nadia aimed for the wolves and shot one of them ngunit hindi iyon tumama. The wolf she was aiming at was quickly moving hanggang sa nasa harapan na ito ni Eleanor.

Eleanor and the she-wold exchanged blows while she, Kai, and Esme took care of the others. But they were heavily outnumbered kaya naman ay mabilis ang ibang lobo na harapin si Eleanor. Sebastian tried to move but he couldn't fight like he did earlier. The wolf toxin has completely spread in his body and it will only be a matter of time before it would kill him.

Their ammunition were not enough. Eleanor had managed to send the she-wolf flying away but the Alpha of the pack was stronger and quicker. In an instant, he had his fangs buried on Eleanor's neck. Eleanor screamed in pain and the alpha didn't seem like stopping anytime soon.

Kailangan niyang ilayo si Lorcan, iyon ang tanging naisip niya. Ngunit nang tingnan niya ang lalaki sa kung saan ito nakahiga kanina ay wala na ito. Nagulat nalang siya nang marinig niya ang boses nito sa kung saan ang kaguluhan.

"I would stop now, if I were you," said Lorcan. Gone were his wounds. He looked as though he did not get exploded by an azalea bomb. Napasinghap naman siya nang makita niyang hawak ng lalaki ang leeg ng babaeng lobo kanina. Napatingin si Lorcan sa kalagayan ng mga kapatid niya at hindi niya napigilang mapaatras.

She had seen how monstrous vampires could get. She thought she had seen all of it. Ngunit hindi niya akalaing may mas nakakatakot pa pala sa mga nakita niya noon. Lorcan's face literally dimmed at the sight of his siblings, now at death's door because of werewolf toxin. He looked the alpha in the eyes before he pushed the woman in front of him. Hindi niya maintindihan noong una kung ano ang balak nitong gawin. But then she gasped when Lorcan drove his hand straight to the woman's heart.

"Joana!" screamed the alpha. Nakita naman niyang napatigil din ang ibang lobo habang napatingin sa gawi ni Lorcan.

The woman named Joana was looking at her pack with wide eyes. Na tila hindi rin nito inaasahan ang nangyari. But then it was Lorcan. His name is basically the epitome of death. He could kill the wolf and she would be the third wolf the Sylvaines have killed tonight. This could end in their favor or against them.

"I can feel her heart beating against my hand," said Lorcan. Nakita naman niya ang takot sa mukha ng babae and she could clearly hear the squelching sound of blood and flesh as Lorcan attempted to twist it.

"No!" screamed the Alpha. "Stop it."

But Lorcan was already smiling. And his voice was calm as he said, "Well, you bit my siblings. Her heart would be enough payment, wouldn't it?"

The alpha of the pack stepped forward. "Please," he said. "Please don't do this."

Lorcan twisted her hand and the woman named Joana screamed in pain. Kaiden looked away but she watched closely. She could the fury in Lorcan's eyes as he saw the state of his siblings.

"I have information," said the Alpha. "The rogues...they have someone leading them. It wasn't Fidel or any of the witches. There is someone higher."

This information seems to have caught Lorcan's attention but it still wasn't enough to take her hand out of the woman's chest.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because I have a name of this vampire that's leading them," said the alpha.

"Aedion, don't. Please don't mind me. Save the young wolves," sabi naman ni Joana.

Ngunit tila walang narinig ang alpha na nangngangalang Aedion. "I have a name and if I were you, I would let her go and focus on healing your siblings. They have a few minutes left."

Saglit na nag-isip si Lorcan bago niya itinapon sa gawi ni Esme ang babae. Agad niyang nilapitan sina Sebastian at Eleanor. He made them lie on the couch before he buried his fangs on his wrist. He placed his wrist over Sebastian's mouth and the latter drank his blood. Maya-maya pa ay nagising ito at ang mga sugat na natamo nito mula sa mga lobo ay unti-unting naghilom.

Sunod siyang nagpunta sa gawi ni Eleanor. He gently placed his hand under her head and lifted it up gently before he bit his wrist again and made Eleanor drink his blood. Gaya ng nangyari kay Sebastian, naghilom din ang mga sugat ni Eleanor.

Lorcan faced the wolves, particularly the Alpha who was just staring at the woman named Joana.

Napansin nitong nakatayo na si Lorcan at humarap ito sa kanila. "I will tell you the name but I want you to let my wolves go. I will remain here and cooperate."

"You and your pack just bit my siblings," Lorcan said. Pakiramdam niya ay hindi pa rin nawala ang galit nito.

"I had no choice. They had our young wolves. We just got them back but their witches cursed them that they won't be able to turn into humans unless it's the full moon."

"Let the others go, Lorcan," said Sebastian.

"As someone who almost died, you sure are talkative already, Sebastian," said Lorcan without looking at his brother.

"He almost died trying to save your ass you ungrateful moron," saad naman ni Eleanor.

Nakita niyang napairap na lang si Lorcan sa hangin hanggang sa tiningnan niya si Esme at tinanguan. Agad namang ibinaba ni Esme ang barrier sa paligid ng bahay. Two of the wolves took the she wolf out, leaving the Alpha behind.

"So what's his name? This man who's leading the rogues?" Lorcan stepped forward.

Aedion faced him and said, "They said his name is Julian Cestmont. All of these schemes against you and your family is led by him. Whoever he is, I want him gone. This city has managed to become peaceful despite our...differences. We were living peacefully in the mountains. I intended to keep it that way for as long as I could."

Nakita namang niyang nag-iba ang ekspresyon sa mukha ni Lorcan.

"Do you know someone named Julian, Lorcan?" tanong ni Sebastian.

Then she saw Lorcan grin. "Someone I knew from the past," he merely said before he looked at Aedion again.

"You want to side with us to break the curse placed upon your wolves?"

Aedion nodded. "And the lives of my wolves be spared. You already took two of my wolves. I don't wish to add that number."

"Well, you almost killed hundreds of thousands of vampires. All those vampires my brother and sister sired will die. And those sired by the ones they sired will die too and so on. So two wolf lives are nothing."

Sa isang iglap ay nasa harapan na ni Lorcan si Aedion at nakahawak na ito sa kwelyohan ni Lorcan. "My wolves' lives are not nothing. You may be used to taking the lives of people like it's your hobby but my wolves' lives matter to me. If you want us to side with you, respect should be clear between us."

Clearly, respect doesn't exist in Lorcan's vocabulary so she was surprised when Lorcan grinned and said, "Fine." He then looked at them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have found ourselves a new member of this unlikely alliance."