Blood Secrets

Blood of a Wolf

Nagising siya na para bang minamartilyo ang kanyang ulo. She realized naparami nga ang inom niya kagabi bago nagsimula ang kaguluhan. She recalled the events and then she remembered that Kaiden collapsed because of a witch's doing. Agad siyang napabangon sa kanyang hinihigaan at napatingin sa paligid. The room was a far cry from the luxurious rooms that the Sylvaines have in their mansion and yet she felt relieved that they're not sleeping on the Sylvaine mansion anymore.

Ang hula niya ay nasa isang inn siya. The wooden floor creaked the moment she stepped on it. Napahawak siya sa kanyang leeg at doon niya naalala ang ginawa ni Julian sa kanya at kung anong ginawa ni Lorcan para iligtas siya. She has vampire blood in her system but she's not sure if she stil has it. One thing she had to make sure is not to die so she won't turn into a vampire.

Agad siyang napatingin sa pinto nang bumukas iyon. Doon naman niya nakita si Kai na may dala-dalang tray ng pagkain. Hindi siya nito nakikita dahil nakapokus ang mga mata nito sa pagkain at sinisigurong hindi ito tumilapon. He even closed the door though not completely so it wouldn't make a noise. And when his eyes went to the empty bed, he froze. Doon naman siya tumawa.

Kai looked at her and let out a sigh of relief. "For a second, I thought you were gone," he said before he placed the tray of food on the table carefully.

Naglakad naman siya papalapit sa lalaki at inilagay ang braso niya sa balikat nito. "And where would I go when I know my boyfriend's here?"

Kaiden shrugged. "Well, you know, off to find some clues about your parents," he said.

Napangiti naman siya sa lalaki. Her hand went to touch his face and he leaned towards her touch. "You would go with me even to the ends of the world to find information about my parents?"

"I would. If it's with you, I would," sabi nito.Hindi man lang ito nagdalawang-isip. She is so lucky to have Kai.

"I know that look," he said while squinting his eyes as though she did something suspicious. Napatawa siya nang mahina.

"What look?"

"That I am so lucky to have you look. I am going to stop you right there, Nads," he said before he placed a stray hair behind her ear. "I am the one who's lucky to have you."

She placed her head on his chest and heard it beating. "I deserve you and you deserve me," she said. "We deserve each other."

She pulled away and tiptoed to kiss him on the lips. Kai welcomed her warmly. The past weeks, naging abala sila sa mga dapat nilang gawin na nakalimutan na nilang maglaan ng oras para sa kanilang sarili.

Saglit siyang kumawala sa halik at tiningnan ang lalaki. "I love you," she said.

"I love you more," sagot ng lalaki bago siya nito ulit hinalikan. This time, his kisses are wilder and before she let herself drown into them, she pushed him gently. Nakita naman niyang nagtatakang nakatingin ang lalaki sa kanya.

"Let's have a fresh start, Kai," she said. His face was even more confused. Kaya naman nagpatuloy siya. "I will sell the cafe. I want to start a new life with you. Let's leave the organization. I will stop being a blood slayer--"

"Wait, wait, hold on," said Kai before holding both her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "You're going to sell your cafe and then you will stop being a blood slayer? Does that mean--"

"Yes," she cut him off. "Narealize ko na hindi ko na dapat hinayaan ang sarili kong tumira sa nakaraan. My parents are dead. The rage I felt is now gone. I want to live in the present. I want to live in the future. And I want both of them to have you in it. Kai, I want to be with you."

Nakita naman niyang nakangangang nakatingin lang ang lalaki sa kanya bago sumilay ang malapad na ngiti sa mga labi nito.

"Nadia, you just made me the happiest man today," he said and before she could answer, he leaned in to capture her lips once again. She giggled and gasped when she felt the soft mattress on her back. Naglalakbay na ang mga halik ni Kai sa kanyang panga hanggang sa kanyang leeg. She tilted her head to give him better access.

"Sigurado ka na ba, Nads?" he asked as he stopped kissing. Tiningnan naman niya ito.

"I've never been so sure my whole life, Kai. So whatever you were planning to do to me, do it now before I change my mind."

Napangisi naman si Kai doon at agad na tinanggal ang suot na shirt. She smiled at the sight of his muscles flexing at the movement. Then he went to take her lips again only this time, mas mapusok iyon. She kissed him back with the same intensity and that was when she felt his hand started to roam around her body. Naramdaman niya ang kamay nito sa baywang niya hanggang sa bumaba ito at napunta sa hita niya. His hand moved slowly, caressing her leg while his other hand was starting to go down to her breast.

She felt him bite her lip and she gasped. Napapikit nalang siya dahil sa pinaparamdam ng lalaki sa kanya. She started to feel hot and for a moment, she wanted Kai to just skip to the playing part and just go inside her. But the moment she opened her eyes, she saw someone standing at the doorway dahilan para mapasigaw siya at agad tinakpan ang sarili ng kumot. Nahubad na pala ni Kai ang damit niya.

"What the hell, Lorcan!" she screamed at napatingin naman si Kai sa pintuan.

Nakangiti si Lorcan sa kanila. He was leaning on the door with his arms crossed as though he was thoroughly enjoying what he saw earlier.

"What are you doing here?" Kai said as he stood up and faced Lorcan. Agad naman siyang nagsuot ng damit.

"I am not to blame," saad nito. He even raised both his hands as though he was innocent. "I actually knocked on the door which was slightly open, by the way. You two were just too busy with each other that you did not hear me," he said, still smiling.

Napasapo naman siya sa kanyang noo. She wanted to sink to the floor because of the embarrassment and looking at Lorcan's smirking face wasn't making her feel any better.

Lorcan walked inside the room and had the nerve to run his finger across the table as if making a point of how lowly the room is.

"What do you want?" paasik niyang tanong. Humarap naman si Lorcan sa kanila. He moves as though he has all the time in the world. "Is this the part where you honor your threats and kill us for good?"

"Oh no, dear. I may have threatened you both before but the threat goes with Kaiden now and not to you," he said, smiling.

"What the hell did I do?" tanong naman ni Kai.

Lorcan waved a hand. "I don't fancy you as much. But you can be assured, Kaiden, that I will not be killing you today if you're getting worried about that."

Lorcan knows his effect on people. Vampires, witches, werewolves, and humans are all scared of him. Werewolf blood may kill a vampire but not Lorcan Sylvaine. Because of his hybrid blood, wolves have nothing against him. He's an immortal. It was scary to think that someone like Lorcan gets to live forever. She bristled at the thought of what possible hell he could conjure to the world.

"So anong ginagawa mo dito? Aside from interrupting us?" Rinig na niya ang inis sa boses ni Kai.

Lorcan let out another smile before he said, "Julian Cestmont is taken care of. He's gone. But we might have a tiny problem."

"We? What do you mean we?" Umalis siya sa kama at hinarap si Lorcan. "Our job here is done. Aalis na kami sa syudad na ito. After all, that's what you wanted, right? So we are leaving and your problems are yours to carry."

Nakita niyang nag-iba anbg ekspresyon sa mukha ni Lorcan. "What about information about your parents?" tanong nito.

"I will stop looking for them. They're dead. I have been living in the past my whole life. Now it's time for me to live the present."

"What if I tell you they're alive?"

She stood frozen as she stared at Lorcan. Hindi niya mabasa ang mukha nito kung nagbibiro ba ang lalaki o ano. But Lorcan doesn't strike her as someone who is for the jokes. Looking at him, he looked serious. Ngunit hindi naman niya kayang paniwalaan ang sinasabi nito. Would she believe what Lorcan is saying?

"If you're just trying to make me stay here, it's not working, Lorcan. I have made up my mind and I am leaving this city."

Lorcan still looked serious. "See, I was talking with Julian for a bit last night. Remember when he bit you and he couldn't drink your blood?"

Napatingin naman si Lorcan sa gawi niya. "Julian bit you? Why didn't I know this?"

"Because it is not important, Kai," she answered. Kai looked at her unbelievably as though he couldn't believe she chose to keep that part a secret from him. Nawala sa utak niya ang nangyari at ayaw niya lang na mag-alala pa ang lalaki sa kanya. He'd been through enough.

"Except that it is important, Nadia. At first, I thought it was because of the azalea that you consumed that made him burn his mouth. But then he told me it was wolf toxin."

"What?" sabay nilang tanong ni Kai.

"Wait, how in the world would there be wolf toxin on my blood?"

This time, Lorcan let out a smirk as if saying he knows all the information. "There is only one explanation to that, Nadia Melendez," he said, and then in an instant, Lorcan knocked Kaiden unconscious, and before she could run to where Kaiden was, humarang na si Lorcan sa kanya.

Damn the vampires and their speed.

Hinawakan ni Lorcan ang dalawang balikat niya para pigilan siyang kunin ang sandatang nasa mesa. And then he said, "Your parents or one of them is not human."

Then she felt his fangs on her neck. She screamed but it was instantly muffled when he covered her mouth with his hand. Saglit lang iyon dahil agad na napaatras si Lorcan. Nanlalaki ang mga mata nito habang nakatingin sa kanya.

She was quick to pick up the weapon on the table and shot him on his shoulder. Bullets laced with azalea should be enough to weaken him and she was right. Unti-unting napaluhod si Lorcan sa sahig. She was about to shoot him another one when no bullet came out of the gun.

Lorcan used his hand to take out the bullet on his shoulder and threw it on the floor. Unti-unting naghilom ang sugat nito hanggang sa nakatayo ito ulit. Agad naman siyang napaatras nang makita ang lalaking nakatingin sa kanya. It was not an ordinary look. It was murderous.

She was expecting Lorcan would attack her again but he merely wiped his mouth stained with her blood. She hated the fact that she didn't have any bullets left to use against him but deep down inside, she was waiting for him to confirm. Nakita niya kung anong nangyari kay Julian matapos inumin ang dugo niya. Gusto niyang malaman kung totoo ba iyon o hindi.

"It's true," he said. "You do have werewolf toxin in your blood."

Despite hearing the answer, she still couldn't believe it. "No," she said. "This is just your way of making me stay here. I will not be manipulated by you, Lorcan--"

"Oh, I am not manipulating you, love, trust me," he said. "I am merely stating the truth. Your blood has werewolf toxin. Similar to wolves. Which means you are a werewolf. And if you are a werewolf, that would mean one of your parents or both of them are wolves. Supernaturals don't die easily, Nadia dear. There is a huge chance they're still alive."

"What about Vancel Kimber? The headquarters told me he killed my parents."

"Do you happen to know your parents' names?" he asked. When she nodded, he continued, "Then I have the right thing for you to confirm if he really killed your parents or not. If you want to see it then come to the house later tonight. If not, then you are free to leave the city."

***

Tahimik siyang nakasakay sa sasakyan. She doesn't know if she has made the right decision. She told Kai they were going to leave the city and start a new life. Kaya naman naroon siya sa sasakyan. They have just finished loading the things they needed and then Kai finally got inside the car.

Kaiden was quiet too. Hindi niya alam kung anong nasa isip ng lalaki. She told him about what Lorcan had told her about her parents. But she is determined not to mind it anymore. She is not going to let her life be run by her past.

"There's a city a few miles from here with a great view of nature. Perhaps we should go there?" saad niya sa lalaki.

Humarap naman si Kai sa kanya. "It's okay, Nads."

She smiled. "Right? Tingin ko rin okay tayo doon. We should be able to live peacefully--"

"I mean it's okay if you want to stay."

Natahimik naman siya habang nakatingin sa lalaki. "Kai--"

"Your parents' death was what led you to become this. To become a slayer. It was your drive to know about their deaths that led you to me. Now that you're getting closer to the truth, I don't think this is easy for you--"

"Kai, buo na ang desisyon ko."

"I don't want you to have any regrets in your life. Kung magsisimula tayo, I want you to not carry any burden or any regret. I don't want you having what-ifs later in your life because you did not take this opportunity to know about your parents."

Hindi niya sinabi kay Lorcan ang tungkol sa bagay na posibleng isa o dalawa sa mga magulang niya ay mga lobo. Her blood contained werewolf toxin. That would mean she's a wolf. Ngunit marami siyang katanungan tungkol doon. Why doesn't she turn wolf during the full moon?

Nang hindi siya sumagot ay nagpatuloy si Kai. "Nadia," he said, taking her hand into his. "I want you to take this opportunity. I don't want you to just drop it for my sake. You've been doing this your whole life and just dropping it doesn't sit well with me. I want you to stop worrying about me and do what you needed to do."

Naiiyak siyang nakatingin sa lalaki. She squeezed his hand tightly as she sniffled. "Kai, I'm sorry," she said but Kai just pulled her into a hug. She felt bad for it. She felt worse when Kai is so good to her and she couldn't even tell him about the possibility of her being a wolf. How could she tell him that? Hindi pa niya kayang sabihin sa lalaki. Not yet.

Masakit man sa loob niya ang gagawin ngunit alam niyang para rin iyon sa ikatatahimik ng kanyang loob. And just like what Kai said, if she wants to start anew, she should not carry any burden of her past.