Chapter 4

"My name is Scar," sabi sa akin ng wolf spirit na nag-take over sa katawan ni Leur. He touched my face and wiped my tears from my eyes. The connections between us are still there. I can feel the tingling feelings travel from his palm to my veins directly connecting to my heart which just a little bit gave me hope. That feeling is so good that I almost cried again when I thought that this would never happen again. 

"Mate! Mate! I want a mate, Crimson! I want him!" narinig kong sigaw ni Naja sa akin na mula sa isang bahagi ng aking isipan. 

Nakita kong ngumiti si Scar. 

"I know babe. I want you too. I want the both of you so bad. Don't worry as long as Leur hasn't marked the she-wolf yet. We still have a chance," nakangiting sagot nito as if he heard Naja's yearning and then kissed me on the forehead. "I have to go before the bastard will take over our body again," aniya at muling hinalikan ako sa aking noo. 

Hindi ko alam kung ilang dampi ng labi ang ginawa niya sa aking noo hanggang sa tuluyan na itong umalis. I'd be lying if what he said didn't give me hope. But still lampas kalahati ang kawalan ko ng pag-asa. Leur is an alpha who doesn't want  a wolf-less Luna let alone being an omega. 

"Don't worry, Crimson. I have fate in him," nakangiting sagot ni Naja sa akin. Somehow I felt her mood change. 

"You two are both stupid. I can even measure your stupidness with my stupidmeter. And guess what? Lampas na lampas kayo sa sukatan ko. Both of you are like a seed in one pod. Both naive and stupid."

Hindi na namin pinansin ni Naja ang pag-uuyam ng boses na iyon. Both of us knew that it wanted to get out so badly and she's just waiting for the right time to do that. And that's when Naja the good one grows weak or her grasp at her isn't that strong anymore. 

"Don't listen to her, Crimson. Mate will change his mind. Don't worry. He'll take us," sabi sa akin nito which made me smile. 

Tumawa lang ng malakas ang boses. As if she doesn't believe in Naja's words. In fact wala akong nababakasang kahit ano dito. 

"Keep hoping b*tches."

Hinayaan ko na muna silang dalawang magbangayan. Nagsimula na akong magluto. Maya-maya na lang ay magigising na ang buong pack. At kailangan ay nakahanda na ang lahat at wala na ako roon kapag naguaing na ang mga ito.  

Sumilip ako sa dining area na umaasa na sana ay naroon si Kuya. Hindi nito ako napuntahan kagabi. Baka nagbago ang isipan nito at hindi na tinuloy ang balak. But I knew my brother better. Hindi ito gumagawa ng desisyon na hindi nito ginagawa lalo na kung matagal na nito pinagplanuhan. Especially if we are talking about a mate, his mate. My brother like is also anticipating the arrival of his mate at alam kong gagawin nito ang lahat makasama lang ito. 

But at Alpha Russ’ pack? I doubt it. Kilalang-kilala ang alpha na iyon sa pagiging istrikto at sa pagkakaalam ko ay may hidwaan ito sa dating alpha sa pack na ito, Leur’s father. At kung hindi dahil sa isang truce, matagal na sanang wala itong pack na ito. No one dared to cross the line or even a metre from that ruthless alpha’s land. Kinakabahan ako sa plano ni Kuya. 

“Hey did you see Garnet? He’ll suppose to lead the patrolling tonight” narinig kong tanong ng isa sa mga kaibigan ni Kuya sa pack. 

“Nope. I haven’t seen him since yesterday,” sagot ng kausap nito. Nasa may bandang pintuan lang ako ng labahan kung kayat dinig na dinig ko sila.

“That too. Hinahanap nga siya ng beta,” dugtong ng naunang nagsalita. 

“Baka naman ay may pinuntahan lang.”

“Is it important to miss the new alpha’s birthday? Parang impossible naman.”

“We don’t really know man. Let’s go. We have patrolling to do,” sabi ng kausap nito. 

Paika-ika akong humakbang paakyat sa hagdanan. Iwas na iwas akong may makakita sa akin. My body still hurts at ayaw kong madagdagan pa ang sakit  na aking nadarama. Matagumpay akong nakarating sa aking silid ng matiwasay. Milgaro na nga itong maituring dahil madalas ay sa taas tumatambay ang mga young wolves sa sala. Saka lang ako nakahinga ng maluwag noong sinalo na ng sira-sirang foam ang aking katawan. Marahan kong ipinikit ang aking mga mata at bumuntong-hininga. Kanina pa ako hindi mapakali. Dapat ay narito na si Kuya. I haven’t packed my things since I don’t own any.

Hindi ko namalayan na nakatulog na ako. Nagising lang ako ng nakaramdam ako ng tila ba sinusunog ang aking leeg.  Para itong idinikit sa napakinit na  baga at unti-unti itong nasusunog. Kasunod niyon ay hindi maipaliwanag na sakit. Sa sobrang sakit at muling nag-malfunction ang aking mga mga pangunahing organ. Muling nahirapan akong huminga. This time ay kapos na kapos ako ng hangin. Hindi ko alam kung alin ang aking uunahin, ang huminga o ang sumigaw sa sakit kasabay ng pag-iyak. 

“Naja?! Naja where are you?!” sigaw ko sa kanya sa aking isipan. 

Wala akong narinig na sagot mula sa kanya but instead, I heard a giggle.

“If you’re looking for the other half of me, she’s dying now over there” sagot nito sa akin.

“Crimson,” narinig kong sagot ni Naja. her voice is so weak that I barely hear with the searing pain I am currently with. I want to know why I am in pain. Mas masakit pa noong nireject ako ni Leur. “Our mate marks his chosen Luna over us,” sagot niya sa akin. 

“I’ve warned you, haven’t I?” pang-uuyam ng boses na nasa usok. “Why don’t you let me help you Crimson since the Naja part of me tried to fool you with her sweet words like ‘our mate will be the best mate, Crimson. He’ll save us from our misery. Have faith’. Ugh, like seriously? Crimson girl, you are way better than she portrays you to be. Or someone she wanted you to be. You are neither of that. Just accept me and you’ll see what I’m trying to say,” sabi ng boses sa akin.

“D-dont listen to her Crimson. You are what you are. You are better whichever path you wanted to be. One day, a ideal mate will come and-”

“Blah blah blah bablah. Seriously? Are you keep on saying mate that mate here, like can’t you see how it pains her? Pinapaasa mo siya sa wala. She will  be better without a mate!” 

Hindi ko na narinig ang bangayan ng dalawa. I passed out. The pain is too much for me to bear, too much that makes me collapse.

I woke up when I heard that someone howled in grief. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali ay boses iyon ng mag-asawang Beta. Kasabay niyon ay ang pag-amoy ko ng pamilyar na amoy ng dugo.

Garnet!

Biglang tumibok ng malakas ang aking puso. Kahit na masakit ang lahat sa akin ay pinilit kong bumangon. At sa sobrang lakas ng tibok ng aking puso ay hindi ko narinig ang mga yapak na aking ginagawa palabas ng pack house at binalewala ang nag-rereklamong nasasaktang katawan na meron ako ngayon. I want to confirm it baka nagkakamali lang ako ng naamoy. I know I am not allowed to go outside but to hell with that. Something is not right!

Sa hindi kalayuan ay naroon naipon ang mga pack mates ko na para bang may tinitignan. I can feel they are trembling with fear at hindi ko alam kung bakit na nagpadagdag pa ng kaba na aking nararamdaman. I sprinted towards them and sinubukan tingnan kung ano ang tinitignan nila. As soon as I made enough space to peek in between my packmates, my heart shattered at once. 

I saw Garnet laying on the grass. He bathes with his own blood. His head is almost decapitated. His brown eyes are staring at the dark sky, lifeless. Wounds are all over his naked body. His two legs were bent in impossible angles and I can see his insides are poking out from his wounds. 

No! Kuya! No!

Naitakip ko sa aking bunganga ang aking mga kamay.

The other night I saw an alive and determined brother and now.. and now h-he is dead. He was murdered!

Right there, my tears flooded so fast before I could even blink. How dare they! What right of them to  kill the only one family I have! The ONLY family who sees my worth. 

Suddenly, I feel the anger slowly rising within me. 

"I warned you to stay away from my pack, haven’t I?” a strong and sexy male voice said. “I also warn him to never take any member of my pack since the mate he claims doesn’t want him at all. Matigas ang kanyang ulo. And you know my rules." 

Napatingin ako sa kanya. If I wasn't in a state of shock, pain, anger and any emotion you can name, I would probably praise his looks. 

I heard the voice who always mocked me growled. I felt her anger raised within me. 

"After sending him away and warning him to never go back, my beta caught his scent a few miles from my land and tried to persuade Yra, one of my warriors, to elope with him, which the latter doesn't want to do with him. Once my men caught him, they killed him instantly.”

"We clearly sent you a warning, Alpha and Luna. Leashed your members," mayabang na sabi ng Beta showing his half naked muscled and bloodied body which I am aware is all my brother's blood.

How could he proudly boast to us that he killed a pest wolf. Doesn’t he know that the wolf he killed is my family and he is someone’s son? How dare he do that!

“You get what you want. Now please leave my land, Russ,” narinig kong sabi na dating alpha ng pack.

Napatingin ako sa dating alpha. Bakit parang balewala lang sa kanya ang nangyari? Damn it! Napakuyon ako ng aking kamao. My eyes focused on the guy who called beta and the old alpha. My brain is starting to show me how I am going to kill them right in front of wolves around us. I started to feel something. Something I never felt before. It pushes. It's making its way on me. It wanted to resurface.

“Let me.. Let me be one with you. You need me,” bulong ng boses sa sa aking tenga.

"Don’t listen,Crimson! Control your emotions! I can't keep it at bay anymore! It will take our body! Listen to me Crismon!"  narinig kong sigaw ni Naja but it was too weak and faint. 

"Stop you fool! Can't you feel the pain of our poor human? Are you heartless? I am here because she wants it just like yesterday. Stop your pathetic fight with me and let me show these mongrels how strong she is.”

“No!”