CHAPTER 1

“Ayla! Marcus is here together with the carriage! Bilisan mo ang pagkilos, baka gabihin kayo sa daan!” Ayla`s aunt was shouting from downstairs while she`s still packing her clothes. 

“Teka lang po Tita! Inaayos ko nalang ang mga natitirang damit!” She shouted back. 

Habang abala pa si Ayla sa pag iimpake ng kanyang mga damit, pumasok naman sa loob ng bahay si Marcus para magbigay galang sa tiyahin ng kanyang kaibigan.

“Magandang umaga po Tita Aruna,” Marcus greeted the smiling lady and handed her a small bouquet of pink roses. 

“A wonderful morning indeed Marcus. Thank you for these beautiful flowers, they`re my favorite,” the old lady smiled widely and kissed the young man on his cheeks as a sign of gratefulness. 

“Ohh, how sweet.” The voice was coming from the 2nd floor. It was Ayla, leaning on the balcony while watching them. “You didn’t bring anything for me?” 

“You don’t like pink roses Cely, besides you said that you`d rather have foods than flowers that`s why I brought lots of it. They`re in the carriage.” Marcus replied while making his way to Ayla`s room to help her carry her things downstairs. 

“Ang sweet mo talaga Marcus, pakasalan mo na ang pamangkin ko at bigyan nyo na ako ng apo,” The old lady teased them while she`s busy arranging the flowers into the vase. 

Dahil sa narinig, bumalik si Ayla sa balkonahe at sinimangutan ang tiyahin na abala pa rin sa pag aayos ng mga bulaklak. “Oppps, wait lang Tita, napag usapan na natin yan at alam mo na ang sagot ko sa topic na iyan.” 

Yes, Marcus is a good catch. He`s kind, sweet, caring, a gentleman and handsome too. He`s everything that a woman could ask for and to top it all up, he`s the Alpha of this pack where we live, the Amaruq Wolf Pack. He`s basically what everyone calls a prince charming but sadly he`s not mine to possess. I have already embedded that fact in my mind and that`s the reason why we cannot be together. What we have right now is a relationship like those of a brother and a sister. At least that`s what I think. 

“Susss, ano namang masama kung kayo nalang ang magpa kasal ni Marcus. Mabait na bata yan tsaka gwapo pa, diba Marcus?” Sagot naman nang tiyahin niya na ngayon ay nakatingin na sa kanyang likuran kung nasaan si Marcus habang bitbit lahat ng kanyang mga bagahe. 

“Wag na po tayong makipag sagutan kay Cely, Tita. Wala po tayong laban jan,” Marcus replied while walking downstairs. “I`ll just put all this in the carriage and we`ll be on our way. Tita, sa labas nalang po ako maghihintay kay Cely.”

Sinusundan ni Ayla si Marcus habang pababa ito sa hagdanan habang bitbit ang lahat ng kanyang mga bagahe. Pagkababa niya, pumunta siya sa sala kung saan naroon ang kanyang tiyahin na inaayos pa rin ang mga bulaklak na binigay ni Marcus. Wala sa plano niya ang umuwi dahil may karamdaman ang kanyang tiyahin pero ito na mismo ang nag udyok sa kanya na umuwi muna ng makatanggap sila ng sulat mula sa kanyang mga magulang. Hindi naman sa ayaw niyang umuwi, sa katunayan nga ay namimiss na niya ang kaniyang pamilya pero dahil nga may karamdaman ang kaniyang tiyahin ay nag dadalawang isip siya. 

“Tita aalis na po ako pero babalik po ako rito after two weeks…,” Natigil siya sa pagsasalita nang bigla siyang yakapin nito.

“Ayla you`ve been with me for the past ten years, it`s time for you to have a bonding with your family. Celebrate your 21st birthday with them by your side. Don’t worry about me too much, I`m not that old and I`m perfectly fine.” Her aunt reassured her while still hugging and patting her back slowly. “Come back here whenever you want, I`ll be here waiting for you. Come now, Marcus is waiting outside.” Her Aunt stood up and walked her outside the house where the carriage is parked. 

Pagkalabas nila ng bahay, nakita niya si Marcus na naka upo sa pintuan ng karwahe habang kausap ang kutsero. Nang makita nitong papalabas na sila ng bahay ay tumayo itong bigla at hinintay silang makalapit sa karwahe. 

“Marcus take care of my baby and you too as well,” habilin ng kaniyang tiyahin kay Marcus na seryoso namang nakikinig at nakatingin sa tiyahin niya. 

“Yes Tita. I`ll take care of her even if it cost me my life.” Seryosong sagot naman nito sa kaniyang tiyahin na naging dahilan upang mapangiti ito. 

“Sana hindi na umabot sa puntong ganon, baka mawalan pa kami ng Alpha dito,” sagot naman ng kaniyang tiyahin na may kasamang kunting tawa. “Sige na, umalis na kayo baka abutan pa kayo ng gabi sa daan, mas maganda na yung nag iingat.” 

“Goodbye Tita, see you soon. Don’t forget to take your medicines. I`m going to miss you,” Ayla hugged her Aunt Aruna and made her way to the carriage while Marcus said his goodbye`s too and followed her inside.

“Let`s go Bowei.” Iyon lamang ang naging hudyat at nagsimula ng tumakbo ang karwahe. 

“Goodbye dear, see you soon,” Her Aunt waved at them, she also waved back while the other half of her body is hanged outside the carriage trying to take a glimpse of her beloved Aunt until she can`t see her anymore. 

“Don`t worry too much about Tita Aruna, Cely. I assigned some of the deltas to watch her and the house while you are gone.” Marcus said when she finally settled down on her seat facing him. 

“Thank you Marcus,” Ayla replied and give him her sweetest smile. “You`ve done so much for me, I don’t know how I will repay you. You have a lot of work to do but you still insist on accompanying me.”

“Hindi ako naghahangad ng kahit na anong kabayaran Cely. I want you to get home safe and as your Alpha it`s my duty to make sure that everyone in my pack is safe and sound.” Marcus replied while smiling from ear to ear and something tells her that his last statement is just his alibi. 

“I can handle myself pretty well Marcus, and I`m not so weak that I need the Alpha to get me home. What am I? A toddler?” Ayla answered back while still trying to reason out that Marcus accompanying her is too much.

Yes, she`s very thankful that Marcus is accompanying her but she can`t still accept his reasons. She`s been with him for 10 years already but she still doesn’t understand some of the things that is happening inside his head. 

“I don`t doubt your strength Cely and you wouldn’t be the head of all the Delta commanders if you are weak. I just want to make sure that you go home safe especially now that the ones who inhabit the dark kingdom is recently making a mess in the towns near the border. The recent report also says that they sometimes tend to ambush those who traverse the forest beyond the Amaruq Pack.”

Most of the time, Ayla always picture Marcus as someone who is emitting a positive energy, when you look at him you can almost see flowers as his background. His smile can definitely calm a storm but there are also times when he becomes serious like he is now. Who wouldn’t, he is an Alpha and he needs to protect his pack from those who want to hurt them.

The Dark Kingdom was not this active for many years and their sudden appearance and attacks on the towns near the border is definitely not a laughing matter. Is this what they call the calm before the storm? There`s also rogues and vampires to look out for. This sudden events are very fishy. Once she gets back on her job, she`ll definitely investigate this matter.   

“If you`re also worried about my work, I have official business in Wolvendom Pack. Apparently, Aidan, the newly appointed Alpha is getting married and he wanted me to be there. So unlike what you think, me accompanying you is not a waste of time at all.” Marcus`s serious aura is now gone and the flowers is back on his background.

“Aidan?” Ayla looked at Marcus confusingly.

“You don’t know him? He visited Amaruq 3 years ago when we went on a joint mission in Zyair. That mission where we rescued she-wolves who were kidnapped and sold as slaves.” Marcus explained.

“I was still on my last year in training camp 3 years ago so I haven’t met him.”

“You`ll gonna met him 2 days from now. I will bring you as my date on his wedding. I don’t want to go alone so you will accompany me. You will…right?” Marcus ask her nervously. 

Two days from now is her birthday but she can`t say no to Marcus. Maybe she`ll just celebrate her birthday with her family from morning till afternoon. Kadalasang ginaganap ang kasal ng mga Alpha sa panahon ng full moon kaya siguradong gabi pa sila pupunta sa kasal. May panahon pa para sa pamilya niya. 

“Sure, wala naman akong importanteng gagawin sa araw na iyan,” Ayla assured him.

“This is going to be a long ride; why don’t you sleep for the time being. I`ll wake you up when it`s time for lunch,” Marcus suggested after he saw that Ayla yawned while her eyes is slowly shutting down.

“That`s a good idea I…,” Hindi na natapos ni Ayla ang dapat niyang sabihin ng daigin na siya ng kanyang antok.

Nakita ni Marcus na hindi komportable si Ayla sa posisyon nito habang natutulog kaya tumayo siya at lumipat sa katapat na upuan para isandal ang ulo nito sa kanyang balikat. Kailangan niyang ibaba ang balikat niya para masakto ang ulo nito, nakakangalay na posisyon lalo na at mataas siya at si Ayla ay hanggang balikat lang niya kapag nakatayo. Ipinagsawalang bahala nalang niya ang kanyang posisyon basta maging komportable lang ito. Alam niya na pagod at puyat ito dahil inumaga na naman ito ng uwi para lang tapusin ang lahat ng kaniyang natitirang trabaho. Hindi talaga siya nagkamali na e promote itong head ng mga delta commanders