Howls of Madness

HOWLS OF MADNESS

by skywinoma

NOTE

I’m very excited to write this book. Matagal ko ng gustong magsulat ng story na kabilang sa hanay nitong genre ngunit hindi ako nakakahanap ng dahilan at oras para gawin ito. Please, bare in mind na madalang ang update. Hindi ko keri ang sunod-sunod mga, teh.

DISCLAIMER

This story is made by the authors imagination. Any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

This is unedited. Expect a lot of typographical errors, ungrammatical features and plot holes that you will encounter. Please, feel free to correct me.

I have my own version of supernatural characters in my story. So, please, don’t tell me what to do with my characters.

WARNING

This book contains death, gore, slavery and abuse of power. I do not promote neither romanticize any of this. It is just needed in the plot of the story. Please be open-minded.

There are words and scenes that are not suitable for young ages. Read at your own risk.

━━━━━

𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐌 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄- that’s a fact.

━━━━━

© by skywinoma 2026 All rights reserved.

Simula

LUMIERE

Napaluhod ako sa panghihina habang pinagmamasdan ang bahay naming tinutupok ng malaking apoy. Sinubukan kong tumayo ngunit hindi ako nagtagumpay dahil sa matinding panginginig ng mga tuhod.

Napalingon ako sa paligid nang magsimulang dumami ang mga taong tumatakbo patungo sa nasusunog naming bahay. Ang karamihan ay sinubukan itong buhusan ng tubig upang pigilan ang pagkalat ng apoy, habang ang iba naman ay tumatakbo papasok sa mga katabing bahay upang iligtas ang kanilang mga gamit at may ilang tao din ang lumapit sa akin upang kamustahin ako.

“PAPA!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Some of our neighbors come together to pin me down when I was about to run inside our house when I was finally able to stand up. Sinubukan kong kumawala sa mga hawak nila ngunit pinagtulungan nila akong pigilan.

He’s still in there! 

My father was still inside our house! I can’t… I can’t just let this happen. He’s the only one I have…

Another set of tears run down my face as my stomach tightens. Ramdam ko ang init sa aking mukha sa lakas ng apoy na nagmumula sa bahay. It was not an ordinary fire, there were something dark in it as it burns.

Napayuko ako sa kawalan ng pag-asa. Lumawag na ang pagkakahawak ng mga tao sa akin nang maramdaman nilang hindi na ako lumalaban. Dumating na ang mga bombero at dalawang istasyon upang ibalita ang nangyayari kaya’t nalipat ang atensyon nila doon.

Sinubukan nila akong kausapin ngunit nanatili akong nakaluhod at nakatulala lang sa kawalan. Mercy mirrored their eyes. It was my 18th birthday. This should be one of the happiest moments of my life, instead it ended up me losing another parent.

My hands balled into fists as it hits the ground.

This is all my fault. Kung sinubukan ko lang sanang pakinggan si Papa, siguro hindi ganito ang kalalabasan ng lahat. Siguro nakatakas pa kaming dalawa.  

Sa simula pa lang alam ko ng hindi ordinaryo ang pamilya namin. Sapat na ang biglang pagkawala ni Mama, ang madalas na paglipat namin ng tirahan at mga kakaibang pangyayari na noon ay akala kong panaginip lang upang makaabot ako sa ganoong konklusyon. I was just too in denial to accept it.

I bit my lower lip and look up to see the moon. It was in its crescent shape. My father once told me that if I feel lost and confuse, I should look up and seek for the Moon Goddess’ guidance. As she control and plan things to happen for a reason.

Is the reason behind this grief worth it? Because for all I know right now, I have nothing. I lost everything I have tonight.

I

LUMIERE

My friends and I walked through the crowd of people dancing their asses off. It took me a while to get used to the loud noise of the speakers since we entered the club. Tinawanan ako ni Rose nang mas hinigpitan ko ang pagkakahawak sa kamay niya nang halos maipit ako sa gitna ng mga taong nagsasayaw.

We just continue twisting our bodies until we finally get through the crowd. Agad na nakahanap nang private lounge si Sheena sa second floor para sa aming magkakaibigan. Hindi ito ang first time kong pumunta sa club ngunit hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa din ako nasasanay. People here are really loud and wild. You can see people dancing, drinking and making out side by side.

Bumaling ako kay Rose nang maramdaman ang pagsiko niya sa’kin. Doon ko lang din napansin na umalis na pala ang iba namin kaibigan sa table upang umorder.

“Okay ka lang?” she asked worriedly.

I nodded my head and tried my best to smile. I don’t want her to think na napilitan lang akong sumama dito club dahil sa kanya. She should not worry about me on her own birthday. “Hindi ko lang inaasahan na ganito pala kadami ang tao ngayon.”

“I told you already, you should party with us more often para masanay ka,” Sheena commented as she sat back on her sit. “Nagpadagdag ako ng sushi kila Carey, okay lang?”

“Of course. Just order all what you want, guys, it’s on me!” Rose gesture a thumbs up.

I pouted. “You know I don’t like places like this. I’m an introvert as fuck. I’d rather watch Netflix at home and eat some pizza.”

“B-O-R-I-N-G. You hear that? That’s your lifestyle,” Sheena replied that made Rose ean over to slap her legs. “Hey! That’s mean!”

“Anong mean? Facts ’yun.” She even rolled her eyes, causing us to laugh because she doesn’t know how to. Everytime she tries to roll her eyes, she always looks like she’s being possess.

“What the fuck!?” lahat kami ay napabaling kay Anna nang mapamura siya. Nakabalik na pala sila nina Carey mula sa pag-order. 

“Gago, nandito sila Guillam!” tili pa niya.

“Where?” hanap ni Rose kaya napalingon din ako sa pinanggalingan nila.

“Nandoon girl! Sa kabila!” 

Lahat kami ay bumaling sa kaliwang bahagi ng second floor. At tama nga si Anna, nandoon si Guillam kasama halos lahat ng teammates niya sa basketball team.

His wavy golden bronze hair sway to follow his move when his head throw back as he laughed hard. Kahit sa malayo ay bakas ang malalim na dimple nito sa kanang pisngi.

Agad akong napaiwas nang tingin nang makita siyang lumingon sa deriksyon namin at sa akin mismo tumama ang pangin. Ramdam ko ang biglaang pagbilis ng tibok ng puso ko. It was really odd that he always catches me every time I try to look at him.

“Halaaa!” Ipit na tili nila nang mapansin ang maliit na interaksyon na nangyari.

“He really does seem to like you, Lumiere.” Rose commented, glancing at me. 

“Kaya nga!” pag-sang ayon ni Anna “Bakit kaya hindi ka pa niya nililigawan? He looks so obvious naman.”

“Baka natotorpe pa? You know he’s famous at school, right? Baka natatakot na ma-reject nitong si Lumiere?” Carey suggested.

Napailing ako dahil iyon ang madalas na chismis tuwing nagkakatagpo kaming dalawa sa university. Palagi kasi kaming mahuhuli ng iba na nagkakatinginan ngunit kahit kailan naman ay hindi kami nag-usap. Nakakahiya lang because I don’t really think that he likes me. Baka nagtataka lang din siya kung bakit may mga ganoong usap-usapan tungkol sa amin. 

He’s famous for being friendly. Magaan daw itong kasama at madaling kausap. Kaya siguro kung totoong gusto niya ako ay matagal na siyang may ginawa imbes na makipagtitigan lang sa akin kapag may pagkakataon.

Natapos din naman agad ang topic na iyon nang dumating na ang order namin. Nagtalo ang dalawa ni Carey dahil nakalimutan pala nitong umorder ng Sushi na pinahabol ni Sheena.

“Kasalanan ko? Kasalanan ko!?”

“You’re so stupid. Sayang yung paghabol ko sa inyo kanina!”

Muli kong sinubukan lumingon sa deriksyon ni Guillam. He was drinking alcohol while listening to what his friend was saying when his eyes shifted to look at mine again. Sinubukan kong hindi umiwas ng tingin mula sa kanya. Ngunit napakurap ako nang ngumiti siya at bahagyang kumaway sa aking deriksyon.

I balled my hands into fist. Pinag-iisipan kung dapat ba akong kumaway pabalik o hindi sa posibilidad na baka sa iba naman pala siya nakatingin at nag-assume lang pala ako.

He tilted his head to the side, as if he’s taunting me. Inilayo niya ang bote ng alak sa kanyng labi as licked the frame of his lips. His mouth curved into a smirk. Napansin ko ang bahagyang pagbigat ng hininga ko kaya’t napilitan akong bumaling sa iba.

“Ako na,” I exclaimed kaya’t natigil sila sa pagtatalo. “Ako na ang bababa para umorder.”

“Huh?” gulat na tugon ni Carey.

“N-Nagtatalo kayo kung sino ang bababa, ’di ba? Ako na.”

“Thank God! Mabuti pa ’tong si Lumiere may silbi!”

“Sheena, stop it, please.” Rose already looks stressed.

“Anyway, I heard the club’s giving away free cake to whoever is celebrating a birthday here,” Sheena said instead. “Try mo sabihin na birthday ng friend natin.”

“Sure.” I nodded my head and stood up.

Bago pa man ako tuluyang makaalis ay nahawakan ni Rose ang kamay ko. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Agad akong umiling. “Hindi na. Kaya ko na ’to.”

She knows that crowds give me anxiety. That’s why I really appreciate her and really want to keep her as my friend because I know that she really cares for me.

As I approached the counter, I noticed a man unfolded his arms from one of the stool and my heart leapt into my throat. I’d never seen such a beautiful yet lethal looking man before, one with such thick, pushed back hair, pale skin and piercing blue eyes.  May Afam.

The man was lean, with a chiseled jaw and muscled-arm. He’s wearing a button-up shirt and slim-fit chinos. He looked to be in his late twenties. He moved to face the dance floor as I walked closer. 

Tumigil ako sa tabi niya at tumikhim. The man beside me leaned his back on the counter and look up to me, which made me really uncomfortable. Abala pa ang mga staff sa ibang customer kaya kinailnagan kong mag-intay. Ramdan ko ang paninindig ng balahibo sa kaalamang hindi pa rin niya binabawi ang titig mula sa akin.

Inangat niya ang baso ng alak sa harap niya dahilan para maagaw ang atensyon ko. I gulped as our eyes met. I don’t know if it was because of the lights or if I was just hallucinating when I saw his eyes glinted into crimson red. There was a sly smirk playing on his lips as he took a small sip on his glass.

He seemed… dangerous .     

GUILLAM

“Mabuti at napilit mong sumama ’tong si Guillam!?” saad ni Will nang salubungin kami ni JK. Nakipag fist bump ako sa mga ka-team mates ko na nandoon at bumati.

“Ewan ko ba d’yan at ngayon lang ulit sumama. Nasusuka na siguro kakatitig sa apat na sulok ng kuwarto niya,” tawa ni JK na kinailing ko lang.

“Nga pala, pre, narinig ko yung sinabi ni Coach na lalo daw gumaganda performance mo, ah. Sana all!” singit naman ni Hans dahilan para tuksuhin din ako ng iba.

“Ako lang ’to, guys. Kalma,” pagbibiro ko pa.

Inabutan nila ako ng beer na agad ko din namang tinanggap. Nagsimula nang malipat ang usapan nila sa parating na finals at team na mahigpit na makakalaban namin. I zoned out from my conversation with JK when a familiar scent touched my nose. She’s here.

Nanginig ang kamay ko nang tuluyan siyang makita at umupo ang grupo niya sa private lounge hindi kalayuan mula sa amin. The monster inside me growled at the sight of her.

“Bakit hindi mo pa ligawan, pre? Halata namang trip na trip mo si Lumiere?” Tinapik ni Rob sa balikat ko nang mapasin kung saan ako nakatingin.

“Oo nga, pre. Hindi yung lagi kang nakabantay d’yan. Baka mamaya maunahan ka pa ng iba,” dagdag pa ni Will.

“Gago, huwag niyo ngang demonyuhin ’tong si Guillam,” sita ni JK sa kanila. “Hayaan niyo siya. Desisyon niya yun kung liligawan na ba niya si Lumiere o hindi pa.”

Ramdam kong sa akin nakatutok ang atensyon ng mga kasama namin at tila naghihintay ng sasabihin ko ngunit nanatili lang akong nakapokus kay Lumiere. The innocent look on her face as she looks around the place made me want to protect her. It’s obvious that she’s not used to a place like this. Kung hindi lang dahil sa mga kaibigan niya ay siguradong mas pipiliin niyang hindi tumuntong sa lugar na ito.

Even I don’t really know why I have this strong reaction towards her even if she’s not my Luna. Nang tuluyang mapansin ng grupo nila na nandito din kami ay ilang ulit nagsalubong ang paningin namin ni Lumiere.

I tried to smile and wave my hand at her when I caught her gaze again. But it seems like I made the wrong move because she immediately panicked. My forehead creased when she suddenly stood up and walked alone downstairs.

Tumayo ako sa aking pagkakaupo at lumapit sa brandilya upang bantayan siya. Her friends shouldn’t let her walk alone in a place like this. Many drunktards can possibly take advantage of her innocence. Aside from that, I can also smell a lot of other creatures in this place.

Gusto ko sana siyang sundan ngunit nang makitang sa counter siya papunta ay bahagya akong kumalma at nakuntento sa panonood. I’m sure no other creature would do such bold things in an open and public place like this, right?

But when Lumiere finally reached the counter, another figure catches my eyes. His massive shoulder was emphasized when he leaned back to look at Lumiere’s direction. His pale skin was highlighted because of the dark lights and his black button-up shirt. It’s all very familiar.

And then the room tilts a little as my gaze followed the way he lifted up his glass. I only need the oblique view I’ve got to recognize the shape of his familiar upbringing.

I balled my hands into fists. I hadn’t realized just how much I’ve longed to see him until this very moment.

A muscle flicked at my jaw and force myself to erase that feeling. The pain and disappointment he left me is more bigger than that. I can’t even remember how many times I wished him dead.

“The bastard really has the guts to come back here, huh,” I whispered to myself.

I wrench my gaze off of  him when I sense my wolf self wanting to control this body. I can’t make a scene here.

II

FAUSTUS

Madness. That’s the name of this club. It’s appriate, though. It’s dim, loud, and overflowing with fools more than ready to satisfy my hunger.

My latest snack is getting out of blood and I needed to stop before I could accidentally kill it. Tinulak ko ang babae palayo sa akin kaya’t napasandal siya sa pader upang bumalanse. Her whole body was shaking because of the sudden number of blood lost in her system.

The woman in front of me looks like a total wreck. Her appearance from earlier changed a lot. Her tight dress is torn apart, her hair and makeup are all over the place, and her neck is bleeding. Well, it’s not my problem as she’s the one who volunteered herself earlier.

Humarap ako sa salamin at kumuha mg tissue upang punasan ang dugong kumalat sa labi ko. My eyes are still crimson red and my veins are protruding. I had to calm myself for a while first until I was back in my human form

I looked straight at the woman’s eyes and said, “You will go straight to the hospital and you will not remember anything starting from the moment you met me. Do you understand?”

The end of my lips lifted up into a smirk as she nodded her head. Her eyes are full on black and with no emotions.

“Good girl.” I chuckle gravelly. “I need to go. Hope to see you again.”

And with that note, I left her in the restroom. I’m ready for the next one.

I walked straight to the counter and ordered a beer on the rocks. Aside from human blood, I also like the taste of their alcoholic drinks. It’s such a shame that it doesn’t affect our kind.

I looked over the dance floor packed with humans like I was looking at a menu of food. This is good as a buffet, but I have to be careful of choosing my next victim. I can sense that there are also creatures around here, and I don’t want to be in trouble on my first day here.

Not a minute later, I found my new target. A pretty little thing in a crop top and cargo pants is walking over. Slender yet curvy in all the right places, with her long hair cascading down shoulders, full red lips, and soft looking neck that’s begging to be tasted. Oh, how I would fucking love to wring her neck.

I watch her approach, not hiding the hunger that’s surely shining in my eyes right now. I leaned back to the counter to meet her gaze as soon as she stopped in front of me. I can hear how fast her heart is beating… I can almost smell her fear.

Interesting .

I took a last sip on my glass before I focused on trying to manipulate her. I smirked as soon as her brown eyes started turning black. I snapped my fingers in the bartender’s direction, who’s also under my control.

“Can I know what’s the name of this lovely lady in front of me?” 

“Lu-Lumiere…” She stuttered.

I gave her a pleased look. She’s not lying .

Not taking my eyes off her face, I run my fingers up her bare waist. “You look thirsty, do you want a drink?”

She doesn’t answer for a couple of beats. In fact, she’s not even breathing. I suspect that she’s fighting my control.

“W-what… drink?” finally, she replies.

Mas lalong lumawak ang pagkakangisi ko nang lumapit sa amin ang bartender at naglapag sa tapat niya ng pulang inumin. I took it and offered it to her.

“A special shot. It’s in the house.” I tilted my head. “Drink it. You wouldn’t want to disappoint me, right?”

“Yes,” she breathes out. And with shaking hands, she accepted the shot glass.

My pulse skyrockets. Damn it. 

It’s not unexpected to be thirsty for blood, yet my response to this human startles me. The hunger feels sharper, more intense than anything I’ve felt before.

LUMIERE

I drank too much. I knew that as soon as I threw my head back and took the last swallow of the drink Rose gave me. I don’t know what kind of drink this is, but I’m past the point of caring.

Immediately, my head becomes fuzzy. However, I was unable to stop, not while the sensation of being lost in the most effective way consumed me. At walang ibang may kasalanan nito kung hindi ako.

“Happy birthday, Rose!” sabay-sabay na sigaw namin bago sumugod sa dance floor.

We got separated on our way through the crowd. And for the first time since I can’t remember, I don’t feel afraid. A smile formed on my lips.

I’m freaking doing this, without my limbs trembling in anxiety!

I let my fingers trail over my hair and picked up the heavy fall off my neck. The air inside was humid and sticky, but even so, the breeze that was kicked up by the moving bodies cooled my nape.

I kept on moving my hips back and forth, feeling the music somewhere down in all aspects of my body. My heart beat the bass of the song, and I grew even more lost in the sensations.

Naramdaman kong may gumalaw sa likod ko at alam ko na agad na lalaki iyon kahit hindi tumitingin. I could feel how his much larger body covered me, and smelled his cologne mixed with sweat surrounding me. It was just odd how his body felt cold against me and still made me sweat even more. And for some reason,I didn’t stop dancing. Mas lalo pa akong sumandal sa kanya.

Maraming tao ang nakabunggo sa akin, at sumubok humawak sa braso, balikat at baywang ko. May iilan din ang sumubok makisayaw sa amin, mapababae man o lalaki, ngunit hindi iyon tumatagal.

Later on, I realized that I’m being sandwiched between two big bodies. I don’t know. I don’t want to open my eyes. I just kept dancing with them. Teasing them. Feeling their body pressed against mine, the three of us moving to the rhythm of each song.

When my ass ground into the front of the man behind me, his grip moved to my stomach, pushing me harder against him. When I bent forward, the hands of the man in front of me rose along my sides, stopping just below my breasts.

When I finally opened my eyes, I met Guillam’s scorching gaze and watch as it went down into my chest.

I gasped and blinked a couple of times. I can’t seem to believe this. I twist around to check who’s the man behind me. My vision started to blur when I tried to look at his face.

I heard Guillam growl and felt his breath on my nape. I shuddered. The two men made the air in the room turn thick, now impossibly difficult to take a deep breath.

“You’re so fucking hot,” the man from behind whispered, locking his eyes with me. My lips parted when I finally saw his face clearly.

I remember him… from earlier. At the counter. But why can’t I recall what happened next?

The first few inches of his black button-up shirt show the whisper of hairs on his chest. The scent of lust and spice flirted with my nose. He was completely irresistible. His body felt so cold against mine, yet it looked so hot.

I was vaguely aware of my hair being pushed over one shoulder, and as if my body was working on an instinctive level, I tipped my head to the side. I arched my back when Guillam’s lips touched my neck. The other man never took his eyes off me and leaned down to kiss the side of my mouth. Both of their hands are going everywhere on my body, feeling everything in me.

I started breathing harder, sweat trickling down the valley of my breasts, down the length of my spine.

They turned me around, and I’m now fully facing Guillam again. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing my breast against his chest, and felt how defined it was. The hardness of his muscles and the etching around his pecs made my tingles erupt. I am new to this sensation.

What the hell am I even doing? Dirty dancing with a famous varsity in my university who I barely knew and with someone who’s a total stranger to me. I don’t even know why I am letting them touch me in places where I’ve never been touched before. I wasn’t just igniting a blaze between the three of us… I was playing with fire.

I wanted to figure out why I felt like this for the first time in my life, but everything was short-circuited.

“Keep rubbing that fucking ass against me, Lumiere, and you’re going to get my cock inside it,” the stranger behind me muttered.

Oh God.

That’s too much for me. To the point where I feel like I was overheating.

This is not me.

I think…. I needed air to calm myself down.

I can’t see where their hands are, so I move mine down my body, meeting them around my waist. Even though our hands also felt good together, I forced my remaining sanity to get their hands off me.

“I-I need to go,” I told them, gasping.

Never gave myself the chance to look at their faces and reactions because of shame. I hurried towards the stair of the second floor and find our private lounge to reflect on what the fuck I just did back there.

III

FAUSTUS

I was known as a vampire who loved placing the feeling of dread toward their god into my foes, allowing them to see the real bastard I was. Some said I was fucked in the head. Crazy. A sociopath. A narcissist who had no regard for life, human or other creatures alike. I didn’t correct them because there was nothing to correct.

I came here with one thing in mind— to finish a long running mission. It was supposedly done almost 4 years ago. But I guess, the man I let in charge is being too focused on his passing fancy to do his job alone. If I just knew that he’d be a dog that he is, ako na dapat ang gumawa ng misyon una pa lang.

“Motherfucker.” Someone growled.

Ah, there he was.

It’s just one word, but I recognize his voice instantly. Deep, and a bit raspy. I’m suddenly transported back 4 years ago, to all those missions I heard that voice mocking me… begging me…. worshipping me…

“She was under your control, wasn’t she?”

“How can you say that she’s not just a slut?”

In one swift move, I was pressed against the wall. His right hand was strangling me while the other was in the wall just beside my face. His eyes glinted in circles, just like what a full moon looks like.

I can’t say that I was surprised. The moment I saw the girl, I already knew what would happen next. He surely followed me to confront me, as if he can force an answer out of me.

“What did you tell her to do, huh?” Humigpit ang kamay niya sa leeg ko nang hindi ako magsalita.

The end of my mouth quirked up. He has the guts to show his strength and use it against me because we’re outside and no one can see us. I bet he can’t do the same in front of those weaklings. Always concealing his powers. Wimp.

“It’s been years since we’ve seen each other  and this is how you greet me ?” I playfully replied. “Come on, man. Don’t you miss me?”

“Sagutin mo ako!”

“Don’t act as if you didn’t enjoy it. Stop being hypocrite.” I rolled my eyes. “Aw— Fuck!” I grunted  a laugh when I felt a vein on my neck pop because of his grip.

Yeah, vampires easily heal from wounds or broken bones, but that doesn’t excuse us from feeling pain. Pain is pain, either what kind of creature you are.

“Stay the fuck away from her!” he said with a hint of warning in his tone, and a communal snort of laughter from me follows.

I gripped his wrist that’s strangling my neck. I jutted my chin to look into his eyes. He’s a couple of inches taller than me, but that never made me step back away from him. 

“Step back or I’ll break your wrist.” I looked at him through my lashes as a playful smirk formed my lips.

Unlucky for him, wolves don’t have that kind of healing privilege. He has to suffer from a broken wrist for a couple of weeks. He’s smart enough not to let noisy people get interested in his life, right?

He took a deep sigh, wisely thinking about his choices. He gave my neck a tight squeeze before finally taking a step back, like a good dog he is. The glare on his face doesn’t change though, and if so, it is more deadly now. He already knew he can’t threaten me, but props to him, at least he tried.

The distance between us gave me a chance to scan him. He’s still got the messy bronze hair, but he’s bigger and taller now than himself 4 years ago, as I can remember. He has solid muscles and broad shoulders.

The markings of his former pack that was inked on his golden-toned skin was still on his right bicep, peeking from the sleeve of his shirt. I wonder what he says to people who saw it and got curious about the meaning of his tattoos.

“You’re here to kill her, right? Bakit hindi mo ginawa kanina?” 

“I’m confused. Do you want me to kill her?”

“Sagutin mo ang tanong ko.”

“But I have a better question, why didn’t you?” I shoved my hands into my pockets and tilted my head. “We’ve been on a killing spree for a couple of years on our mission in the past. So, I know that killing someone doesn’t bother you. Pero bakit hindi mo siya magawang patayin? It’s been years. What’s so special about her?” I licked the frame of my lips. “Thinking about it, I’m starting to get curious about why.”

“Don’t you fucking dare go near her again…” he muttered under his breath.

“You asked earlier what I ordered her to do, right?” I just shrugged when I didn’t get a response from him. “I asked her to unleash the inner wild inside her. She’s a hybrid. And based on our interaction earlier, she doesn’t know it yet, or did she?”

He gritted his teeth, hands are squeezing into fists. Testing his patience was never really that hard to do. “You’re really fucked up in the head.”

I laughed, “I’ve been called worse.”          

GUILLAM

He disappeared into thin air. But the scent he left made me feel like he’s still in front of me. It’s fucking disgusting.

Bumalik ako sa loob pagkatapos kong pakalmahin ang sarili ko. I don’t want to risk raising any suspicion to people I call ‘friends’ at school. Pagkarating ko sa pangalawang palapag ng club ay agad kong hinanap ang grupo nina Lumiere. She must have been so confused right now. She must be afraid of herself because of what she did on the dance floor.

My body feels cold when I don’t see them in their spot. They already left. That’s a good thing, right? In that way, she wouldn’t be in danger anymore. 

“Bro, san ka nagpunta? Bigla ka na lang nawala…” JK trailed off as I walked closer to them. Mukhang tapos na rin silang uminom. Nag-uusap na lang sila habang ang iba naman ay inuubos ang pulutan.

“We saw what you did…” Will smirk, and I freezed. What exactly did he see?

“What?” 

“Sa dance floor…. Ikaw, si Lumiere at ’yung isang lalaki. You all looked like you’re having sex while dancing,” Rob explained.

“That was hot bro. Open ka ba sa threesome?” dagdag ni Hans at pabirong humawak sa balikat ko.

I clicked my tongue and shook my head. I didn’t really think that they would be fussing about this. Normal lang naman magkaroon ng ganoong senaryo sa club, lalo na kung marami talagang tao. Mahirap humanap ng kapareha kaya minsan ay kung sino-sino na lang ang sinasamahang sumayaw ng iba.

“I’m not gay, and I’m definitely not interested in seeing another man’s dick,” I hissed.

Thinking about sharing Lumiere with any other guy made my inner wolf mad. He’s being possessive of her, even though she was not ours in the first place.

“I’m not saying that you’re gay, bro. Fuck, I’m not gay either. But I sure did a couple of threesomes with another guy in the room.” Hans proudly smiled, like what he shared is something to be boastful about.

“TMI, fucker.” JK looked disgusted. Tumawa lang naman ang iba.

“Damn, I’m not aware na may wild side pala si Lumiere. She acts like Maria Clara at school, tapos ganito pala siya sa club?”

I immediately threw a death glare at Will’s direction the moment that words slip off his mouth. That made everyone in our circle shut up. Our teammate who was sitting beside Will, slapped his shoulder, as he was the only one who didn’t notice my change of reaction.

Will awkwardly laughed. “Sorry, I was out of the line.”

“You’re one of the closest friend I have here and I don’t want to make an enemy out of you.” I pressed my lips together. “So, I don’t want to hear you talk about her like that again.” 

There was a warning in my tone, and he immediately nodded.

“Of course…” He forced a smile.

“If you’re not interested in sleeping with another dude in the mix, it seems like you have a competition. He also seems very interested in Lumiere,” Rob diverted the topic.

“You should start making a move, then?” Hans suggested.

“Do you even know the guy in the first place?” JK butted in. “He doesn’t look familiar to me. Mukha ding kano. Maybe he’s just a tourist or something. There’s a big possibility that we’ll never see him again after this night.”

I shook my head. Their words are starting to get into my head. I know for a fact that ‘that guy’ will not leave this place until everything will go in his favor, which includes Lumiere being dead. And I fucking swear to every fucking one of my ancestors, I would not let that happen.

Umuwi na din kami pagkatapos ng ilang minuto. I guess the vibe went off. Hindi na kasi nagkaroon ng ibang topic matapos ang pag-uusap na iyon. May practice pa din kami bukas at siguradong mapapagalitan kami ni Coach kung sakali mang ma-late kami.

Lumabas ako sa teresa upang tingnan ang langit. Wala akong makitang bituwin sa langit, hudyat na maaring umulan bukas. Nang bumaba ang tingin ko ay ang mga puno naman ang pinagmasdan ko. My house was located near the woods. I didn’t want to think about this much at first, but I guess I choose to live here to feel a little closer to home.

“I’ve been called worse,” he laughed, but

that

didn’t reach his eyes.

I called him the worst. And I don’t fucking regret it even once. I’m a lone wolf now, and he’s the reason why.

My grip tightened on the railings.

I don’t know how naïve I was before that I didn’t see the monster inside him. I was so innocent that I didn’t notice how dangerous and manipulative he was. I saw him in a different light, and didn’t see what he was hiding in the dark.

He took everything from me 4 years ago. And I will not fucking let him do the same thing to Lumiere. I will protect her in every way I can so she would live and enjoy her life. She deserves it.

I closed my eyes as I felt myself transforming. The emotion I was feeling was too much that my wolf wanted to handle it. And I let him.

Power filled me. My muscles turned stronger and my heart pumped more blood with each beat. My senses became razor-sharp. I let out a loud and painful growl before I jumped off the railing and ran through the woods without any direction.

IV

LUMIERE

I officially have the hangover from hell. I thought while groaning.

The glare of the sun filtering through the window does nothing to ease my pain. My head is throbbing, the foul taste of alcohol in my mouth urging me to run to the bathroom as fast as I can. And I freaking did.

After emptying the contents of my stomach for what feels like an eternity, I hop into the shower to and the memories of what I did last night came rushing back to me.

My eyes widened in shock. Napasigaw ako sa sakit at itinapat ang mukha sa shower nang mapasukan ng shampoo ang mga mata ko.

What the fudge? Did I just did I what I think I did last night? I slapped myself in the face. It was just a dream, wasn’t it?

Last night was the first time I got drunk. Kagabi ko lang hinayaang pakawalan ang sarili ko at gumawa agad ako ng kahihiyan. Ano bang pumasok sa isip ko at pumayag akong makipagsayaw sa lalaking hindi ko kakilala at sa sikat na varsity player sa school?

Siguradong kung nandoon ang grupo ni Guillam ay maraming nakakita sa amin at nakilala. Siguradong karamihan sa mga iyon ay nag-aaral din sa school. Ano ng mukha ang hihaharap ko sa mga tao?

All this time I kept myself in the dark. I wasn’t a fun of crowd. I was comfortable being a mere ghost to people. Then in just one night. Just one mistake. The only time that I freed myself…. Maaring hindi na ako maging invisible sa mata ng mga tao.

Sa mga sandaling tinginan pa lang namin ni Guillam ay pinag-uusapan na agad kami, ano pa kaya  kung may nakakita sa ginawa namin kagabi? People will talk more about me. They will get curious about my life and ask questions about the things that I was avoiding all this time.

“Lumiere…” Rose’s voice sounded muffled and far away. 

“Lumiere!”

It was louder and clearer this time, enough so it yanked me out of my thoughts and back into the cafeteria. I blinked, my heart slamming against my ribcage with such force it rattled my bones.

“H-ha?”

The notch between her brows deepened, and something akin to concern passed through her eyes. “Kanina pa kita tinatawag pero parang wala ka sa sarili. Okay ka lang ba?”

“O-Oo naman…” I raked a hand through my hair and forced myself to take deep breaths until my heartbeat slowed to a normal rate. “Just… Naninibago lang. People are looking at us. Hindi ako kumportable.”

I bowed my head a little to hide my face behind my hair. I can feel a lot of eyes on me, and it’s eating me alive. Rose looked at me with understanding. She was the one who call it a night last night. 

Alam niyang hindi ako magiging kumportable sa oras na bumaba ang alak sa katawan ko at mapagtanto ang pinagagagawa ko kagabi. She saw everything and did not question me. Instead, she’s more worried about what would I feel the moment I fall back into my senses.

Rose stared at me for a minute longer before she flicked her eyes over my shoulder and said, “Nandito na sila.”

Sabay na umangat ang tingin namin sa mabilis na pag-upo ni Sheena sa tabi niya. Sumunod sa kanya si Carey habang si Anna ay naupo naman sa tabi ko. Sheena’s face was red and obviously fuming mad.

“Guess what she did?” ngisi ni Carey sa amin.

“Don’t tell me she ride the flagpole with Professor Tomas? I thought we already talked about this?” Rose frowned, allusioning the affair she had with her former Professor.

“Tonta, bitch. Hindi na ako pumapatol sa matatanda, okay?” Sheena hissed. “I just went from a very bad argument so fucking shut up.”

“People kept talking bad about Lumiere on our way here. Sheena couldn’t stomach it and stopped to defend Lumiere and get their asses back to their places,” proud na saad ni Anna dahilan para irapan siya ni Sheena.

“Sheena, hindi mo na dapat ginawa ’yun. Paano kung pinagtulungan ka nila? Wala kami dun para tulungan ka,” I muttered as a guilty feeling is creeping up on me that my friends now need to talk back to people just to defend me.

“I just can’t take it, okay? I’ve known you for years. At alam kong wala pa sa kalahati ang katutuhanang pinagkakalat nila. Last night was the only time you let yourself loose, and I want to see that again. Ayaw kong ikulong mo na naman ang sarili mo dahil sa kanila.” She breath out.

I’ve heard the rumors myself. May ilan pa ngang lumalapit sa akin para personal na magtanong kung totoo ba ang mga iyon. The rumors about me being a two-faced bitch, a slut, and having a secret relationship with Guillam keep on spreading. 

I don’t mind it though, people can just keep talking shit about me, and I don’t care. I just mind it because I know it will affect my friends and our privacy.

“Yeah, but people always talk and we couldn’t do anything about it. Kapag may mga ganoon ulit kayong narinig, huwag niyo na lang pansisinin. Lilipas din naman siguro agad ’to.” 

I hope.

I bit my lower lip.

“Pero grabe talaga, hindi ako makapaniwala sa nangyari kagabi!” manipis ang boses ni Anna at tila kanina pa nagpipigil ng tili. “How the hell did you end up dancing with them?”

Sabay-sabay silang lumingon sa akin. Alam kong kanina pa din nila gustong itanong ’yun ngunit hindi lang alam kung paano. But then there’s Krisha.

“Yeah, and did you know the other guy? He doesn’t look like a local but he’s really hot,” Sheena added.

I shook my head and stared at my hands that are resting above my thighs.

Speaking of the devil, there was really something strange about that man. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero wala akong maalala na nangyari matapos ang pagtatagpo namin sa bar counter. It was like I totally blacked out. And the next I knew is that I was drinking, dancing freely and interacting with people I didn’t know, which I didn’t even think I can do before.

“You didn’t get his name?” Carey asked.

“No…” I almost whispered.

My senses told me that he’s dangerous last night. And there’s a big possibility that it was right. Sa paglipas ng panahon ay nararamdaman ko ang unti-unting paglakas nito. Maybe he’s one of those creatures who’s hunting my kind?

My nerves are killing me. Ilang taon na nakalipas simula nang mamatay si Papa sa sunog at buhay pa din ako hanggang ngayon. And I don’t really know if that’s something good… or it is even worst.

My parents have been on the run even before I was born. Those creatures were searching to kill us. My mother was half wolf and half-witch and fell in love with a half-wolf and half-human. Their mating created me, a child with three different blood running through her veins.

My father told me that most of the pure-blooded creatures were afraid to know what I can possibly become… to what I can possibly do…  and will do in the future. If I can be part of the balance, or the object to ruin it. They are afraid of the unknown.

My lips lifted up into a smirk at that thought. How ironic it is, huh.

Going back, I remember seeing monsters. But the guy last night looks human . Is that even possible? Kaya na ba nilang mag-anyong tao? It is possible that they involved in time?

I unconsciously clenched my hands into fists. But if he’s there to end my life, why didn’t he do it last night? Why did he dance with me? Why did he make me feel things?

Despite his dangerous upbringing, I can’t deny the fact that he is indeed hot. I can still feel how his hands run down my body together with Guillam’s. The feeling of being sandwiched between their big bodies made my lady parts happy. Their touch made me forget who I was for seconds. The hazy lust in their eyes made me feel desirable. They made me feel free.

I shook my head. Maybe this is all just inside my head. Maybe I just got really drunk last night. Why am I even overthinking this shit?

I blinked for a couple of times when I felt Krisha elbowed me. I winced at my late reaction and glare at her.

She pouted. As if she’s pointing something using her lips. And when I look up… my jaw almost dropped when a smiling Guillam greeted my eyes.

“Hi! You’re Lumiere, right?” He made a small wave.

Nilingon ko ang mga kaibigan ko upang magtanong sana kung bakit siya nandito ngunit nakatingin lang din sila sa akin at mukhang nag-aabang ng sasabihin ko.

“Y-Yes?” I felt a heavy feeling in my stomach.

“Can we have a word?” He tilted his head as he took a glance at my friends. “Privately?”

V

G UILLAM

I feel the awkward silence fall over their table. Lumiere gives me a shy smile, and I feel it all the way to my toes as I wait for her answer.

“Ah, s-sige…” She nodded her head.

I gesture to her to follow me to the exit as she stands up. Narinig kong nagpaalam siya sa mga kaibigan niya bago tuluyang sumama sa akin. Pumunta kami sa likod ng building na hindi masyadong ginagamit upang makaiwas sa mga taong puwedeng makarinig sa amin. She stays silent and seems nervous, while I can’t take my eyes off her. Hell, I am nervous too.

“A-anong pag-uusapan natin?” She frowns as she looks around. Siguro ay nagtataka kung bakit dito ko napiling mag-usap.

Maraming posibilidad ang maaaring kalabasan ng pag-uusap namin. But I can’t fucking stop myself. I’m desperate.

The pull to her is next level, like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I am hoping to buy more time with her, to protect her, and to be able to understand the string that connects us. But the sudden appearance of Faustus changed everything.

I can’t just fucking let her die.

“I-I want to talk about what happened last night…” I trailed and her eyes widened.

“A-are you bothered by the rumors spreading about us?” she cuts me off.

“Rumors?” My forehead creased.

“Y-yeah. The rumors that we are secretly dating or something.” She shrugged and laughed awkwardly. Then, she lifted her index finger in front of me. “I promise you, hindi ko plinano ’yon. I know nothing about the rumors. I just got really drunk last night at hindi ko alam ang ginagawa ko. I’m really sorry.”

“Oh…” I try to hide my delighted smile and fail miserably. It was a relief that what happened last night didn’t horrify her. “That didn’t bother me… To be honest, I feel otherwise. “

“Anong… ibig mong sabihin?” Her tone was uncertain.

“Well…” I trailed. And before I can stop myself, I whisper, “I like you.” I licked my lower lip. “And what happened last night pushed me to come to you now and confess my feelings for you.”

Her eyes widened as heat stained her cheeks. Shock was written all over her face.

Damn. How do I continue this?

“I’ve been wanting to ask you out for a long time, but I can’t seem to find the right timing. I know there’s a lot of rumors roaming around about me liking you and I just want to confirm it myself. Gusto kita.” I cleared my throat as I scraped my hand through my hair. “So, would you like to go on a date with me on Friday? After dinner, we could watch a movie or something.”

Her eyes search for mine. “I’ve… never been on a date.”

Fuck yeah … my inner wolf growled in rejoice. I already know that she never had a boyfriend before but it felt good to hear that from her.

“I want you to know that I am not pressuring you into dating me. Kung hindi ka pa handa, tell me and I’ll wait. I just really want my feelings known.”

She bit her lower lip, and my gaze followed. Seriously, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life. A flush crept up her face.

“Seryuso ba talaga ’to… Or is this just a bet that you and your teammates are playing?”

I immediately shook my head in response. A bit shocked that the thought came across her mind.  

“No. I will not go this far for such a childish bet. I am serious here.”

Is that what I really look like right now? Is that how weird the way I approached her? Because I was not really fucking prepared for this. I just need to do what I can to get close to her and protect her.

We stare at each other, and my heart somersaults in my chest. It’s like she’s assessing me while I feel hot and flustered. 

“Y-yes, I want to give us a try.” 

I saw her lips quiver.

Fuck. My heart .

A smile spread across my face, so wide my cheeks actually hurt. All I could do was pray she wouldn’t be creeped out by how overwhelmed I felt.

I instinctively stepped closer, closing the small space between us. I reached for her hand, and she gulped hard before finally letting her fingers slip into mine.

This was the closest skin-to-skin contact we’d ever shared since the first moment I laid eyes on her. I will not count what happened last night cause  that was not her. She was under Fasustus’ control.

Lumiere’s hand was soft and warm, fitting perfectly against mine, like it had always belonged there.

“I promise you’ll never regret this.”

FAUSTUS

The groans of the woman above me became louder when I started controlling her hips to bounce against my cock. I leaned my back on the one-sitter sofa as I pulled her with me and scraped my teeth down her neck. Umarko ang kanyang likod nang muli kong binaon ang aking mga pangil sa kanyang leeg.

She gasped in pain as power filled me. I closed my eyes to savor how good fresh blood tastes like. It was so good that I felt myself hardened even more.

Her hard nipples rubbed my chest, and her pussy clenched against my manhood. Her limbs are starting to weaken as her grasp on my shoulder loosened. I stopped her from moving before she even passed out and vigorously pumped myself in and out of her. I did all the work until she finally reached her orgasm. Her head falls into my shoulder after screaming her peak.

I broke the seal I had on her flesh and licked the frame of my lips for the excess blood. A trail of crimson slides down on her now pale skin. I watched it in daze.

I heard the front door creaked to open.

“Anong ginagawa mo dito?”

My eyes found where that stern voice came from. Nanigas ang katawan ng babae sa ibabaw ko. Marahan kong hinagod ang kanyang likod upang pakalmahin siya. Looks like the fun is over since the man of the house has finally arrived.

“Welcome home.” I gave him a lopsided grin.

Guillam’s face was unrelenting and void of any emotion, like the situation he walked in on didn’t affect him. I comfortably leaned against the backrest of the sofa.

“I asked a question… anong ginagawa  o dito?” He gritted his teeth. “I didn’t give you any permission to step onto my property.”

“Why? Would you rather see me hanging around your girl’s house?” I smirked suggestively. “Besides, I don’t have that much choice. I don’t have anywhere to stay in this town.”

He glares at me and clenches his jaw, as if stopping himself from speaking. I grin to myself.

We kept on throwing daggers at each other. And if I’m going to guess, I think he’s thinking of many ways of how he would catch me off guard and kill me. The woman on top of me turned her head back to look at Guillam. Nosy human.

She hazily smiled at him while the other one scanned her in. His face creases in confusion.

Familiarity flickered in Guillam’s eyes. “Sanya? Is that you?”

“My name is Sabrina, you asshole—”

“Silence, Maggie,” I exclaimed, ignoring her words, and she immediately shut her mouth.

Guillam’s face falls as his gaze goes down to her neck. There are still a few red liquids dripping out of Katrina’s bite marks. I bend forward to lick it off her instead of letting it go to waste.

“You’re drinking blood straight from humans now.”

It was not a question. I tilted my head to study his face. He fakes a smile and shakes his head in disbelief.

“Make her leave— or just both of you fucking leave,” he growls.

His nostrils flared and his eyes glinted—a sign that his wolf wants to take over. I rolled my eyes. I lifted Pia off my dick, and she groaned in pain. I patted the back of her inner legs as I tucked my manhood back inside my pants.

Hinuli ko ang baba ng babae. I made her look into my eyes and started manipulating her. 

“You can leave now.” I muttered gravelly. “Go straight to the hospital and remember—” Hinawi ko ang buhok niya at tinipon sa likod ng tainga. “—you never met me.”

She slowly nodded her head. Tumayo siya mula sa pagkakasangkla sa akin at sinimulang kuhain ang mga damit niyang nakakalat sa sahig upang magbihis.

Guillam didn’t even try to hide the disgust on his face as he watched the woman put her clothes back on in front of us robotically. He shook his head and stormed out of the living room.

Humabol ako sa kanya. I buttoned my pants and threw my shirt over my head.

“Why are you following me?” He’s obviously irritated.

“You know I know what you did.”

He stopped in his tracks. Nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad hanggang sa malampasan siya upang makita ang kanyang reaksyon. I was pertaining to what he did at the university, where he confessed his ‘feelings’ for that girl.

“You’d really do that just to guard her?”

“I would do anything just to protect her from you.” His tone deepened.

I pressed my lips together.

“I may confess my feelings to her for the wrong reason. But it was real and genuine.” His lips flattened. There was tightness in his eyes. “Something that you’re not.”

I snorted a laugh.

“Don’t you think you’re just being desperate?” I try to grab his arm, but he pushes me away.

Nagsimula na ulit siyang maglakad hanggang sa malapit na kaming makarating sa huling silid ng ikalawang palapag.

“That’s cruel, you know?” I taunted, still following him. “It would be hard for her to die, knowing that she’ll leave someone who loves her behind.”

He turns to me like he’s the devil himself. 

“She’s not going to die, do you understand? You’re going to need to kill me first before you can even touch her!” He hissed and slammed the door in my face.

Amusement danced in my eyes as I stared at the closed wooden door. Since when did he start being this rude? He used to be such a very good boy. 

My good boy.

VI

LUMIERE

Guillam and I stopped in front of a coffee shop. Humarap ako sa kanya upang magpasalamat. Isang araw na din ang nakalipas simula nang sabihin niya sa akin na gusto niya ako at hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pa din maproseso na totoo ito. 

“May training ako bukas. Hindi ako sigurado kung maihahatid kita.” Guillam trailed. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening?”

I smile as I watch him rubbed his neck. Doon ko lang biglang naalala ang na Friday na pala bukas. Date na namin.

“Oo naman,” I replied as I felt my cheeks heating up.

A wide smile formed on his lips. Nagpaalam na siya sa akin na babalik sa university para mag-practice kaya at tumango lang ako bilang sagot. He waved his hand and I watch him disappear around the corner. I turn and walk into the coffee shop where I work after class. Malapit lang ito sa university kaya madalas ay dito tumatambay ang mga estudyante para tumambay o mag-aral.

The bell on the door rang which made Carey look up from her place on the register. She’s also working part time here.

“Hi.” I smile and walk past her, out the back to put my bag in a locker.

“Thank God you’re finally here!” 

The café is packed with every seat occupied. Damn it, I was hoping for a slow evening. I need to save my energy later so I can still have time to review for my exam tomorrow.

“I’ve never been happy to see you, Lumiere!” Sir Jacob hastily said as he carries a box of cups out and a sack of coffee beans on his other hand from the back door.

“Akala ko po may date kayo ni Mrs. Lee?” I frown. Nagpaalam na kasi siya sa amin kahapon ni Carey na baka hindi niya kami masamahan sa shift namin ngayong gabi.

“Of course, it’s our freaking anniversary.” He sighs, looking so exhausted. “Pero sobrang daming customer. Hindi ko naman kayo pwedeng basta iwan.”

“Don’t hesitate about leaving us, Sir. Kakayanin naman siguro namin ’to ni Carey. And we all know that what you can’t handle is your wife being mad at you.” I put my black and white apron on and tie it at the back.

“Geez. I don’t really know what’s with students and their addiction to caffeine,” Sir Jacob rolled his eyes as he walk back to the back door.

I laughed as I walk to my place at the cash register. “I’ll take over.”

I bump Carey out of the way with my hip, and she stumbles to the side.

“Tangina,” she mumbles, “Kanina ko pa gustong-gusto maging dalawa. I can’t handle this shit alone.”

“Relax. Mababawasan din ng tao maya-maya,” I whisper.

“I swear, if Sir Jacob doesn’t hire another crew, we will be dead by the next semester.”

The next person in line steps forward.

“Good afternoon, Ma’am. How can I help you?”

Carey walks past me and stood next to the coffee machine. I looked back to the front of the shop to see the huge line waiting.

Great .

I drop my head to hide my weary smile after giving a receipt and take-out order to the former customer.

“Hello. How can I help you?” I ask the next customer and look up at the queue.

A familiar piercing blue eyes stare back at me, and I step back in surprise.

It’s him …

The guy from the club.

“Hi.” I felt my lips quivered.

He’s wearing a perfectly fitted dark navy suit and a crisp white shirt. He looks like he’s European. But his skin looks too white and soft. Maybe he’s half Korean, Japanese… or something?

“Hello.” His voice is deep and husky.

I feel my cheeks blush, and I smile nervously. “Hi.”

Does he also remember me?

We stare at each other. Wala sa sariling napakamot ako sa leeg ko nang mapansing bumaba doon ang tingin niya.

Damn, this guy is really gorgeous.

A trace of a smile crosses his face as if reading my mind. He raises his brows. “Do you want to know my order?”

“A-ah…” I pause, embarrassed. “I was waiting for you to tell me.” 

I lied. Get it together, stupid. 

“What would you like?”

“I’ll have a double macchiato, please.”

“Dine in or take out?”

“Take out.”

“Would you like anything else?”

He raises his eyebrow. “I don’t know. Tell me?”

I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out. He smirks, realizing he has me completely flustered.

“Ensaymada? Cinnamon rolls?” I replied. “They’re delicious.”

His eyes hold mine. “Why don’t you surprise me, Lumiere?”

My lips parted. I don’t remember telling my name.

I stare at him as my brain misfires. “Alam mo ang pangalan ko?”

His gaze went down. “It’s on your apron.”

“Oh… right.” I scrunch my eyes shut. But I also remember him calling my name at the club. Was I just hallucinating?

“A-Ah, pasensya na. Medyo pagod lang ako.”

“It’s okay. It happens. You’re doing well.” He gives me his first genuine smile, and I feel it to my toes.

It’s official: this man is dangerous to me.

“Your name?” I ask, holding my pen to his cup.

“Faustus.”

“Mr. Faustus.” I repeated.

“Faustus will do.”

I nodded and started writing his name on his cup.

“The weather is hot today, right?” I asked as I wonder what this foreign man doing in our small town. Is he here for vacation or for business?

I took a step back when he suddenly leaned on the counter with a playful smile on his lips. Like he somewhat knows that I’m fishing for information.

I took a sniff of him. He smells of an expensive cologne. But despite that, I still caught a hint of rust on him.

“He’s a charming man, isn’t he?” he asked out of nowhere. He licked the frame of his lips while scanning my face.

“W-what? Who?” My eyes narrowed in confusion. I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear as I try to avoid his gaze.

I heard him chuckled at my response.

“Tell me, have you turned already?” He tilted his head, trying to catch my eye.

I felt a big lump in my throat. Our eyes end up locking with each other no matter how much I avoided it, and the air crackles between us. I’m starting to feel a little dizzy, slowly being out of air.

The man behind him in the line sighs heavily. “I have evening classes, you know.”

I gasped. And he raised a brow.

Faustus steps to the side. He has this knowing smirk on his lips that made my hair on the back stood up. It’s like he knows something about me that he shouldn’t.

I forced to bring my attention to the man behind him. “Can I help you, Sir?”

“I want a toasted ham and cheese sandwich, cappuccino, take out. At pakiusap, pakibilisan!” He barks. His brows are knitted together, clearly annoyed.  

“Of course, sir.” Napakagat ako sa aking labi ng makilalang isa pala ito sa mga professor sa university namin. “Pasensya na po.”

“Ano ba yan, ang unprofessional. Nakikipaglandian pa sa customer.” I heard him murmur. Napatungo na lang ako sa pagkapahiya. 

“Excuse me…”

I heard a voice said and I look up to see Faustus has taken a step towards us.

“What?” the professor snaps.

“What did you just say?” He clenched his jaw.

The older man shrivels, as if taken aback by Faustus’ warning tone. 

“Nagmamadali ako,” he exclaimed.

“No need to be rude.” Faustus eyes darkened as he hold his. “You should apologize to the lady.”

The professor’s forehead knitted, and then mockingly laughed at him.

“Now,” Faustus ordered. And my eyes widened in shock.

His nostrils flared. He was about to take another step closer to the older man so, I immediately told him to stop.

“No, please. It’s fine,” I muttered, almost pleading. “Okay lang ako.”

“Mga kabataan talaga ngayon, babastos na,” the professor hissed under his breath.

I pressed my lips together. Faustus shook his head at me in disapproval as he take a few steps back to his place by the wall. I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“That won’t be a minute,” I say, and the professor nods, not saying another word.

I turn back to the customers to give Carey the list of orders. She gave me a knowing smile and a pinch on my waist before she started making coffees, letting me know that she recognized Faustus and that I owe her a story time after the shift.

“Faustus,” I call, and he steps forward. “Here you go.”

“Thank you, Lumiere.” His eyes hold mine as he takes it from me. I breathed hard as our fingertips touched. “Tell me if that man bothers you again. I’ll handle him.”

His voice was flat. Hindi ko masabi kung seryuso ba siya sa sinasabi niya. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Napakurap ako ng ilang beses.

“See you,” I stuttered. I don’t even know if I mean it or not.

He dips his head, and with one more breathtaking smile, he turns and walks out onto the street. I picked up a cloth and pretended to wipe something to see which direction he took. I watch him cross the street until he disappears into one of the alleys. Mayroong kakaiba sa kanya na hindi ko mawari kung ano. 

What’s your secret, Faustus?

VII

GUILLAM

“We’re done for the day!” Coach Loui announced as he clapped his hands to call our attention. Pinasa ni JK sa akin ang bola at natatawang sinalo ko naman iyon.

“Kamusta coach?” tukoy ni Will sa naging performance namin ngayong araw.

Umupo ako sa tabi ni Coach at sumandal sa upuan habang ang ibang kasamahan ko ay nanatiling nakatayo sa harapan at naghahabol ng hininga. I know that I should be pretending to be out of breath too, but I am not in the mood to act.

“Good work today, boys. Kita ko talaga yung improvement niyo. Mas organized na tayo kumpara last week.” 

“Salamat, Coach. Grabe rin kasi yung pasensya mo sa’min,” saad ni JK. Sumipsip pa nga. 

Napangiti si Coach. “Proud ako sa naging effort niyong lahat. Walang tamad, walang nagreklamo. Ganyan ang gusto kong makita lagi.”

“Siyempre, Coach. Binigay na namin lahat. Ayaw naming mapagalitan. Nakakatakot ka pa naman pag biglang napipindot si anger,” biro  ni Will at bumagsak paupo sa sahig. 

Natawa ang mga ka-team ko bilang pag-sang-ayon. Nakangising napailing na lang si Coach Loui bago bumaling sa akin ang tingin niya. Napansin sigurong ako lang ang hindi naghahabol ng hininga sa lahat sa kabila ng training. 

“At gusto ko ring i-acknowledge si Guillam.”

Napangsi lang ako nang sinimulang asarin ng mga kaibigan. As if I want that. 

“Uy, may special mention si idol,” kantyaw ni Toni. 

“Deserve naman. Hindi lang dahil sa points niya sa scrimmage. Kita ko kung paano siya mag-communicate sa court. Lagi siyang nagsasabi ng screens, tumutulong sa depensa, at hindi madamot sa bola. Halimaw pa ang stamina.”

“Ginagawa ko lang naman po yung role ko, Coach.”

“Exactly.” Inilibot ni Coach ang mata. “At sana matuto kayo sa kanya. Minsan, yung maliliit na bagay ang nagpapanalo ng laro.”

“Kaya pala lagi mo siyang pinupuri, Coach,” komento ni Will habang nakasulyap sa akin. 

“Pinupuri ko kayo lahat kapag may ginagawa kayong tama. Pero si Guillam, consistent. Kahit pagod na kayo, siya nandiyan pa rin, humahabol sa loose ball at ine-encourage ang teammates niya. Siya sana ang Captain niyo kung hindi lang tumanggi.” 

Madramang napahawak sa dibdib si JK. “Wow, coach, ha. Pinamukha mo talaga sa’kin na second choice lang ako?” 

Nagtawanan ang lahat. Tinapik ko sa likuran si JK. Alam ko namang nagbibiro lang siya. 

“Magaling ka din naman,” tumango si Coach. Napaatras si JK at umaktong lalong na-insulto. Muling sumabog ang tawanan. 

“Totoo naman. Kahit kami, mas napapagalitan niyan ni Guillam kapag nawawala sa depensa,” saad ni Hans na umakbay pa kay JK. 

“Hoy, hindi naman galit ’yon. Reminder lang,” depensa ko.

“Reminder daw, pero akala mo assistant coach na minsan,” saad ni Hans at umiling-iling. 

“At walang masama doon. A good player makes plays, but a great player makes the people around him better. Tandaan niyo ’yan,” pangaral ni Coach. Tumayo na siya sa pagkakaupo at isa-isa kaming tinapik sa balikat. “O sige, ligpit na. Magpahinga kayo. Proud ako sa inyo. Pero tandaan niyo, maganda ang training ngayon kasi lahat kayo nagtrabaho. Walang bida. Isang team lang kayo.”

“Yes, Coach!” Sabay-sabay naming sabi. 

Nang mauna ng umalis si Coach ay pumunta na ang iba sa locker room upang mag-shower habang naiwan naman kaming magkakaiban sa bleachers.

Tuluyan nang umupo sa semento si JK. He reached for his tumbler to drik. Tumabi naman si Will sa akin kung saan kanina nakaupo si Coach habang nanatiling nakatayo sina Hans at Rob sa harap namin.

“Grabe, malapit na akong maniwala na paborito ka ni Coach. Puring-puri ka lagi, eh,” tila nagtatampong saad ni Rob as he dribble the ball that I passed.

“Gago, hindi. Pinuri naman tayong lahat, hindi lang ako.” Umiling ako.

“Gusto ko ring i-acknowledge si Guillam,” Rob mocked and jokingly rolled his eyes. “Ulol. Never akong maniniwala na humble ka talaga.”

“Hambog pa, p’wede,” dagdadag ni Will.

I laughed. JK spat the water that he was drinking on himself as he laughed too. Making us all laughed harder.

“Good game, Guillam.”

My blood runs cold with unfiltered rage when I heard that familiar voice. Natigil ang tawananan namin at sabay-sabay na napatingin sa bagong dating. What the fuck is he doing here?

“Tangina, hindi ba sya yung…” Hans gasped, awe in his tone. And they also clearly remember who this fucker is.

I cut him off as I tilted my head. “Why are you here?”

The smug asshole is walking closer to us, looking like he has every right to be here. He stopped in front of us and nods. I grimaced as I took him in. He’s wearing a button-up shirt, blatantly showing his upper abs and his chest hair. Shameless prick.

Is that even allowed in school?

“Well, you left me alone at home. You can’t blame me if I started getting board.” He smirks.

Unfuckingbelievable. I clenched my hand into fist.

With nothing else to say, I growled, “Leave.”

“Magkakilala kayo?” singit ni JK. Nagpalipat-lipat ng tingin sa aming dalawa ni Faustus ang mga kaibigan ko.

Tinaasan lang ako ng kilay ng hinayupak nang magsalubong ang tingin namin. He is letting me carry the weight of their curiosity. I took in a deep sigh when I realized this motherfucker really wants me to lose control in front of them. He wants me to take the bait. He clearly wanted to ruin my life as if he still hadn’t done that already.

I know that I need to fucking calm myself down. My wolf can’t win this time. Pinilit kong itago ang aking emosyon at napagdesisyunan na lang na tumayo sa pagkakaupo.

Wala akong eksplanayong nakahanda para sa mga magiging tanong nila. Ang tanging magagawa ko na lang ngayon ay ang umalis. They will not understand. And they don’t have to.

I slumped on the couch nang sa wakas ay makauwi sa bahay. But only a second later, Faustus is already standing in front of me. Up until now, I can’t still accept how unfair this was. We walk like normal people do, while these bloodsuckers have super speed? Fuck that shit.

Tumayo ako at plinanong sa kuwarto na lang magpahinga dahil mukhang hindi niya ako titigilan. Napasinghap ako nang haarangan niya ako sa hagdanan.

“Can’t you just fucking leave me alone? You’ve done enough damage for the day.”

Gaya ng inaasahan, hindi siya gumalaw at nanatiling nakatayo lang sa harapan ko. I refuse to look him in the eyes. Kahit aminin ko man o hindi, a part of me was scared that he’ll try to manipulate me.

“Guillam,” he grinds out. “I can’t leave. I’m here now. I need to continue the mission.”

This time, when I lift my gaze in confusion, I don’t find his controlled eyes. He tilted his head down, trying to hide whatever storm was brewing. And there’s a storm brewing. I’ve known him since I was a teenager. There was a time before then I thought of him like family.

“Is there any reason why you’re here?”

“Aside from killing that woman?” he asks. Hindi ako sigurado kung tumango ako sa tanong niya o hindi. “Yes.”

My lips parted. As much as I want to dig into him and demand to know what’s the other reason why he’s here, I bite my tongue.

I don’t care.

I don’t care.

I don’t fucking care .

“Whatever,” I grumble. “Just know that the woman you are talking about is not going to die. You can crawl back to your other mission elsewhere and leave us the fuck alone.”

His jaw clenches, one of his familiar tells when he’s pissed. Before, I used to taunt the fuck out of him until I’d see that muscle tick. It’s how I knew I’d pushed him over the edge. He’s not a hothead like me. A master of controlling his anger. But once he loses it…

It proves pretty brutal.

LUMIERE

I was trailing the way to my condominium building when a strong and unfamiliar scent touch my nose. Katatatapos lang ng shift ko sa café. Ramdam ko ang pangangalay ng buong katawan ko mula sa ilang oras na pagkakatayo. I guess it’s near 10 PM or something.

Napapikit ako nang humangin ng malakas. Nilipad nito ang buhok ko kaya napatigil ako sa paglalakad. It was not natural. Sinubukan kong humakbang but the smell of something dark is getting stronger. Palapit ito ng palapit.

I gasped as the hair on my nape stood up. I slowly opened my eyes and waited until my vision cleared. I looked around because I knew someone was watching me. I could’ve pushed it away with the fact that I was in the street and somebody was bound to look in my direction.

But that’s not what this was. This was a heavy sense of creepiness, unyielding gaze locked on me. 

Tumingin ako sa kaliwa ko at napansin ang isang heavily tinted na sasakyan na nakaparada sa kabilang kalye. The window was too dark to see through, the reflection almost like an onyx mirror. And although I couldn’t see who was inside or if there was even someone inside the car, I felt them watching me. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from it as fear crept into my system.

As if my sanity was hanging on by a thread, I thought, “Nahanap na ba nila ako?”

Should I start running?

I felt something vibrated inside my pocket, and it was the only thing that snapped me out of my haze. I took out my phone to check out the message.

It was from Guillam.

Guillam:

Goodnight. Hope you’re dreaming about me ;)

Lumiere:

Hope not haha

Guillam:

Why are you still awake?

Lumiere:

And why are you still awake?

Guillam:

I Just can’t stop thinking about you… I can’t also wait for tomorrow eve :)

Napailing ako sa nabasa.

Lumiere:

Rest now. You must be tired after your practice.

Guillam:

You too :)

I didn’t notice that my lips unconsciously quirked up into a smile. Muli kong sinulyapan ang itim na kotse ngunit wala na ito doon.  Napalingon ako sa paligid upang hanapin ito subalit hindi ko na ulit ito nakita pa. Sinilid ko na ulit sa bulsa ang cellphone at nagmamadaling lumakad pauwi.

VIII

LUMIERE

“Pagod na pagod na akong tumakbo, Papa!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Bakit ba palagi na lang natin kailangan umalis!? I already like my life here! Marami na akong kaibigan dito, may trabaho ka, bakit pa tayo aalis?”

Bakas ang gulat sa mukha ni Papa. Mukhang hindi niya inaasahan ang biglang pagtatanong ko. Ito ang unang beses na kinuwesyon ko ang desisyon niya para sa amin. Nataranta ang mga mata niya ngunit agad ding bumalik sa pag-iimpake ng mga gamit namin.

“Magkakaroon ka ulit ng bagong kaibigan sa pupuntahan natin, anak. Magiging maayos din ang buhay natin gaya ng palagi nating ginagawa. Magtiwala ka lang sa akin,” saad ni Papa. Kumuha siya ng panibagong bag at ibinigay sa akin. “Ito, ilagay mo d’yan ang mga gamit na gusto mong dalhin. Kailangan na nating magmadali!”

Binitawan ko ang bag na binigay niya at hindi kumilos mula sa aking pagkakatayo. Ito ang ikalabing-walong kaarawan ko. Dapat ay nagdiriwang kami sa araw na ito, imbes ay naghahanda sa muling pagtakbo.

Hindi ko na mabilang sa kamay kung ilang beses na namin itong ginawa. Lumipas na ang panahon na napagod ako sa pagbibilang. Pero ito ang unang beses na gusto kong manatili. Ayaw ko ng umalis sa lugar na ito sapagkat dito ako nakahanap ng tunay na kaibigan at taong gusto kong manatili ng matagal sa buhay ko.

“Hindi ako aalis, Papa…” I voiced out. 

Hindi ako pinansin ni Papa at lumabas lang sa aking silid. Nagtungo siya sa kusina upang kumuha ng ilang delata at pagkain.

“Wala na tayong oras para mag-usap pa, Lumiere. Aalis na tayo ngayon sa ayaw at sa gusto mo.”

“Pero bakit? Bakit kailangan nating umalis? Sino bang tinatakasan natin?”

Muli ay wala akong natanggap na sagot mula sa kanya. Akmang maglalakad ulit siya patungo naman sa kanyang silid nang harangan ko siya.

“Kailangan ko ng kasagutan, Papa!” sigaw ko. I balled my hands into fist. Agad ko siyang hinarangan sa pagtatangkang pag-iwas sa akin. “Hindi na ako bata na palagi na lang susunod sa inyo! May sarili na akong buhay! May mga kaibigan na gustong makasama! Hindi ako aalis dito nang walang sapat na dahilan!”

My father’s lips parted. “Hindi ka pa handa…”

“Kailan ba akong magiging handa!?” Nakita ko ang pagbagsak ng inerhiya sa mukha ni Papa. I can almost hear my loud breaths. “Pa, gusto ko nang malaman ang totoo. Pagod na pagod na akong sumunod na lang sa kung anong sasabihin mo. Kahit ang katotohan sa dahilan sa biglang pagkawala ni Mama ay hindi mo manlang sa akin masabi!”

He gasped, eyes widening in shock. He shook his head and stared down at the ground. My lips parted, surprised at my own outburst. My mother is a sore spot with my father. Hindi ko alam kung dapat ko bang panindigan o bawiin ang sinabi ko. I didn’t mean to hurt my father in any way, I just wanted to know the truth.

“Dadating din ang panahon na malalaman mo ang totoo. Makinig ka lang muna sa akin ngayon, okay?” He gave me a pained look and then breaking eye contact. “Kailangan na nating magmadali.”

“Hindi ako aalis,” matigas na saad ko.

“Anong oras kayo aalis?”

Napakurap ako nang bumalik sa kasalukuyan dahil sa sigaw ni Sheena. I cleared my throat when I felt a thickness in it.

“Susunduin daw niya ako ng six!” I replied, rambling.

Naririnig ko mula sa loob ng closet ang pag-uusap ng aking mga kaibigan. Nandito sila ngayon sa condo na kasalukuyan kong tinitirhan upang tulungan ako sa paghahanda para sa first date ko. Hindi naman kailangan ngunit mukhang mas sabik pa sila kaysa sa akin.

Sa huling beses ay tiningnan ko ang aking sarili sa harap ng salamin. I’m wearing a white linen-blend crossed black dress. I also put a little blush, a highlighter to emphasize my cheekbones and a little shine above my lips, and a lipstick two shades darker than my lip skin.

Pagkalabas ko sa closet ay sinalubong ako ng singhapan ng aking mga kaibigan. Bakas ang matinding excitement sa mga mata nila.

“So, how do I look?” kabado kong tanong.

“You look gorgeous!” Rose squealed, her eyes sparkling as she scan my whole body.

“Talaga?”

“Oo, Lumiere. Ang ganda mo. Kahit simpleng ayus lang ay sobrang ganda mo na,” pagpuri ni Carey sa akin.

“Muntik na nga akong mavadeng for a second nang makita kita!” pagbibiro ni Anna na ikinatawa namin. “Ang laki ng boobs mo, paano ba ma-achieve yan?”

I blushed at her comment. Lalo pa akong namula nang hawakan niya ang sariling dibdib na tila kinukumpara ang laki sa akin.

“Magpadagdag kaya ako?” she commented innocently.

“Gago, tigilan mo si Lumiere, Anna. Ganda na ng katawan mo, makuntento ka na sa size ng dede mo,” saway ni Carey dito.

“Hey, I’m not being a kill joy but hindi ba kayo nagtataka na bigla na lang siyang niyaya ni Guillam out of nowhere?”

Lahat kami ay napalingon kay Sheena sa tanong niya. Napatango ako dahil may point naman ang sinabi niya.

“Anong out of nowhere sinasabi mo? Alam naman ng lahat na matagal ng interested si Guillam kay Lumiere,” sagot ni Anna.

“Kung meron man tayong dapat ipagtakha, yun ay kung bakit ngayon lang siya kumilos,” dagdag ni Carey.

“I’m not siding with anyone, but I think Sheena has a point,” Rose voiced out before glancing in my direction. “I only want to look out for you, Lumiere. We’re so excited that you’re finally going out with someone, but are you really sure about this? We don’t really know if he’s serious or not. Baka nape-pressure ka lang?”

“Yeah and you never dated anyone before. What’s with Guillam at pumayag ka? Don’t get me wrong but I’m really skeptical about this,” Sheena added.

A smile lights up my face. “Thank you, girls, for looking out for me and for helping me today. I really appreciate it.”

Lumapit ako sa kanila at hinawakan ang kamay ni Sheena at Rose. Hinawakan naman nila ang kamay ni Anna at Carey. We formed a circle, and I looked into each one of them. I’m really thankful that I have friends like them.

“But I want to give this a try. I want to experience this.”

“Okay…” Rose nodded, giving me a warm smile. “But whatever happens, nandito lang kami for you.”

 I smiled.

“I know, thank you, girls.”

GUILLAM

Walang salitang nilagpasan ko si Faustus nang maabutan ko siyang tila may hinihintay sa harap ng pintuan. I was fixing the crease on my bomber jacket while walking to my car. Bubuksan ko na sana ang pintuan ng kotse ko nang maramdamang may nakasunod sa akin.

I lazily turned to face him. And that’s when I noticed that he’s sporting a black button down shirt and chinos.

“Ah, where do you think you’re going?” I asked, knowing that he’s not going to make things easy for me.

“We’re going on a date, aren’t we?” he casually replied while rolling up his sleeves.

My stomach clenched. “There’s no ‘we’ on a date, okay?”

Papasok na ako sa sasakyan nang bigla niyang hawakan ang pintuan. Akmang sisinghalan ko siya nang magsalita siya.

“I noticed that…” he started slowly, signaling that he’s serious. “There are witches roaming around the premises.”

“Are you kidding me?” My lips parted as my hands drop to my sides.

“I saw them earlier while I was checking the boundary. I think there are 3 or 4 of them. They had a black book with them so I knew they were here for some business .” He moved his head to the side, watching me process what he said.

This is something serious. Witches rarely go down from the mountains. Dagdag pa doon ay nakita sila ni Faustus na may dalang black book. Though I know that they are not going to do anything without enough reason, as they usually tend to keep their promise to the Moon Goddess for the sworn peace, this is still dangerous for the mortals if something is really going to happen.

“What the hell are they doing here?” I asked as my hands carved through my hair. A line etched between my brows.

Ilang sandaling namayani ang katahimikan sa pagitan naming dalawa. Sinubukan kong mag-isip at humanap ng dahilan ngunit nabigo ako. Matagal na din akong walang balita sa mga nangyayari sa balance simula nang mapagdesisyunan kong itigil ang pagsunod sa misyon at manatili dito.

“Something is not right. May alam ka ba bang maaring maging dahilan kung bakit nandito ang mga bruha?”

Faustus lazy eyes bored into me.

“Oh, I know! Maybe they are here to make unicorns so we could dance at the rainbow or something!” he faked an excited expression. He gave me an arrogant laugh before looking down at his nose like he’s 6 foot fucking tall. “I’m a fucking vampire, just so you know.”

“Smartass,” I sneered in annoyance. I was being serious when I asked him.

There are many possible reasons why witches come down from the mountain. But Faustus seeing them as a group, with their magic book and while guarding the premises, should not be taken lightly. Maaring hindi coincidence lang kung bakit sila nandito.

“Dumbass,” he replied.

“Original. Did your stupid ass come up with that?”

“Let’s stop talking about each other’s ass,” he taunted before offering his hand. “For now, I’d like to offer a truce.”

“A truce?” I looked at him, skeptical of his offer.

“This is both beneficial for us. You could guard down the half-blood like the dog you are to make sure she’s safe, while I’ll try to find the witches and see why they are here.”

He moved his hand, hinihintay na tanggapin ko ang kanyang alok na pansamantalang kapayapaan.

Tilting my head to the side, I cleared the lump in my throat, hinting him to sit in the passenger seat.   “Good choice. Now, hurry up and let’s go.”

And in the blink of an eye, he was already riding in the car. I secretly rolled my eyes before sliding into the driver’s seat. This guy, really .

IX

LUMIERE

I glanced up when I heard a car stopped in front of me. I find Guillam dressed in a pair of jeans, and a white shirt underneath his bomber jacket. My heart pitter-patters in my chest at the sight of him. 

A smile danced on his lips as our gazes met. Dumeritso siya sa akin upang yakapin ako ngunit naagaw ang aking atensyon nang biglang bumukas ang pinto ng passenger seat.

My jaw almost dropped when Faustus slide off the car. He was dressed like a fashion model, fabrics carelessly draped on his lean frame, his hair perfectly styled. And although Guillam’s features were softer than Faustus, he was handsome in a more classical sense.

“Hello, Lumiere.” He gave a lopsided grin. “Nice to see you again.”

“Magkakilala kayo?” litong tanong ko at nagpalipat-lipat ng tingin sa kanilang dalawa.

Faustus looked at Guillam and raised a brow, as if he’s also waiting for an answer from him. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I can feel the tension between them.

Guillam pursed his lips. “Ah, yeah. We know each other from childhood.”

“We are really close childhood friends,” Faustus emphasized. 

Faustus’ tongue darts out and swipes along his bottom lip, and thoughts of that night come flooding back. The way all of our bodies fit against each other so perfectly, how our natural scents blend each other, and how our body moves in sync.

I gasped and slowly nodded my head as the situation sinks in. Hindi ko inaasahan na magkakilala sila. Ang buong akala ko ay heat of the moment dala ng kalasingan ang buong pangyayari ng gabing iyon.

Ngayon ay hindi ko alam kung anong iisipin ko sa posibilidad na plinano nilang dalawa ang gabing iyon. Though sa pangalawang beses na pagkikita namin ni Faustus sa Café, he acted na hindi niya ako kilala o natatandaan.

“Anyway, I just dropped him off here. May sadya siya dito kaya sinabay ko na lang sa pagsundo sa’yo,” Guillam muttered as he looks around the building.

My brows furrowed in confusion but didn’t try to ask. Baka isipin nila ay nanghihimasok ako. Tumango na lang ako at gumaya ng alalayan ako ni Guillam papasok sa loob ng kanyang sasakyan.

Nakangising sinundan kami ng tingin ni Faustus. There was a weird glint in his eyes as he gave my body a raking gaze. Tumango siya sa akin nang makitang tinitingnan ko siya bago ako tuluyang nakapasok sa sasakyan.

Sandaling nag-usap ang dalawang lalaki sa labas ngunit nanatiling nakatingin sa deriksyon ko si Faustus. I certainly know that he can’t see me as the car is heavily tinted, but the looks he’s giving me easily burn through my skin.

Heat stained my cheek. Napatikhim ako nang pumasok si Guillam sa sasakyan. I gasped when he leans in so close I can smell his masculine scent to put on my seatbelt.

I saw in my peripheral vision how the corner of his lips lifted up. He definitely noticed my reaction to his gesture. He cleared his throat before finally starting his car engine.

“I forgot to say earlier how beautiful you are,” Guillam muttered on his low tone while trying to glance in my direction and focus on the road at the same time.

I bit my lower lip. Everytime his gaze met mine, my heart turned over in response. “Thank you. You look good yourself too.”

“Pasensya na pala kung sinabay ko pa si Faustus.” His awkward laugh was obviously fake. “He’s new to our town kaya baka maligaw kung hahayaan ko lang.”

“No need to apologize,” I replied as I started playing with my hands.

“I am really looking forward to this date…” he started with a boyish smile.

Ang ngiting nabubuo sa aking labi ay mabilis na nawala nang may maramdamang kakaiba. I peeked out through window and gasped when I saw the full moon.

The hair on the back of my neck prickled. I sensed a darkness, a nameless heaviness. Watching. It was the same darkness who’d killed my parents.

Malalim na humugot si Papa nang hininga at tila nauubusan na ng pasenya sa akin dahil hindi ako sumusunod sa kanya. May paghahamong sinalubong ko ang tingin niya.

“Hindi ako aalis hangga’t hindi ko alam ang totoo.”

“Gusto mo nang malaman ang totoo? Sige!” he aggressively nodded his head. “You’re the oracle.”

I faked a laugh. “Oracle? What the hell does that even mean?”

“That means that the Moon Goddess chose you.” He took a deep sigh. “Mayroon natatanging kapangyarihan na natutulog sa iyong pagkatao. You are blessed with such greatness. At sa tamang panahon ay magiging instrumento ka upang mapagbuklod ulit ang mga immortal na tulad natin. Dadating ang panahon kung kailan hindi natin kakailanganin ang tumakbo.”

“And you honestly want me to believe that?” I shook my head. “’Pa, hindi tayo immortal! That story was made up for kids! Hindi totoo na may Moon Goddess! At mas lalong hindi ako ang Oracle!”

Tumabingi ang mukha ko ng tumama sa aking pisngi ang magaspang na palad ni Papa. His lips was pressed tight. I touched my cheek as I felt my eyes watering.

“Don’t you ever say that again.” He dropped his head and closed his eyes. “Huwag na huwag mong pagduduhan ang Moon Goddess! Dahil kung iyon ang gagawin mo, para mo na ding binalewala ang pagkamatay ng Nanay mo. She sacrificed herself just to save you, Lumiere.”

“Kung totoo ang Moon Goddess, kung ako ang natatangi sa lahat, bakit pa natin kailangang tumakbo?” My breaths hitch.

“Because those monsters who killed your mother will hunt you down and will try to kill you too! Do you understand!?” he shouted, teeth baring.

“Then why would they!? You said I am the chosen one!” I pointed at myself.

“Because you can possibly be powerful enough to end an entire bloodline,” Papa gasped as he seemed to be struggling to explain everything to me. “They are afraid because your ability is still unknown. They fear you because they don’t know what you can become.”

“So, I need to run? Because they are afraid? Until when? Huh?” my voice quivered.

“Until your power comes out and show that you will not use your ability against any creature. And that you will not use your power for evil, but for the good of all.”

I run my hand through my hair. “At paano kung hindi lumabas ang kapangyarihan ko? Paano kung nagkamali kayo? Tatakbo tayo habang buhay?”

Papa’s lisp parted. Tila hindi alam ang isasagot sa akin. A lump formed in my throat.

“This is a fucking curse, Papa! I wasn’t blessed!”

Muling dumilim ang mukha ni Papa sa aking huling sinabi. Akmang magsasalita ulit siya upang hindi sang-ayunan ang aking sinabi nang mapasinghap ako. A sudden onset of nausea come through me.

“Lumiere?” gulat na saad ni Papa nang mawalan ako ng balanse. He immediately caught me and scanned me to find out what was happening to me.

Agad namang nanlalaki ang mga mata niya nang mapatingin sa binatana kung saan natatanaw ang kabilugan ng buwan.

Sa muling pagsarado ko ng aking mga mata ay nakita ko ang liwanag ng buwan sa likod ng aking mga mata. My lips parted when the crimson suddenly took over the light. I could hear the quick movements and the strong blows of wind as if I were in another place.

“Papa…” Takot na tawag ko.

Unti-unti ay bumigat ang paghinga ko at tila may mga kamay na humihila sa akin pababa. Ramdam ko ang matatalas nilang kuko na bumabaon sa balat ko. Napasigaw ako sa sobrang hapdi nito.

“Nandito na sila…” bakas ang takot sa boses ni Papa. Nanlalabo man ang paningin ay sinikap kong tingnan si Papa nang harapin niya ako. “Kailangan mong tumakbo, anak. Hindi na tayo makakaalis ng magkasama.”

“Pa?” mahinang tawag ko sa kanya.

I felt my stomach tightening when I saw tears filled his eyes.

“Magtiwala ka sa plano ng Moon Goddess. Kailan mong iligtas ang sarili mo,” he muttered with a bitter smile on his lips.

Inalalayan ako ni Papa hanggang sa likod ng bahay kung saan malapit ang gubat. Sandaling napasulyap ako sa pinagmumulan nang liwanag ng buwan. Fear eat my system when I saw something from the sky with heavy and dark aura approaching.

Bumaling ako kay Papa at mahigpit na hinawakan ang kamay niya. Sinakop niya ang mukha ko at hinalikan ako sa aking noo. He’s fighting back his tears.

“Pa, tumakbo na tayo…” nangungusap na saad ko.

“Huwag kang matakot, anak,” he wshispered. “Dadating ang araw na hindi mo na kailangan tumakbo. Doon ka namin hihintayin ng Mama mo.”

Sinubukan ko siyang pigilan ngunit lumakad pa rin siya pabalik sa bahay. Nakita kong pinasok ng mga hindi pangkaraniwang nilalang ang bahay namin. All I could see from where I am were tall dark shadows and blood spraying to the wall. At hindi nagtagal ay nilamon ang bahay namin ng malaking apoy.

Tears run down my cheeks. I closed my eyes as tightly covered my ears. Nagtago ako sa likod ng matataas na damo. Naduwag ako. Hindi ko natulungan si Papa. Maging ang utos ni Papa na umalis ay hindi ko nagawa.

“Can you stop the car?” I blurted out as the nightmare of my father’s murder tried to crowd into my brain.

Guillam’s smile fell. Gulat man ay sinunod pa din niya ang sinabi ko. Kinalabit ko ang bukasan ng pinto at agad na lumabas upang makahinga.

“Lumiere?” nag-aalalang tanong ni Guillam na lumabas na din ng sasakyan. “Anong nangyari? May masakit ba sa’yo?”

Napakagat ako sa aking pang-ibabang labi nang lumapit siya sa akin. Sinubukan niyang hawakan ako sa balikat ngunit agad akong umatras. He must be so confused right now. Maayos kaming nag-uusap kanina ngunit bigla ko na lang pinatigil ang sasakyan out of nowhere.

I gasped as the sense of darkness grew stronger. I can feel that they are already close. Napalunok ako sa napagtanto… totoong nahanap na nila ako.

I winced as I felt the familiar feeling of nails digging into my skin.

“Guillam, kailangan mo ng umalis.” My lips quivered in fear. Hindi kakayanin ng kunsensya ko kung may madadamay na inosenteng buhay ng dahil sa’kin.

“What?” His brows furrowed in confusion. “Lumiere, ano bang nangyayari?”

“Ipapaliwanag ko sa’yo kung sa susunod na magkita tayo ulit. Basta kailangan mo ng umalis. Ngayon na!”

Bumigat ang paghinga ko nang lalong lumakas ang yabag na naririnig ko. Guillam’s lips parted and looked around, as if he’s also hearing what I’m hearing. He stuck his nose in the air.

I shook my head as I broke into a run. Kailangan kong makalayo sa kanya sa lalong madaling panahon kung ayaw ko siyang madamay.

“Liumere!” I heard him called.

I scanned the woods when I entered the forest and used my other senses because my eyes could see almost nothing. There was a definite shadow creeping through the woods, and the watcher high up, though they hadn’t come closer. I’m sure they enjoy watching me run for my life.

I gulped hard, hot tears slipping down my cheeks. Kinuyom ko ang mga kamao ko. Not now. I refused to be discouraged. I’ve been through a lot just to end it all here. I’d escaped many times before. I’d escape again.

I caught a whiff of wrongness in the air, warning they were close. I tried to run in the other direction, but I smelled them again.

They cornered me.

Fuck.