Before Us (COMPLETED)

Kabanata VIII

Jennifer POV

“ANG sabi sa akin ni Mama ay ipinanganak na akong ganito. Isang taong lobo na namana ko ang pagiging isa mula kay Papa. Iyon namang pagiging lobo ni Papa ay hindi ko alam kung paano nagsimula. Sinubukan kong tanoongin si Mama tungkol d’yan pero sabi niya mas mabuting hindi na raw namin ungkatin ang nakaraan,” pagkwekwento sa akin ni Akira.

Kasalukuyan kaming nasa bahay at magkatabing nakaupo sa couch. Parehas kaming nakatingin sa malaking TV screen na nasa harapan namin. The TV was playing a video of ‘endlessly’ song with lyrics on it. Nakapatong ang ulo niya sa aking kanang balikat. Dito namin napagpasiyahang pag-usapan ang lahat. Since wala naman si Ate, I think this is the safest place to talk about his secrets.

“Alam ba ‘to nila Lance at Jeremy?” I asked him.

“Hindi pa. Hindi ko ito sinabi sa kanila dahil sa natatakot ako na baka kamuhian nila ako at masira ang aming pagkakaibigan o ipagkalat nila ang totoo kong pagkatao. Ayoko lang talaga silang i-involve sa mundo ko. Mas magiging ligtas sila kung mananatili silang walang alam. Iyan ang payo sa akin ni Mama,” paliwanag niya. He started squeezing my right hand. I can feel the roughness of his hands but it feels so nice.

“How about your transformation?” I asked him. This conversation between us was only like hearing a fantasy bedtime stories. Ang akala ko ay manginginig ako sa kaba habang pinapakinggan ang mga confession sa akin ni Akira. But I was wrong, and instead having him besides me makes me comfortable in any kind of situation.

“Kapag sumasapit ang kabilugan ng buwan kagaya ng nangyari noong debut mo, oras na magpakita na sa kalangitan ang bilog na buwan ay kusa na kaming magtra-transform sa pagiging lobo at hindi namin iyon mapipigilan. Ngunit kontrolado na namin ang aming lobo at sa pagkakaalam ko, sa unang beses na nag-transform kami sa pagiging lobo ay ang lobo pa namin ang mamamayani sa amin. Sa mga pagkakataon na gano’n, wala pang kontrol ang aming lobo. We can go run wild. Eat and kill everything that goes on our way. But this worse scenario commonly happens sa mga tao na nakagat ng isang lobo at naging ganap na lobo na rin,” mahabang paliwanag niya.

“How about the mate thing?” I asked him without hesitation. This is the question I have been wanting for an answer since I learned that he’s a werewolf. I have read a book that werewolves has their mate and it can be from any blood race. But I read it from fiction so who knows if it is true of false.

Namayani ang matinding katahimikan sa pagitan naming dalawa. Kinabahan ako nang hindi agad ako nakatanggap ng tugon mula sa kaniya. So, I’ll bet the mate thing is true.

“Do you have a mate already?” I asked him again this time but through another question. Inalis ko ang kaniyang ulo na nakapatong sa aking balikat at iniangat iyon hanggang sa magkapantay ang aming mga mukha. I look straight to his brown eyes hoping to find an answer to my questions.

“Maybe yes, I’m not sure. But the only thing I’m sure of, is that my mate would be a werewolf too. I’m sorry Jennifer for this. Pero huwag kang mag-alala, I won’t consider that mate thing. You’re the only one for me,” he confessed. He cupped my face and gave me a reassuring look. As I heard those words from him, I felt a dagger being buried deeply on my chest. It hurts knowing that the man you loved was destined to another woman. That the truth, Akira was destined to a woman of his race too and not to an ordinary girl like me.

“You can’t resist your mate. You can’t avoid her. Anytime soon you’ll start wanting her Akira,” I told him with my eyes started crying tears. Now I began to question things. Bakit sa dinami-rami ng pwedeng maging taong lobo sa mundo bakit si Akira pa?

He started wiping my tears. At habang nakikita niya akong lumuha ay hindi na rin nagtagal pa at parehas na kaming umiiyak ngayon. I hugged him tightly. I don’t want to lose him, please God. He hugged me back tightly that makes me cry louder. I’ll do whatever it takes just to be his only mate.