Crimson Eyes

Chapter 43

I still can't believe that I have a son. I still can't. We are in the hut right now, I am still shocked and I don't know how to react.

"Anak, there's something you need to know." Calistine started to talk. Her tears are still flowing down from her eyes.

"He's my father, isn't he?" Yael asked while she's looking at her waiting for her mother's answer. "No wonder he looks like me." He added. 

"Y-Yes, anak. He is your father." Calistine held his hand. Yael is just looking at me. "He is Levan, Yael." 

"Hi, baby." I smiled at him. My tears started flowing from my eyes. 

"Daddy..." He walked towards me and hugged me. I hugged him back feeling his little arms embracing me. "I've been wanting to see you and turned out you were the intruder." He said and that made me chuckled. 

"Yes, I didn't know that my son was the most handsome man in this world either." I said jokingly. I looked at him and I cupped his face. "I'm happy to finally meet you, Yael." I gave him a kissed on the forehead. "Can I have a moment with mommy?" I asked him and he just nodded. I helped him sat on a chair.

"So, turned out we have a son, baby." I said as I walked towards her. She can't still look at me. 

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that we're gonna be back together." She said and I quickly went back to reality. Our families are rivals, I remember.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner, Calistine? I should've been there when you were pregnant." I asked. She smiled and shake her head.

"I tried but you almost killed us when I caught you kissing another girl." Her tears began to fall. I was stunned. I remember that moment. It was when Aria stole a kiss from me then I just realized that the baby could die if one of the mated vampire did things and another girl kissing me had almost killed my mate and our son. 

I wiped my tears. "I can explain baby. It's not what it looks like." I held her hands, her tears are still flowing down to her cheeks. "I didn't know that she was gonna kiss me, baby. She stole a kiss from me and I pushed her right away." I explained. "I wrote to you confessing about what happened that night." I added, I lifted her chin to make her look at me.

"I waited for two days for your letter, Levan. I didn't receive any." She said. I remember sending her the letter on the day of my birthday, that was few days after it happened. I guess she didn't had the chance to see it.

"I'm sorry, baby. I sent it later than you expected. I sent it on my birthday." I kissed her on the forehead, I caused my family harm. It's all my fault.

"I almost lost him that night, Levan." She's sobbing really hard. "I was so scared and my heart was shattered into pieces." It kills me to see her crying because of me. I wasn't aware that I've caused them this much pain.

"I'm so sorry, baby. Please, let me make it up to you and Yael." I hugged her really tight. I don't wanna lose her again. I don't want to lose my family again.

MABILIS na lumipas ang oras, magkakasama na ang mga dugong bughaw sa hapag kainan para sa pagtitipon na magaganap. Nakaupo na kami ngayon ni Yael katabi si Calissa. Nakiusap ako kay Levan na huwag munang madaliin ang mga bagay dahil hindi pa alam ni Papa na alam na ni Levan na may anak kami.

Nasa gitna namin  ni Calissa si Yael na tahimik ng kumakain habang si Mav naman ay nasa katabi kong upuan kaya naman ang mukha ni Levan ay hindi maipinta. Masama ang tingin nito kay Mav lalo na ng ipagsandok niya ng pagkain si Yael ngunit wala siyang magawa dahil nakiusap ako sa kanya.

"Are you gonna visit here on the winter, Lev?" Nabasag ang katahiman nang magsalita Aria. Nakatabi ito kay Devon habang kumakain. 

Napatingin naman ako kay Levan. Nakatingin din ito sa'kin. Hindi ko alam na bumibisita siya rito sa t'wing tag-lamig.

"I'm not sure." Matipid niyang sagot at nagpatuloy sa pagkain. 

"But it's gonna be your birthday, you always visit Ventura's Kingdom on your birthday." Pagpupumilit ni Aria. Kung hindi lang ako makapagtimpi ngayon ay baka nagsalita na ako. Lalo pa't siya ang naging dahilan kung  bakit napunta sa panganib ang buhay namin ni Yael noon. 

"I'm actually planning on spending my birthday with my family." Napangiti ako sa kanyang sagot. Alam ko na si Yael ang tinutukoy niyang pamilya. 

Maya-maya pa ay nag-umpisa na rin ang pagtitipon, ang Rex ng Ventrua kasama ang kanyang Regina ay nag-umpisa ng magsalita. 

"Magandang araw, inanyayahan namin kayo ngayon para sa isang pagsasalo." Panimula ng Rex. 

"May magandang balita kaming nais iparating sa inyo kaya naman kami ay  nagsagawa ng isang pagtitipon ngayon." Dagdag ng Regina. "Sa pagdating ng tag-lamig, magkakaroon kami ng pagbibigay tulong sa mga nasasakupan ng Ventura, nais namin kayong anyayahan na makilahok sa programang aming naisip na isagawa." Nakangiti at masayang nagpapaliwanag ang Regina ng Ventura. "Higit na makatutulong ang inyong donasyon sa aming mga mamamayan upang magamit nila ito sa darating na tag-lamig. Lalo pa at mahirap ang ani sa panahon ng tag-lamig." Nagsipalakpakan ang mga Rex at Regina ng iba't ibang kaharian.

"Napakagandang programa ang inyong naisip, asahan mong mag-aabot kami ng tulong." Sambit ni Papa at nakipagkamay sa mga pinuno ng Kaharian.

"What a great program, I'll make sure to donate." Sambit naman ng Regina ng Allardes, isa siya sa mga mababait ng pinuno sa mundong ito.

"Daddy, can you pass me some watermelon." Nagulat ako sa biglang pagsalita ni Yael. Maging si Levan ay nagulat din pero ngumiti na lamang siya at iniabot kay Yael ang watermelon na nakahain sa harap niya. "Thank you, daddy." Nakangiting sabi ni Yael.

Ilag akong napatingin kay Papa na may hindi mawaring tingin. Hindi ko maipinta kung galit siya o nagulat lang din. Gayunpaman, laking pasalamat ko dahil hindi siya nag-eskandalo sa harap ng hapag-kainan. 

"Oh my gosh, he already know?" Bulong ni Calissa sa'kin na halata ang pagkagulat sa kanyang mukha. Ngumiti lamang ako sa kanya at tumango. 

MATAGAL tagal din bago natapos ang pagsasalo-salo, ngayon ay kaharap ko sila Papa at Tiya sa kanyang silid at naghihintay sila ng kasagutan tungkol kay Yael at Levan.

"They deserves to know, Papa." Paliwanag ko. "Yael has been looking for his dad and he asked me if I could introduce him to his father." Dagdag ko. Halata ang galit sa mga mata ni Papa.

"You know damn well that this is not the right time, Calistine!" Sigaw niya kaya naman hindi ko na napigilan pang umiyak.

"Kuya!" Sigaw ni Tiya sa kanya. "She is a mother! You can't blame her for doing what she had to do!" Pagtatanggol sa akin ni Tiya. "There is no right time for this, Yael deserves to know his father whether you like it or not. Gosh, maawa ka sa apo mo, Caldemir." Dagdag ni Tiya, 

"You know that he caused them harm, Calista. You know that!" Sigaw muli ni Papa. "Yael almost died because of that bastard!" 

"He explained everything to me, Papa." Mahinahon kong sagot. "He explained it to me." Pagdidiin ko.

"He is a Romanov!" Pagpupumilit ni Papa.

"He is the father of my child!" Sigaw ko habang umiiyak. Hindi ko alam kung anong patutunguhan ng pag-uusap namin ni Papa. Pero masaya ako na masaya ang anak ko. 

"Kuya, you have to understand. I hate Romanovs too. I hate them for killing mom but for Yael's sake, Kuya, Grow up." Halos maiyak na rin si Tiya. 

Ilang minuto pa kaming nagsigawan hanggang sa mapagod na ang lahat sa kakasalita. Pagkatapos ay agad akong nagtungo sa aking silid. Katabi kong amtutulog si Yael dahil wala naman kami ngayon sa Crovenia. Mabuti na rin ito dahil mas nababantayan ko siya.