Hybrids
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With lonely eyes that Aldeheid stared at the sleeping man in the bed. She sniffled and carefully removed the curls in Callum's face.

Mapayapa lang itong natutulog sa kwartong pinagamit sa kanila ng Alpha. Matapos kasi nitong kumalma ay bigla nalang natumba at dumugo ang ilong. Rios immediately supported them even if she was hesitant for his help. Pero kaibigan ito ni Callum kaya sinubukan niyang magtiwala nalang para sa kalagayan ng binata.

"I'm so sorry, I should have been more careful..." bulong niya at napakurap na naman nang maramdaman ang pamamasa sa mga mata.

"Hey, you might not want to starve yourself."

Pumihit siya patungo sa pintuan na iniluwa si Rios. May dala itong tray sa isang kamay na punong-puno ng pagkain at ang isa naman ay mga gamit. Namangha si Aldeheid nang malagay niya ito ng walang pag-aalanganin.

"Gusto mo bang maligo? Jarriet voluntarily handed you these. Hindi niya alam kung kasya ba sa katawan mo pero mukhang hindi ka naman ganoon kaliit kagaya ng kinuwento ni Callum." kibitbalikat niyang sambit bago padarag na umupo sa pang-isahang upuan sa harap ng kama.

Napapangiwi ito habang minamasahe ang sariling braso. Napakagat labi naman si Aldeheid nang makonsensya siya sa naisip niya kanina.

"I'm really sorry for thinking bad about you...and thank you for helping Callum." nahihiyang sambit niya.

Rios shook his head unbothered, "Okay lang, hindi mo naman kasalanan na pinagkaitan ka ni Callum sa katotohanan. 'Yon nga lang, ako pa yung na stress sa inyo kanina."

She was confused ngunit idinaan niya nalang sa hagikhik nang humilata ito sa upuan. His bare feet were swaying on the armrest of the couch and his body crumpled, trying to fit himself in the small couch. Mukhang papatulog na rin ito kaya dahan-dahan na tumayo si Aldeheid upang ilagay sa harapan nito ang isang upuan na puwede niyang bitayan sa mga paa.

"Oy, salamat. Kunin mo nalang bayad sa Avrieda, sabihin mo lang Harley Rios at agad kang papasukin ng mga iyon." biro niya pa kahit na nilalamon na ng antok.

Aldeheid didn't bother responding him and just left the room quietly. Nagdesisyon siyang huwag doon maligo dahil baka madisturbo niya ang mga ito o di kaya ay makasagabal kung sakaling gusto nilang mag-cr.

Sa isang malaking hallway ay naabutan niya naman si Jarriet na may bitbit libro. She got concerned about Jarriet's pregnancy, baka kasi mapaano pa ang bata sa sinapupunan nito.

Mabilis na inakay niya ang sarili upang tulungan ito pero nagulat nalang siya ng pinihit ni Jarriet ang pinto sa gilid niya sa isang kamay habang buhat ng isa ang mga libro.

Napaawang labi siya sa nasaksihan. She could only flutter her eyelids after Jarriet noticed her.

"Alde! Nandito ka pala!" aniya atsaka dali-dali na pumasok sa kwarto at lumabas na wala nang dala.

"Hello..." naguguluhan niyang sambit.

"I was just about to visit Callum." sambit ni Jarriet at dinala na naman siya pabalik sa pintuang pinanglalabasan niya kanina.

Her brows immediately furrowed when she saw Harrison was already there. Ni hindi nga niya ito nakita kanina paglabas niya. Nakita niya rin si Rios na nakamulat na at tila may seryosong pinag-uusapan ang dalawa.

Mas lalo lamang naguluhan si Aldeheid sa mga nakikita. The more that she wanders her eyes, the more perplex she gets.

At halos pumutok na ang ulo niya nang makita niya ang sumunod na pumasok.

"Dorothy?" she gaped.

Malungkot na ngiti lang ang isinukli nito at itinaas ang mga braso upang yakapin siya, "Dee..." naiiyak niyang sambit.

"Are you okay? Why do you sound ill?"

Umiling lang ito, "I'm fine, Dee...I just want to apologize."

Aldeheid for the nth time got baffled but she remembered Callum. "It's okay, Tee. Callum has calmed down. Luckily, he has such kind friends to accept him as what he really is." she stated from the bottom of her heart.

Pumitik naman agad ang mga leeg nila papunta kay Rios na pigil ang tawa na naghilamos ng mukha. Aldeheid arched her brows when she sensed they were all looking at her. "Why?" as innocent as she was.

Iginaya siya paupo ni Jarriet at matamang pinakatitigan ng lahat. She felt a nervous all sudden, especially after what she said. Huwag nilang sabihing hindi nila natatanggap kung anong klase ang kaibigan nila?

Gusto niya nalang maiyak doon at itakbo si Callum palayo sa kanila upang hindi nila ito masaktan.

Harrison sighed after attempting on reading Aldeheid's thought, "I don't know what you're thinking about but if your expression congruent to your mind, I want to clarify that we are not going to kill him or even shun him."

Nakahinga si Aldeheid doon ng maluwag, "Do you already know about his..." hindi niya magawang tapusin iyon kaya tinanguan nalang siya ni Harrison.

"We've knew it all along ever since we were born." the alpha informed her, trying to give her a hint about their kind.

"Does that mean, the people outside knew it too?" tumango ulit si Harrison at napahinga ng malalim.

Sinundan naman iyon ng mahinang tawa ni Rios kaya mabilis siyang nakailag sa siko nitong nasa harapan niya lang. Lumapit siya ng pwesto, siniguradong malayo siya sa kaibigan.

"Thank God, Malcolm has such wonderful people." her palms above her chest.

Gustong-gusto ng bumuhakhak ni Rios doon lalo na sa mga nakalukot na mukha ng mga kaibigan niya. He couldn't help it, he was exactly as frustrated as them when that happened at the tavern.

Hindi nalang nagkomento si Harrison at binaling nalang ang atensyon kay Dorothy. Dorothy immediately lowered her head. Alam niya ang gustong iparating ng alpha sa kaniya at iyon ang dahilan kung ba't siya nandoon.

"Will we still be the same wonderful people after you'll hear the truth, Aldeheid?"

It was the cold and intimidating tone of Harrison's voice that frightened Aldeheid. Kinabahan siya bigla at napatingala sa kapatid niya.

"W-what truth?"

She's been hearing them a lot, she's been sensing them, and the only thing she'd do was distract herself from those things. Kasi natatakot siya dahil baka isa iyong epekto sa inpeksyong nakuha niya, lalo pa na hindi ito alam ng kapatid niya.

Dorothy's eyes rimmed with tears. Nataranta si Aldeheid doon at panay alis sa tenga niya sa mga salita ni Dorothy na hindi pa niya sinasabi. It was obstructed, though. Mga bulong lang ito na hindi niya gaanong naririnig, naririnig lang kapag sinubukan niyang pakiramdaman ang damdamin nila.

"Bakit ka umiiyak?" naiiyak niya na ring sambit.

"I'm really sorry, Dee. I know I should have told you before but I was scared that you might leave us. I already lost mom, I can't afford to lose you too." Dorothy held Aldeheid's hands and kneeled in front her. She couldn't be more confused with what's happening.

"Why? Ano bang meron?" she tried to maintain her calm pasture.

Napatitig lang si Dorothy sa kaniya at panay singhot sa ilong, "We're not what you think you are, Dee..." umiling si Dorothy, "We're different...we're scary..."

Aldeheid already knew what she was talking about. Alam niya ito dahil noong unang gabi na sinabi iyon ni Callum ay hindi na niya ito nakalimutan pa. She'd always think about it every night and tried answering but she just couldn't.

Because if they are all like Callum, paanong buhay pa siya hanggang ngayon? Like humans, she knows that the world does not revolve with only good people. There's always bad ones out there.

Tanging tango lang ang natugon niya sa kapatid niya. Since all of them couldn't hear what she's thinking, they are also unsure about what she meant by her response.

"I figured...and it's okay." she caressed Dorothy's cheek and wiped the wet face, "...because Callum proved me that being different isn't bad."

Tila ba'y nabunutan silang lahat ng tinik sa dibdib nang marinig iyon mula sa dalaga. Dorothy could only cry in happiness kaya napayakap nalang siya rito.

She sniffled and swallowed, for she's finally going to hear the thing she had been asking after that night.

"What do you call your...kind?"

They all looked at Harrison to let him speak. When he spoke, she felt at ease than before.

"We're hybrids."

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nyariina