Town Feast
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The whole town of Malcolm was festive. Hindi katulad ng karaniwang araw ay maraming tao ang nasa labas ngayon. May mga banderita na nakasabit kada poste at maliliit na kampana sa mga tindahang nakahilera sa tabi ng daan. Matao at masikip ngunit hindi ito magulo.

Dorothy was only tucking her arms on Aldeheid's to pull her wherever she goes—at para na rin pala hindi ito maligaw. Nagpatangay lang si Aldeheid habang manghang-mangha na pinapanood ang paligid.

Aldeheid was all overwhelmed, from her long white lacy dress that danced around her legs to her brilliant caramel eyes which were fighting what to look at first. She never knew that a celebration in the town could be this wonderful. Mas lalo pa siyang nasabik doon.

She's never really out in her whole stay in Malcolm. Sa tuwing nagpupunta kasi siya sa doktor ay diretso siya sa lumang automobile ng kaniyang matandang kapatid. Hindi niya pa nagawang mamasyal sa buong bayan kaya ngayon niya pa nasilayan kung gaano kaganda ang sentro nito.

It was as if she went inside a fantasy world, wherein a huge old fountain is in the center and taverns still exist. Walang ganoon sa Cragmerre at mas lalong hindi makaluma ang bayan na pinanggalingan niya. Cragmerre might be a very modern and high tech place but it couldn't beat the history preserved in Malcolm. She's not a fan of antiques and the sixteenth hundreds but the town of Malcolm changed her perspective.

"Ma! Pahingi ng coins! I'll throw them to the busker!" tinuro ng bunso ni Dorothy na si Rexter ang isang binatang pinagkumpulan ng mga tao, na nakatayo sa sa isang bahagi ng puwente.

He was singing a country song with head banging and fingers expertly strumming his banjo guitar that instead of metal strings, were nylons attached in it. Sinasabayan ito ng mga tao sa pagkanta at nasilayan ni Aldeheid ang makakapal nitong kilay at pilak mata na siyang nagpaganda sa simetrikong mukha nito.

Her forehead crumpled when she thought that this guy was familiar. Hindi niya lang talaga mahanap kung saan niya ito nakita.

"Throw it carefully, okay? Baka ibato mo na naman sa noo niya." Dorothy immediately shook her head watching her son eating his way towards the famous busker in town.

"Minsan naiinis ako sa pagkamahabangin ng anak ko, pera ko kasi lagi ang nauubos." humyaw nito bago ulit hinila si Aldeheid palapit sa mga nagtitinda ng sari-saring pagkain.

"Dee, do you have anything you want to eat?" tanong nito habang nakatingkayad na nilalantaw ang mga pagkain.

Aldeheid shook her head, "Just not cheese." she simply responded before Dorothy went towards the lair of stalls.

"Wait for me, okay? Bibili lang ako." aniya habang pasiplat na tumitingin sa bahagi niya.

She could only smile before turning her head around the entire place. For the nth time, she couldn't help but become amazed about her surroundings. Sa tingin niya ay maganda pa rin ang sentro ng bayan kahit paman wala ang mga nakasabit sa disenyo.

Naglibot pa rin ang tingin niya sa iba't-ibang bahagi nito hanggang sa napadpad sa higante statuwa na nasa itaas ng puwente. Kagaya ng mga kabahayan ay yari ito sa marmol pero purong itim lang. Everything about the statue was black except of the golden bell the bird on his shoulder was biting. Kumikinang ito sa ibaba ng araw at kumakaliling sa tuwing mababangga ng hangin. It's not a new thing for her because she knows that bells symbolize the town of Malcolm, but she does not exactly know what it means. Perhaps holiness, or maybe time?

Lumipat ang tingin niya sa mukha ng statuwa. Bakas sa mukha nito ang pagkastrikto at makapangyarihan, na kahit ba'y yumaong na ay nasa paligid pa rin ang presensya.

Aldeheid felt chills ran from her soles towards her spines. Questions abruptly circled her mind and one was: is this the Alpha Malcolm the 2nd that they've been talking about?

Nahagip ng mga mata niya ang isang magandang babae. Unlike any other civilian, this lady was wearing a long heavy dress with lacy gloves strapped in her arms. Nakalugay lang ang kulot nitong buhok at alerto ang bilogan nitong mga mata.

She was mesmerized at the lady's beauty. The lady was like another town display that she couldn't help but stare. Then she noticed it. The lady had no company and rather being lost, she looked like she was escaping.

Aldeheid's brows furrowed. She swore the lady wasn't a village thief judging from her poised actions and innocent face. Kaya hindi niya mawari kung bakit ito tumatakbo sa paroroonan niya.

Mabilis niyang naikurap ang mga mata at mas lalo pa siyang napaatras nang magtama ang mga paningin nila at sa isang iglap nakita niya nalang na bigla itong natulak ng isang mabalahibong kamay na agad ring nawala.

Before she could even wonder how it happen so fast, wala sa pag-iisip siya na mapaupo sa sariling tuhod at sinagip ang kalahating katawan ng babaeng na nahuhulog papunta sa harap niya.

As her hands clasped together above the lady's back, Aldeheid heard the gasps and astonishment from the people around. Kumudlit ang kaba niya nang hindi niya maramdamang gumalaw ang babae. She was about to shake her awake if only small whimpers did not reach her ears.

Marahang tumunghay ang babae paharap sa kaniya ngunit bago paman iyon ay ang biglang pagsulpot ng malalim na boses. The deep and low voice startled everyone, especially the lady that was on top of her. They both glanced up to this man and saw how his thick brows met at the center. May pag-aalala at galit ang mukha nito na ipinangko ang babaeng nakadagan sa kaniya.

It was only when the lady stood up that the people around recognized her. Biglang nagsi-yukuan ang mga tao at panay bati dito.

"Lady Jarriet!" it's what everyone screamed.

May pangangamba na tumayo siya at pinakatitigan ang dalawang taong sa tingin niya ay may mataas na trono sa bayan. It was not normal to see how everyone respected somebody if he's not someone who had a rank.

"Beta..." she heard the lady they called Lady Jarriet whispered.

The man she spoke only groaned before reaching for his temple and hissed gently, "I told you to stay beside me but all you did was being a brat and escaped from my sight. You're in great danger, Jarriet. Baka nakalimutan mo iyon?"

People that are away from them wouldn't notice that they were arguing because of how quiet they whispered and fake they smiled.

"I'm sorry, okay? Namasyal lang naman ako saglit bago kong napagtanto na ibang tao na pala ang sumusunod. Come on, Callum. Don't get too serious of being our Beta. You're too young to die from stress." nakangiting saad ni Lady Jarriet bago ito lumingon sa gawi ni Aldeheid.

Jarriet scanned the woman in front of her first and after she got her identity she immediately gave Aldeheid a warm hug as an appreciation for saving her from falling and humiliation, of course.

"Thank you so much for your unselfish decision!" she genuinely smiled at Aldeheid and saw how flustered the woman was.

New comer, Jarriet thought. But perhaps the woman was surrounded by their kinds that's why her human scent was faint. Kung hindi ito matutuonan ng pansin ng kauri niya ay sigurado siyang hindi rin nila malalaman na isang hamak na tao lamang ito.

Aldeheid nodded shyly and smiled a little before Callum's hand grabbed Lady Jarriet from her shoulders and securely shoved her in between two large men, probably her bodyguards.

Nang magawa ito ay agad namang hinarap ni Callum ang naguguluhang babae at napatitig na lamang nang mamukhaan niya ito. The familiar luxurious seal-brown hair did help the small smirk rose from the corner of his mouth.

Who would have thought that the young woman he's fond of seeing every time he visited Gleen's home would be standing before his eyes? It was unbelievably amusing for him!

Mabilis niyang kinabisado ang kabuohan nito pati na ang maliliit na detalye ng mukha ng dalaga na hindi niya malinaw na nasisilayan.

It was Aldeheid's pure face that caught him. Her face was soft with strikingly refined features. Her small upturned nose complemented those thin brows that were seemingly carrying her small, round, and caramel eyes, which folds almost fly on its ends. Callum couldn't help but swallow hard when his eyes dropped to her small thin lips. Everything about the woman in front of him was small, just like what he wanted.

Mariin siyang napakagat ng labi at napatiim bagang habang pinipigilan ang sariling magwala nang malanghap ang amoy nito. She was a mere hybrid but her scent was as sweet as a human, he thought. Gusto niya nalang na ipagdikit ang ilong sa balat nito hanggang sa magsawa siyang singhutin ang dalaga.

But his sweet delusions were interrupted with her soothing voice as she alarmed him something he couldn't be more confused about.

"She fell on her knees, so you must send her to the doctor to check. And also, don't forget to bring her to the ob-gyne. I assumed that your wife is pregnant." with that, Aldeheid left him speechless.

Callum could only curse and frown as he stood there looking at Aldeheid's receding back. He knows that nobody is more deserving of being accused than the man who put him in this position.

"How the hell did the Alpha's mate become my wife?"

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nyariina