STRINGS AND CHAINS

CHAPTER 23

You see the X. You know it. Again, please kids, go away. Pinapalayas ko talaga kayo dahil ang mga ganitong story ay hindi para sa inyo.

Well for adults, enjoy. Kids, shoo!

Nakatayo ako sa harap ni Rai habang nagpapatuyo ng buhok. Naka-upo siya sa harap ko habang naka-suot ng simpleng t-shirt at shorts. Hinigit niya ako papalapit sa kanya at yumakap sa baywang ko saka sinubsob ang mukha niya sa tiyan ko. Katatapos lang naming maligo. Gusto ko nang matulog dahil ang daming nangyari ngayong araw. Kanina pa ako tumatakbo simula kaninang umaga. Kailangan ko ng pahinga. At kailangan ko ring bumalik kina Trojan para i-check si Mama.

Sa ngayon, ito munang lalaking 'to ang uunahin ko.

Hindi siya umiimik habang ako ay patuloy lang sa pagpapatuyo ng buhok ko. Nang matapos ako ay sinabit ko sa gilid 'yong tuwalya at tumingin kay Rai. Hinawakan ko siya sa magkabilang pisngi at pilit na ihinarap ang mukha niya sa akin.

"What's wrong?" tanong ko.

Alam kong may gumagambala sa utak ni Rai. Kanina pa siya wala sa sarili niya. At it's unusual to see him like this. Is it because of his task? He said I'll hate him for it. Then anong dapat niyang gawin para sa master niya na sa bandang dulo ay dadating pa sa puntong kamumuhian ko siya?

"Is it about your task? You're bothered by it," wika ko pa nang hindi siya sumagot.

"Tell me. I won't say anything. I won't hate you. I won't judge you. Just tell me everything."

Bumuntong-hininga siya at muling isiniksik ang mukha niya sa tiyan ko.

"You know I learned some things about you," panimula ko.

"I know you're a vampire and your family is currently the head of the vampire race. You said it. By I wasn't really bothered by it. I didn't know that this is such a big deal. I was just contented that you're here by my side and nothing really matters," paliwanag ko.

"They said what you and your brothers did in the past. It was something I couldn't imagine," dugtong ko.

"Are you scared?" tanong niya.

"I'm not a big fan of bloodshed, Rai. I don't want to see someone hurt or someone die. That's why I am trying my best na pigilan kang pumatay, even it if it's our last resort to keep everyone safe," sagot ko sa kanya.

"But what's been done is already been done. There's nothing I can do about it. Kung hindi ka dumating sa bahay, baka ngayon ay wala na akong magulang. And about your past, it's what you did before. What matters for me is what and who you are right now. So now tell me, are you still the same Raiden as before?" tanong ko sa kanya.

Matagal na natahimik si Rai. I'm expecting na he won't answer my question, but rather what I've got is a confession. This is something I'm not expecting. This is all too sudden. And I know it's hard for him to say anything about it. But if he won't open up, I couldn't help him. That's why I need to know his side. I need to know what's bothering him.

"I did mistakes. I did unimaginable things before. I killed many people. I was always thirsty for blood. I brought fear and I reek of death," wika niya.

"People will always say bad things about us because that's all what we did," dugtong pa niya.

"Tell me everything," sagot ko.

I sat down beside him. He was holding my hand habang ikunu-kuwento ang nakaraan niya. He couldn't look at me directly to my eyes. Maybe he was ashamed for the things he did or maybe nervous na baka may masabi siyang mali na ikinatatakot niya na I'll hate him because of it. But for me, this moment that we have right now, this moment where Rai talks about his past, I see it as nerve wrecking yet the bravest thing he did. Opening yourself to someone is the hardest thing for me.

So the story began when he was born in to this world. Her mother, Katherine Fazon, was from the family of the biggest and strongest pack of werewolves. Their clan, Fazon, are the leaders of the pack. This is a normal story where the woman met a man and then they fell in love. At least, that was his mother's point of view. His father, Lazarus Frey, on the other hand, loved his mother but his only aim was to impregnate his mother.

"My mom used to say that I'm a miracle baby. She knew my father was a vampire and she never thought na mabubuo ako sa sinapupunan niya. I thought the same. No one expected and believed it except my father," paliwanag ni Rai.

"They told me a war started because of their relationship," sagot ko sa kanya. I'm a bit confused on this part. What made them hate it and even start a big war?

"It's forbidden," sagot ni Rai sa akin.

"Every race practices endogamy. They're allowed to married within a group, tribe, or clan. Vampire to vampire. Human to human. That's how it works," dugtong pa niya.

"Bakit?" tanong ko.

"They're afraid of the product of a mixed blood. They couldn't imagine the strength and power of the child might possess. There are several reasons why they forbid it. Maybe because of power or maybe they're afraid one would lost his way and would start havoc in the world. A hybrid offspring has all the power to do that," paliwanag niya.

"So what happened? What happened to your mother and your father?"

"Grandfather questioned it. Bakit buntis ang anak niya na alam niyang wala namang nobyo nang mga oras na 'yon? Mother made up excuses and eventually my grandfather dismissed it. Nahuli sila ng isa sa mga miyembro ng clan. Werewolves are sensitive with smell. So they suspected the man wasn't human or a werewolf. He was something else," sagot sa akin ni Rai.

"They couldn't distinguish it. My father had a coven that time and he was the leader of it. He was also the one who started the vampire community. He was the first one who received a curse from a demon. A deal was made and he was rebirthed as a vampire. When they went to hunt for food, news spread so fast in different parts of the world about a new creature that drinks blood. Everyone was alarmed, not just the in the human world, but also in the supernatural world."

"In the end, the members of the Fazon clan suspected he was a vampire. They confirmed it months later and I was already born. Mother tried to hide me from her kin. They all wanted me dead. Ibinigay niya ako sa tatay ko para mailigtas ako. Fazon punished my mother and later on died. They released an order to hunt me dead. Since I'm the son of the leader of all vampires, the vampire community protected me. That was how the war started," paliwanag pa ni Rai.

Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya. Hindi ko maipaliwanag 'tong nararamdaman ko. I mean, from the moment he was born, he was already hunted by werewolves.

"You look normal for me," sagot ko sa kanya.

"Well, genes. Werewolves have their human forms and they can shift into their werewolf form anytime they want. Vampires still looks human. Except that their eyes are red and they are pale," paliwanag ulit ni Rai.

"You're not pale though. And you don't have that red eyes," wika ko naman ulit.

So ano ang mas matimbang? Ang pagiging bampira niya o ang pagiging werewolf niya?

"I'm not entirely vampire. I have a werewolf blood," sagot niya.

"What makes you different?"

"I have the strength, speed, and skills from both. You could say that we're not normal for an ordinary vampire or a werewolf. Doble o triple ang lakas ng kapangyarihan na mayroon kami," sagot niya sa akin.

That's why they are all afraid. Banggitin ko lang ang pangalan niya, they are all anxious and alarmed with it. Trojan and his family too. Samutsaring insulto man ang ibinigay ni Vanilla sa 'kin at kay Rai, hindi pa rin nila kayang itago 'yong takot nila dahil they know what can Rai do and they know there is no limit on his powers.

"So you grew up with your father? And your brothers?" tanong ko.

Narinig ko ang mahinang pagtawa ni Rai sa tanong ko. He went closer. Ipinatong niya ang kamay niya sa sofa kaya lumapit ako sa kanya at ihiniga ang ulo ko sa braso niya.

"Oh this is the most interesting part of my life," sagot niya.

"I was alone at first hanggang sa sumulpot na lang ang mga kapatid ko isa-isa. My father explained to me that we are all his sons and we are brothers. But what confused me is our age. Magkasing-edad kaming lahat," dugtong pa niya.

"So habang may nangyayaring gulo between the vampires and werewolves, your father fucked six women nang sabay-sabay?" hindi ko makapaniwalang tanong.

"Bingo," sagot niya.

"Maybe there was an interval. We didn't know the sequence, only my father knew. So we couldn't distinguish kung sino ba ang panganay o bunso. Anyway, my father was worse in parenting so we turned out this way," dugtong pa niya kaya natawa na ako.

"But you said your brother, Cael, killed him. Why?" tanong ko.

"That is another story and his story," sagot naman niya. Hindi ko na ipinilit pa.

Natahimik ako pagkatapos. Tumingin ako sa kanya. Rai do not have an angelic face. His looks clearly say he is nothing but trouble. He may look scary for me if I'm not attracted to him, but the problem is I like him. He has this scar on his face na sa unang tingin pa lang mapapatanong ka na kung paano nakuha ng isang lalaking 'to ang peklat sa mukha niya? And maybe mapapatanong ka rin kung bakit kahit may peklat siya sa pingi eh ang guwapo pa rin niya?

He did a lot of bad things in the past and it is still a big deal not just for me but also for the both of us.

"What happened to you and your brothers? They said you were suddenly gone and you were ousted by the other vampires?" tanong ko.

"We were greedy. We just wanted blood. So we killed and we killed until we were satisfied. But the problem is we couldn't be satisfied. We're always longing for the thirst to kill. Things got out of our hands. By that time, there were others like my father. Some also received the curse of a vampire. Right now they are called Vetus. They ousted us and we were punished by the demon that started all of it."

"What did that demon do?"

"I do not really know. I couldn't remember any of it. I just remember our suffering from a terrible thirst. We couldn't count how many days or years we were locked. It was..." Huminto saglit si Rai at pumikit.

"It was really painful," dugtong niya.

"But I guess we were locked for thousands of years. I remember a door that was opened and we just went in. When we walked here in the human world again, everything is different. Things are changed. We wouldn't be able to get out if our master didn't took us," paliwanag niya.

"So she saved all of you?"

"From that hell, yes, she saved us," sagot niya.

"If she didn't save and taught us, I would still be the same as I was before. She helped us in so many ways. That is why my brothers and I agreed and took an oath to serve her for the rest of our life," dugtong pa niya.

I'm thankful for their master. Looks like she really taught them a lot of things. If this is the new Raiden, more handsome and better, then I won't complain. Though I am a little bit jealous. Sinong hindi magse-selos sa they will all serve her for the rest of their life?

"And if she didn't give us another chance, I wouldn't be here in the human world. I wouldn't have met you."

Okay that's true.

"Are you still longing for that power you had once before? That thirst for blood and to kill?" Medyo kinakabahan kong sagot.

Hindi sumagot si Rai but instead he looked at me.

"I'm thirsty..." bulong niya.

"For?"

"Ever since I was a child, I didn't receive that thing they call love," sagot n'ya sa akin.

"I only witnessed violence. That's how I grew up. So I'm now longing for that love that my mother gave to my father, that love that my mother felt for her only child. I was with other women before but I couldn't find and felt it. So I was really frustrated and confused. Who would love an outcast? Who would love a beast?"

I bit my lip. Hinawakan ko ang kamay niya at hinalikan 'yon. "You're not a beast. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met, Rai. You deserve it. You deserve that kind of love. So don't give up on it."

Hinawakan niya ang baba ko upang i-angat ang mukha ko papaharap sa kanya. I felt his lips on my lips. He gently moves. He's giving me slow kisses, yet it's fiery and passionate. He makes sure he's marking and tasting every part of my lips. He even bit my lower lip. He looked at me for a second and then he continued. I closed my eyes as I felt his tongue delved in to my mouth.

Hawak-hawak niya ang baywang ko gami ang isang kamay niya habang ang isang kamay naman niya ay naka-alalay sa batok ko. I could feel how warm his body is, so I leaned closer. I love it. I love how his touch burns my skin.

Pumatong ako sa kanya. Hawak-hawak niya ang magkabilang baywang ko habang hawak-hawak ko naman ang magkabilang pisngi niya. Bumaba ang mga halik niya sa leeg ko. And I'm trying my best not to moan but damn it feels so hot, it feels so good.

Napalunok ako at tumingin sa kanya nang huminto siya.

"I love watching you. I love every part of your body; your eyes, nose, and lips. I love your smell. I love your giggles and laugh. I love how you dance, sing, and even talk. I love your touch. I love everything about you, Maru."

Nagulat ako sa sinabi niya. I was looking at him with wide eyes. What did he just say?

"Do you still want me to continue? Because I have so many reasons to love you and I can damn list it," dugtong pa niya.

I can't stop myself from smiling. Did he just say he love me?

"Oh Jesus, I love that," bulong niya.

"I f-cking love your smile. Smile. Smile for me," dugtong pa niya.

Kinuha niya ang magkabilang kamay ko at hinalikan 'yon.

"I'm longing for love and I already found someone who can give it to me. It's you, Maru."

Oh this time ako na ang humalik. You know the moment when you feel so happy and you just do not know what to do? That's what I feel right now. I just want to drown from his kisses and make this moment last.

And when you're happy, you feel hot.

I can feel my tears on my cheeks while he's whispering how much he loves me and how thankful he is that he met me. He kissed every part of my upper body. From my head down to my chest. Tinanggal ko ang t-shirt na suot-suot ko and I started humping while kissing him. We started multi-tasking. From kissing to stripping. It wasn't that hard kasi we're both wearing comfortable clothes. So now I'm naked while he has his shorts on.

"Mmm, I love that," he commented while I'm humping on his shorts. So I bend over at ibinaba ang shorts niya.

"You know I'm the happiest woman right now. Pasiyahin mo pa ako." I saw him smile.

I felt his fingers on my clit. He's kissing me while he's rubbing it. I gasped when he inserted his index and middle finger. Napakagat-labi ako sa bilis ng paglabas masok ng daliri niya. God, I feel so hot. And I feel I could erupt anytime.

"Mmm-" Pigil hininga akong tumingin sa kisame habang hinahabol ang hininga ko. I'm f-cking moaning while he's giving me pleasure down there. He's kissing every part of my body; from my neck, my breasts, and to my tummy.

And when I could feel it, that I'm close to erupting, I kissed him so hard until I could no longer hold it. Isiniksik ko ang mukha ko sa leeg niya nang maramdaman ko ang panginginig ng katawan ko. Hingal na hingal akong nakasiksik sa kanya habang siya naman ay walang hinto sa paghalik sa balikat ko.

He holds my leg so I could open it up for his manhood. Damn, I can feel its head on my leg. Then I f-cking shout when he suddenly plunge his d-ck on my core.

"Sh-t, Raiden!" sigaw ko.

"Sorry," bulong niya habang hinahilakan ang leeg ko.

"Don't move. Just let it inside for a while, so I can adjust to your size. We f-cked so many times but this is just so huge. Sh-t." Napamura ako nang makaramdam ng sakit.

"Mmm-Don't move," utos ko sa kanya. Napapikit ako ng maramdaman kong parang pinupunit ang bawat laman ko sa ibaba. Then I started to move even it f-cking hurts. Putangina, am I virgin? Bakit ang sakit?

"You're just so tight," sagot sa akin ni Rai. I could hear his heavy breathing. Looks like I'm not the only one na mro-mroblema sa size.

"I could come anytime if you're this tight," nahihirapang bulong sa akin ni Rai.

Hinawakan niya ang magkabila kong baywang at inalalayan ako.

"Slowly," he whispered. Now I could feel it, the taste of heaven.

"Good," komento niya pa when I started moving a little bit fast.

"Ride it all you can, baby," wika pa niya kaya natawa ako ng malakas. Then I start riding him kasabay ng bilis na gusto ko. He's groaning while I'm doing all the work. Namumula na rin si Rai kaya mas lalo akong napangiti. It's not that fast but his big buddy can already make me cum again. And when I could feel it again, mas lalo ko pang binilisan ang galaw ko until I could feel my f-cking eruption. Gumiling pa ako ng mabilis para masatisfy ako. God, he's just so good.

"F-ck, Maru! F-ck!" sigaw niya habang I'm giving my best to ride his buddy.

"You came twice. Want more?" tanong niya kaya napangiti ako.

Ihiniga niya ako sa sofa at pumaibabaw siya sa akin. He inserted his buddy again and starts thrusting to my core. He's not aggressive this time. He's so gentle and intimate. And I f-cking love this.

He's groaning and I'm f-cking shouting from the way he thrust. He's big and he's thrusting fast. Isiniksik niya ang mukha niya sa leeg ko habang ibinibigay ang buong lakas niya sa pagbira.

"Damn-" hirap na hirap na bulong sa akin ni Rai. "Ahhh...." His moans are so sexy.

"Ahhh... Ahhh!" We're both groaning and moaning.

"God, you're so perfect," bulong sa akin ni Rai.

Napakagat labi ako nang maramdaman ko na naman ulit na lalabasan ako. "Rai-F-ck-"

"Mmm-Mmm-" He's breathing so fast he knows I'm coming kaya mas lalo pa niyang binilisan.

And then damn, I felt my body tremble when I reached another climax. Naghahabol pa ako ng hininga nang bilisan na naman ni Rai ang paggalaw. He's groaning louder and louder.

"Damn it-Damn it-" sigaw niya saka niya inilabas ng kanyang buddy at doon nagpakalawa ng millions of sperm. Bumagsak siya sa akin at muli akong hinalikan. And when I could feel it, that there is still more than this kiss, he suggested it before I did.

"More?" tanong niya.

Natawa na lang ako at tumango-tango.

"As you wish," wika niya saka siya humalik sa leeg ko pababa sa gitna ko.

Makakatulog pa ba kami at makakabalik pa ba ako ng buo kina Mama't Papa? Napapikit na lamang ako nang maramdaman ang pagkain niya sa ibaba ko. Let's postpone it for now. Let me taste how it feels like to be in heaven again.