Strings and Chains (The Frey, #1)

30. Strings and Chains

"You both did it when you two met at that shelter. You chose him to be your pet and you didn't reject her," dugtong pa nito.

"He had no choice. He was there for a long time," sagot ko naman.

Lauren shrugged. "He had. Ilang tao ba ang pumupunta sa shelter para mag-adopt? Do you think ikaw ang kauna-unahang nagtangkang kunin si Raiden?" Umiling ito. "No, he chose you too."

Nagsalubong ang kilay ko. Why are we suddenly talking about this? Anong connect nito sa nangyayari? I don't understand.

"Now that the strings are connected, what do you think will happen next?" dugtong pa nito.

"Strings? Connected to whom?"

"From you to him. In our race, we have what we call mate. A partner that will love you, help you, and be with you as long as you can. Your lover for a lifetime. You are Raiden's mate, his Vas."

Napakurap ako sa sinabi niya. A mate and a lover for a lifetime? What does it mean? I'm his mate, his Vas? What—I don't get it. Tumingin ako kay Raiden. He's not saying anything. He just looked at me, watching my confused expression.

"I—I don't get it. A lover, a partner, for a lifetime? Isn't that too much?" tanong ko.

"It is pretty too much, I agree," sagot ni Lauren.

"We're a product of it too. We're mates; we are each other's Vas. Yohan and I," dugtong pa nito. Tumingin ako sa kanilang mag-asawa. If they're mates and they are still together, isn't that somehow... amazing?

"At first we don't know about this mate or Vas thing. We just both knew that we're fated to be with each other. Now in our race and even in werewolves, I heard that this is pretty much a common thing when finding one's partner. But it's not necessarily for you to have it or search for it. You can end up to anyone, someone, mate or not mate.

"But in my case, now also your case, it's pretty special and a miracle to find your other half. According to our studies about the Vas, it's hard to search for your mate or even find it. There are cases na hindi mo mahahanap ang taong 'yon. It happens to most of us, vampires. And there are also cases that even if you are mates, one can reject it. So it's not all successful katulad sa amin."

I was surprised with these strings and mates. I don't know what to say. I mean, what should we do?

"Can I explain it to her in private?" tanong ni Raiden.

Narinig ko ang pagbuntong-hininga ni Lauren. "I'm not yet done. There are problems. You should both know it."

Sabay atang nagsalubong ang kilay naming dalawa ni Raiden sa sinabi niya.

"That string can be broken one way or another. It's up to you both kung anong gagawin niyo para sa isa't isa. This is a complicated world and your life depends on your choices. You pick, choose, and bear the consequences. Raiden is just one of those people that will come to your life, make you whole, and make you broken. It's up to you and to him if both of you are really fated to each other. You will work on it together," paliwanag ni Lauren.

"You can decide whether to cut it or not. Reject him or not," wika naman ng kanyang asawa.

"That's the rule that we have here. But something changed, am I right, Raiden? There are no more strings. It's not connected anymore. The moment you died and went back here completely different, it changed the courses. You're not human. You are now a succubus. A perfect vessel for the lady demon and there is a seed growing inside your body. So again, my question, what should I do with the both of you?"

Huminga ako ng malalim. Lilith showed me what's happening in hell. It's a chaos down there. It's their battle, not us. We're just their pawns here above their world. It's their game. We are all pieces here. I don't know Lilith's true intention. She just showed me everything. Nalilito ako at first dahil wala naman akong alam sa totoong nangyayari.