MINE

Chapter Ten

Please don't hurt me, Stephen.

Iyon ang mga huling salitang binitiwan ko kay Stephen. Pagmamakaawa. Dahil ba sa mga nasabi ang mga salitang iyon kaya naalala nito ang masalimuot nitong nakaraan?

"Marcus," pagkuha ko sa atensyon niya, "kagabi, tinawag akong Eliza ni Stephen. May kahalintulad ba ako sa kanya? Magkamukha ba kami? Are we similar in some ways?"

"Have you not notice the common behavior Stephen's other women have?"

I let out an unlady-like snort. Yes, their common behavior was ridiculous. "They are all devastatedly in love with Stephen."

"Yes. That is exactly what they have in common. And that is exactly why Stephen chose them. Because he seeks the love and adoration he never received from Eliza."

"And so he likes collecting women who are hopelessly in love with him. And yet here I am, one of his prisoner and slave. I don't even find him attractive."

"And that is exactly why he chose you: Because you remind him of Eliza in some way. That is what you have in common with Eliza—you both don't have any feelings for him. And he is intrigued as to why you don't behave the way others do around him. Siguro may gusto siyang malaman. O kaya naman ay nakikita nga ni Stephen si Eliza sa 'yo. Maybe it was because of your arrogance? Or perhaps the kind of exulted air you exude, like as if everyone is beneath you?"

I never acted like that! I never looked down on people. But that time, when I met Stephen, I could not help but behave otherwise.

Bigla namang ngumiti nang nakakaloko si Marcus. "Oh, you have to be very careful around Stephen."

"And why is that?"

"Maybe he bought you so he could have his vengeance on you since you remind him of Eliza." His grin became even broader, smiling as if the possibility of Stephen extracting his vengeance on me excites him.

My once promising plan of freeing Stephen from his dark past was slowly dissolving into utter nothingness. My situation was now hopeless. Vengeance was something that could not be easily broken and thrown away. It was something already etched inside the heart, a driving force, a fuel to live as long as one can until retribution had commenced and acquired.

"I understand." But the truth, I could never grasp this hatred Stephen had for Eliza. Why couldn't he just move on and let go of the past?

Umiling si Marcus. "No. I don't think you do. Do you have any other question?"

"Yes." I was curious about something. "Sabi mo vampires are made. So, when a vampire and a human have—uhm—sexual intercourse, hindi nabubuntis ang babae?"

"Of course not. When we were reborn as a vampire, pro-creating has already been taken away from us. Sabihin na lang natin na the seeds that comes out of me are all dead."

"Pero you still feel gratification after... after... You also..."

"Come like our mortal counterparts?"

I blushed at his words.

"We ejaculate Elizabeth. Why do you think vampires aquire the services of blood slave? You slaves provide us immediate gratification. Besides, ang semilya ko ang patay hindi ang aking..." He glanced down at his crotch—his bulging crotch. "Believe me, it's very much alive."

I gave him my most murderous glare. Pareho sila ni Stephen na walang preno ang bibig pagdating sa usapang sex at slaves. Pervert. Pero siguro nga ay kasalanan ko iyon dahil ako ang nagbukas ng usapang ito. Ang kuryosidad ko ang nagpapahamak sa akin nang madalas.