Chapter 7: Blood Lust
Noong una kong nabalitaan na nangyari din sa iba ang nangyari sa akin, alam ko na ang dahilan. Parehong pareho ang mga pangyayari. Kung paano sila tila nawala sa katinuan, kung paanong nakatitig sila pero hindi nagre-response. Alam ko ang mga bagay na yon.
I was the first victim.
Pinagmasdan ako ni Landon habang nakaupo siya sa sofa sa harap ko. His legs are crossed in a carefree, arrogant way. Mababakas ang ngisi sa labi niya na para bang natutuwa na kailangan kong alalahanin ang lahat ng yon. Ang gabi na matagal ko ng kinalimutan.
Umiwas ako sa tingin niya at nanatiling tahimik. I didn't know. I swear wala akong idea na isa siya sa kanila. Sa university, madami ang mga matang nakapaligid sa kanya. Kilala siya ng halos lahat. Madali niyang nakukuha ang attention ng mga tao, lalo na ang mga babae.
Kaya impossible na ang isang tulad niya ay may tinatagong malaking sekreto. Hindi pumasok sa isip ko na, noong gabing humingi ako ng tulong sa kanya, humingi ako ng tulong sa isang vampire.
"Come on, Denise. You're acting like I'm the one who almost killed you." He chuckled lightly.
Binigyan ko siya ng masamang tingin. Maya maya pa ay umupo siya ng maayos at naging seryoso ang kanyang mga mata.
"Kung nakisama ka lang sana, matagal na itong natapos." He stared at me displeasingly. "But you keep playing that petty game of hide and seek." He grinned. "I only play games inside the bedroom."
I nearly scoffed in front of his face. What an ass. Napangiti siya nang makita ang expression ko. But then, he stood up. "Now, let's get down to business, shall we?" Umupo siya sa likod ng hardwood desk. "May importante pa akong kailangang puntahan."
He motioned for me to sit on the chair in front of his desk. Hindi agad ako tumalima. Pero hindi mawala sa isip ko ang sinabi niya. Kung pumayag ba ako sa gusto niya noon, natapos na kaya ito? Hindi na kaya nadamay si Elyse? Umupo ako silya at pinagmasdan siya.
Up close, I can't help but notice his apparent features. Whenever I see him, the first thing I would notice is his lips, curved into a mysterious and sometimes captivating smirk, or a sly smile. It matches his penetrating gaze, as if his eyes are in their own search, sometimes accompanied by an amused flicker, as if stripping your soul and undressing you down.
"Since you already know who and what I am, I guess there's no more need for introductions."
"Wait." sinabi ko. He paused, eyebrows raised in interest. "May iba pa bang nakaka alam ng pagkatao mo sa university maliban sa akin?"
He tipped his head forward. "Good question," he mused. "Sa pagkakatanda ko, may ilang babae ang nakakaalam ng totoong pagkatao ko. Pero mukhang wala na sila sa university."
Nahalata ko ang humor sa huling sentence na sinabi niya. You filthy monster. "Ginagawa mo din yon." Hindi maitago ang galit sa boses ko. "Katulad ka din ng lalakeng yon."
He placed a finger in front of me and moved it in a side by side motion. Hindi man lamang siya natinag sa sinabi ko. "I don't stoop down to the level of a blood crazed rascal, Denise. I have my ways."
I rolled my eyes. "What? Pleasure them to death until they give in?" I immediately cringed at my choice of words.
Humalakhak siya. A deep booming laugh in a silent room. "Oh, Denise. You have no idea." Pinagmasdan niya akong mabuti habang nakapatong ang mga siko niya sa surface ng mesa. "Wanna try?"
"Fuck you."
"I would gladly."
Halos gusto ko ng tumayo mula sa silya. Sagad na sagad na ang pagkapikon ko sa usapan na ito. Huminga ako ng malalim. Tila naman nagsawa na siya sa pang aasar niya kaya muli itong sumeryoso.
"They willingly give their blood, Denise." He said with outmost calm. "A carnal need for a blood lust. They give me what I crave for and I do the same for them. It's a two way process."
Napa awang ang labi ko sa sinabi niya. Kung magsalita siya akala mo isang formal business venture ang pinaguusapan namin. I scoffed. Hindi niya ba naririnig ang lumalabas sa bibig niya?
"You think I would buy that crap?" Natigilan ako nang makita ang pagbabago ng expression niya. Not the right time for your rainbow colored vocabulary, Denise. Mas naging maingat ako sa sumunod kong salita. "Sino naman ang gagawa ng bagay na yan?"
"One of them is your friend."
He pointed it out with a raise eyebrow as if challenging me to tell him otherwise. Pakiramdam ko biglang tumahimik ang buong paligid dahil sa sinabi niya. Hindi ko magawang sumagot.
"They would do anything, Denise. Lust is inevitable. It's man's nature to crave for something unobtainable. The chase either scares you or excites you. It adds up to the thrill of the game."
I don't want the way he talks to me. Everything... seems normal to him. "So you use them, and they can use you?"
"A give and take relationship." At napatango siya na parang wala lang sa kanya ang lahat ng ito.
"And you kill them when you're done."
A sexy smile crossed his lips. "Aah, Denise. You're too naïve. Ini-isip ko palang ang mga bagay na ituturo ko sayo, napapangiti na ako." A wave of shiver ran down my spine.
"Alam na nila ang sekreto mo." I insist, more on to get back on track. "Kaya kapag natapos ka na, itatapon mo na sila."
Humalakhak siya. "And who would believe them? It's 21ST century, babe. Vampires don't exist." He shrugged unconcern. "If they want to follow those chic on insane asylums, I don't mind."
"We are the 21ST generation, Denise. We are almost human-like. The image of us you had in your minds, are all obsolete knowledge. The information you all know is as ancient as outdated software."
"W-What do you mean?" I can't help but stutter.
"All those information are all basic history levels. Pang grade school." Napangisi siya. "Fear of sunlight, immortality, those things that even for us, are legendary tales. They are all about true bloods. The purest of us. The century old elders."
This conversation is making my head float to nothingness. "Then what are you?" I asked.
"We are the generation farthest from them, gaining the label of vampires from human ancestors who are merely converted. True bloods nowadays are rare. Let's say, a fifteen percent of our entire population."
"But you can still do certain things."
"It's in our blood. We may be the most adaptable generation, but we still have those skills natural to us. It makes us what we are." He said. "Specially our lust for human blood. It's a natural craving."
Napasandal siya sa upuan niya.
"But only true bloods are allowed to freely acquire blood out of humans to sustain their race. We, on the other hand, have to wait for regular rations given by our human counterparts."
Napakurap ako sa sinabi niya. "Binibigyan namin kayo?"
"Come on, Denise. Do your research." He muttered. "May mga batas ang uri niyo at may mga batas kami na nagkakatugma para maging maayos ang pagsasama ng mga uri natin sa iisang lugar."
"You are not that special to have the world for yourself. In fact, you are the opposite of it. You are widespread in nature but weak." He emphasized. "Like a herd of antelopes in a field with a solitary tiger. It's as natural as the food chain. We need rules and agreements so all of us wouldn't be as vicious as those animals without rational thinking."
"But of course, blood rations are not enough." He grinned. "Kaya kailangan naming maghanap ng paraan." He seem amused by this conversation samantalang ako ay halos masuka dahil sa naririnig ko.
"You're sick." I exclaimed.
"Just stating a fact, babe."
Mukhang alam ko na kung saan pupunta ang usapan na ito. Napatayo ako nang tuluyan.
"You want me to be one of them, am I right? Your source of blood?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko.
Mas sumandal siya sa upuan at nilagay ang magkabilang braso sa likod ng ulo niya. "Exactly."
I should get away from him— from this goddamn place. My head is screaming danger. This is absurd! Hindi ko pwedeng gawin yon. Pero si Elyse. Si Landon lang ang makakatulong sa akin pagdating kay Elyse.
Nakita niya ang confusion ko sa nangyayari. He can smell my fear. Mas lalo siyang napangisi sa nakikita. Will I do it? Kung gagawin ko ito ngayon, maaari kong iligtas si Elyse.
"You owe me your life, Denise. Isn't it fair to repay me?" he said with mocked innocence. "Aah, humans." Pinatong niya ang mga binti sa mesa. "You can never trust them."
Hindi ko magawang gumalaw mula sa kinatatayuan ko. "P-Paano mo matutulungan si Elyse?" tanong ko nang nakatingin ng derecho sa mapupungay niyang mga mata. "Kung gagawin ko ang gusto mo, if I will return my part of the deal, paano mo ako matutulungan?"
Bigla siyang nawala sa harapan ko. Napakurap ako sa pagkabigla. Hangang sa naramdaman ko ang mainit niyang hininga sa batok ko. Sandali akong napapikit para pakalmahin ang sarili ko.
"Aren't you realizing something here?" he asked in a husky voice. "You are here to play your part of the deal, and yet, you are asking for another favor." Napakagat ako sa aking labi. He's right. Kung hindi nangyari ito kay Elyse, wala akong balak na lapitan siya.
"Mukhang kailangan kong magpasalamat sa kung sino man ang gumawa nito sa kanya." I can feel the annoyance in his voice. My breathing now comes in short intakes of breathes.
"Hindi ko alam na isa ka sa kanila." Humarap ako sa kanya. Wrong move! Halos mabanga ako sa ng dibdib niya. The sudden contact made my skin crawl. Umatras agad ako palayo. "You are Landon Monaghan. The guy with the reputation. Noong humingi ako ng tulong, hindi ko alam na ganoon ang gagawin mo!"
Humakbang siya palapit sa akin. "You begged to stay alive, babe."
Napaatras ako. Nag iba na ang atmosphere sa pagitan naming dalawa. One wrong move and I can readily tell na hindi siya magdadalawang isip na saktan ako. Naglean siya sa direction ko at umatras ako hangang sa napahawak ako sa edge ng mesa na nasa likod ko.
Hindi ko magawang tingnan siya nang derecho sa mga mata. He tipped my chin up to look at him. "Eight months, Denise. I was deprived of human blood for eight months because of you." He stared lustfully at my lips.
"Do you have any idea how much self-control I'm inserting right now not to take you down in this goddamn office?" Napasinghap ako nang hawakan niya ang naka-expose kong binti. "I want to finish this fucking deal as much as you do. So let's get back to business, shall we?"
Halos manghina ako nang sa wakas ay lumayo na siya sa akin. My mind is in haywire. Hindi na ako makapag isip ng derecho.
"What I did is for only those who beg to live. Venom for venom." Bumalik sa pagiging formal ang kanyang boses. "I mitigated the venom inserted inside your body with my own. And it sealed me in a blood contract. It means I own you and no one— not a vampire or any creatures of the night— can touch you as long as you have my mark. I bought you from death."
"And because you didn't fulfil your part, for eight months, I was bind. Hindi ako magawang uminom ng dugo ng iba hangang na sayo ang marka ko. They are not satisfying enough. So I directed my lust to a different, more carnal one. Pero hindi parin ito sapat. I still crave for you."
Biglang may kumatok sa pintuan na kinatigil naming pareho. "Sir, may tawag po kayo sa telepono." sabi ng butler. Bumaling sa akin si Landon as if telling me to make a decision now or never.
"How about Elyse?" mabilis kong tanong.
"I'm not here to help, Denise. Everything is for my own benefit." He stated indifferently. "I can do the same process to save her pathetic life. That is— after you fulfill your duties. Then we'll both be release."
Pinagmasdan ko siya. Hindi magawang mag sink in ng mga naririnig ko. "H-Hindi pwede. Hindi niya kaya." Elyse is too fragile for this.
Humalakhak siya. "Denise, she'll love it." he mused. "Can't you see? You're making your friend's little wish come true. She'll own me, and I'll own her. Hindi ba yon ang dahilan kaya nangyari sa kanya ang lahat ng ito?"
Natahimik ako. "Paano ko malalaman na hindi mo sinadya ito?" tanong ko. "That you didn't plan this to happen—"
"Denise, I can have any woman I want. They would volunteer to do me." Ngumisi siya. "Though you're a special case, that doesn't mean I will go to such extend to have you. You are not worth it."
Napapintig ang sintido ko sa sinabi niya.
"Sooner or later that mark will eat you up. Like venom." Nagkibit balikat siya na tila walang pakialam. "I have been deprived of blood before, Denise. Don't think of it as something special. I can take eight months more. But how about you?"
Pinagmasdan niyang mabuti ang mukha ko. "Soon, you'll beg for me to gratify the contract. To release you. Nagkataon lang na nauna ang pagkaka damay ng kaibigan mo sa sitwasyon. You're still lucky."
Muling kumatok ang butler sa pintuan. "Sir?" Nagsimula akong magpanic. Anong gagawin ko? Why did I let myself into this freaking situation? And worst, I had risk Elyse's safety with this monster.
Landon sighed. "Denise, I want to hear a one word answer." He stared at me with interest.
"It's either yes or no."
***