Author's Note:
Curious about Asha and Austin's story? You can check it now on the Anthology book entitled 'Bloodstone: Untold Drops of Memories'. Prequel po 'yon ng story na 'to. Thanks!
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Lauren's POV
Nagising ako nang maramdaman ang malamyos na paghaplos sa buhok ko. Unti-unti akong nagmulat ng mata at bumungad sa akin ang perpektong mukha ni Austin. His eyes are glinted with so much worry but it lit up when he saw me with opened eyes.
"Wife..." His voice sounds so good.
"Hubby, anong nangyari?" tanong ko at nilibot ang tingin sa paligid. Nasa kwarto pa rin pala ako... kami.
"You lost your consciousness when I declared that we have a twin. How's your feeling wife?" he asked gently. Dumako ang kamay ko sa tiyan at napangiting hinaplos ito. Dalawa ang laman ng tiyan ko. Kambal sila.
Lakas talaga ni Austin. If you know what I mean, hihihi. Pero bakit sabi ni Demonique babae raw? Hindi niya sinabi na dalawa ang anak ko na nasa aking sinapupunan. O baka naman, parehong babae? Gusto ko sana babae at lalaki but whatever their gender is, I will love them wholeheartedly.
"Wife..." Nag-angat ako ng tingin kay Austin. Tila naghihintay siya ng sagot. My forehead creased. Ano nga ba tanong niya?
He sighed. "How's your feeling?" he asked.
I smiled sweetly.
"Fine. Definitely fine. I feel so complete and perfect. Thank you Austin..." I said.
He shook his head.
"No. I should be the one who will say thanks to you, my dear wife. Thank you for completing me again. Thank you so much."
Kinurot ko ang pisngi niya. Nagda-drama pa ang hubby ko. Binatukan ko siya kaya napangiwi siya at ngumuso.
"Wife..." reklamo niya at sinapo ang ulo na pinuntirya ko
"Ikaw kasi, baliw. Ayaw mo mag thank you ako. Eh, kanino ba galing ang sperm cell, 'di ba sa'yo? Do you think kaya ko gumawa ng bata mag-isa? That's why I want to thank you... for everything." For the mind blowing making love and pleasure in bed. Hihihi.
He smiled lovingly and dropped a kiss on my lips. "You're welcome, wife. And I don't mind doing anything, just for you." He smiled again displaying the set of his white teeth. Napangiti ako at niyakap siya.
I placed my face on the hollow of his neck and hugged him tightly. He hugged me tighter and caressed my back.
"Ano'ng pangalan nila, hubby?" I asked. Rinig ko sa pagdikit ng tenga ko sa kanyang leeg ang kaniyang marahan na paghinga. Napapikit ako at ninamnam ang presensya niya.
"Wala pa akong naisip. But I want it to sound like your name. Even the last syllable," he requested. My forehead creased at bahagyang lumayo sa kanya. I placed my palm on the top of his abs and draw shaped on it with my fingertips. Ehem. Enebe, serep kese eh.
"Karen? Darren?" I asked. He pouted and shook his head.
"For the girl, I want it Patrisha," aniya.
"Patrisha? I think it's Patricia," I stated. Umiling siyang muli.
"Na-ah. I want it to sound like your name," aniya.
"Asha... Patrisha.." I mumbled.
So my dream showed me the truth. I'm really Asha. I felt warm thing gush on my system when I admitted to myself that I'm really Asha. Pagmulat ko ay titig na titig sa akin si Austin.
"Patrisha Azriella... sounds gorgeous, right?" he whispered.
Natandaan ko lahat ng napanaginipan ko tungkol kay Asha. Lahat ng mga naganap sa kanila ni Austin. Napaiyak ako at niyakap siya nang mahigpit. God, this man is so inlove with me. He sacrificed many things for me. He faced tons of pain because of me.
"I love you, Austin.." I murmured.
"I love you too, wife. I know everything is still blurry for you, but don't worry, sasabihin ko rin lahat sa'yo when the right time comes," he said. I nodded against his hard chest and hugged him tighter. "So if the other baby is a boy, we will name him..."
I cut him off. "Dustin Azriel." I said.
I heard him chuckled.
"Hmm, sounds like me," aniya.
"Gorgeous and sexy too, right?" I teased. Tinignan niya ang mukha ko.
"So you're saying that I'm gorgeous and sexy?" he asked with a boyish grin on his lips.
"Yeah, as hell," sagot ko. Humalakhak kaming dalawa. Hinalikan niya ako sa pisngi.
"You're moody, wife. So moody," aniya.
I chuckled at binalingan siya.
"How about kapag pareho silang babae?" I asked. Umiling siya.
"I'm sure that they are boy and girl," he confidently said. Napatawa ako at tumango.
"Dustin Azriel and Patrisha Azriella then," I murmured.
"I'm sure they are gonna be really beautiful," bulong niya at humiga nang maayos. Bahagya niya akong hinapit at inilagay ang ulo ko sa kanyang dibdib.
"Yes... mana sayo. Syempre," sagot ko at inimagine ang magiging mukha nila.
Napapikit ako at nakaramdam ng saya nang maisip na nasa bisig namin sila ni Austin. Hindi pa man sila lumalabas sa mundo mahal na mahal ko na sila. At alam kong ganoon din si Austin.
"Hmm, they will not inherit everything from me. Galing din sayo, of course. You're so gorgeous, so beautiful. Since then and now," aiya. Uminit ang pisngi ko.
"Elem ke nemen yen eh. Hihihi."
Austin chuckled and kissed me on forehead. There's a comfortable silence between us. Until I remembered something.
"So... I'm not a human?" I asked. I felt him stiffened but later on, his posture normalized. He let out a sigh.
"Yeah. You're a goddess, baby. And now, since I have marked you, there's a small part of you being a vampire. Maybe that's the reason why your development on being a vampire is slow because your god-blood is too strong and my venom had a hard time to enter your system. I can't tell that you are now a 'half' vampire. Just a little part. Your original blood is so powerful," he explained. Napatango ako.
"How about my mother, si Mama?" I asked.
Medyo nalungkot din ako na isipin na hindi ko siya totoong ina. But it doesn't matter. It's more important that she's my mother not maybe by blood but by heart.
"She was the right hand of my mother." Simple niyang sagot.
I sighed when I heard the finality on his voice na tila ayaw ng dugtungan pa ang may kinalaman sa kanyang ina.
"My true mother?"
"You're not really a fruit because of love making, wife. The goddess is pure. But you're part of her so definitely, you came from her. Your mother doesn't have a husband. She's powerful that she's able to make you from part of her. But even though, she loves you so much."
Napaluha ako at sinubsob ang mukha sa kanyang dibdib. Bigla akong nangulila sa tunay kong ina. I want to hug her. To touch her.
"Can I see her?" I asked. I heard him sighed.
"Unfortunately, no. That's one of the disadvantages for her. She call it as a curse. No one can see her. No one can touch her. But she's just around. She's just too sacred that it's forbidden to see her."
Lalo akong napaiyak. Tiningala ko si Austin. Humikbi ako at malungkot siyang tinignan. Pinalis niya ang mga luha sa aking mata.
"Kahit ako?" I asked. He slowly nodded. "Bakit?" Naramdaman ko ang sakit at panghihinayang. Gusto ko siyang makita. Niyakap ako ni Austin nang mahigpit.
"But don't worry, maybe she can do something. Don't lose hope, wife," bulong niya.
He kissed me on my lips.
"Yeah." Tanging sagot ko na lamang.
Nakaramdam ako ng antok. Ganito ba talaga pagbuntis?
"Sleep now, wife..." Austin whispered. And in a cue, I fell asleep.
Nakaupo ako sa kama at masayang pinagmasdan ang dalawang rosas. Hindi ko alam pero ang gaan ng pakiramdam ko habang tinitignan ito. Maaliwalas ang paligid. Mula sa labas ay maririnig ang payapang paligid.
But suddenly, I saw a dark smoke entered my room. Napaatras ako. It has no definite size. Basta't kumpol lamang ito ng itim na usok. Palapit ito nang palapit sa akin. Hanggang sa wala na akong maatrasan.
Akala ko ay sasaktan niya ako, ngunit nagkamali ako. Kinuha niya ang isa sa rosas na hawak ko. Bumigat ang pakiramdam ko. Bumagsak ang mga luha mula sa aking mata at pinanood na hawak niya ang rosas na kanina lang ay hawak ko.
Pilit ko itong inagaw ngunit tumatagos lamang ako sa usok na iyon. Tila pinaglalaruan ako. And I cried so hard when the lively red rose turned black. At tuluyan na siyang nawala sa aking harap.
Pabalikwas akong bumangon sa kama. Napahawak ako sa noo ko at nakita ang mga butil ng pawis. May luha rin sa aking pisngi. Iba ang pakiramdam ko. Napakabigat at masakit.
"Austin.." Pagbaling ko sa tabi ay wala akong nadatnan. Sinalakay ako ng kaba. Kakaiba ang katahimikan sa loob ng kwarto namin.
Mabilis akong umalis at tinungo ang teresa. Pagbukas ko ay hindi ako tuluyang nakalapit sa may railing dahil tila bumalik lamang ako sa loob. Hinawakan ko ang harap at napagtanto na may barrier. And as I touched it alam kong mula ito kay Austin. Pilit kong sinilip ang baba.
Ngunit nakaharang ang pinakahuli at pinakamalaking tarangkahan ng palasyo. At alam ko ang ibig sabihin kapag ibinaba iyon.
Na may panganib...
Na may digmaan.
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Supladdict<3