Teach Me How To Alpha

BEFORE 52 - RUN

POV TRAEVON ERIKSSON

"Let me know kung anong plano mo. Let me know kung paano mo ko iiwan."

When I married Caelen, I vowed to love no one but her. I vowed to be by her side for eternity, but it seems that I will break that vow. In our wedding rite called the Binding of Hearts, we promised that we will bear the pain for each other. I will bear the pain for her and she will bear the pain for me.

Is this the pain that we have to bear for the rest of our Werewolf lives? The pain of being separated even if we don't want to?

"Just one more day," bulong ni Caelen sa akin.

"What?"

"Just one more day that I can call you mine. Just one more day before they completely erase you in my memories. Pwede ba 'yon? Maging akin ka lang kahit isang araw?"

Caelen looked at me as if waiting for my verdict. It is like she will wholeheartedly accept whatever decision I will make, no matter how painful it is.

"Caelen, hindi naman natin kailangan mag-divorce. I am sure there are other means to---"

"Traevon, being your wife is the happiest moment of my life, but it seems this happiness will abruptly come to an end. Nasabi na sa akin ni Einsten sa mga lessons namin na ikaw ang Royal Heir ng Werewolf Clan. You may be young, but you are their leader. The twelve First Heirs served as your counselors."

"But it does not mean that the First Heirs are always right."

"Gusto kita makasama, Traevon. Hindi lang ngayon kundi pang habang buhay, pero may responsibilidad ka sa Werewolf Clan. May responsibilidad ka sa lolo mo. Kailangan natin ang Thirteenth Werewolf Alpha. Siya lang ang pag-asa natin para mahanap ang mga original Alpha. Siya lang ang makakatalo sa kanila."

"And do you think our divorce will wake up the Thirteenth Alpha from his slumber? We don't know that, Caelen."

"But if there is a small chance that it will happen, I am sure you will grab it. Buhay ng lolo mo ang pinag-uusapan natin dito at ang kaligtasan ng buong Werewolf Clan. Our marriage is not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? Don't you dare say that! I did not marry you because I feel like it! I married you because I want you in my life! Damn, do I have to explain it to you? Ano tingin mo sa kasal natin? Trip trip lang? Biruan lang?"

Tumayo ako at naglakad palayo kay Caelen. Hindi ko alam na mababaw lang pala para sa kanya ang kasal namin. Siguro nga, isang business proposal ang in-offer ko sa kanya, pero alam ko sa sarili ko na gusto ko siyang makasama.

Not a fucking big deal? Those words cut me like a knife.

Naghahalo ang inis at galit ko, pero hindi kay Caelen kundi dahil sa sitwasyon na kina-haharap namin sa ngayon. I wonder how my dad will handle this kind of struggle. I am just a young Werewolf. I have only been a Royal Heir for more than a decade.

Nakaka-ilang hakbang pa lang ako nang bigla akong niyakap ni Caelen habang nakatalikod ako sa kanya. I can even hear her soft cry at my back.

"If I have a choice, I don't want to leave your side, Traevon. Sana alam mo 'yon."

"You have a choice, Caelen! You can run away with me! We can fucking live in Antarctica or in the Amazon Forest where no Werewolf can find us!"

Caelen and I can run away from all of this. We can leave everything behind. We can even go to a place where no one can recognize us, where no one can locate us. I can even ask Kaliyah Amihan to set up a spell similar to Obscura and Phantasma to hide us.

But for how long? How long can we escape the First Heirs? How long can we disregard the Thirteenth Alpha in his slumber?

"Traevon, I will follow you. I will hold on. I will stay. Just tell me until when. Nandito lang ako, hanggang kailan mo gusto."

"Why, Caelen? Why would you do that?"

"Because you're my beshie boss!"

Bahagya niyang sinuntok ang likod ko at hindi na niya napigilan ang pag-iyak. Humarap ako sa kanya at mabilis ko siyang niyakap. I kissed her head as she continued to cry. I just want her in my arms for the rest of my life.

It is much clearer now that we do not want to be separated from each other. Naiisip ko pa lang na mawawala si Caelen sa alaala ko ay parang hindi ko na kaya. Babalik na naman ako sa buhay ko na tila walang kulay. A robotic and pathetic life.

Pero mas lalong hindi ko ata kaya na ikakasal si Caelen kay Kuya Lanford. I don't think I can accept that. I don't think my heart can take that. My heart will be broken into pieces if she ends up with another man aside from me.

I don't think I can live with that.

Just like the power of the Royal Heir to distinguish good Werewolves from evil ones, I made Caelen as my Mate because I know that she is the one for me. It is like a sixth sense telling me that this woman was born for me and I felt it on our first night in Club Fantaisie.

And now, I felt like this intuition betrayed me...

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The End of Part 1 (After) and Part 2 (Before)

Next: Part 3 (Then) 

Next: Part 4 (Now)