ALPHAS OF REMORSE SERIES #1: The Blue-eyed Alpha

Kabanata 18

Kabanata 18

Tracy

"Are you going to ask him about it?" tanong ni Tina sa akin matapos kong maikwento ang tungkol sa nalamang ko.

Kararating lamang niya ng Astrid kasama si Baron nang maihatid ako ni Hank sa bahay. I had no energy to shoot her questions about why she and Baron had exchanged numbers earlier. Nang mahalata niyang bagsak ang enerhiya ko ay kinulit na ako.

I ended up telling her everything. Pigil ko ang sarili kong emosyon habang nagkikwento kanina dahil pakiramdam ko ay napakalaking problema ng nagawa kong paghingi ng tulong kay Levi. 

I sighed. "Yes. Pupuntahan ko siya mamaya. Mag-iipon lang ako ng lakas ng loob para kumprontahin siya tungkol sa nalaman ko."

Tina caressed my back. "It's not your fault, Tracy. You were just desperate to find a cure for Rouge. Besides, hindi mo naman alam na 'yon ang mangyayari."

Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga saka ko sinalubong ang tingin ni Tina. "You know what bothers me more? Pakiramdam ko hindi ko gano'n kakilala si Rouge. If it's true that Levi's bite turned him into an Alpha, napapaisip ako kung planado ba 'to o sadyang wala rin siyang alam."

She crossed her legs and went silent for a few moments as if she was thinking. Maya-maya ay muli siyang tumingin sa akin. 

"How much do you know about Rouge?" she asked.

"He and Rhein were fostered when they were young until they were finally adopted when they turned sixteen. Their parents live somewhere far that's why I never got the chance to formally meet them. They moved to Castanier because they studied parahuman biology. There's only a few universities in the world that offer that secret course."

"And you never got curious why they took up parahuman biology?" she asked. Lalong nalukot ang noo.

"They said they wanna secure a high-paying job. We both know parahuman biologists get paid triple compared to regular biologists." I ran my fingers onto my hair. "Hindi ko lang alam kung paniniwalaan ko pa ba 'yon ngayon."

She sighed. "Tracy, what if Rouge wasn't taken? What if the ICU was a mess and the window was broken because he did it? What if the bite turned him into a lycan and he escaped as soon as he had it? Ikaw na ang nagsabi noon. He was so eager to accompany your Dad to Mt. Vermont. And out of all the dates they could've went on their little hiking trip, why did he choose the night of the wolf moon?"

"Maybe it was just a coincidence or something. Ang tagal na nilang plano ni Papa ang hike na 'yon, Ti. Isa pa, what are the odds na siya mismo ang makakagat ng omega nang gabing iyon? Siya na may girlfriend na mate ng isang alpha--"

Kusa akong napatigil nang may maisip. My chest hurt as my realization started sinking into my mind. Sinisigaw ng isip kong posible ang reyalisasyon ko ngunit parang ayaw ko iyong tanggapin. 

Tina's eyes softened. "Exactly, Tracy. What are the odds that he had a girlfriend whom an Alpha could never say no to?"

Napatayo ako, hindi handang tanggapin ang ipinupunto ni Tina.

"No. Hindi natin siya pwedeng basta lang pag-isipan nang kung ano. What if he was taken by the omegas because he had Levi's bite? Who knows? May omegang kumumbinsi sa akin noon sa ospital, hindi ba? What if he was the one who took Rouge? Paano kung hawak nila siya at pinipilit na pamunuan sila? What if he needs help right now but here we are, making conclusions about him?"

"Tracy . . ." She stood up and held me by my arms. "Open your eyes. Weigh all of the facts being served in front of you."

Kumislap ang lungkot sa mga mata ko. "Parang . . . hindi ko matatanggap kung sakaling ginamit lang niya ako at ang nararamdaman ko para magawa ang mga plano niya, Tina."