III- Magnet for soldier boys

Aspen rubbed her eyes as she focused on the road ahead. The sun is shining and it's beginning to hurt her skin. It even sizzled when the ray of sun got caught in the rearview mirror and it reflected on her arm. She hissed. Kusa namang tinakluban ni Q ang braso ng basahan. "Maybe I should just drive and--"

"Maybe you should shut up."

The man rolled his broad shoulders, chuckling at her hostility. It pissed her that he doesn't seem affected from her unfriendliness. Bumalik lamang ito sa maayos na pagkakaupo na para bang walang nangyari. He even put his two feet up the dashboard which makes Aspen wonder how given his huge built. Maya maya ay sumisipol sipol na ito na tila ba nasa isa silang roadtrip. He doesn't even mind that he's in a vehicle with a vampire. Even if he's a werewolf, in his human form, he is just as vulnerable as a normal human being. He doesn't have a clue how easy it would be for her to snap his neck right now.

But on the contrary, it isn't that safe for her exactly. Driving with this volatile creature was one of the riskiest things she have done in her entire existence. Leaving her coven behind was the worst, though. Ngunit sa tingin niya ay wala naman siyang pagpipilian. It's either this smelly dog or being stuck outside with those hybrids on her tail.

"You know, Zelia," she winced upon hearing her made up name. He had been quiet for a few minutes and she wished he had stayed that way. "why don't you just tell me what your plans are, so you know..."

She fixed him a stare. "I don't even know you, wolf, why would I do that? I'm not stupid."

"Maybe I could help you!"

"Ha! Help me on what? You don't know what you're talking about wolf boy. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"I wouldn't know if you won't tell me."

"I ain't telling you nothing."

Napailing ang lalaki sa kanya sabay tawa. "You really should check up on your attitude."

Aspen pursed her lips. She have no time to talk bullshit with this man. Specially now with her already weakening state. She needed to regain her strength fast, but in order to do that. She needs to feed. And after that, she needs to find this Amadeus, para tapusin na ang misyon niya, once and for all. Paigsi na ng paigsi ang oras niya. There isn't much time before Xavier catches up with her.

"Those hunters are hell bent on killing you, aren't they?" maya maya ay komento ni Q. "Ngayon lang ako nakakita ng ganoon karaming bilang nila sa iisang lugar. And those guys are after you," sinulyapan siya nito. "I wonder what kind of bad things you did para ipa-manhunt ka nila ng ganun na lang."

"You're right, those hunters are after me. And if you are smart enough, you would stay away from me, starting now."

Q laughed boisterously. Then he eyed her, his tongue peeking from between his lips. "Is that your way of ditching guys?"

She scoffed.

"And that usually works?" he asked chuckling.

Nagkibit balikat siya.

"First of all," Q crossed his arms over his broad chest. "this is still my truck. Yes, you are the one driving it but it still belongs to me. Pangalawa, don't you think it's a little too late for that? Those freaks probably think we are together anyway, maghiwalay man tayo ngayon, they'd prolly hunt me down as well."

He grinned at her. "It would be safer if we stick together, don't you think?"

"No it's not." walang dala si Aspen kundi ang kapahamakan sa kung sino mang makakasama niya.

"Can't you see--"

"I do not work in pairs! Whatever you have in mind right now isn't going to work! Ipapahamak mo lang ang sarili mo and I can't be responsible for whatever--"

There was a loud crashing noise from behind them. The force sent her forward against the steering wheel. "Shit!" may isang malaking truck sa likuran nila na dalawang beses silang binangga. "This is the second time today that they tried to do that. What the hell!"

"I'll take care of them, you keep driving." next thing she knew, Q was letting out guttural sounds. Her eyes flicked towards him and she saw his eyes taking a golden yellow color and his hairs sprouting out of his face. Naglabasan din ang malalaki at mahahabang pangil nito. Nanlaki ang mata niya. It was her first time seeing a werewolf up close.

He growled at her and her back stiffened.

"Don't stop driving." he said in a deep, scary voice.

She reluctantly nodded.

Dammit. Kabadong kabado siya habang patuloy na nagmamaneho at iniiwasan ang mga atake ng kalaban nila. Habang nadidinig naman niya ang labanan na nangyayari sa bubong ng truck sa pagitan ni Q at ng mga hunters.

She was too engrossed in her driving when she heard a loud whistling sound and it only took half a second for her brain to register what that was. The next thing she knew, the truck was toppling over and they were on fire.

"ASPEN, GODDAMMIT!"

"I'm doing this for you." she stated grimly.

"Fucking hell! Take these things off me before I kill everyone of you!" Xavier growled. Muli nitong sinubukang kumawala sa kadenang nakatali dito. "Aspen, stop this. Whatever you're thinking, this is not going to help any of us! Don't do it, please."

Pinikit ni Aspen ang mga mata. She couldn't stand seeing Xav's anguished eyes anymore. "Knock him out, Cade. It's easier that way."

"Aspen! Fuck this!"

"Do it." pikit matang utos niya.

"You should understand that you could die." Caden warned.

"I know. Just please, bilisan mo na lang."

"Aspen, no!"

"Do it! Now!"

"Aspen!"

NAPABALIKWAS NG BANGON SI ASPEN. It was that fucking dream again. It had been awhile since she started dreaming a lot. Which only means one thing. Iginiya niya ang mata sa kanyang kapaligiran. Her clothes are torn and full of blood. Kumurap kurap siya. Where the hell am I?

"Mabuti naman gising ka na? God, I thought I lost you." boses ni Q. He came sauntering towards her, wearing a black shirt and a camouflage pants.

"Nasaan tayo?" she raked her eyes around him. They were in some kind of a lab. "What is this place?"

"This is called a military bunker." he grinned. Then handed her a fresh set of clothes. "I've been living here for quite a while now, simula nang abandunahin ito ng mga kasama ko."

"The hell?" napanganga siya.

"Yep." he perched his hip on the gurney she's sitting on. "I'm an army guy."

Uh huh. If I don't have a freaking magnet for soldier boys, I don't know what else is keeping them coming.

Ineksamin niya ang damit na ibinigay nito sa kanya. Scrub suit. Comfortable but not appropriate. Nasapo ni Aspen ang ulo nang maramdaman ang kirot dito. "Ano bang nangyari?"

Nagkibit balikat si Q at dinampot ang isang lata ng pagkain sa mayo table. "Well, those hunters you were running from grenade launchered us." he chuckled. "Never thought someone would actually try to pull that shit off."

"Why aren't we dead?"

"Because I saved you," he stated as a matter of fact. Iminuwestra nito ang dalawang daliri sa kanya. "that's twice now."

Aspen rolled her eyes. Then she felt her head spinning. Nasapo niyang muli ang ulo. "Christ!"

"Are you okay?" hindi siya nakakibo. "So, Zelia, how about you have some snack, para tuloy tuloy na ang paggaling ng mga sugat mo? I think you've got a concussion or something."

"W-what?" she asked. Still dazed.

Inihagis nito sa kanya ang isang half-empty na blood bag. "There wasn't much of those lying around--"

Blood drained out of her face as she realized what he've done. "What the hell did you do?!" muli niyang nasapo ang ulo dahil sa sobrang kirot. "Argh!!" And that's when she heard it. Him.

"Do you think you can run away from me, forever? No. I will find you. And I will rip you another asshole once I do. I promise you, love. I promise you."

She gripped both sides of her head. Para iyong sasabog sa sobrang sakit. At ang dibdib niya! God, he was so mad at her! Damang dama niya sa boses nito ang galit mula sa mensaheng ipinadala nito sa kanya telepathically.

It wouldn't be long now.

"Shit! Shit!" She jumped right out of the gurney and grabbed a scalpel from somewhere.

"What the hell?!"

She run into the sink and sliced her arm with the blade, letting the rich blood flow into the drainage.

"Can you fucking explain to me what the hell are you doing?!" Quentin was quick to her side. "Why are you hurting yourself?! Goddammit!"

Q tried to stop her and she snarled at him. "You  made me drink human blood, you idiot!"

"What?! I don't understand! What is wrong with that? If I didn't make you drink that shit, you would have died!"

"Which would have been better instead of other people dying once they found me!" she gritted her teeth and slashed another gash in her arm. "Now, if you don't want to die, help me drain this blood out of me before someone tracks us!"

"Shit!"

"Yeah, that's right! Shit!"

ASPEN SAT ON THE GURNEY ONCE AGAIN, nursing her wounds. Lumapit naman sa kanya si Q na may dalang bandage. Walang kibo na tinulungan siya nitong balutin ang braso niya na puro sugat. She was still dizzy from the blood loss but it was better that way.

Automatic na nabuksan muli ang koneksyon nila ni Xavier nang uminom siya ng dugo ng tao. It wouldn't take long for him to figure out where she is. She tried to reconnect with him earlier. Checking, if he was still there, pero nawala na ito. The moment she drained the blood, nawala na ang koneksyon ng isip nila.

"How hard is it to find this place?"

Q shrugged. "Wouldn't be too easy, given we're underground."

"Good."

"Those people you are hiding from,"  umiling si Q. "How can they track you using human blood? I'm lost."

"Hindi mo maiintindihan." she closed and opened her palm, testing her movements. "Isipin mo na lang, I had to live off animal blood for a while now. Kapag uminom ako ng dugo ng tao, they will sense it and they will come looking for me."

"I still don't get it."

"Hindi mo nga kasi maiintindihan."

"You guys must have a real big connection for them to be able to track you that way."

Aspen smiled sarcastically. "You have no idea."

Q shook his head. "This is nuts."

"Again, you have no idea."

Makalipas ang isang oras, matapos bahagyang makarecover si Aspen mula sa mga sugat niya ay inalalayan siya ni Q palabas ng bunker upang makahanap ng hayop na mabibiktima niya. She needed to feed. She felt weaker and weaker, hindi lamang dahil sa mga injury niya kundi sa nangyaring koneksyon sa pagitan nila ni Xav. At sa pagpupumilit niyang i-block itong muli. It drained her.

Q was right. The bunker wouldn't be that easy to locate because it was hidden in a forest. Siya mismo ay hindi alam kung nasaang parte sila ng bansa at sinabi niya sa kasama na mas mabuti na iyon, in case someone--Xavier--infiltrates her mind once again. Mabuti nang nag-iingat.

"So, Zelia,"

"What?" she asked. Trying to sniff the air for a potential victim.

Quentin's arm snaked around her waist as he helped her jump over a big tree root. "What do you prefer for snacks?"

Inirapan niya ito. Her back straightened as she felt movement not far from where they are standing. She immediately ran towards the smell of blood and discovered a pig among the bushes. Her throat burned as she attacked the poor animal.

Tawa nang tawa si Q matapos niyang inumin ang dugo ng hayop.

"A pig? Seriously?"

Aspen wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Stop laughing or I'll make you dessert."

Muli ay humalukipkip ito sa harapan niya. Sa sobrang tangkad nito ay kailangan niya itong tingalain. Q grinned and wiped some spilled blood from the corner of her mouth. "I prefer you taking on those bad guys instead of feasting on that poor little pig."

"Well.." she shrugged, smiling. "We have not much choices around here. Alangan namang ikaw ang kainin ko."

"I'm not that opposed to that idea." tumawa lang si Aspen bilang sagot sa sinabi nito. They were silent for a while. He was about to say something when the air stilled. With their fangs bared, they crouched and waited for the intruder.

"Did I interrupt something?"

It was as if all blood was drained from Aspen when she saw the vampire landing on his feet from one of the trees above them. His silver hair spilling over his shoulders. And his dangerous eyes pierced her like a knife through flesh.

"Chapel?!"

"Aspen."

"What are you doing here?!"

Luminga si Chapel sa paligid hanggang sa mapako ang mata nito sa kasama niya. Q growled at him.

"Tell me to attack, Zelia, and I will." he said. Still ready to fight.

Chapel regarded her with a teasing expression on his face. "Zelia, really?" he turned to Q. "Who is this smelly dog, Aspen, huh?"

Q was the first to attack and if Aspen didn't come between the two men in time, they would have ripped each other apart. "Stop it! Both of you! There will be no fight, alright?! Settle down, you two!"

She pinned Quentin with an apologetic stare. "Can you give us a moment, please?"

Q growled under his breath before leaving them alone. She sighed before turning to her friend. "What the fuck are you doing here, Chap?! I thought what I said about me being alone was all clear?"

He was still eyeing Q's retreating back before reluctantly looking at her. "Rune asked me to track you down, you gave us a drop of your blood and told us to find you in cases of emergency."

"And what is your emergency, need I dare ask?"

Chapel sighed heavily. "Xavier."