BLOOD SLAVES

CHAPTER SIX

"Strong Desires"

Her head was resting on his left shoulder. Sa sobrang tagal ng biyahe patungo sa bahay ni Alexander ay tuluyan na siyang nakatulog. Alexander didn't mind it. He even pulled Andi closer to him para mabigyan ito ng magandang puwesto sa pagtulog. He also rested. He was busy the whole month preparing for attacks, negotiating, and even hunting vampires on their list.

Gabi na nang makarating sila sa bahay. Binuhat ni Alexander ang tulog na tulog na dalaga at dinala ito sa kuwarto niya. Kumuha s'ya ng malinis na towel at binasa iyon. Sinunod niyang tinanggal ang bestidang suot-suot ni Andi at pinunasan ang dalaga. Napansin niya rin ang sugat nito sa tagiliran. Kumuha siya agad ng panglinis dito at ginamot ang sugat ng dalaga. He looked at Andi na ang sarap pa rin ng tulog sa kama.

Andi definitely wasn't just an ordinary girl. She was very beautiful from head to toe. And the smell of her blood, it was too intoxicating. It was really sweet and delicious. He'd tasted it earlier. Every vampire would go crazy for her, no doubt. Her existence was also the very reason why vampires couldn't let her go. She was indeed a treasure.

So what about him?

He would not definitely let her go. Andi had this charm and it caught his eyes. He was addicted and he badly wanted more.

Kumuha siya ng t-shirt sa kanyang cabinet at sinuotan ang dalaga. Hinayaan niyang matulog at magpahinga ang dalaga sa kanyang kama habang siya naman ay nagtungo sa banyo upang maligo. The cold shower somehow calmed him down. He stayed for more than thirty minutes just to make sure he was now calm.

When he was done, he wore his trousers and took a peak on Andi. She was still sleeping. Sabit-sabit ang tuwalya sa kanyang balikat, umupo siya sa kama at muling tumingin sa dalaga. He was drying his hair while looking at her. Nang makita na naman ang dalaga na natutulog sa kama, na walang ibang suot kung hindi ang kanyang malaking t-shirt, ay napamura na lamang ng mahina si Alexander.

Gusto na lamang niyang bumalik sa banyo upang pakalmahin ulit ang kanyang sarili.

Tumayo siya at isinabit ang towel sa banyo. Nang lumabas siya ay nakita n'yang gising na ang dalaga. He saw how Andi looked around the room, slightly confused to where she was, until she looked like she remembered everything that happened earlier. Napangiti si Alexander doon.

"How's your sleep?" tanong niya rito.

Agad na tumingin si Andi sa gawi niya. The girl didn't bulge even she was seeing a half-naked vampire. Hindi ito umimik. Sa halip ay tiningnan niya muli ang kanyang sarili at nagtaka sa kanyang suot-suot. Nagsalubong ang kilay ng dalaga sa nakita. She was only wearing a big shirt. Nagtataka rin kung sino ang nagpalit ng kanyang suot-suot.

"I changed your clothes. Hope you don't mind."

Umiling si Andi. "S-salamat-" kaniyang bulong at agad na umupo.

"Nagugutom ka ba?" tanong ni Alexander habang naglakad ito ulit patungo sa kama. Umupo siya muli roon at hinarap ang dalaga.

Umiling si Andi. "A-ayos lang ako-"

Bumaba ang tingin nito at muling nagtanong, "I-ikaw-N-nagugutom ka ba?"

Muling napangiti si Alexander sa katanungan ni Andi. Tumango siya sa dalaga at muling tumitig dito.

"Gutom na gutom..." bulong niya.

"Dugo-Gusto mo ba ng dugo?" tanong ni Andi sa kanya habang nakayuko pa rin ito. Tuluyan nang hinawakan ni Alexander ang baba ng dalaga upang iangat ang tingin nito sa kanya. Andi looked nervous and scared. He didn't want that. He didn't want her to feel that he was about to devour her even if it was what he really wanted to do.

"What did I say about that? I don't want your blood. Now tell me what I want from you, Andi."

Andi bit her lip. She was afraid to tell him that. Lumunok siya at lakas loob na sumagot.

"K-katawan ko-"

Tumango si Alexander. "Good. Are you going to give it to me?" tanong niya sa dalaga saka niya hinaplos ang pisngi nito.

"Are you going to let me taste every part of you?" He used his thumb and traced her lips.

"Are you going to let me do whatever I want?" He asked again and looked at her straight in her eyes. And all he could see was fear. He didn't want that.

"If you don't like it, answer no. You don't like it, do you?"

Tumango si Andi sa kanya.

"Then learn how to say no," wika muli ni Alexander sa kanya.

"Pero p-paano-" Huminga ng malalim si Andi at pinipigilan ang sarili na maiyak.

"Niligtas mo ako at ito na lang ang tangi kong puwedeng ibayad sa 'yo-Pero hindi ko magawa-Patawad-"

"You don't have to say sorry." Alexander wiped her tears on her cheek.

"It's your body, Andi. You're in charge of it," dugtong pa nito.

Hinawakan ni Alexander ang kamay ng dalaga at muling nagsalita, "Alam ko kung ano dinanas mo sa kamay ng ibang bampira. I don't want to remind you everything that you've been through. I'm not like that. I saved you, yes. And I will protect you even if you don't give yourself to me now. You're not my slave. You are free, Andi. And that's what I want you to learn, how to be free. And our first step is learning how to say no."

Tumango si Andi sa binata.

"Again, Andi. Are you going to give me your body?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Dahil katawan ko 'to."

"At pagmamay-ari mo ang katawan mo," dugtong ni Alexander. Hinalikan niya ang kamay ng dalaga at ngumiti.

"I will wait until that time comes," bulong ni Alexander na siyang ikinakunot-noo ni Andi.

"Ang alin?" tanong niya ngunit ngumiti lamang sa kanya ang binata.

"You should rest," ang tanging naisagot ni Alexander saka ito lumabas ng kuwarto. Naiwan doon si Andi habang nakatulala sa pintuang nilabasan ng lalaki. Hinawakan niya ang kanyang kamay at huminga ng malalim. Kinalma niya ang kaniyang sarili sapagkat hindi niya mapigilan ang kaba at takot kanina. Ang buong akala niya ay tuluyan na siyang gagalawin ni Alexander kanina. Kaya't ganoon na lamang ang gulat niya sa mga sumunod na sinabi ng binata.

Buong buhay niya ay wala siyang ibang nakilala kung hindi ang mga tao at bampirang mapang-abuso. Those creatures would always take advantage on them, the blood slaves, and they would do whatever the hell they want. There was a law na wala ng ibang gagalawin ang mga bampira bukod sa dugo nila kung ikaw ay isang blood slave. In reality, do they care about that? No. They could care less about the law, limitations, and about them. They were just slaves. Bakit kailangan nila ng espesyal na pagtrato?

All they want was their blood and sometimes their body too. Her previous master did unimaginable things to her body. And he definitely used it while he could.

Pumikit nang mariin si Andi nang maalala ang buhay n'ya sa kamay ng bampirang 'yon. Tumataas ang kaniyang balahibo sa tuwing naalala niya ang mga kababuyan na ginawa sa kaniya nito noon. She could never give her body to Alexander. She was in debt but she just couldn't.

Sa muling pagdilat ng kanyang mata ay muling bumagsak ang luha mula sa kanyang mga mata. All she ever wanted was to repay him yet she couldn't give what he wanted. She hugged herself and looked around the room. She couldn't stop crying. Her heart beat faster and she couldn't breathe. She felt like she was still caged and chained. Tumayo siya at agad na tumakbo patungo sa pinaka sulok ng kuwarto. There she sat and hugged her knees.

She could never feel safe. Every second, she felt like someone would come and grab her out of this room. All she could ever see was their sharp fangs and blood.

All she could ever do was to hide in the corner and wait.

She couldn't stop crying. Hinawakan n'ya ang kanyang dibdib at paulit-ulit na sinuntok ito.

She was in pain and it hurt a lot.

She didn't know how to stop it. Her fear, pain, anxiety... she couldn't stop it.

***

Alexander was on his office. He was looking at the reports about the blood slaves during the past months. He was feeling guilty, even if he shouldn't feel it. He couldn't really focus on this matter for their goal was to find the other Vetus which was the family of Tan. The slavery was just one of the illegal things that the Tan did. There were other reports that the Tan was brewing bigger schemes in China. He was afraid that rebellion would start with Zhen Tan as the prime leader.

Blood slaves started even before they were born. His father was the one who thought about the idea. In order to conceal their existence, his father had to resort to human trafficking. They would use humans as their blood slaves for their everyday meal.

Alexander was no different. He used blood slaves before too. Maybe that was why he was feeling guilty. Lalo na't nandito si Andi sa pamamahay niya. He couldn't accept the fact that he actually did things to those people before, that he was just the same as those vampires who maltreated Andi.

He also regretted forcing Andi into their contract. He admitted that he took her situation as an advantage to get her. He felt unexplainable emotions when he first saw her. He pitied the woman, lusted to her body, but the feeling of protecting Andi was so strong that he couldn't help himself but to hold on to his desires. He would take her and protect her.

Hindi man niya mababago ito sapagkat nagawa na niya ang mga bagay na 'yon dati, pero may pagkakataon pa siya upang matulungan ang mga kagaya ni Andi. He, too, also had a chance to help Andi.

He would do everything to make up for it. He would give his everything to that woman.

All night, Alexander stayed on his office. He was studying their next tasks; who to target next and where to attack. He specifically started on the underground bases headed by the Tan. He would make sure that this slavery would come to an end. He contacted every vampire on their side and got all the information he needed about the black market that was headed and operated by the Tan.

It was already four o'clock in the morning when he decided to check Andi in his room. Bumalik s'ya roon at tiningnan ang dalaga. Ang kaniyang inaasahan ay ang dalagang mahimbing na natutulog sa kaniyang kama, ngunit nang sumilip siya roon ay wala siyang nakitang nakahiga roon. Agad siyang pumasok at hinanap si Andi. Nakita niya ito sa sulok na nakaupo at nakayuko habang tahimik na humihikbi.

Madali siyang lumapit sa dalaga at hinawakan ang magkabilang braso nito. Kitang-kita niya ang gulat at takot sa mata ni Andi nang maramdaman ang kaniyang paghawak. Nang makita siyang mabuti ng dalaga ay dito na ito tila nakahinga nang maluwag.

"Andi..." tawag niya rito.

Umupo s'ya sa harap nito at hinintay na kumalma ang dalaga.

"Are you scared?" tanong niya rito.

Tumango agad si Andi.

"Of what?"

"S-sila..."

"They wouldn't reach you here. They wouldn't get you. I won't let that happen."

Lumunok si Andi at muling tumingin kay Alexander.

"I won't let it happen. Do you trust me?"

Bumaba ang tingin ni Alexander sa kamay ng dalaga na nakayukom habang nanginging ito.

"Will you trust me?" pagbabago niya ng tanong.

Even it was a slightest nod, Alexander smiled. She would try. He could see it. She was trying even if it was hard for her to trust someone again.

"Okay, now come here."

Andi looked at him again, unsure whether she would go to him or not.

"I won't bite you," Alexander said with a soft chuckle. He spread his arms and waited for Andi to come and hug him.

"B-bakit mo 'to ginagawa?" Nagtatakang tanong ni Andi sa binata.

"This? I don't know. I don't really know."

"Hindi ka ba nandidiri sa 'kin? Paulit-ulit at ilang beses na akong pinagpasa-pasahan-"

"Wala akong paki," diretsahang sagot ni Alexander sa dalaga.

"I don't care whether how many men tasted your blood or your body. That was already in the past. I care about what's inside you. You're broken and I want you to fix yourself. Become whole again, love yourself again, and find your worth again."

"Bakit-Bakit?" Hirap na hirap na tanong ni Andi sa kakaiyak. She couldn't understand why Alexander wanted those things for her. He wasn't interested on her past. He was here to help her stand again and that she couldn't understand. Why? Why was he doing all these things for her? Why was he willing to take her in, keep her, and even care for her?

"Let's just say there is something I want to see," sagot nito. Kumunot-noo siya sa binata habang nakatingin pa rin diretso sa mga mata nito.

"At ano iyon?"

"You... smiling."

And that made Andi zip her mouth. She couldn't answer or say anything after that. She was in shock, confused, and in awe. There was a pair of ocean eyes staring back at her and she was drowning. She felt his strong grip on her hand and pulled her closer to him. He caressed her cheek and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"May I kiss you?" he whispered.

They were still staring at each other's eyes and she couldn't really answer.

"Can I take that as a yes?" He then smiled.

It was just a kiss, she thought. This was the least thing she could do. Tumango siya sa binata.

She felt his hand on her nape and was about to land his lips on her lips when they both stopped.

"Alexander!"

There was someone who bloody shouted his freaking name. Kitang-kita ni Andi ang pag-iiba ng timpla ng mukha ni Alexander. Pumikit ito ng mariin at napamura ng mahina. Andi was surprised too. Sino ang kayang sumugod sa pamamahay ng binata ng alas kuwatro ng madaling araw?

"Will you now go back to bed and sleep?" wika ni Alexander at agad na tumango si Andi. Tumayo sila pareho. Nagtungo si Andi sa kama habang nakatingin pa rin kay Alexander na ang sama pa rin ng timpla ng mukha.

"Please sleep, Andi. I'll be back."

Muling tumango si Andi sa kanya. Humarap si Alexander sa pinto at inis na inis na binuksan at isanara iyon. Naglakad siya patungo sa railing at tumingin sa ibaba kung sino ang gagong dumating sa pamamahay n'ya. At mas lalong nandilim ang kanyang paningin nang makita kung sino ito.

It was his brother, Raiden.

If only he could kill him now, he bloody would.