Chapter 20: Request

The encounter with Zackary lingered in my head since the night in the mansion. Wala sa sarili na napahawak ako sa ibabang labi ko, the same lip he caressed with his thumb. Isang malalim na hininga ang pinakawalan ko bago umiling. I shouldn't be thinking this way towards the future alpha.

"Eleanor."

Anabeth waved her hand in front of me. Hindi ko agad napansin ang pagdating niya sa hall. Umupo siya sa silya sa tapat ko, nakakunot ang noo nang magsimula kaming mag-agahan.

"Noong isang araw ka pa tulala."

I blinked. "It was nothing."

"Really?" Tumaas ang isang kilay ni Anabeth kasabay ng mapanudyong ngiti sa labi niya. "May nangyari ba sa mansion na hindi ko alam?" nakangising tanong niya.

My eyes widen. She giggled at my reaction. "You're being obvious, Eleanor."

Sandali akong natahimik bago umiling. "It's Zackary..."

Anabeth leaned over the table, eyes alight, lips in an intrigued smile. "What about him?"

"He's being too nice," I mumbled.

Anabeth face fell into a grimace bago siya umatras muli sa upuan. "Nice? That's it?"

I nodded. Napailing si Anabeth at malakas na bumuntong hininga. "Sir Zackary need to make his move fast because this girl in front of me couldn't differentiate being nice and liking someone," Anabeth muttered to herself.

Pareho kaming natigilan nang lumapit sa table namin si Senior Violeta. She instructed me to go to her office after breakfast. Nagkatinginan  kami ni Anabeth pag-alis niya.

"May kasalanan ba ako?" tanong ko.

"Pft." Anabeth tapped my shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous. You're an angel. Baka may task lang na ipapagawa sa'yo."

Pilit kong inalis ang pangamba ko habang kumakain ng agahan. Matapos magligpit ng aming pinagkainan, dumeretso ako sa opisina ni Senior Violeta sa tower.

I've been in her office a couple of times and I was always left in awe every time I enter the small cozy room surrounded with shelves of old books and different illustration of plants and graphs plastered on the walls.

I sat on the worn-out brown couch in front of the dark wood table. Hindi ko mapigilan na mangamba habang hinihintay siya. Being in Senior Violeta's office means serious business.

Senior Violeta sat on her swivel chair and faced me, a smile on her face, but it wasn't pleasant enough to ensure good news. "I know you've just recovered from a life threatening situation but an important person requested for you."

Important person? I fumbled with my hands on my lap.

"It's Sir Callahan from the Winslow family. According to the request he's been heavily injured."

Tahimik akong lumabas sa opisina matapos ang paguusap namin ni Senior Violeta. Nanghihina ang bawat hakbang ko sa corridor. Callahan... he's the same Callahan I met at the birthday party. Napadpad ang kamay ko sa aking dibdib, pilit pinapakalma ang kaba na nararamdaman ko.

Hindi alam ng mga seniors ang nangyari sa party. I couldn't let my work be affected by my emotions. Huminga ako nang malalim. The instructions given to me was to stay in the Winslow mansion until tomorrow. Kailangan ko itong harapin.

Dumeretso ako sa tower para ihanda ang ilang gamit na kakailanganin ko sa paggamot. Anabeth was already occupied by her tasks at her work station. Huminto siya sa ginagawa at humarap sa'kin.

"So what did the senior said?"

Natigilan ako ng ilang segundo, nagdadalawang isip na sabihin sa kanya ang napagusapan. "I was... requested by a member of an elite family," sagot ko.

"Really?" Anabeth lightly swayed from her swivel chair. "That's quite rare. I mean, elites don't always treat us as healthcare providers, you know. They only often see us as makers of medicines."

Kinagat ko ang ibabang labi ko bago muling nagsalita. "It's Callahan..."

Huminto ang pagikot niya sa swivel chair at tuluyang nagbago ang expression. "What?" she exclaimed. "No no. Not that son of a bitch. Ano'ng pinaplano niya?"

Nilagay ko ang ilang panlinis ng sugat sa isang bag. "He was injured."

Anabeth rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, as if I would trust him in his death bed." Tumayo siya mula sa work station. "Mabuti pa kausapin natin si Senior Violeta. Ask them to send another one-"

"I... I will accept the job," I mumbled.

Anabeth whipped her head to my direction. "What? Eleanor, come on."

Huminga ako nang malalim. "We can't choose who needs our help, no matter how rude they are to us. Gusto kong manatili sa Van Zanth kaya kailangan ko siyang harapin, Anabeth. I couldn't just avoid him all the time or wait for someone to protect me."

Natahimik si Anabeth habang pinagmamasdan ako. Pinatong niya ang palad sa balikat ko, a small smile on her lips. "You've come so far from the person I met several months ago. That Eleanor was afraid of the smallest things, like handling money in fear of what other people think. Look at you now."

"Am I doing good?"

"You're doing better." Anabeth heaved a deep sigh. "I couldn't believe I'm gonna say this but alright." Ngumiti siya. "You can treat that son of a bitch but promise me, once you feel unsafe, leave the place."

I zipped the bag with my things. "I will."

Natahimik si Anabeth. "Surely he won't cause harm to you," she mumbled. "Sir Zackary is in Fabrice but some people in Van Zanth are already aware."

"Aware of what?" tanong ko, nagtataka.

Anabeth snapped back and faced me. "You'd soon know."

Bago magtanghali, nakapagbihis na ako at handa na ang mga gamit na dadalhin ko sa mansion. It's barely for an entire day, like a short field work.

Isang sasakyan ang sumundo sa'kin sa apothecary. I was ushered to a heavily tinted car by a person who wasn't an order. I sat silently on the backseat before the car drove off, anxiously fiddling with my hands. reminding myself that this is just another job.

It was a long drive and by the time we reached the neighborhood, we were already at the other side of town. Mansions behind towering walls lined the street, along thick hedges and street lamps every hundred meters.

Dito nakatira ang karamihan sa mga elites o mayayamang pamilya sa bayan. Madalang ko lang makita o makasalamuha ang mga tulad nila. They're the kind of residents that people like me could never had the chance to interact.

Huminto ang sasakyan sa isang driveway. I stepped into a complete silence of the Winslow mansion. The towering walls and surrounding trees kept the outside noise from entering, creating such muteness for a place so big. Perfectly trimmed hedges circled the maze-like garden. Everything was too clean, placed meticulously, from the plants, to the fountain.

A uniformed servant approached me from the doorway. Sinubukan kong bumati pero nakatungo lang siya at hindi sumagot. I followed her  silently inside. Tila walang nakatira sa lugar. Everything was too orderly... the furniture, white walls, it was like stepping in a museum, bare, minimal and no warmth.

Sinundan ko ang tagasilbi sa pangalawang palapag. Her steps halted in front of a double door, signaling that's where Callahan might be. Humugot ako nang malalim na hininga nang kumatok ang tagasilbi sa pintuan.

"The staff from the apothecary is here, sir."

I hesitated to move when the servant opened the door for me. But when I saw a glimpse of someone inside the room, laying on the bed, my discomfort slightly faded.

It was Callahan... his upper body was covered in bandages that were put messily. There's still fresh blood from the open cuts. He's barely conscious but he's awake. At nang makita niya ako, sumilay ang ngisi sa labi niya.

"You really came huh?"

The servants left me alone in the room with him. Hindi ko mapigilang magtaka sa nakikita. Mukhang maliban sa mga tagasilbi, siya lang ang nakatira sa mansion.

"Already gave in to my offer?"

Kahit may iniinda, nagawa niya paring ipaalala ang bagay na 'yon. Mahinahon kong inayos ang mga dala kong gamit panggamot sa malapit na mesa.

"With me being your master-"

His words faded, wincing in pain. Pinagmasdan ko siya. "I would treat you as a patient, but I would never serve you no matter what position  you hold."

Sumilay ang ngisi sa labi niya. In front of elders, he's this charming, almost pleasant person people adore. But in front of me, he's the manipulative, ill-mannered person. He didn't have to hide his real self from someone he could never benefit from.

"You've earned the guts," his drawling voice muttered. "You could barely talk the first time we met. Is that the benefit of being under Zackary's protection?"

Natigilan ako sa ginagawa. "Zackary... isn't protecting me."

He let out a chuckle as if he heard something intriguing. "How interesting." Pilit siyang umupo kahit bakas ang matinding sakit sa mukha niya. "You didn't know?"

Hindi ko alam kung pinaglalaruan niya ba ako.

"Eleanor, it's your name, right?"

Habang kausap siya, hindi ko mapigilang titigan ang kanyang mukha. Tulad ni Ms. Venise... they had the same apparent features that made their faces easy on the eyes, square jaw, high cheekbone, light colored hair.

"Do you know an alpha could communicate a command to his subordinates?" He muttered, voice lazy and drawling. "A command from an alpha could cause an inner response to the members of a pack. And one of Zackary's commands just days ago is not to cause any harm in your way."

Zackary's command?

Napangiti siya nang makita ang confusion sa mukha ko bago muling bumagsak sa kama, nanghihina.

Agad ko siyang nilapitan. "Kailangan kong linisin nang mas maayos ang mga sugat mo." Tuluyan siyang napadaing at hindi na nagsalita. Pinagmasdan ko ang malalalim niyang sugat at ang pasa sa bandang ribcage niya.

"Sino ang nagbalot ng benda sa'yo? Did you have someone I could ask here?"

"My family's all in Fabrice. Ako lang ang gumawa niyan."

Natigilan ako before I ripped the bandages off his skin. Mas malalim pa ang mga sugat sa ilalim nito. "What happened to you?" I asked, completely facing him. "I need to at least know what kind of wounds  I'm going to treat."

"It's just some family matters," he muttered, uninterested at my question.

Family matters... did someone do this to him?

Habang nasa gitna ng paglilinis sa kanyang sugat, isang tagasilbi ang pumasok sa kwarto. Pinatong niya ang isang sobre sa bedside table, stating that it was the train ticket that Callahan had ordered. A train  ticket to Fabrice for next week.

Next week... that's the transition program. "Hindi ka ba dadalo sa transition?"

As much as I didn't want to think of the possibility of him being the beta... what would happened if there's no one who would take the position?

"Do you seriously believe I would take the position?" Pilit siyang humalakhak. "I'm not one to serve people, Eleanor, I'm one to be served."

Tumigil ako sa ginagawa.

"I've been showing them I'm the worst candidate they could ever consider. But those shitty elders think they know better. Deciding for  the benefit of a town among themselves like hypocrites."

"Pero... ang mga sinabi mo sa'kin noon..."

His thin lips curved at the corners. "I'm just testing you. And it's interesting to see Zackary lose his shit. It's a rare sight." Saka siya humalakhak.

Tahimik ko siyang pinagmasdan. Who is this person? Ano ang totoo sa mga pinapakita niya?

"You can leave now, Eleanor," he commanded, tying back the fresh bandages with his own hands. "I just wanted to see if you would really come."

But who would treat him in this house? "I'm going to stay here until your wounds are properly treated."

His chuckle was low, without humour, and sounding ironic to my ears seeing him in this condition, barely able to stay conscious. "You don't need to act heroic," he muttered. "You should be aware that not all  people deserves help."

Nagpatuloy ako sa ginagawa, hindi pinansin ang pagtanggi niya.

"People deserve to be treated when they're in pain."

Napatitig siya sa'kin, but no sordid words came out from his mouth. Hindi naalis ang ngiti sa labi niya nang pumikit siya at hinayaan ang sarili na magpahinga.

Papalubog na ang araw nang matapos akong gamutin si Callahan. His wounds were now cleaned properly and covered with bandages, with some surface cuts already closed and healing. But his overall health would still take a few days to recover.

Callahan was sleeping nang lumabas ako sa kwarto para ibaba ang ilang gamit na hiniram ko. Bumaba ako sa hagdan, searching for someone to ask where I could put them. Isang tagasilbi ang sumalubong sa'kin, almost in a panic.

"Kami na po ang bahala, hindi niyo na kailangang bumaba."

"Okay lang."

Sinamahan ko siya hanggang sa malinisan at maibalik ang mga gamit tulad ng basin at towel. Dumidilim na sa labas pero kailangan kong manatili sa mansion hanggang bukas.

Pagbalik ko sa living room, nadatnan kong may kausap ang bantay sa main door. Nang tuluyang bumukas ang pintuan, nabigla ako nang  makita si Zackary.

Our gazes met. He took several long strides pagpasok sa loob ng  mansion habang hindi alam ng bantay kung pipigilan siya. Bago pa ako nakapagsalita, Zackary reached for my hand to hold.

"I'll bring you home."

Nagtataka na pinagmasdan ko siya. "Zack..." Napatingin ako pabalik sa hagdan, sa pangalawang palapag kung nasaan si Callahan. "Pero kailangan kong-"

Tumigil siya at humarap sa'kin. The intensity in his gaze, golden and piercing, almost made me lose my breath. Madalang ko lang makita ang ganitong expression mula sa kanya. It's like any moment, he could lose control.

"Took you long enough."

Someone called from the top of the staircase. Callahan was standing, hand on the baluster supporting himself, and one on his still swollen ribcage. He shouldn't be moving at his estate.

Umalis ako sa pagkakahawak ni Zackary para puntahan si Callahan but Zackary caught my hand. Mahigpit niyang hinawakan ang palad ko, gently pulling me beside him.

Bumaling ako sa kanya, nagtataka.

"That's right, Zackary," Callahan called from the staircase, a visible smile on his pale face. "Keep an eye on her... 'cause I wont think twice of taking her from you."

***