This chapter is dedicated to @Arianne Torres Anden

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Bago pa man marating ni Red ang portal, mabilis na sumulpot sa kanyang tabi ang itim na lobo. Ilang sandali pa, tuluyan na siyang nawalan ng balanse nang dabahan siya nito.  

Red Ridinghood cursed in pain when her body jerked into a nearby tree. The wood grazed her pale cheek and left a shallow cut.

'Damn this...'

Galit niyang tinitigan ang werewolf na nakapaibabaw sa kanya. Nararamdaman niyang hindi ito natutuwa sa kanyang tangkang pagtakas. But instead of feeling intimated with his furious eyes and pointed canines, matapang na ngumisi ang prinsesa kay Acontes.

“So, is this the part where Little Red Ridinghood gets devoured by the Big Bad Werewolf, alpha?” she mocked.

The black wolf growled in warning. His massive claws rested on either side of her head. Ngayon lang naaninag ng prinsesa ang peklat nito sa kanyang mata. Hindi natakpan ng makapal nitong balahibo ang pilat ng nakaraan.

“You got that from the night you killed your other brothers, right? Ang parehong gabi kung kailan mo inako ang pagiging alpha.”

Sa kanyang sinabi, tumalim ang mga mata ni Acontes. Tila lalong dumilim ang paligid. Her amber orbs struggled to maintain eye contact against the raw anger brewing behind his gray eyes. Her words had awaken the monster that was lying dormant inside of him.

It was terrifying.

Natulala na lang si Red nang binuksan ng halimaw ang kanyang bunganga. Kitang-kita na niya ang matatalas nitong mga ngiping ilang pulgada na lang ang layo sa kanyang mukha. She can almost imagine them ripping through flesh and meat.

"Acontes---!"

Nang akmang sasakmalin na sana siya nito, the gold-colored wolf appeared and growled at his brother. Green eyes glared at the alpha as if daring him to hurt her.

Ilang sandali pa, namalayan na lang ni Red na nakakawala na siya kay Acontes. With shallow breaths, she quickly backed up against a tree and watched as the two giant wolves circled each other menacingly.

Napatakip na lang sa kanyang bibig ang dalaga nang atahikin ni Acontes ang kanyang kapatid. Agad namang umilag si Lycros at kinagat ang binti nito, almost twisting the bone. The alpha howled, shoved him to the ground and struck the golden wolf’s body with its deadly talons.

The forest was soon filled with animalistic growls and the stench of fresh blood.

Sa bilis ng mga pangyayari, hindi agad nakakilos ang prinsesa. She had never seen such violence! It was a traumatizing sight, but she found it difficult to look away. Muntik pang mapunit ang isang tainga si Lycros kung hindi lang nito ibinalibag ang kapatid.

“T-Tumigil na kayo!”

Her voice broke.

That’s when Lycros turned to her. At habang iniinda ni Acontes ang pilay sa kanyang hind leg, he quickly approached Red Ridinghood.

Just when she thought she was going to hurt her too, the golden wolf lowered his head and licked the tears from her cheeks. ‘W-Why the hell am I crying?’ Hindi makapaniwalang isip ng dalaga nang mapagtanto ito. Soon, Lycros started whimpering like a puppy and nuzzled his head in the crook of her neck.

Her heart skipped a beat when she realized his intentions.

‘He was only trying to protect me from Acontes.’

She told him werewolves can't save princesses, but here he is---trying to prove her wrong. Isang mapait na ngiti ang sumilay sa mga labi ng prinsesa. Kasabay nito, pasimple niyang kinuha ang isang bagay sa kanyang bag.

“Lycros?”

Nag-angat ng tingin ang lobo. Kahit pa may mantsa ng dugo ang kanyang balahibo at may malaking sugat sa kanyang noo, hindi nito ininda. His forest green eyes stared at her passionately, just like the first time she met him. Huminga nang malalim si Red, tinitigan ang werewolf, at mahinang bumulong…

“I’m sorry.”

With that, she pulled out a rose quartz and showed it to him.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Lycros nang makita ang crystal. Agad na humakbang papalayo ang lobo, his eyes still glued to that one thing he wasn’t immune to. Maya-maya pa, mahinang dumaing ang lobo na para bang anumang oras ay lalagnatin na siya.

‘And this is what a rose quartz does to him. It makes him sick for days,’ Red Ridinghood thought sadly and watched the golden wolf tremble.

Nanghihina itong humiga sa lupa, hindi na nakayanan pang tagalan ang epekto nito sa kanya. She sighed and left the rose quartz in front of him. A look of betrayal flashed in his green eyes. Nag-iwas ng tingin si Red at sinubukang ‘wag magpaapekto sa guilt na nararamdaman niya.

She turned on her heel to leave when she suddenly spotted Acontes standing a few feet away from her.

Bumalik na pala ito sa kanyang anyong-tao. Nakahalukipkip ito habang nakasimangot. Halos wala siyang saplot sa katawan maliban na lang sa punit-punit nitong pang-ibaba. His bare chest held a dozen scars that each had a story to tell.

Stories doesn't want to know.

Gray eyes glared at her.

“Tsk. Hindi mo alam kung anong ginagawa mo! And all along, I thought you learned to trust us… It’s dangerous out there, empress.”

“Well, it’s more dangerous inside your castle, alpha! Isa pa, hindi ko kayang iwan ang kaharian namin. H-Hindi ko kayang talikuran ang tungkulin ko. I’m the heiress to the throne…and everyone’s expecting me to act like one.” Her voice broke at the last part. There was a lump in her throat as she tried to remind herself why she was doing this.

Siya ang tagapagmana. Nabubuhay siya para gampanan ang tungkuling ‘yon. No matter how much of a failure she is, Red Ridinghood couldn’t deny the fact that she’s still living in the shadow of everyone’s expectations. Hindi siya pwedeng manatili rito. Unang-una sa lahat, ni hindi pa nga malinaw sa kanya kung bakit siya nandito. Gustuhin man niyang isipin na ang kapalaran ang naghatid sa kanya sa lugar na ito, she knew better than to live in a life of uncertainty.

Paano kung hindi naman pala siya ang matagal na nilang hinahanap? Paano kung patayin na lang siya ng mga ito? Paano kung nagsisinungaling sila sa kanya? Paano kung hindi masagot ang kanyang mga tanong?

No, nothing is certain in the castle of the Big Bad Werewolves.

This is the dark and gothic adventure she had been waiting for, yes. But it was also making her even more confused and curious with each passing day.

That’s why she’s doing the right thing by choosing the lesser evil---by choosing the path that had been set in stone from the very beginning…

By choosing to be the princess of a kingdom who never even bothered about her existence.

“My empress, it isn’t too late to head back to our castle.”

Napabalik na lang sa kasalukuyan si Red nang mapagtanto niyang nakatayo na pala si Acontes sa kanyang harapan. Seryoso lang itong nakatitig sa kanya. His gray eyes were silently pleading her to change her mind.

But that still didn’t stop her from grabbing the bottle of wolfsbane inside her pocket. Bago pa man makapagsalita ang alpha, mabilis niyang ininom ang likido, at hinalikan ang ito. When Acontes realized what she was trying to do, he tried to break free from her grasp.

It was too late.

Red Ridinghood quickly transferred the wolfsbane through their kiss.

‘I’m sorry, alpha.’

She pulled away and wiped her mouth to remove any traces of the sweet liquid. “During full moon, mas malala ang epekto sa’yo ng wolfsbane. Bukod sa aabutin ng ilang araw bago ka makapag-transform ulit, mawawalan ka rin ng lakas hanggang sa matapos ang gabing ito.” Red smiled in exhaustion.

Nakatitig lang sa kanya si Acontes. Maya-maya pa, mahina itong natawa.

“Very clever, my empress.”

Wala na siyang magagawa para pigilan ang kanyang pag-alis.

She was too determined to escape.

He was too tired to stop her.

It was over.

Sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon, nakaramdam ng pangungulila ang prinsesa. Tomorrow, this will just be another nightmare. She'll wake up alone in her royal bedroom and stare out at the window again until the sun sets. Babalik na siya sa dati niyang buhay bago niya makilala ang magkakapatid. Napabuntong-hininga na lang siya.

'Red, the damage has been done. Wala ka nang babalikan pa rito,' she tried to convince herself.

But before she could even walk away, Acontes hungrily claimed her lips for the last time.

But unlike the first one they shared a few moments ago, the princess felt the werewolf pour out his emotions. She stood still. The alpha’s hand rested on the nape of her neck, deepening their connection. His tongue patiently explored her mouth, causing a delicious shiver to run up her spine.

It was slow and soft and sure.

In that very moment, she felt safe.

When Acontes broke the kiss, he smirked at her and caressed the cut on her cheek.

“Go...but if fate brings you back to me, you’ll get more than a kiss next time.”

Tuluyan nang kumawala sa kanya ang prinsesa. Isang pagod na ngiti sa mapupulang labi ni Red Ridinghood.

“Too bad that won't happen, alpha. Good bye.”

Matapos ang pangyayaring iyon, nagpatuloy na sa lagusan ang prinsesa. Hindi na siya pinigilan pa ng magkakapatid. With an unreadable expression, the alpha witnessed her red cloak disappear in the darkness; until she completely vanished into the woods.

Hindi lingid sa kaalaman nila, kanina pa tahimik na nakamasid ang lone wolf. He witnessed everything he should, and everything he shouldn't. Forest green eyes looked away. Lycros’ body was already weakened by his fever...

But it was nothing compared to the pain brought by his broken heart.

---

One night she took
her memories out
and hung them in the sky.
She hooked one on
every distant star
and as they burned
down into scars
she knew that's how she
wanted them to stay;
beautiful but faraway.

---Ariana Dancu