Detras de Luna (a BS Bio Block 1 fan fic)

Okay... so I've decided to move this thing from my LJ account to this forum. Since the whole block already knows about it, might as well put it here.
So, no entering my LJ account from now on. I've already changed the password. For easier access, I'll be posting my updates here.

If someone wants to react or leave a review, kindly log in and comment. ^^
Now, we have a use for this forum.

They are creatures of the night, mythical beings that prowl on the streets when the night is at its darkest hours.

They are one to be feared, so we are told, for they are fearless hunters. They hunt when children are safely tucked under the warmth of their blankets, and when the adults slumbered off, regaining their energy after a hard day at work. As the moon shines on the face of mother earth, they become faster and stronger. And when they hunt, they never fail to catch their prey.

They too, are said to be ruthless killers.

They are known to be merciless to the pleas of their victims. They tear open their guts and rumors have it that they even eat their victims’ still-beating hearts.

They are immortal beings, ones who weren’t bound by the nature of aging. They live a long, and sometimes, lonely life.

They have weaknesses, oh they do. Like any other beings, the do have weaknesses.

And if you tell people that such creatures exist, they would call crazy. However, the truth remains that such strong, mythical creatures exist.

Oh they do exist, my friend…

You better believe it…

The sound of sirens blasted into the silence of the dawn. People clad in uniforms rushed in and out of a small house at the corner of the street. Frantic calls were made through the radio in the police cars.

Neighbors tried to peer inside from behind the police’s yellow tape, curious to what happened inside that house.

There was an emergency.

A sleek, black car, a Toyota Celica sped up the street and pulled beside a police car. The engine soon was halted to a stop and a young man stepped outside.

He was a tall, well-built, good-looking young man. He was 28 years old, and he was a well-known policeman in his town. He had a neatly styled jet black hair which flew in neglect with the scarce wind. He was wearing a plain t-shirt and he sported normal clothes, overall. But there was an aura of assertiveness around him that arrested the attention of other people. The certainty of his intent and walk was there.

Ignoring the curious eyes of people at the scene, he walked straight up to the house surrounded by yellow tapes. He lifted up the yellow tape and ducked in, immediately walking toward the house.

A police officer in uniform stood just outside the house. Noticing the young man with the black hair walking up, he immediately bowed, “Good morning, Mr. Buenaventura.” He then reached over and pushed open the door, giving access to the man he greeted earlier.

The man merely grunted in reply, as he simply walked passed the officer. He was feeling cranky. He was not a morning person, and getting emergency calls at four in the morning certainly wasn’t on his ten favorite lists on how to start a great day.

Cursing, he walked inside.

As soon as he stepped into the house, his nose had caught a whiff of a sickening smell. A smell he’d became very familiar with.

The stench was unmistakable. Blood. It was overpowering. Had he been in his early years, he was pretty sure he would gag.

It was a small house, with few furniture and simple decorations. The owner lived alone, probably a student, seeing as there were absolutely no expensive pieces of decorations he could see in the living room. Human beings were proud creatures, who loved to put in display whatever things they considered to be most valuable and most envied by others, in order to gain attention. This sometimes resulted in crimes, and Jerick Buenaventura had always considered those kinds of show-off behaviors to be plain stupid.

He’d been informed on the radio that the incident had taken place in the bedroom, but he was in no hurry to get there. Instead, he walked around the living room slowly, all the while trying not to think of the sickening odor nearly suffocating him.

He noticed few pictures hung on the wall and some in the frames on the TV cabinet, placed neatly next to the television itself. In them, there were faces of smiling people, and in all of them, there was a young blond girl with long, straight hair. She looked like she was in her early twenties. Probably the one living in the house.

Jerick searched more around the room, entered the bathroom, the kitchen, paying no attention to people greeting him ‘good morning’, searching for clues, indicators on whomever it was living in the house. But he’d found none. It appeared that the young woman lived alone.

Finally, he set off to do what he dreaded the most about his job. With years of experiences as a cop, he’d learned that whatever you discovered at the crime scene would still shock you. No matter how many deaths you’ve seen. No matter how many cases you’d solved.

He mentally steeled himself before entering the room from where the smell was reeking. The bedroom. The scene of the crime. Judging by the smell, he knew he wouldn’t like what he’d find in there.

And boy, was he right.

The first thing he noticed was the color red. Dark red. Almost black. He had always liked red. But the reds of the blood? Never. He never liked it. In fact, he hated it. And right at that moment, his vision was tainted with that hateful color.

Blood was splattered everywhere in that small space of a bedroom. On the floor. On the wall. On the bed sheet. On some of the furniture used to decorate the room. Some were even on the ceiling. It was everywhere. He never knew a human being could bleed so much.

And that horrible stench. It was even stronger in here.

He began to scan the room, and his eyes caught sight of a gruesome-looking body, if you could still call it one, right there on the bed. The corpse was horribly mangled. It would be almost impossible for the coroner to identify which parts was which, as there were pieces of meat scattered all over the place. On the bed itself and some on the floor. Even half of the victim’s face was destroyed and there was a gaping hole on the skull. It was the very place where the brain should have been.

Slowly, he stepped closer towards the unsightly corpse, or at least what remained. A few steps nearing the bed, he stopped, immediately regretting what he’d done earlier. From that close of a view, by the remaining intact features on the face, he could make out that the victim was a woman, probably a very young one.

For once in his life ever since he’d became a cop, Jerick Buenaventura shivered.

He’d been to hundreds of crime scenes. He’d investigated numbers of murders. He’d seen deaths. He’d seen plenty of corpses. But none of them, absolutely none, was as grisly as the one right in front of his eyes.

“What a sight, huh?”

Startled, he whirled around toward the sound of the voice.

A short man with jet black hair walked into the room and was staring at the victim. His eyes betrayed no emotions. It was a completely blank stare.

“Fidel. What are you doing here? I thought you’re supposed to man the office tonight.”

The man shrugged, “I got bored. So I switched with Miguel. He was on field duty tonight. He was more than glad to agree, saying something like ‘I dislike going to dirty crime scenes’ and such.”

Jerick pictured the said man and mumbled an agreement. Miguel Jarabelo was a narcissistic man who seemed to think of himself as somewhat ‘beautiful’, and he hated going to crime scenes, claiming them to be dirty, smelly, ugly and hideous. Well, what do you expect from a man who colored his hair purple and wore stylish clothes?

But, just as he and the short man standing beside him, Fidel Lukban, Miguel Jarabelo was an excellent cop. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t have made it to their squad. The highest-ranking police squad in all of Spain. Nicknamed the Covert-Ops Squad, only the best cops in the country would stand a chance to enter the prestigious squad. Only cops with excellent skills, be it in weaponry, martial arts or detective works were known to enter the squad.

Their squad was envied by most fellow crime-fighters, as they were reputed to be highly paid, respected by the upper echelons of the police society, and that they got their hands on the most famous, most demanding, and most mind-baffling cases. More importantly, they were allowed to carry on their duty in free clothing whereas other polices must conform to the police’s dress code, and unlike those ‘regular’ cops from other squads, they were able to use their own cars while on duty, instead of using the police cars.

But being on the squad was actually far from glamorous. Being deemed the most excellent squad around, they got handed the most difficult cases, and the most risky ones as well, which put them constantly in danger. And there was nothing fun in wearing plain cloths and driving their own cars while on duty as well, it was simply requirements to make their identity as law enforcers unknown. One small mistake and they would jeopardize their own life and their loved ones as well.

“And when I got the call mentioning that this one could be caused by the same killer who killed our Jane Doe last month, I just couldn’t resist it,” Fidel added after a long pause.

“You’re a sick man.”

“I’m not. I just love crime scenes.”

“You’re a sick man.”

Fidel was about to reply Jerick’s matter-of-fact statement when another man stepped into the room. He seemed to be a few years older than Jerick and Fidel. He was taller and thinly built than the younger men. He had this weird thing on his ear that became somewhat like a trademark and on the right side of his face, there was a set of three scars, straight over his right eye and down his right cheek. He also wore something that looked very much like a jeweled choker around his throat.

Clad in a white lab coat, the man who had just entered the room, Justine Sy, the coroner, wore a morose expression on his face.

Jerick had always held a great amount of respect for the man he considered his senior in police service. Justine was the one who’d taken him under his wings when he’d first landed a job as a cop. He was instructed by his captain to get some reports from the Coroner’s Office and he immediately taken to a liking to Justine when he’d met him then.

Justine was the one who reminded him that life in crime-fighting business as theirs can be cruel, because they would have to face the ugliest side of humanity on a daily basis. Murderers, grieving families, and numerous deaths are some of the things they would somehow have to gotten used to in order to carry on their responsibility without losing their mind.

Whenever he felt down after a long, hard day at work, Jerick would stop by the Coroner’s Office and the both of them would hit the local bar, drowning away their stress of the day.

“May I ask to have the discussion outside? I find it very uncomfortable to be in this room.”

Silently agreeing, Jerick and Fidel both nodded and the three of them stepped outside into the living room. The disturbing stench Jerick had smelled earlier was somehow still as strong over there, but still, he was glad to be out of the bedroom. He couldn’t stand being in the same room as the poor woman’s corpse any longer.

“So Doc, what’s the deal here?” Fidel began.

Justine drew a deep breath, “From the initial inspection I’d done earlier, I was certain that the MO for this one was exactly the same as the few killings we’d discovered over the past six months.”

“No surprise there,” came Fidel’s reply.

So far, their squad had come across three deaths in the period of six months, and this one would make it four, suspected to have been done by the same killer or killers. All the corpses were either found in their own home, on their own bed, or in a motel, or in a completely weird place, and all the corpses were somehow hideously disfigured, as if someone or something deliberately tore up their bodies. And all of them, except for the first victim who was in a far better condition than the others, were almost totally unrecognizable.

The previous victim’s corpse, the one they’d called Jane Doe didn’t even retain a human form. At first glimpse, in all that muddle of flesh and blood, it was almost impossible to tell whether it was a human corpse or that of an animal’s. She was found at a house in the farthest corner of Madrid. They had thought that it was the corpse of the owner of the house, but DNA testing showed otherwise. No records were found of the victim.

The house owner had been going on a vacation and was shocked to find that her house had been the scene of a ghastly murder. She admitted to never letting anyone have her house key, and that none of her close friends and family was missing.

The other two victims were males. The first one was the corpse of a man in his middle thirties who worked as a teacher in the local school. His name was Mario Ogatis, and he was remembered by his friends and family as a kind man. Unmarried, he lived alone and his colleagues reported him missing after he’d been absent for three days straight from work and they were unable to contact him. Known to be a highly responsible person, such act of absentness was considered alarming by his colleagues.

Though his corpse suffered some heavy wounds and scratches, along with a missing brain, Mario Ogatis’ body was still intact and his father, upon being called to the morgue to identify the victim, was immediately able to recognize him.

The second victim however, was unidentified, as was the victim afterwards. The body was found in a motel, and with no records of registration. It was assumed that it was a corpse of a man in his early twenties but it was impossible to be sure, as his body and faces were severed badly into pieces. Justine and his team had to do bone reconstruction and identification in order to determine the victim’s gender and age. Unable to identify the victim, he was simply called by the name John Doe. As of now, they were still trying to trace the identification of the victim.

Justine continued his explanation, “The corpses were mangled or torn off, most likely while they’re still alive and still very aware of their surroundings, as there were no traces of anesthetic drugs in their bloodstream. And I’m pretty sure this one would turn up like that as well.”

“Torn off?” it was Jerick, sounding strained and disturbed by what he heard. Justine had explained the conditions of the previous victims before but hearing it again still made it as disturbing as the first time he’d heard it.

“Yes,” Justine nodded solemnly. “Same as the other three previous murders, this one appears to have been done without the aid of sharp weapons or tools.”

“No weapons… It means…” Jerick’s voice trailed off, unable to say what he wanted to say.

“It would mean that the killer or killers did the deeds, bare-handedly.”

“Holy shit!”

“It’s as if the victim was torn up and ripped off.”

Jerick shot a glare at Fidel, annoyed by his calm sentence. “But their wounds, and the way their bodies were destroyed… It was impossible to do that with your bare hands. Even when you had help.”

“Except if you have claws.”

This time, both Jerick and Justine shot an annoyed look at the short man. He seemed to be enjoying himself. Fidel Lukban was an action-driven man, and a good case, no matter how disturbing or how sick it was, would definitely spark his interest.

“Don’t be ridiculous. No animal could do something like that either. Except for a lion, or a large tiger, but I’ll be damned if those animals could roam around freely in the middle of the city without us noticing them.”

A grin formed on Fidel’s mouth, “Well, maybe it’s done by werewolves.” And then he laughed, much to the other men’s annoyance.

“Quit being so irritating!” Then, turning to face Justine, Jerick said in a much lower voice, “Make sure you call me after you’ve done with autopsy.”

Justine nodded. Fidel shrugged his shoulder, “We’re done here anyway. Let the lab people do what they’re paid to do. I’m gonna head back to the headquarters. See ya there, Jerick.”

“Yeah. See ya.”

With that, Fidel walked out of the house. Minutes later, a car was heard leaving the vicinity.

Jerick scratched the back of his neck. Fidel could be so downright annoying sometimes. But despite his bizarre interests in cruelty and anything involving blood and gore, Jerick knew that he was a friend that you could rely on. He was the type of friend who would stay loyal and be there for you when you needed him.

And right now, he needed his morning fix of coffee. Badly.

“Sometimes it sickens me to witness all these murders.”

Jerick let out a deep sigh, “Same here, senior.”

Justine turned his gaze towards the direction of the bedroom. “Wonder how her family would react to the news of her death. She seemed to be so young.”

“Deaths never brought pleasant reactions. At least not on the family.”

Silence fell between them.

“Have you ever wondered how it would feel like if something like that happens to our loved ones?”

Along with Justine’s question, an image popped into Jerick’s thought involuntarily. It was an image of someone very important to him. Someone whom he loved dearly. Someone who he would protect with his own life. Someone with long, curly tresses and very, very beautiful. She’s got moderately sized, beautiful dark eyes. She seldom smiled, but when she does, it was like a ray of bright sunshine.

Then that beautiful image disappeared and was replaced with another image of her. Only in this one, her face was bloody, and her body wounded. She was screaming for help…

Jerick shuddered. He cleared his throat, trying to shake the horrible thought away.

If something were to happen to her, he would never be able to forgive himself. Never.

“Wanna grab some drinks later tonight?”

Snapped away from his thought, Jerick looked over apologetically at the man he respected so much. “Nope. I promised mama I’d be home for dinner tonight.”

“Mama’s boy.”

“Whatever.”

Then, an idea popped into Jerick’s head, “Hey, maybe you could come over for dinner. I’ve always wanted to introduce my family to you.”

“Any beautiful, sexy women in your family?”

“Pervert.”

“Hey, it’s an absolutely normal, healthy interest!”

“Bullshit.”

And then they both laughed. They laughed so hard that few the crime scene people stopped what they’re doing and stole a glance at the two men.

“Ahh… The atmosphere was so tense here. Seriously, I can’t come. Not when the image of the victim still etched clearly into my mind. I just need a few drinks to drive all those images away. The sooner the better.”

“Whatever you think is good for you,” Jerick said sarcastically. “Maybe some other time then.”

“Yeah. Some other time…”

Jerick bowed and asked for leave. Before reaching the door, he stopped walking and turned around to look at Justine, his lips forming a small smile. “It’s good to see you, senior.”

“Same here, Jerick. Send my regards to your family.”

Jerick waved his hand behind his back, “Richard do.”

* * * * *

A few hours later, Jerick returned to his squad’s headquarters. He’d grabbed breakfast and his much needed shot of caffeine on his way back. He was feeling way better than he’d been earlier.

His good mood was short-lived anyway, as immediately after, his captain called for a meeting.

The Covert-Ops Squad’s captain was a small, petite, dark-haired woman. In fact, Captain Sandra Ganzo was the smallest person in their squad. Despite her fragile appearance, she was well-respected among the members of the squad. She was a strict leader and would not tolerate any violations of the rule, whether ones governed by law or the ones she decided for the members of the Covert-Ops Squad.

She was an expert in hand-to-hand combats, and was known to defeat men thrice her size. Jerick himself had witnessed a large, strong man from the District Attorney’s office, Jeuz Geluz, who seemed to cower in Captain Sandra Ganzo’s presence. And she had an extremely excellent reputation as a cop, never failing a case as she was someone who was deeply focused in whatever cases she was working on.

And she was not too fond of cowards, lazy people, or weak ones.

All in all, it’s better not to get on Captain Ganzo’s bad side.

To Jerick, she looked even smaller sitting behind the meeting table. In light of the new murder, she had called forth a meeting with her best men. Four of them. She had a stern expression on her face and Jerick was dead sure that she wasn’t in her greatest mood.

Fidel had just finished reading his report on the most recent case. Captain Ganzo was flipping over the photocopied pages of the report made for her.

“So the coroner was sure that it was the same mysterious killer.”

“Pretty sure, Captain,” came Fidel’s reply.

“Hmm…”

“Then this would mean this case would attract more media attentions. And nearing the elections, the mayor’s sure not gonna like this. Which means more pressure and more work for us.”

“Such gruesome murders. Such hideous crimes. I would do anything to stop this unsightly incidents.”

“My, my. What a high spirit, Mr. Jarabelo” The remark came from a morose-looking man who had the same build as Jerick. He had a neater hairstyle compared to all of them. He appeared to be about the same age as Jerick and Fidel. He was the quietest among the four, only speaking when he felt he needed to. He appeared to be depressed almost all the time. As much as the other three men liked him, he was almost always wasn’t invited to their outings, claiming he brought around so much gloom that his presence would only ruin the mood.

“I appreciate such enthusiasm, Mr. Jarabelo. Anyway, Mr. Emlano, have you find out the identities of our unknown victims?” The question was addressed to the blond man.

Richard Emlano bowed politely at his captain, “I’m sorry, captain. The forensic people were trying their best doing facial reconstructions. However, judging by the damage done to the skulls, it was going to be a hard work. Even if they managed to do it, it would be highly doubtful to be accurate.”

Captain Ganzo muttered a curse under her breath. “Fidel, what about the most recent victims vital organs?”

Fidel cleared his throat, suddenly feeling uneasy. “They were missing, Captain.”

Yes. The same thing happened to the other victims as well. The brain, the heart, the liver and the lung were missing from the corpses. One could only wonder what the killer could possibly want with the organs.

“We had already ruled out the possibility of syndicates selling human organs in black markets as the one responsible for the murders. Ripping off the organs would cause damage and there is no way these syndicates risking those valuable organs like that.”

“That’s right, Buenaventura. But think, what other possible reason would someone have in taking away the organs?”

“To eat?”

“That’s disgusting, Fidel.”

“Shut up, Miguel. For you, everything is disgusting.”

“Cut it off, both of you! Show some respect for the Captain!”

Fidel and Miguel both snapped at Richard, “Shut up, Richard!”

Captain Ganzo slammed her hand on the table. Silence fell across the room. No one dared to cross her when she was pissed.

“Stop behaving like children!”

Simultaneously, all of them, including Jerick, apologized.

“This is a serious matter. And, considered as the elites of the police squad, I expect good things and results from all of you. Try to solve this case as soon as you can. Stop the killer before someone else gets killed.

“Yes, Captain,” again, they said it simultaneously.

“Buenaventura, Lukban, the two of you are to work on the most recent case. Jarabelo, you are to check the database of missing persons for the last six months and see if they were somehow linked to the place where the victims were found. Find out the similarities between those victims. We needed those data to narrow down our search. And Emlano, keep in touch with the Forensic Lab. As soon as the facial reconstructions were done, take immediate action and try to match it with Jarabelo’s lists of missing persons. Try your best to identify the John Doe and Jane Doe.”

“Yes, Captain.”

They sat unmoved in their seats. Suddenly unable to move, fearing that their captain would get more annoyed if they do.

“Well? Get going. Do you need your asses whipped?”

“Yes, Capt~ Eh… No, Captain!”

And they scrambled out of the room. No one dared to stand the wrath of Captain Sandra Ganzo.

:

:

:

:

:

And thus, began a story never told…

A story of creatures that came alive in the night…

A story of love between two very opposite beings…

A story of hope, faith, and sacrifices…

A story of evil, deceits, and manipulations…

Good against evil…

Hope against desperations…

Faith against deceits…

Sacrifices against manipulations…

Black versus white…

It all happened…

Behind the moon…

Detrás de la Luna…

Do you believe in destiny?

That it’s meant to be you and me…

Do you believe it’s all written on the stars?

One day we’ll meet each other…

That Fate had decided it all from the beginning…

Even five lifetimes over…

We will still be together…

Do you believe it?

Cause if you do…

Just take my hands…

And together…

We’ll chase destiny…

:

:

:

:

:

Chapter 2
Chance Encounters

Jerick uttered a curse. He was tired. He had been up early in the morning, and then he had to investigate a horrifying crime scene. The day was already late. He had promised his mother to be home for dinner and he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to get home in time. Now, to top things off, he had to interview the policeman who had first discovered the victim, the second Jane Doe.

And the fact that the said policeman was a member of the 4th Squad, which deemed to be the weakest squad in Madrid didn’t help at all.

One of the things that Jerick Buenaventura couldn’t tolerate was weak people.

The one sitting before him at that moment, Stephen Real was one of those people.

He was a thin guy. He had curly and scrunched up black hair that ended above his ears, and of all the times Jerick had been talking to him, he appeared to be very nervous and kept fidgeting with his necktie.

Jerick let out a deep sigh. He had spent half an hour asking questions but that Real guy seemed to be of no help. He had explained to Jerick that he was on duty that morning and had been patrolling the area where the victim’s house was. He was about to walk away from that area when his flashlight caught a shadow moving swiftly away from the direction of the house. He mentioned that the shadow had sort of disappeared into thin air, and he had no chance at all following it.

And then he went to the victim’s house, wanted to make sure that nothing happened over there. He knocked on the door several times but there was no answer. He was pretty sure that whoever lived in that house was inside, seeing that there was a pair of shoes outside and the light was on. His instinct was telling him that something bad could have happened inside that house and he busted in through the door.

That was how Stephen Real discovered the body.

And that was exactly what he reported. Jerick cursed again, this is going absolutely nowhere.

Jerick closed his notebook and got up. “Seems I’m done here.”

Stephen got up as well, “Thank you, Mr. Buenaventura.”

“I should be the one thanking you. Well, please let me know if you remember anything else that happened that night.”

“I will.”

Forcing out a small smile, Jerick walked towards the door, and was about to reach for the handle when they heard a call radioed through. It mentioned a situation, a ruckus that took place at a nearby bar.

Jerick noticed that Stephen became even more nervous.

“Aren’t you going to respond to that? It’s in your jurisdiction, you know?”

“A-ah, I should, but I can’t leave the station right now since there’s no one else here.”

“Then, dispatch the task to your squad members.”

Stephen grew white, “A-about that… I-I c-can’t seem to contact any one of them. I-I tried before…”

Jerick’s eyes went huge, “You what?”

“I-I don’t know w-where they are.”

“Unbelievable! What kinds of cops are in this squad? No matter where you go, you’re supposed to inform your squad members. And where the hell is your Captain?”

“I-I haven’t seen Captain Ricafrente in about a w-week now.”

Jerick slapped his forehead. This is totally unacceptable. No wonder this squad was called ‘the weakest squad around’. And the squad members totally lived up to their squad’s name.

“What am I supposed to do? I can’t leave but I have to respond to the call.”

Jerick let out another deep sigh. Things were getting more and more annoying to him. “I’ll go. Since I’m in the area as well.”

Stephen seemed to be shocked at first. It wasn’t an emergency call, and it was not something that an elite cop obligated to respond to. But then, relief overcame him and he started bowing uncontrollably.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Buenaventura.”

“Whatever.”

“Thank you.”

Jerick simply waved his hand, grabbed his jacket and walked out.

Little did he know, he was about to get involved in a much more annoying situation.

* * * * *

It was cold outside. The cold breeze was blowing softly but the chill it caused made the curly-haired woman shivered a bit. She pulled her black jacket tighter, hoping it would stop the shivering.

It was nearly midnight and the streets were empty, save for a few people heading over to the local nightclub. As she walked past them, they nodded at her, and she returned it.

No one seemed to question why a young, beautiful woman like her walked alone on an almost deserted street at such an hour. And she wasn’t heading towards the bar like the rest of them, that’s for sure.

Or why, such a helpless and fragile looking woman like her wasn’t afraid of walking alone.

A few drops of rain fell on her fair, flawless skin, and she pulled her hood up, covering her head. She was completely alone on the street now. The streetlights were mostly broken and it would have been completely dark outside if it hadn’t been for the full moon.

She quickened her steps, anxious to reach her destination. The silence around her had started to give her the creeps. She knew that no one in Madrid would dare to harm her, since they were well aware that should anything happened to her, Jerick Buenaventura would not let things off that easily. As for other things, well, her friends had told stories about ghosts that haunt the streets…

Roan Eireen Buenaventura shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away. She increased her pace, glanced a few times over her shoulder as the thoughts she had earlier forced their way into her mind over and over again.

As soon as she reached the entrance of an old church, she stopped walking and let out a relieved sigh. Finally, I’m here…, she thought as she looked up in awe at the majestic building standing proudly before her.

It was the oldest church in Madrid. She wasn’t much of a religious person, but at certain times, she loved going to this church as it gave her a sense of peace and belonging. And sometimes it made her feel like she believed that there really is life after death, that people went to a beautiful place after they died. A place where everything looked nice, smelled nice, and calm like this church.

She put her hands on the heavy oak door and gave a hard push. The door opened with a loud creak, and she was greeted with a beautiful sight.

The all-white altar stood proudly before her, at the centre of the church, and there were white lilies and lavenders, a beautiful combination of white and purple, assembled together at the foot of the altar. Looming up above the altar was a statue of Christ on a crucifix, a symbol of sacrifice, the savior of all mankind.

The church windows were decorated with beautiful stained glasses. There were paintings on the wall too, paintings that retold the scenes from the Bible. She had been inside this church a few times, but everything about it intrigued her. Sometimes it even felt like coming home.

Alone in here, she could pour her heart out. Whatever had made her sad, she could tell them all to God. Whatever dilemmas she faced that got her confused, whatever she worried about, she could ask them to God. And she knew He would listen, without judging, without questioning. And just like that, she would feel as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulder.

She bowed at the huge statue of Christ crucified above the altar, as a sign of respect for the Lord, and began walking towards the altar. She stopped when she reached it and began kneeling. She set down the folder she was carrying and closed her eyes.

She prayed. She prayed for the souls who faced untimely death, she prayed for the ones who had suffered a lot in their lives and she prayed for those people to gain happiness. She prayed for them, and herself too. For she herself had lost someone she loved dearly too, she had suffered and she wanted nothing other than to be granted happiness, and for her dead loved one to be granted happiness as well.

She prayed silently, completely unaware of a pair of black eyes watching her intently from above the church balcony.

* * * * *

Jerick groaned as he leaned back and rest his head on the sofa, finally getting to rest after a long, tiring and annoying day. His muscles were aching badly and his head felt like it was about to explode. He lifted his legs and rested them on the coffee table, letting out another groan.

His day had just gone from bad to worse.

It had all started with that damn emergency call. Then Captain Sandra Ganzo had been on their cases all day long, shouting, “Move your lazy butts and start working!” whenever she saw any one of them sitting. Boy, he was sure that woman was totally losing it.

Then, he’d met that guy from 4th Squad, Stephen Real, afterwards he’d somehow become entangled in some love-affairs-gone-wrong mess. And that was why he’d came home at nearly 11 p.m., late for dinner, which had caused him to suffer from his mother’s unstoppable nagging. She usually did that whenever she was mad. She got mad when she was upset. And Jerick hated making his mother upset.

His mother, Beatriz Ragasa, was a beautiful woman in mid-thirties. She was a tall woman, and she had beautiful, long, luscious ebony blond hair with killer assets that seemed to be another women’s envy. And the fact she loved wearing fashionable clothes didn’t help much either. She had aged over the years but her face hadn’t shown any line of wrinkles. To Jerick, she was as beautiful as he had first remembered her.

People often joked about him being named ‘Buenaventura’ when his mother’s surname was ‘Ragasa’ must mean that he was a child born out of wedlock. He was upset because of that joke, and had asked her. She simply said that she had named him after his father, the one she had simply referred to as ‘old man Buenaventura’ whom she married at a very young age. But he died before Jerick was born, and then she began using her maiden name again.

He had wanted to ask her why she didn’t kept the name ‘Buenaventura’, because if she did he probably wouldn’t get teased as much, but she told him that all that matters was they had each other and that they loved each other. An answer she gave him whenever she refused to reveal more. An answer she usually used just to get her small child to shut up.

At that time, it was the two of them against the world. The black-haired boy with his young, busty, beautiful mother. His mother had never remarried, and he never asked why, because he knew what the answer would be.

Jerick shifted in his seat and put up his legs on the coffee table. Had his mother saw him doing that, she wouldn’t like it, but right now she was asleep in her room. She had gone up after she had clearly instructed him to wash all the dishes earlier as his punishment for missing dinner.

He was glad that Shara decided to go to bed early as well. That woman was as bad as his mother, nagging non-stop over small matters he done. They probably spent too much time together, he thought bitterly as he recalled Shara lecturing him on how he should be a better son, as she served him chocolate pudding earlier.

Women… Sometimes they can be downright annoying.

And he had met another one just a few hours earlier.

:

:

:

When he decided to respond to the call for the 4th Squad, Jerick hadn’t expected something worse than a normal brawl among the local citizens who’d had too much to drink.

He’d parked his car outside the bar. The first thing he noticed was the bartender who stood near the door, looking in every now and then to check what happened inside.

“What’s going on in there?” Jerick asked as he walked up and reached the bartender’s side.

“They are crazy! I had tried to stop them but they just wouldn’t stop!” He continued to ramble, “I opened earlier to get ready for a hectic night, but then she came in, and then he came in… and they started fighting…”

Smirking, Jerick thought, it couldn’t be that bad, and started to walk inside, only to be greeted by a flying object that landed smack on his forehead.

“Ouch!! What the hell was that?” Hand on his forehead, he shouted as he took a glance at the black thing lying a few feet away from him. It was… a woman’s shoe?

“What the fuck is going on inside?” He muttered angrily and stormed inside.

Standing in the middle of the room was a small, raven-haired woman, with a black shoe in her right hand, exactly the same as the one lying outside the bar. He noticed from her smudged mascara that she had been crying. Her hair and clothes were disheveled and she had a mixture of hurt and anger expressed on her face. Her shoulder heaved up and down, a sign of her heavy breathing.

There were broken glasses everywhere. She obviously had thrown them around. And there were broken chairs lying all across the room as well.

“They’re going to pay a lot for this,” the bartender said, but Jerick simply ignored the man behind him.

A few distances away from her, with his back towards Jerick, was a tall, dark-haired man in business clothing, who looked cautiously at her, while keeping his arms hovering in front of him, getting ready for another attack from her.

The man, aware of Jerick’s presence, stole a brief glance at him. “Are you a cop?”

“Yes, I’m here to help.”

“Good. I swear this woman is going to kill me.”

“It was your fault!” she screamed suddenly, startling Jerick.

The man turned to face her again, “We weren’t married. I was free to choose whoever I want to spend my whole life with!”

“We were together for three straight years, damn it! You could have told me you’ve fallen out of love with me! But you’re a coward! You simply didn’t have a gut to tell me something that simple!”

“Fine! I’ve fallen out of love with you!”

The man’s words hurt her, and Jerick watched as hurt flickered in her eyes. “Earl… How could you?”

Taking a deep breath, the man replied, “I love her more than I’ve ever loved you... And we never fight as much as you and I do…”

“But I love you… I gave everything to you… Everything you asked for…” She collapsed on the floor and began sobbing, “And I would do anything for you…”

“Phoebe…”

She looked up at him, her brownish eyes filled with tears, and watching from the side, Jerick pitied that woman.

“Please… Come back to me…”

“Phoebe, I love her, and I’m going to marry her. There is no way I’ll come back to you! This three years I spent with you had caused me enough suffering!”

“What?”

“Didn’t you hear me? I suffered! I suffered, Phoebe! We were wrong for each other! We have to stop lying to ourselves!”

What he said seemed to stir something else inside her. Anger. Jerick Buenaventura could see it flaming in her eyes, as she stood up slowly, her body shaking.

“What did you say? You… suffered?”

“Yes!”

“You could have told me earlier! Why wait for three years to come clean with it all? You could have saved yourself from having to tell me the strings of lies again and again!”

“I didn’t lie!”

“Yeah? What about all this time when I asked to meet you for dinner and you said you had to work late? What about when I asked you to stop by at my apartment, you said you have a late meeting?” She paused a bit, and then asked slowly, “You were meeting her behind my back, weren’t you?”

The man she called Earl looked down on the floor, and Jerick noticed an expression of guilt flashed on his face, for the first time ever since he’d been here.

“I did.”

“You jerk…” she said through gritted teeth.

“I had fun being with her. She was so different from you! I was suffocated by you and I had to find an escape route!”

“Was… was being with me that… bad?”

“Phoebe, look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier~”

“Tell me!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, woman! Yes! You are one annoying! Controlling! Clingy bitch! And looking at you now, I’d say you’re a pathetic one too! I just couldn’t wait to get rid of you so I can be with her!”

Jerick couldn’t believe his ears. It was bad enough this guy cheated on his girlfriend. He didn’t have to rub it in her face as well. “Hey, hey, dude… That’s enough.”

“Don’t butt in, buddy. This is between me and her.”

Jerick stepped and grabbed the guy’s arm. “You made it my business when you cause ruckus and disturbed everyone.”

“Hey, I didn’t cause a ruckus! She did!” The guy pointed at the small woman, who was now trembling.

Jerick couldn’t stand the look on her face, “Dude, that’s pretty low.”

“You’re a jerk, Earl! I hate you!!”

“Then don’t bother to get in touch with me.” Pushing away Jerick’s grip on his arm, the man stepped away from Jerick, “If you want to stop this ruckus, arrest that woman, officer. She was the one who needs to control her emotions.”

“I hate you!!!” she screamed again, and threw her other shoe, missing Jerick’s head by a few centimeters. That woman really has a bad aim, Jerick thought suddenly.

The man she aimed the shoe at simply said, “I know that.” And he started to walk away.

“Stop! Earl, if you walk away… I-I wouldn’t be able to forgive you!”

“I don’t need to be forgiven.”

“Jerk!!”

With one loud scream, she charged forward, wanted to follow the man she had once loved with all her heart. But Jerick caught her in time, stopping her roughly with his body.

“Get out of my way, I want to kill him!”

“I’m sorry, miss. I will not tolerate violence.”

She squirmed in his tight grip, trying to knock him over and pushed her way through. “Let me go!”

For someone so small, she was unbelievably strong. Jerick tightened his grip on her, causing her to flail helplessly in his arms.

“Earl! Come back here, please…”

She watched broken-heartedly as Earl continued to walk away. “Jerk! Come back here and face me!”

Earl turned around and there was no regrets at all expressed on his face. At least, Jerick could see none. Then, he pointed his finger at the woman thrashing around in Jerick’s deadly grip. “I’d better not hear anything from you. Or I’ll press charges.”

“You jerk!!!”

He walked away, leaving her behind in Jerick’s grasp. The small woman stopped thrashing and Jerick released her slowly, afraid that she would run after Earl. But she simply collapsed on the floor again and cried. Tears streaming down her cheeks, causing Jerick to pity her even more.

“Stop crying, he’s not worth it,” he whispered.

“I loved him so much… How could he hurt me?”

Jerick kneeled beside her and caught her in his arms again, only this time it was in a calming embrace, and began rocking her, trying to stop her tears as he had done with Roan time and time again.

“How could he…?” she mumbled as she cried in his chest.

“Shhh…”

:

:

:

Yes, when there are women, there are bound to be dramas.

And living his life around women, Jerick knew they could be really annoying at times. Well, except for one woman.

“Come to think about it, why hasn’t Roan returned home?” he asked himself.

As if an answer to his question, there was a knock on the door.

Feeling odd, he quickly got up and went to open the door, hoping it was Roan but doubting it was her since she never forgets to bring her keys whenever she went out.

He swung the door open, and sure enough, it wasn’t her standing there.

“Oh, it’s you.”

* * * * *

Joey Gonzales watched intently as the young woman before the altar prayed. She had removed the hood covering her head, revealing her long, luscious jet black locks. They seemed to shine in the dim lighting of the old church.

“Beautiful,” he muttered softly.

He continued to watch her silently, slowly getting more and more captivated by her. He had seen, known and met a lot of women, but none of them had managed to make him feel so entranced, and some of them were really sexy and beautiful. But this young woman, this young woman before him, who covered her entire body in thick clothing and even though he hadn’t seen her face, had managed to make him fascinated.

There was something about her presence… She seemed so alive… So… human…

The ebony-haired woman stood up suddenly. With one bow at the cross looming above the altar, she turned and began walking towards the door. She walked gracefully, he thought as his intense gaze followed her every steps.

A few steps before reaching the door, she stopped and turned her body to face the altar, and bowed slowly. When she turned around again and reached for the door handle, that was when Joey Gonzales started to panic.

This cannot end this way… I have to at least know who she is…

“You know, young girls shouldn’t wander around in the middle of the night.”

Startled by his voice, she spun around, trying to find out where it was coming from.

“I’m up here,” he called out to here.

She looked up, and his eyes caught sight of her large black eyes. They were wide with shock, and he had never seen anything so cute.

He felt the corner of his mouth curling upwards, forming a small smile. He jumped on the rail, and then jumped down the balcony, landing effortlessly in front of the shocked woman. Her eyes widened even more, and Joey almost laughed aloud at the sight before him. She looked so funny standing there absolutely dumbfounded, with her hand stopped midair, inches away from the door handle and her eyes were as wide as they can get.

He strode closer to her, and as impossible as it seemed, her eyes managed to get even wider with his every steps. As he got closer, he marveled at how beautiful she was up close.

She was tall for a woman. She had a fair, flawless skin and lips so soft and plump they made him wonder what it would feel like to kiss her. And he could tell that she had a nice figure, even her thick black jacket and simple blue jeans couldn’t hide that fact from his roaming eyes.

Suddenly feeling insecure under his intense gaze, the woman clutched her folder tightly in front of her chest, blocking Joey from a pleasant sight.

“You know, you should never just barge in next time. I was napping up there when you came in, and the noises you made disturbed my pleasant slumber.”

“I-I’m sorry…” she stuttered.

Joey couldn’t hold it in anymore. He laughed. He never expected such reaction from her.

Face reddened, she seemed to realize what she just done, “Why am I apologizing anyway? This is a church! People have the right to walk into a church whenever they want to.”

Joey stopped laughing, but the amusement never left him.

“And what were you doing sleeping in a church anyway? Don’t you have anywhere else to sleep?”

“I just like it in here. It’s calming,” then, he leaned closer towards her, “In case you’re wondering, I do have a home. I can take you there if you want to.”

Her face reddened even more, now with anger. “Shut up!”

Joey laughed again. “I’m sorry.”

Her expressions changed. Now she’s confused. He noticed that she was clutching her folder even tighter.

“I mean, I’m sorry that I startled you.” After a pause, he added, “You’re so easy to tease though.”

Her face went red again. Joey never thought anyone could blush as much as she did.

“I’m sorry if I disturbed you too.”

“Nah, I wasn’t sleeping, just relaxing.”

“Seriously, why were you up there?” Cautiously, she added, “Even if you were sleeping, why do you have to do it up there? You startled me.”

“I just happen to like high places.”

Silence enveloped them.

Then, out of the blue she blurted, “I think the church is very calming too.”

They were both startled by what she said. Joey didn’t know what to respond, and the woman in front of him mentally cursed herself for saying that statement out aloud.

Joey cleared his throat, “Really, you shouldn’t be out at this hour. At night, things could be… dangerous.”

The young woman smiled sadly, “I’m not afraid. There is nothing more to fear than death.” Then, she whispered, “And I’ve known death…”

“What?”

She shook her head, probably realizing she had blurted something out unintentionally, for the second time. This woman is weird, Joey thought.

“I should get going,” she said, and reached for the door.

Joey watched as she pushed the heavy oak door, but failed. She tucked the folder she was holding under her left arm, and pushed again, but failed. She cursed inwardly. She managed to open the door earlier, so why is it giving her a hard time now?

“Let me do it.”

Joey stepped next to her, startling her so much that she dropped her folder, and pushed the door with one hand. The door swung open easily, followed by a gust of wind bursting through, causing her long hair to flow softly. But the wind managed to flip open her folder, scattering papers around.

“I’m sorry,” Joey said and began to help her collecting the papers.

He bent, picked up one of them, turned it over and the photocopied picture disturbed him somehow.

“What is this for?” he asked, standing up straight abruptly.

She eyed the paper in his hand, “Assignment.”

“You’re researching about werewolves for your assignment?”

Snatching the paper away from him, she said, “Werewolves fascinate me.”

“They are dangerous creatures.”

“No. They’re not.”

“They are known to kill people for the thrill of it.”

She simply stared at him and said firmly, “No, they don’t. Werewolves don’t kill if they don’t have to. And unlike told by legends, they happen to be gentle creatures.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know.”

She rearranged the papers into the folder and stepped outside. “Goodbye.”

Joey, who found her amusing reactions more and more dumbfounding, seemed to snap out of a trance as he saw her walking away.

“Wait!”

Turning around, she smiled at him. It was a smile so breathtakingly sweet that he almost forgot what he wanted to ask her.

“You could at least tell me your name!”

“No!”

Not knowing anything else to say, he pleaded, “Please…?”

She laughed, and pretended to consider things a bit. Then, she asked, “Do you like chocolate.”

“What?”

“Do you like chocolate?”

“Yes… I guess so.”

“Then, find me yourself.”

“What?”

Laughing even more, she waved at him and began running away. Surprisingly, she was a fast runner and disappeared quickly from his sight.

He wanted to follow her, to chase after her, but then decided against it.

He was going to get to know her, but he was going to take it one at a time.

* * * * *

Roan Buenaventura continued running. It started to rain lightly and she wanted to get home as fast as she can. She had never been out this late and she knew Jerick wasn’t going to like it if he found out. The last thing she wanted was getting into a fight with him.

Her steps halted when she reached her house. She let out a sigh of relief and started unlocking the gate, the dark house indicated that everyone else was already fast asleep, which mean that she wouldn’t have to answer to anyone. Not right away, at least.

She locked the gate, ran towards the door, unlocked the door and stepped inside the house. She closed the door carefully and twisted the key slowly, before she started tiptoeing towards the stairs.

But the sight of the tall red-haired man asleep on the sofa stopped her in her tracks. Knowing him, he’d probably worried that she wasn’t home and waited for her.

“Brother?”

At the sound of the voice, Jerick opened his eyes, and his gaze fell on her.

There she was, the person he’d been so worried about all night. Her hair was damp, a result from walking outside under the rain. And he could see her shivering as well.

Not liking what he saw, he quickly got up, swaggered a bit as a result from standing up so abruptly. Ignoring the steady thud in his head, he walked to the bathroom and grabbed a towel. She was still standing at the same spot when he returned.

He handed her the towel, “Here, get yourself dried.”

Wordlessly, she grabbed the towel from Jerick’s hand and started rubbing them on her hair.

“What are you doing, still up at this hour?”

“I was waiting for you.”

“Brother…”

“Where have you been? I thought you don’t have class today.”

“I got a meeting at the library, for my group assignment.”

“The library was closed hours ago.”

“We went to get something to eat afterwards,” then, hesitatingly, she added, “Then I went to the church.”

Jerick almost smacked his head. How could he be so stupid? It was the anniversary. Jose’s death. Roan always went to the church to pray on her brother’s death anniversary. Her blood brother. Her real brother… Jerick had always accompanied her to the church every morning on Jose’s death anniversary, but having received the emergency call early in the morning, he had forgotten all about it. He had wanted to lecture her about being late but the guilt he felt was so overwhelming that his intention merely disappeared.

“Brother, I’m sorry…”

He flashed her a tight smile. He should be the one apologizing, but Roan is Roan, always putting everyone else before her.

“I have an early class tomorrow, I should go to bed now.”

“Make sure you wash your hair before you do. I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

“Okay, Brother… Goodnight…”

“Goodnight…”

She had begun walking up the stairs when he realized he forgot to tell her something.

“Roan,” he called out to her.

“Yes?”

“William stopped by earlier.”

:

:

:

:

:

One day we’ll meet each other…

And it will be a meeting…

That we both would never forget…

A meeting we’d never forget…

If I asked you to follow me…

Would you just reach out your hands and say yes?

If I told you things would get better …

Would you trust me?

If I told you I would get you through it all…

Would you smile back at me?

If I told you I would die for you…

Would you do the same for me?

:

:

:

:

:

Chapter 3
Save Me

William Rozee.

She’d first met him 16 years ago.

She’d first met him when she was 5.

Back when she was still an innocent, trusting child.

It was then that she’d first felt pain.

It was then that she’d first faced death.

* * * * *

“Brother, wait for me!”

The small, wavy-haired girl ran clumsily. Her hair, it was much shorter then, flowed softly behind her. She had tripped and fell several times, but she got up and continued running. There were few bruises and scratches on her arms and legs, results from those falls. Her cute face was smeared with dirt and her legs had started to feel heavier, but she ignored them all.

Because she had one goal.

Looking straight forward, she quickened her steps, wanting to catch up to the laughing dark-haired boy running up ahead.

The boy stopped suddenly and turned his head to look at her and waved. “Hurry up, Roan!”

They had been playing at the park, when Jerick got bored and decided to go play inside the woods instead. At first, Roan had pouted and told him, “Mama’s going to be mad”. But when he said, “I’m going anyway” and started walking away, she’d shouted for him to wait and immediately followed him.

Now they were deep inside the thick woods. Deeper than Jerick himself had ever been before. The adults had strictly instructed them children to never set their foot into the woods at the edge of the town. But, being a stubborn child that he was, Jerick had went into the woods a few times before to catch butterflies and some times, he’d climbed up in trees and listened to the sound of birds. They sang beautifully and he liked them.

Back at school, Jerick never made friends. The kids at school usually teased him about his unusual character, and the fact that he was raised by a single mother seemed to be something they enjoyed making fun of. Once, a kid had called his mother “a whore”, a word he’d known as one of the ‘bad words’, and he’d punched him. He’d punched that kid so hard until his nose bleed.

That night, his mother had scolded him and locked him up in his bedroom, refusing to feed him dinner.

But then, sweet, sweet little Roan had came up knocking on his door, bringing along some chocolate cookies she’d smuggled from the kitchen.

True, he didn’t have many friends then. But he didn’t need any of them. Only one was enough. He needed only Roan. He needed only his little sister. He didn’t care that when other boys got to play football together, he played hide and seek with his little sister.

Yes, Jerick Buenaventura had always been a tough kid. And one who feared nothing at all.

Or so he thought, before that dreadful accident happened.

* * * * *

“Brother!” Roan called out again.

She had lost sight of her brother. He was seven years older than her. He was far stronger, and he ran faster. He’d left her behind, and she started to feel scared, standing there deep in the woods, alone.

She looked around, but there was still no sight of that boy.

“Bro~!”

“Hey, Roan!”

Delighted by the sound of her brother’s voice, she spun around to look at the direction of that voice, and her large black eyes spotted Jerick, up there on a tree.

She called out happily to him, “Brother!”

Jerick smiled down at her, “Come up here, it’s fun!”

Her smile faded, “B-but Brother! I can’t climb.”

“Of course you can. Anyone can climb. It’s natural. You’re just too scared.”

“I’m not!”

“You are.”

“I’m not!”

“Little Roan’s scared.”

“Stop it!”

“Roan is scaaared… Roan’s a scaredy-caaaat…!” Jerick began singing teasingly.

“I said I’m not!”

With that one angry shout, Roan walked towards the tree her brother was on, and wrapped her small arms around its large trunk and started to climb. Slowly, she heaved herself up the large tree, inch by inch, until, to her own surprise, she almost reached Jerick’s resting place.

Jerick watched her, a big grin on his face, secretly proud of his little sister being able to climb. She was as tough as any other boy, he’d thought. In turn, she smiled back at him. But the smile didn’t last long when her small leg suddenly slipped. She lost her balance and fell, screaming.

Jerick stared, wide-eyed, unable to move, unable to do anything. He winced as her small body landed on the ground with a heavy thud. And she just kept screaming that damn bloodcurdling scream, which did nothing to calm his rapidly beating heart.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he called out desperately to her as he hurriedly climbed down the tree. His hands were shaking. He was scared, deeply scared of what he about to see down there.

Boy, was he right.

Roan had landed on her right side, and Jerick could see her right hand oddly twisted under her small body and her right leg, oh God, he could see blood gushing from her wound. There were dead trunks and dried twigs scattered on the ground, and Roan’s legs had unfortunately made contact with the protruding trunks when she fell.

It’s bad. It’s really bad.

“Brother…” she croaked, her voice hoarse from all that screaming, her visions started to get blurry. “Brother… It… It hurts…”

Jerick licked his dry mouth. He was nervous, and he was scared as hell. What do I do? Oh God, oh God, oh God… What do I do?

“Brother… Help me…”

His mind went into an overdrive, trying to figure out ways to help her. To save her. He couldn’t carry her. She might be small, but for a young boy like him, it wouldn’t be easy to carry her through the thick woods. Besides, he had once watched on TV that you shouldn’t move injured people, because there might be broken bones, which in turn could cause internal injuries if the victim weren’t moved in the proper way. And that would definitely be bad. There’s only one solution, but…

Jerick bent over her, and with shaking hands, wiped away the strands of hair, wet with sweat, strewn all across her face. “Roan…”

She moved her head, trying to look at him, but grimaced when she felt a sharp pain in her right leg.

“Roan, listen to me… I’m going back to get help… But I’ll have to leave you here…”

“No. No. No… Brother… Please don’t leave me here. I’m scared…”

“It won’t be long…”

“No… Please…”

“I promise…”

“No… Don’t leave me…” she sobbed. She didn’t want to be left alone in the middle of nowhere. It was getting late, she knew, and she didn’t want to be alone in the dark. She’s heard stories about the jungle. Mama had told her about the fierce animals that existed inside the jungle. “No…”

Ignoring her pleadings, he got up and muttered, “I’m sorry…” With one last glance at her, he ran towards the town.

“Brother… Please, don’t leave me…”

And she lied there, on the ground, crying. In pain. Alone…

* * * * *

Jerick ran non-stop. He’d tripped and fell several times, his clothes were torn, and this time, he was the one suffering from the bruises and scratches all over his hands and legs. His heart felt like they almost burst in his chest, but he ignored the pain. Roan was waiting for him, counting on him to save her, so he must be quick.

He ran, ignoring the stares people gave him as he passed them on the street. He ran, until he reached their house and went straight in, shouting frantically for his mother.

A very young Beatriz Ragasa, was preparing for dinner, humming a happy tune to herself, when her son suddenly came in stumbling into the kitchen in a state of disarray.

“Jerick?”

He bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

Beatriz dropped the ladle she was holding, and rushed over to Jerick’s side, a look of concern flooded her beautiful face.

“Jerick. What’s wrong?”

“Roan…”

Beatriz started to panic, please, don’t tell me something bad is happening to Roan, and grabbed Jerick’s shoulders, forcing him to face her.

“What happened?”

“Roan. Injured. In the woods…”

“What?!”

To Beatriz’s surprise, Jerick started to cry. “Mama, I’m sorry…”

Beatriz flashed an angry look at his son, which caused Jerick’s tears to flow even more, then went to turn off the stove before she grabbed her son’s hand, pulling him roughly behind her.

“I’m going to decide your punishment later. But first, show me where Roan is,” she told him, her voice stern.

Jerick wiped his tears and nodded, not that his mother saw him doing that, and followed her silently as she dragged him across the town into the woods.

Beatriz released her dead grip on Jerick’s hand once they reached the woods. “Bring me to her.”

And together they went into the woods, walking as fast as they can. Jerick was too tired to run anymore, and for Beatriz, it was too hard for her to run inside the thick woods. They both prayed silently that they would find Roan, safe and sound.

But they did not.

Roan was not there. They had reached the spot where she fell and Jerick had left her there. “She was here! I swear!” Jerick told his mother.

But the wavy-haired little girl was not there. She was not there anymore.

* * * * *

Roan opened her eyes. For a moment, her mind couldn’t register what had happened and why she was there, in an unfamiliar surrounding. Then she started to feel a steady throbbing in her right leg, and it all came back to her. She remembered how she’d fell from the tree, injured herself, and was left alone by her brother who’d went to fetch help.

She had passed out. Maybe it was because she’s scared. Maybe it was because of the pain, she didn’t know. But this place, this… is not where he left me!

She started panicking; her black eyes widen and began to look all around her. She was in some kind of cave, and she could feel its coldness creeping up her bones. How did I get here?

It was starting to get dark outside and she hoped that it was some kind human being who had found her lying unconscious in the woods and carried her into the cave to protect her from fierce animals out there. Then suddenly, a shadow loomed over her. Someone had arrived inside the cave. Or something…

Her breath was caught in her throat. There, standing before her, was a huge wolf, its size two times bigger than the wolves she normally saw in TV. She gasped and it looked straight at her with piercing emerald eyes, and those eyes, oddly, to her, almost felt like they were human’s.

She tried to move, wanted to run away, to get away as far as she could from the large beast in front of her. She’d heard that wolves kill people and this one, judging by its enormous size, could easily kill her. Wait, was it the wolf that brought her into this cave. If it did, why? So it could kill me in its home and eat me without intrusions? Oh God, no… Brother, please… Hurry up… Hurry up and save me… Please…

The wolf walked closer to her, she could hear its heavy breathing now, and in the tiniest red ray of the evening sun, shining from outside the cave, she could see that it was, somehow, a very beautiful creature. Its furs, as white as snow falling in the middle of the winter, long and thick, and she was sure if she touch it, it would feel as smooth and soft as it looked. It had a round, black nose, which strangely made her think of snowmen, like the ones she used to make with Jerick. But the most striking feature it has was the piercing emerald eyes. They were the most beautiful pair of eyes she had ever seen. She was very scared, yet oddly fascinated by the beast at the same time.

The wolf moved another step. Now, it was above her. Its piercing eyes gazed into her fear-stricken ones. It is going to kill me. It wanted to eat me, she thought, closing her eyes and prayed that someone would come and save her from the terrifying wolf.

She heard it growl, and winced as she braced herself for the feel of sharp teeth sinking through her flesh. But then she felt something warm and wet on her wound. It’s… It’s licking my wound? Slowly, she squinted her eyes open and saw the most amazing thing. The wolf, the beast she had often thought as a merciless killer, was licking on her wound, as if it was trying to heal her.

“Why?”

Hearing her voice, the wolf stopped licking and turned. To her surprise, it began to nuzzle its wet nose into the slope of her neck, and she giggled. The pain she felt in her leg had subsided a bit, maybe it was because of the licking, she didn’t know, but the wolf’s presence had certainly made her feel at ease. She reached out her left hand, her right one still lay unmoving beside her, and touched its head, rubbing it softly before she started playing with its ears. The beast, in turn, let out a pleased growl.

“Can I keep you? I’ve always wanted a dog… But Mama just wouldn’t let me have one.”

The white wolf let out another soft growl, as if to answer her and she laughed, because if it could speak, it had definitely meant to say a “No!” to her. Mama wouldn’t want to have a large wolf like you as a pet either, she thought.

Then suddenly, the wolf stopped nuzzling her. Its body went stiff. It tilted its head and its ears now stood perking on his head, as if trying to hear something.

“What is it? What did you hear?” she whispered.

Another growl came from the wolf, but this time it wasn’t the same as the pleased ones she’d heard earlier. It sounded as if it was irritated, alarmed, alerted on something that was approaching them. Whatever it was the wolf heard, it was something the beast didn’t like.

“Wolf… Wolfy…?” she whispered again, but the large creature ignored her calling this time. It stepped away from her, turned and leaped forward into the darkness.

* * * * *

“Please, sir… Please help my daughter…” Beatriz pleaded to the police officer in charge of the search for Roan.

She had gone into the woods with Jerick to search for Roan but to her shock, Roan wasn’t where she’d hoped to find her. Then they had both returned to town, this time running, and went straight to the local police station to alert them and ask for help to search for her. Immediately, the police had started a search party to look for the little girl, with help from the few kind local men.

Jerick couldn’t stop crying, telling her how sorry he was. Beatriz wanted to get mad, wanted to scold his son for dragging his little sister into the woods when she’d told him strictly to never go there, and she wanted to scold him for leaving her there even though she knew that there was no better option for him at that moment. Truth was, Beatriz wanted to get mad just because she wanted to drive away the nagging feelings she had that something bad had happened to her beloved little girl. But she was too tired… Simply too tired to even get mad.

Crying wouldn’t do any good either, so she refused to cry. She had wanted to follow the police officers into the woods but they told her to stay. It’s too dangerous, they said. If you want to come with us, do it tomorrow, when the sun was brightly shining and when things were less dangerous inside the woods, they told her.

There was nothing left to do beside waiting… Waiting and praying that they would find her… Praying that she would be alright… Wait, patiently…

* * * * *

In the dark, inside the hollow, cold cave, Roan waited, anxiously, for the big, white wolf to return. It sensed danger approaching, she knew, that was why it stormed out of the cave earlier. Strangely, she didn’t want anything bad to happen to it. She wanted it to be safe. More than anything, she wanted it to return to her side.

Hours after it left her, the wolf returned, limping and whimpering in pain. Roan, who for once in her life was thankful for the bright rays of moonlight shining through into the cave, could see the wolf was wounded. A bullet wound. It was shot. Probably by the hunters, or the poachers her mother had once told her about. Poachers are bad people. They catch animals, and then cut their skins to get the furs so they could use them to decorate their walls. It was a very cruel thing to do, Mama had said. And she agreed.

The injured wolf tried to crawl towards her desperately, but failed. It was weak. It had lost a large amount of blood. Roan could hear it whimpered and it broke her heart, knowing that there was nothing she could do to help. It lay a few feet away from her, its piercing emerald eyes shining, as if pleading her, telling her that it wanted so much to stay alive.

Then its body started twitching, softly at first, but then it became more and more violent. “Wolfy…?” Roan called out worriedly, afraid at the same time that the kind white wolf would die suddenly in front of her eyes.

She had never actually seen any living things died. Even though Mama had told her that her blood brother had died and she was there, she couldn’t remember that incident. She was an infant then, so she was saved from that gruesome memory, saved from having to see an important being for her died before her own eyes. And this wolf… This wolf, had somehow became important to her… She wouldn’t want to see it die. No, please…

Suddenly, the twitching stopped, and Roan saw something unspeakable happened. She saw a transformation. She saw the large beast’s form shrunk gradually, its hind legs shifted into a pair of long muscular human legs, and its front legs formed a pair of long hands, human hands. She saw its paws turned into fingers. She saw as the white thick furs disappeared from the wolf’s large body, revealing a very human, manly body. She watched, transfixed, as the wolf transformed into a handsome young man, his pale skin a contrast to his black hair that almost reached his shoulder, and he still had the same, piercing, emerald eyes.

That was her first encounter with a werewolf, a creature she had thought only existed in storybooks.

“I’m sorry, child… Did I scare you?” the man asked suddenly, reaching out his hand to her, still lying facedown on the ground, naked.

Startled, Roan simply looked at him. He was bleeding, unable to move, in pain, but he was still looking at her with eyes full of concern, looking at her with that captivating eyes of his, and she remembered how that man, in his wolf form had licked her wound earlier. He wouldn’t harm me, she reassured herself, and started to crawl towards him.

Pain shot up through her as she crawled, but she ignored it. She didn’t care if she had caused her bones broken even more. She wanted to be near that man. If any one of them were going to die, they wouldn’t die alone. She wanted to make sure they would at least be by each other’s side. She was still a small child, and she had acted on pure human instinct.

Roan reached the man’s side, and she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her as she rested her back on the cold wall of the cave, ignoring the throbbing pain coursing through her body. The man inched slowly, painfully, until he was able to rest his head uncomfortably in her lap. Roan wanted to stare into his eyes, hoping that they would be able to give her strength, but his body was too large for her to turn over.

And although they were both very much aware of his state of undress, they couldn’t care less. She was an innocent child, where nudity wasn’t a big deal even if she had never saw a naked adult man before, and for him, it was because he was very sure that he would die there in that small child’s arms. He was hit by a silver bullet, shot by those damn hunters and he hoped they wouldn’t be able to track him.

And they stayed inside that cave, day and night, in each other’s arms, injured, their muscles numb and unable to move, starving to death for three days straight.

On the third day, both of them were barely breathing, delirious and were both unconscious when they were found.

* * * * *

“We found them! We found them!”

Beatriz rushed outside when she heard noises outside her house. It was late in the evening and she had almost lost all hope to see Roan again. She was pretty sure that the helpless child would starve to death, if not suffering from pneumonia.

She stepped outside and screamed with delight when she caught sight of poor Roan, in the arms of one young policeman.

“I-Is… Is she okay?” she stuttered, her voice trembling when she saw Roan, unconscious, with blood all over her small body.

“She’s fine, Ms. Ragasa,” the policeman assured her.

“B-b… But the blood~”

“It wasn’t hers.”

“Then whose~”

Her words faded when she noticed a man, wrapped in blanket, was being carried towards her house by few other policemen. “Who’s that?”

“We found him with her. It was his blood on her clothes. They were sheltering inside a cave, which made it hard for us to find as the cave was very well hidden. They were holding each other when we found them. We had to pry them apart. Whoever that man is, I’m sure he’d helped your daughter survive, Ms. Ragasa.”

The policeman never mentioned that the man was found naked.

Then she heard Jerick’s voice, who was asleep on the couch earlier, the boy hadn’t slept for days and she’d let him but it seemed all the ruckus outside the house had wakened him up. He was crying loudly, calling out Roan’s name again and again.

“Bring them both inside. I’ll call the doctor,” Beatriz told the policeman who obediently went inside as she made a call to the local doctor.

* * * * *

Miraculously, Roan and that mysterious man survived the ordeal. Roan was merely injured, and luckily, her bones weren’t broken from that dreadful fall. Even weirder, the man who saved her was healed after two days being treated by the doctor. He’d thanked Beatriz for her kindness when he was about to leave.

“Thank you very much for your hospitality, Ms. Ragasa.”

“It was nothing. You saved my daughter’s life.”

“No. She saved mine.”

“Are you sure you want to leave. You can stay for a few days more.”

He had smiled at her reassuringly. “I heal faster than anyone you know, Ms. Ragasa. I’m sure your daughter will tell you who I really am when she regains consciousness.”

He bowed at Beatriz, and began walking away when she called out to him, “Please, let me know if I can do anything to thank you, sir.”

“In the future, maybe I will. And please don’t call me sir, my name’s William. William Rozee.”

“You can drop by anytime, William.”

“I will.”

* * * * *

William was right. Roan had told her mother and brother, the truth about the mysterious man who was found with her. Even though it was the most outrageous story they both had heard, they believed her. And even though Roan had told them that she had saw William naked, the fact didn’t bother them one bit. They were just too glad that she returned to them alive.

Jerick, who had suffered a punishment of having to clean around the house for being an irresponsible brother, had secretly vowed to himself that from that moment on, he would be stronger so that he could protect people he loved. His mother and his little sister. He vowed to get stronger so he wouldn’t have to rely on any other men to save them, and seeing the dedicated and brave policemen at work, he’d made up his mind that he wanted to work as a cop when he grew up.

* * * * *

That was how she’d met him.

In the moment of death, they had formed an unbreakable bond. Aside from her family, William was the person Roan trusted the most.

After that incident, he had visited their place a couple of times over the years. He’d even helped her family when they faced their hardest times. William turned out to be a wealthy young man, an aspiring businessman. He offered money to help expand Beatriz’s small chocolate shop, and she accepted. She was reluctant at first, but then William had told her, “Think of it as an investment from me.”

Every time he visited, he would ask to see Roan. He enjoyed her company, and so did she. Throughout the years, they had become even closer friends, and he would often bring her out for dinner. Despite knowing the truth about the man, Beatriz and Jerick never doubted that she would be safe with him. After all, William was the man they owed her life to.

And, a month ago, while they were dining on his private yacht, he’d asked for Roan’s hand in marriage.

Beatriz was glad, and Jerick approved. Roan herself was not sure. William had indeed become a very close friend, a friend she’d trusted with her life. She enjoyed his presence, but she was sure he had never made her felt anything like love.

“Do you love me, then?” she’d asked him.

He looked at her, his emerald gaze as captivating as ever. “I don’t believe in love,” he said. “And I don’t think it was a necessity in marriage. Marriage is a long-time companionship, and trust is more important than love to keep the companionship strong. And you, Roan, you, I trust you with my life. I trust you with every fiber in my being.”

Then he kneeled down in front of her. “And for you, I would gladly die,” he declared.

He was right. Their relationship was based solely on trust, and it was something precious to her. As he would die for her, she too, wouldn’t hesitate to risk hers. They had formed a deep bond, as they lied inside that cave, in their near-death hours, something unexplainable to other people. But still, she had to be sure.

“How often would you find a good-looking, wealthy man who’s willing to pamper you with all the riches in the world? I want you to live well, and I’m sure you’d live well with him, dear. And sometimes, sometimes, being in love just aren’t enough.” Those were her mother’s words when she’d told her about William’s proposal.

“He is the only man I trust. I’m sure he would take care of you,” was Jerick’s answer.

“Oh, Roan… What else were you thinking about? That man is willing to die for you! He might not call that love, but I don’t think his willingness to suffer for you can be called something else! Do you need a bigger reason than that to say yes to him?” Shara Pajarillaga, her best friend had shook her body violently as she said those words, just to make sure Roan got her points across.

And so, she said yes to him.

She had agreed to marry William Rozee.

:

:

:

:

:

Between love and trust, which one would you choose?

Between calm and chaos, which one would you follow?

Between coldness and the heat of the fire, which one would you embrace?

To be who I wish to be…
To do things I want to be done…
To achieve everything I longed for…
Is that possible?
For me, whose life is not mine to control?
For me, whose destiny is clearly spelled out?
:
:
:
:
:

He was obsessed.

For the first time in his very long life, Joey became obsessed with a woman. A wavy-haired woman he’d met at the church, a woman who wouldn’t even tell him her name.

It had only been a day since he’d met her but he couldn’t stop thinking of her. She was practically everywhere. He’d dreamed countless dreams of her in one night, and he kept seeing her face even when he was awake.

Joey sat up straight on his bed and ruffled his already messy black hair. With sleepy legs, he crept out of bed and went to stare out the window, basking in the warmth of the sun, a scowl firmly plastered on his face, which often mistakenly perceived as rudeness or a sign of dislike by people who had just met him. Not that he paid much attention to what other people think of him anyway.

Except for that woman… I certainly would like to know what she thinks of me… I want to know whether she dreamed of me last night, just like I did…

This has got to stop, he said to himself. He’s got a reputation to keep, and should his friends know he was obsessing over that mysterious beauty, they would never let him live it down.

Then he heard something. Familiar voices. Down in the hallway. Speaking of the devils…

Oh shit! Joey eyed the scattered papers all around his bedroom. He had forgotten all about that. He had been sketching faces of that woman every time images of her invaded his mind. If his friends saw this…

“JOOOOO….!!!!”

Holy crap! Joey threw himself on the floor and grunted when his body made contact with the hard floor.

“EEEEEEYYY…!!!!”

Joey’s veins pulsed.

“JOEYYYY!!!!”

No! His hands were now frantically gathering the papers on the floor. Shit! Did I really draw this much sketches of her?

“JOEY! JOEY! JOEY!! JOEY! JOEY! JOEY!!!”

Panicking, he quickly rolled the papers in his hands. I’m doomed…

Someone came bursting through the door and made a dash towards him.

Joey, noticing the blob of brown hair making way towards him, stepped away at the last minute, causing the shadow to trip on the remaining papers on the floor and fall forward with a heavy thud.

“You’re MEAN!! Why did you avoid me!!?”

“Who would be stupid enough NOT to avoid you!?” Joey snapped, causing the brown-haired man to suddenly shed tears.

“Why? Joey, I thought we’re best buddies…”

Ignoring the crying man on the floor, Joey returned his gaze towards the door as another man, a small man with dark black hair entered, and smiled as he greeted him, “Good morning, Joey.”

Following him closely was a very tall, large, dark-skinned young man with disheveled brown hair that covered his eyes, who merely nodded at Joey and muttered a simple, “Yo!”

A small smile began to form on Joey’s previously scowling face, evidently pleased to see the three men. They were his best friends, whom he’d known them ever since he was a child. They grew up together and their relationship was more of brothers’ than that of friends’.

Mark was the smallest of the lot. Well-groomed, soft-spoken, and always smiling kindly, with a charming personality to match, was popular with the ladies. He enjoyed the attention he got from the opposite sex and would often brag about it, just so he could annoy Robert.

Robert was the one who rushed towards Joey earlier. To his friends, he was a perverted, oversexed young man. He was always trying to impress the ladies and he got overexcited over any females with, um…, generous upper-body assets. He was one of those guys who appeared funny even without even trying, famous for pulling crazy antics; he overreacted and whined over small matters, and might seemed cowardice at times. As annoying as he can be at times, Joey wouldn’t trade him for any other person, for he had demonstrated his endless loyalty and had been Joey’s constant source of support, along with the other two men.

However, amongst the three of them, Darwin Fulgar was the closest to Joey, the one he seek first whenever he had the need to talk to someone. Quiet and observant, calm yet strong, the large man was the gentlest creature Joey had ever known. Despite his outwardly bestial appearance, he had the softest heart and he was crazy over small, cute, cuddly, and Miley Cyrus things, which sometimes seemed quite weird to Joey.

But no matter how weird they might be, they were the ones who mattered to him most in the world.
Robert, who had stopped crying, was looking intently at the papers scattered over the floor. He knew that Joey always loved drawing. But he’d never seen, hell, he’d never expected that Joey would draw a… woman? And there were so MANY sketches of her… Bet those papers in his hand were of her too… Hm…

“So this was why you refused to hang out with us lately?”

“What!?” Shit! I totally forgot! “No, of course not! I just didn’t fell like going out.” Suddenly feeling uneasy when he saw his friend eyeing the drawings, Joey blurted without thinking, “Robert, put that down! I don’t want your dirty hands to smear my drawings.”

“That’s not a nice thing to say! By the way, what IS this?” Robert held up a sketch.

Mark, who had gained interest in the drawings picked one up and began scrutinizing it. “Hm… Not bad. Could it be that you’re…”

“~not gay?” Darwin finished for him, causing Joey to choke on his own saliva. The usually quiet large man was holding yet another sketch. How much of those sketches did I draw anyway?


“THE HELL!!? Of course I’m not gay! Why would you think I am? And you! Darwin, I can’t believe you think of me that way!”

Mark shrugged his shoulder and replied nonchalantly, “It’s just that, you never showed any interest in the opposite sex before.”

“And all those times those girls with amazing boobs chasing after you, you would just ignore them! If you’re not gay, then you must be blind! GAHH!!”

Joey’s fist had landed on Robert’s face. “Idiot! It’s just that I’m not as sex-crazed as you are!”

“Anyway, this is a nice development. Who is this girl? Is she a model?”

“I don’t know.”

“If anything, I’m glad that she caught your eyes. She’s quite a looker. I would date her if you don’t.”

“Mark! Don’t you dare!”

“Ah… Possessive, aren’t we?” Mark teased, raising an eyebrow.

Joey blushed, causing his friends to exchange looks. They never knew that black-haired idiot could blush.

“Anyway, I’ve never seen this one around.” Turning his eyes towards Robert, Mark asked, “Have you, Robert?”

“No. A goddess with a rack like that would have never escaped my keen eyes.”

“Don’t you mean your PERVERTED eyes?”

“Joey! You misjudged me! You hurt my feelings…” Robert’s tears almost fell out again. “Is it so wrong to appreciate the beauty of human anatomy? I’m a normal, healthy man…”

For the second time, his friends simply ignored him. Mark averted his gaze towards his black-haired friend. “Is she one of us?”

“I don’t know.”

“Be careful, Joey. And remember, never got involved with them. It’s too complicated. You should have learned that from her.”

“I know.”

Mark flashed Joey an assuring smile. “She’s really beautiful though.”

Darwin muttered an agreement and flashed an okay sign with his thumb, smiling, causing Joey to smile back.

“Don’t you think I already knew that?”

Yes, she was the most beautiful woman he had seen, and he had seen many in his lifetime, but none had kept him hooked like that. He had never been in any romantic relationship with women, perhaps because he found them uninteresting, unlike her. There was something so captivating, so attractive about her. Maybe it’s the warmth radiating from her smile, he wasn’t quite sure. And her scent… To him, she smelled like a nice person. And he was glad his friends like her… wait, his friends…?

“Come to think about it, what are you guys doing here?”

“It’s just that we missed you, Joey!” came Robert’s reply, causing yet another fist to land on his face, and this time it was Mark’s.

“Your uncle told us to come.”

“Yeah, he wanted you to come with us and attend a party,” Mark elaborated on Darwin’s words. “It was held by the others.”

Joey sighed. Attending social events weren’t exactly his thing, and he never cared who hosted that damn thing. “I don’t want to.”

“Aww… Come on, we’d get to meet some hot, big-breasted beauty.” Then, almost as an afterthought, Robert added, “I might get lucky this time.”

“Yeah, you wish.”

“This sort of activity is necessary for you to learn. After all, you’re our future leader,” Mark pressed on.

“Shut up! I said I don’t want to!”

“Joey…”

“ENOUGH!!”

Silence engulfed the room.

Mark bowed, realizing that Joey might get mad if he pushed the matter further. “I apologize for my disrespectful manner.”

Darwin, realizing the tension riding in the air, opened his mouth and said calmly. “Joey, you know that he’s just thinking for your sake.”

Joey exhaled deeply. It’s just that he hated to be reminded of the burdens he had to bear and of the future paved clearly ahead of him. “I know. I’m sorry…”

“Well, it doesn’t matter then. We’ll just do another fun thing!”

“WHAT?” Everyone asked simultaneously, glaring at Robert.

“We can hit on chicks! Make it a competition between us, just like that TV show and find out, who, among us is the best when it comes to picking up the ladies. Then we can invite them all to come over and have an amazing party of our own!”

Joey and Mark groaned. Darwin merely smirked. Trust Robert to lighten up the atmosphere whenever it got too thick.

“Never suggest a game that you would surely lose, Robert,” Darwin remarked coldly, causing everyone, including Robert himself, to burst out laughing.

“Or… Hey, Joey. Why don’t you tell us about your girlfriend?”

Reddened, Joey retorted, “She’s not my girlfriend! And honestly, I don’t know anything at all about her…”

“Really?”

Yes, he didn’t know anything about her, and he’s dying to know her, to see her again, to get close to her, to spend times with her… But how was he supposed to do that? She’s said to find her himself, and the only clue she gave him was chocolate. Hmm… Chocolate… Chocolate… Whatever could THAT mean?
* * * * *
For someone unfamiliar with its surroundings, the morgue could be a very uncomfortable, even a scary place to be in. It was a dark, cold, and an eerily quiet place. Jerick himself had always disliked being in the morgue, but it wasn't because he's scared or anything, it's merely because of the atmosphere inside the morgue. It reeked with air of lifelessness, and Jerick hated that.
But of course, being a man of the law and all that, he could never avoid going there. Which is exactly why he was inside that damn place, eyes staring involuntarily at the lifeless body that was yet to be identified.

Averting his gaze away from the body, he turned to look at the man beside him, clad in a white lab coat. “What have you find out so far?”

Justine cleared his throat, “Well, we've confirmed that the wounds discovered on the victim weren't inflicted by tools or using any sort of weapons.”

“In other words...”

“I don't know how the killer did it, but it was most likely done using his bare hands.”

“Is that possible? I mean, I saw the wounds and there is no way that can be done by human beings~”

“Unless they have claws, yes.”

“Claws?” Jerick stared at Justine as if he had suddenly sprouted two heads.

“Yes, claws. Unimaginably long and large, sharp claws. That's the only possible explanation I can come up with right now. However, like you said, it’s impossible for humans to deliver those fatal wounds, claws or no claws. Unless your claws were like those of Wolverine’s.”

“Is it caused by animals, then?”

It’s a possible explanation. Though the killings seemed to be premeditated and carefully executed even if the crime scenes turned out to be quite a mess, so I don't know if it's done by an animal after all. Besides, don’t you think we’d already have reports regarding wild animals running around if there really IS one?”

“No prints, no DNA traces from the killer?”

“Nope.”

“Victim’s identity?”

“My assistant’s still working on that.”

“Which means you guys still have no idea at all regarding this case.”

“Sadly, yes.”

Jerick sighed and glanced again at the still body laid upon the chilled morgue table. Poor soul, he thought.

“I'm sorry, Jerick.”

Startled, Jerick inhaled deeply. He seldom got carried away like that. But somehow this case had gotten on his nerves. He had a nagging feeling that whoever did those killings, it wasn't done for vengeance or other motives. Whoever did it, it was simply done for fun. Killing for fun… Geez, who the hell could have done that?

“It's okay, Justine. I'm merely thinking of what kind of a heartless person could do all this.”

“Don't let yourself affected by it. I know that by far, this is our most baffling case and the cruelest one at that, but remember, to catch the killer, you have to remain objective. The deeper you're emotionally affected the less clearer you'll be able to think, which could be an advantage for the killer, or killers.”

“I know,” Jerick flashed a weak smile at Justine. “Thanks.”

Justine smiled back. Despite his rough outward appearance, Jerick was a very kind person. “Hey, about that offer for dinner. Is it still open?”

“What?” Then, remembering their conversation on the day they discovered the body, Jerick quickly added, “Oh, of course, I'll just tell mother to cook extra for dinner tomorrow.”

“Hm... I've always enjoyed your mother's cooking.”

“Good. Just stop by at 8~”

Jerick's words stop midair, as the morgue door suddenly burst open and a small, short-haired woman, dressed in an outfit similar to Justine's, looking all flushed and nervous, popped her head in. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Justine, but someone's here to see Mr. Buenaventura.” Then, addressing Jerick, she added, “I told her you're busy and to come by later, or maybe call first but she refused to go.”

Whoever could that be? “It's okay, we're done anyway. Justine, don't forget dinner tomorrow.”
Waving his hand once, Jerick began following the flushed girl and who walked towards the office. Justine’s assistant, MC, pushed open the office door and held it so Jerick could look inside. As soon as he saw the person waiting for him, his jaw almost dropped. “You!!!”

The small, black-haired woman looked up, and her brown eyes widened when she caught sight of Jerick. She smiled brightly at him and, to Jerick's annoyance, waved her hands enthusiastically.
“Mr. Buenaventura! It's so nice to see you again!” she called out to him in an oddly high-pitched voice.

Jerick cringed. His eyebrows twitched. What the hell is she doing here? He turned, and noticed the lab assistant girl looking at him, slightly confused. Her eyes darted back and forth between Jerick and the woman on the sofa. Jerick sighed, they obviously didn’t get much visitors around here. “Ms. Capale, it's okay, I know her,” he said, forcing a reassuring smile. The girl in turn nodded and relaxed a little. However, her expression changed again when she saw Jerick grab the raven-haired woman's arm and drag her outside the building.

“Ow! Ow! Let go of me! That's not a nice thing to do!”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jerick blurted harshly, ignoring her complaints.

“Nothing.”

Jerick tightened his grip on her, causing her to scream again. They were standing by the road now. A few people passing by turned to look at them, hearing her screams, but quickly walked away, scared by Jerick's death glare.

“Stop doing that! Geez, I don't know how you could be a cop. You act more like a criminal, that’s for sure.”

Jerick was about to snap at her but stopped when he noticed changes on her arm, or specifically, the area where he grabbed her had turned white. He quickly released her and guilt swept over him as he watched color returned to her arms.

Rubbing her arms, the woman told him, “I came here to thank you.”

“There's no need. I was merely performing my duty.”

“You're being too kind, Mr. Buenaventura.”

“Quit acting all sweet and innocent. I saw you at your worst moment, and I know that you’re not the ladylike type. Hell, you even cursed more than I usually did last night. So there's absolutely no need to control yourself while around me. Besides, seeing you acting like that just gives me the creeps.”

“I was just trying to be nice to someone who helped me.” The petite woman shrugged her shoulder. “Whatever. I brought you lunch.”

For the first time since he saw her at the office, Jerick noticed she was holding something in her hand, wrapped neatly with a cloth. Come to think about it, he hadn't eaten at all since morning and he'd woken up late and missed breakfast.

“I'm not hungry,” he told her, but almost as soon, just like a cruel joke, his stomach gave out a low, grumbling sound, contradicting his earlier statement.

The woman in front of him, who at first was startled by the sound, cupped her mouth and began laughing hysterically, causing Jerick to turn red.

“Shut up!”

Wiping her tears away, a result from her laughing like a mad woman, she managed to blurt out, “I'm sorry.”

Jerick stood in silence. He had never embarrassed himself like this, especially not in front of the female species.

“You stop being so goddamn stupid, Jerick. You're hungry.”

“Okay,” Jerick agreed, scratching his head awkwardly.

Seeing his uneasiness, the petite woman almost burst out into a giggling fit yet again, but managed to control herself. She walked over to the bench just by the road and plopped herself down lightly. Then she motioned Jerick to come over and sit beside her. The man in turn followed obediently.
She handed over the small bundle in her hand to Jerick who accepted it quietly, his face still red and burning with shame. “Go on, open it,” she told him as she watched him unwrapping the cloth, revealing a lunchbox.

Jerick opened the box as instructed, but his jaw dropped when he saw the content. “What on earth’s name is this?”

“What? It's just lunch.”

“Well, it looks weird. The rice, I mean.”

“What? Don't you dare insult me, or my cooking! I spent hours in the kitchen to make that damn thing!”

Jerick pulled out rice from the box and held it up. “I'm not stupid. This is not what normal rice looks like.”

The whole thing was shaped like a human’s head, unlike its usual shape, and instead of wrapping, she had shaped the whole thing into small pieces, and placed the pieces on the rice ball, forming what seemed like a pair of eyes, nose and a mouth. She even cut long, tiny pieces of black pepper and put them on top, which reminded Jerick, oddly, like his hair.

“It is normal rice. I just added my own creativity to give it that unique appearance.”

Hell, why would she sound so proud over something so weird like that?

“Didn't your mother ever teach you to never judge things just by how they looked like, Jerick?”

“Well...”

“Eat, then.”

“Y-y-you don't expect me to eat this, do you? I mean, is it even edible? What if I died after eating this?”

“Of course it is! Edible, I mean.”

Jerick looked warily at the weird-looking thing in his hand. Slightly annoyed, the petite woman grabbed the lunchbox and picked up one of the rice and popped it into her mouth, munching it furiously. “See? I'm not dead, aren't I?” she asked him sarcastically.

Braving himself, Jerick popped the thing into his mouth and munched cautiously while the woman watched him expectantly.

“Well, it tastes like normal rice.”

“What the hell do you expect?” the woman shouted at him, annoyed.

Ignoring the look she shot at him, Jerick began eating the rice one by one, savoring the taste. “Hmm… They’re good, despite how they look like.”

“Don’t just eat the rice! Eat the meat and vegetables too!”

They sat in silence as Jerick munched hungrily on his lunch, his uneasiness earlier was long forgotten.

“I made the rice to look like you.”

“What?” Jerick mumbled, still munching furiously.

“I wanted to make something special, to thank you for what you have done for me. Not for kicking Earl out, but for staying with me and comforting me when I cried.”

Jerick stopped chewing on his food and opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
“So I decided to make something that represents you. But I was crying so badly last night that everything else was so blurry. All I could remember was that your name's Jerick Buenaventura, that you’re a cop, and all I could picture was your hair and huge body that stuck out like a sore thumb.”

“Hey, watch your words! I’m proud of my – !”

“I didn't even say anything bad about you! I just said you stuck out!”

“You damn midget! Is this how you show your grateful feelings for someone who helped you?”

“You're the one making this hard for me! I tried my best to be nice but~”

“Hey, thanks for the lunch.”

Startled, she stared wide-eyed at him. Jerick was smiling sincerely at her. “Thanks for last night,” she replied.

“You know, we never introduced ourselves properly.” Jerick stood up, offered his right to her and bowed, “I’m Jerick Buenaventura. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Phoebe Sison,” the woman smiled at him, shaking his hand gently.

“How did you find me, anyway?” he asked out of curiosity.

“Let's just say I hunt you down by your scent,” Phoebe said mysteriously, grinning.

“What are you, a dog? Or are you some sort of a stalker?”

“The hell? I'll kill you!”

“If you do that, you'll be a killing, stalking dog.”

“JERICK!!!”
* * * * *
She hated parties.

And she hated attending all those stupid social events, where everyone tried to dress their best and ended up dressed their worst, where everyone put on heavy makeup in order to look their best, only to end up looking even sillier than when they were without makeup. Most of all, she hated having to get engaged in fake conversations where everyone was actually force to say polite things to one another when truth is, they didn’t even like each other.
If it weren’t for Will, she would have refused the invitation.

He had dropped by yesterday to give her the invitation card, but she wasn't home so he left the card, along with a little gift for her, with Jerick. Then earlier this morning, he gave her a call, just in case she didn't get what he left, he told her.

She had wanted to say no, wanted to tell him that she hated going to those dinner parties, that she had never enjoyed every single one she attended. But before she could do that, he'd said, “Please say yes, for my sake. This one, tonight, is very special for me.”

And she said yes.

It seemed that when it came to Will, the only word she was capable of saying was 'yes'. And now, she would have to get ready for tonight's dreadful event, she thought, as she walked lazily towards the dressing table and sat down.

Sighing, Roan grabbed the gift box Will left for her last night. It was a very beautiful box, white, with little red hearts printed all over it, and it was tied with a large red ribbon. She shook the box, but heard nothing. Whatever could be in it?

Then slowly, she began to untie the ribbon and lifted the top of the box gingerly. When she saw what was inside, she gasped.

It was a dress. A red dress, no less. Will seemed to have a penchant for anything red, and he'd always told her that he loved seeing her in red. She even once joked, “Then you must be crazy about my brother’s hair!”, and that had earned her a light pinch on the arm from him. With shaky hands, she lifted the dress up. [A/N: Brother – Jose.. I know, he has red hair… LOL! :shocked:]

It was a very beautiful dress, and it looked really expensive to her, which of course, was nothing for a thriving businessman like Will. It was a full-length, red silk dress, strapless, and tied at the side of the waist. The bust line was quite low and she wasn't so confident about showing her cleavage. Unlike her mother who was proud of her curves and flaunted them every chance she got, she was very reserved when it came to revealing her body.

As if she heard Roan’s thoughts, the bedroom door suddenly swung open and a very excited Beatriz rushed into the room. She made a beeline towards the stunned beauty sitting in front of the mirror and hugged her in a tight embrace.

“Ow! Ow! Ow...!”

The door swung open again and in came a dark-haired young woman who immediately followed suit. Roan was now crushed between the two women who seemed determined to knock the life out of her.

After what felt like a long time for Roan, the two women released the wailing, flailing beauty. Roan for one was grateful that she was still alive, and two, because all of her bones remained intact.

“That hurts... Never ever do that again. Both of you,” after a pause, she added, “Please.”

“Oh, Roan. Please forgive your beautiful Mama. I was just too excited when I heard that you were going to a dinner party with Will.” Then, noticing the dress Roan dropped on the floor when she was being crushed earlier, the elder woman squealed excitedly, “This is the dress he got you? It’s gorgeous!”

Holding the dress to her body, Beatriz began dancing around excitedly.

“It's not like we've never been to one before,” Roan said matter-of-factly.

“But this one is different. This is the first you guys went to after you accepted his proposal.”

“Yes, Roan. This is the first one you’ll attend officially as Will's fiancée!”

“Shara!”

“Awww!” both Beatriz and Shara squealed in delight.

Roan was blushing madly. Shara was right. This dinner party would be the first one they attend after the marriage proposal. Is that why she was feeling so nervous and out of place today? Will rarely showed his affection for her, especially not in public, but he had insisted that she attended this one with him, no, he even pleaded... Could it be...? Could it be that he planned to introduce her as the woman he's going to marry?

“Aww... Look at her... She's blushing... It's so great to be young...”

“Mama, you're not that old!”

“Oh, Shara! You can see right through me...”

“Well, I am your favorite child, aren't I?”

Amid the laughs and squeals, Roan smiled as she watched them. Her family was an odd one. There were four people in her family; herself, Beatriz, Jerick, and her best friend, Shara. The only ones related by blood, somehow, were Beatriz and Jerick. She herself was brought into the family when she was still a toddler, while Shara was left in Beatriz's care when her birthparents died in a fire.
As odd a family as they were, she felt happy and loved with them. Most of all, she was grateful that such an angel like Beatriz existed. She knew the beautiful woman had sacrificed a lot to raise the three of them. She had never remarried and dedicated her life to manage her little chocolate shop, which was the only source of income that helped her in raising her beloved children. And of course, after Roan met Will, her burdens had been lifted a little, since Will helped to develop her small business by investing in it, and every single expense needed for Roan, he paid for them. Recently, he even paid the expenses for her enrollment at the university.

Sometimes, Roan felt she owed too much to Will. It's kind enough he helped her mother and even paid for her expenses, to make matters worse, he loved showering them, especially her, with expensive gifts. When she said he gave her too much, he simply told her, “I have money, don't so it’s not a big deal for me.” She always knew he was rich but somehow knowing that did little to ease her feelings. To owe that much to someone…, it was like an attachment she couldn’t break out of.

“Roan! Stop spacing out!”

“Eh..?”

“Get ready!!” Beatriz shouted teasingly.

“Eh...!?”

“We're here to make you look beautiful!!”

“Yay! Makeover time!!”

Oh God...
:
:
:
:
:
Regrets…
Wouldn’t want to live my life filled with them…
I just want to embrace my life they way it is…
But why…
Oh, why?
Why do I keep wondering if things could have been different…?



[b]Author's Notes (A/N): Hmm... thanks for reading! Patabaing baboy ni Will si Mama Roan.. Just kidding. Hope y'all enjoyed it.

To desire someone – to desire someone wholeheartedly,

Isn’t it the true pain of loving?

If you could just let go of those binding emotions,

Then you can just sit back quietly and watch the world pass you by.

But it’s not that way…


Even if he suddenly died, Joey Gonzalez would die a very happy man.

And even if he really were to die, Joey Gonzalez got absolutely nothing to complain about.

And for once in his life, Joey Gonzalez was very glad that he had decided to listen to his uncle and that he decided to attend that dreadful dinner party.

Because right now, on his bed, in his arms, was the girl of his dreams, and he wouldn’t have met her if he hadn’t been to that party. Funny how a decision you made in a few seconds could change your whole life forever.

“Are you bored?” she asked suddenly, jolting him out of his thoughts.

“What? Oh, of course not. I was merely lost in thoughts.”

“Hm…”

She's so beautiful. Yes, he’d met a lot more beautiful girls before but in his eyes, they were nothing compared to this one. She had that warm, calming presence around her that made him feel at ease when he was around her, yet seeing her would make his heart race a thousand times faster. No other women had managed to make him feel this way.

To think that he had spent his time thinking endlessly of her, dreaming of her, wishing to see her again and all that time, there was always a sinking feeling, a fear that all those wishes would never come true. But now… now, she’s here. And she’s mine…

Then, she asked again, in that oh so soft voice of hers, “Do you think I should leave?”

“No!” Calm down, Joey. “Spend the night with me,” he pleaded softly.

“I don’t know…”

The wavy-haired beauty stood up at the edge of his bed, fidgeting nervously with the hem of her dress, her eyes darted indecisively between Joey’s and the door.

There she goes again. Looking so damn cute being nervous like that… And she was blushing so much… I’m so lucky…

Joey sat up on his bed and held out his hand. He grabbed her smaller one and pulled her gently towards him. She hesitated at first, but only briefly, and then she walked to his side and sat down next to him…

With his free hand, Joey reached out and began caressing her face slowly. When his calloused fingers made contact with her soft, smooth, delicate skin, she shuddered and he could see her goose bumps. Hell, he’s experiencing the same reaction too. “Do you know you look stunningly beautiful tonight?”

She smiled innocently at him and began shaking her head, causing a few strands of hair to fall upon her face. Damn.

He swept away those strands of hair gently, and whispered, “You are, by far, the most beautiful, the sweetest, and the most clueless person I’ve ever met.”

“Hm… I like the beautiful and sweet part, but I’m not so sure whether I like being called clueless.”
Smirking, Joey leaned closer, his hands still cupping her face, “Then maybe we should test you to prove otherwise.”

She looked up defiantly at him with her very gorgeous gray eyes. Eyes that Joey felt raking through his very soul. “Fine, test me.”

“Well, guess what I’m about to do now.”

“Huh?”

“If you’re not so clueless, you should be able to guess what I’m about to do to you right now.”

“Eh? Y-You… you want to offer me some tea?”

Joey slapped his forehead. She is clueless.

“Wrong! I’m about to kiss you.”

With that, Joey captured her soft, plump, pink lips with his mouth, causing the stunned beauty to gasp, taken aback, allowing Joey more access to taste her.

She tried to protest at first. Her hands were holding the front of his shirt tightly, trying to push him away. She whimpered, trying to tell him to stop, but the sounds she made only aroused him more. Groaning, Joey kissed her more, feeding on her delicious mouth like a beggar being given food after days of starvation.

And slowly, she stopped protesting.

Instead, she gave in to the pleasure and began returning his hungry kisses, just as passionately as his.

She whimpered no more. Her brain was no longer functioning properly. All rational thoughts were thrown out the window. She was drowning in his kisses, and all she could do was moaning his name over and over again.

“Joey…”

“Mmm… Say it…”

“Joey…”

:
:
:

“Joey!”

“More…”

“Joey!”

He felt someone slap his face. What the hell?

Now his body was being shaken violently. What’s going on?

Feeling weird, he opened his eyes and saw something brown… No, it wasn’t light brown, it’s dark brown. And instead of seeing long tresses belonged to the beauty he was madly kissing before , it’s short? Wait… Robert?

He was staring into Robert's face, who looked almost as shocked as he is.

“Where is she?”

“What do you mean? You were sleeping alone when I came in.”

“Where am I?”

“In your own room, of course.”

As he regained his senses, he began to feel something heavy, pinning him down. His eyes went wide when he realized the situation he was in. “What the hell are you doing ON TOP OF ME!!? You pervert!”

“Hey! It’s y~”

“Get off me!”

Joey pushed hardly, sending the other man to land on the floor. Robert grunted but Joey paid no attention whatsoever. Falling on his bedroom floor was not something that never happened to Robert anyway. More importantly, he was too busy rethinking events. What if he had done some stupid things earlier, like… kiss Robert?

Holding his hands to his head, Joey began screaming like a madman. “No!”

Robert, who had risen from the floor was watching his friend curiously. This is new, he thought amusedly. Joey’s being such a fool.

“You were dreaming something naughty, weren’t you?”

“It’s none of your business! Don’t put me in the same league as you!” Joey shouted accusingly, finger pointed straight at Robert’s face.

“Fine. At least I’m man enough to admit my healthy interests in the ladies.”

Joey’s hand went back to his head, holding them as if he was suffering from a major headache.
“Ugh!! What have I done? Why didn’t you run away? Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?”

“Stop playing the innocent cards,” Robert said matter-of-factly, and went to sit on a chair opposite the bed, staring his crazy friend in the eyes. “I came here to wake you up. When I reached your door, I heard strange noises, so I became worried. That’s why I rushed to your bed. When I tried to shake you, you grabbed my hand and pulled me. Then you started kissing me,” Robert ended his words with a disgusted expression on his face.

“K-k-k- kiss you?” Joey stuttered in disbelief.

“Yup. You kissed me smack on my mouth.”

Joey went blue involuntarily, and made a dash towards the bathroom. In a matter of seconds, all Robert could hear were gagging sounds coming from there.

This could be fun, Robert thought wickedly, and got up. He walked straight to the bathroom and saw Joey on the floor with his head inside the toilet bowl, trying to force the content of his stomach out.

What a sight! “Oh, quit acting so dramatically! You were enjoying our kiss very much just now. I tried to pull away but you held me tight, and with your tongue, you started to…”

“Stop that, you idiot! There’s no way in hell I could enjoy kissing you!”

“Joey, you’re so mean! I thought we’re lovers…” Robert said in a mocking tone, causing the other man to gag again.

Unable to contain it anymore, Robert burst out laughing. Joey looked up at his friend. Realizing he was being played, he pulled a tissue and wiped off his mouth. He got up and looked menacingly at his best friend.

“Did something really happen?”

Still laughing, Robert shook his head. Joey wanted to lash out his anger caused by the humiliation, but decided against it. None of this was Robert’s fault. It was the result of his own stupidity, being so caught up in that girl…

Joey walked passed Robert and plopped himself on his bed. His best friend followed him and took a seat at the chair he previously sat on. “Look, I’m sorry, dude. I just couldn’t resist it.”

“It’s okay. But none of this is to be told to any other person, got it?” Joey asked threateningly. Robert, in turn, nodded obediently.

“Again, why are you here?”

“Your uncle told me to wake you up and then head over to the party with you.”

“I’m not going.”

“Joey…”

“Don’t push me. Are Darwin and Mark going?”

“If you won’t, we won’t too.”

“Good.”

“Erm… Joey?”

“What?”

“You should put your trousers on. That is pretty… unsightly?”

“What?” Following the direction of Robert’s pointing finger, Joey caught sight of the, erm…, huge bulge between his legs.

And for the second time ever since Joey Gonzalez woke up, the whole house was filled by a deafening scream.

“NO!!!!”

* * * * *

“You okay?”

Startled, the young beauty looked up at the sound of the voice, and her large gray eyes locked with the man’s piercing emerald gaze. “Eh? I’m fine,” she answered him.

William flashed her woman a small smile, “You’re quieter than usual.”

“I guess I’m just nervous about the party.”

“Don’t be.” Then, after a considerable pause, he added, “You look really beautiful tonight.”

“T-t-thanks…”

William let out a small laugh, “Are you really that nervous? It’s not like you’ve never been to a dinner party before.”

Roan laughed nervously as a reply. She intended to show him that she was not nervous but instead, the laugh sounded all wrong to her own ear.

“I like it when you pull your hair up like that. And that red dress suits you really well.”

“Eheheh… You do? I wanted to let my hair loose but Mom and Shara advised me against it.”

“I prefer your hair like this.”

And she hated her hair pulled up. She loved her long silky tresses and was proud of it. She preferred them loose.

They were inside William’s insanely luxurious car, and he was driving towards the location of the party. He’d planned on asking his driver to drive them there and picked her up in his limousine, but decided differently at the last minute. He enjoyed driving himself and more importantly, it would mean he would have some time alone with the gorgeous lady who was now sitting nervously in the passengers’ seat. His bodyguards were reluctant letting him leave the house alone too. They were always too concerned about his safety. He knew very well that he could defend himself should there be harm coming his way. And Roan… he would rather die than let anything happen to her.

“How much farther is it?”

William looked questioningly at her.

“The hotel, I mean. Where the party’s held?” Roan repeated.

“It won’t be much longer.”

“O-okay…”

The dark-haired businessman eyed his fiancee. Something was up with her. She was unusually quiet tonight, with the absence of her ramblings about every little thing she saw. She was usually pointing excitedly at everything the passed by, and she would tell him how beautiful those things were. She was nervous too, he could see that even if she denied it.

“Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine... You’ve asked twice. There’s nothing to be worried about.”

William eyes lingered on her face for a moment, concerned, but then quickly returned them to watch the streets after she forced a soft smile for him.

Despite her efforts to show that she was doing just fine, Roan Buenaventura was certainly not fine. Her mind was in a whirlwind; thoughts jumbling in and out, and she could feel steady thuds inside her head. Headache. She couldn’t figure out why she was feeling this way. Was it because this was the first time we went out together after he proposed to me? Or was it because of my appearance today? She was not used to dress this revealingly, and tonight she was baring a huge amount of her skin. Or maybe, maybe it was because of Mom’s words earlier?

:
:
:

“There! You look like a princess!” Beatriz exclaimed excitedly, beaming, and turned Roan’s chair to face the mirror.

The younger woman gasped when she saw her image reflected on the mirror. She was not fond of makeup, and she seldom put them on, except for during occasions when she’s really required to. “D-d-don’t you think this is too much, Shara?”

Definitely not the right person to ask. The said woman had the exact same ecstatic expression as Beatriz’s on her face. After all, she had acted as Beatriz’s assistant, preparing poor Roan for her big night. “Don’t be ridiculous. The makeup’s absolutely perfect,” she gushed.

Beatriz grabbed Roan’s hands and pulled her to her feet. Then both her and Shara pushed Roan towards the closet, so she could hide behind the door and get changed.. “Now go get dressed.”
Roan obeyed silently, and when she was done putting on the dress, she walked towards them, “How do you think?”

And for what seemed like the millionth time for Roan, both women squealed, “Awww!!”

“Oh, Roan! You look so gorgeous!”

“Hm… Who knew that William actually has a nice taste?”

“Of course he does! Otherwise he wouldn’t have chosen to propose to my lovely daughter!”

“Right!”

“Guys, I really think this dress is revealing too much of… me.”

“What? That’s nothing! I wish you could flaunt more. Here, maybe you could pull the dress a lower.”

“Mom!” Roan protested, her face red, when the sexy older woman started to grab her dress and pulled. Seeing her panicked expression, Beatriz laughed.

“William wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off you with you looking like this!” Shara exclaimed excitedly, causing Roan to blush even deeper.

“Here. Turn around. I want to see my beautiful grown-up daughter.”

Beatriz turned Roan’s body around gently so they could face each other. When she saw the beautiful face in front of her, she felt her breath catch in her throat. So many years had passed. So many years had went by since she’d opened her house to the knockings coming from a starving, very determined young man named Jose Fabros. He was carrying his baby sister on his back and begged to be let in…

“Mom…?”

Shara’s concerned voice caused Beatriz to return to snap out of her memory. Wiping her tears away, she smiled serenely at her two children. “I'm okay. I’m just so happy you guys grew up well.”

“Of course! We have the most amazing mother in the world!”

“Definitely,” Shara agreed and wrapped her arms around Beatriz's left side, while Roan hugged her from the other side. Beatriz hugged them back, a wide smile plastered on her face.

“You really are beautiful tonight,” Beatriz repeated, and reached for Roan’s hand to pat it. That was when she realized something. “Roan! Where’s your ring?”

“What?”

“Your engagement ring. The one William gave to you?”

“Oh, that. I took it off this morning when I was washing the dishes. It should be somewhere on the dressing table.”

“Roan? You’re supposed to take care of that ring like your whole life depends on it! You couldn’t leave it lying around like that!” Shara released herself from Beatriz’s hug and went over to search for the ring on the dressing table.

“Shara. Stop searching. Go look for the right pair of shoes from my room.”

“But, mom…”

“Now.”

Beatriz usually joked around with her kids, but when they heard her firm tone, they knew it was time to be serious and do as what they were told. “Okay, mom.”

With that, Shara walked out of Roan’s room, leaving her with a now very serious looking Beatriz.
“Women don’t normally forget their engagement ring, you know.”

“I know, mom. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to wearing it yet.”

“That’s merely an excuse.”

“No, mom~”

“Each time you have doubts about you and him, just remember, good things don’t always come rolling in life. He could guarantee you a fine life, and he is a loyal man, and he cares about you. A lot. What more could you ask for?”

“I know, mom. Believe me, I know.” Roan paused a while, before saying, “It’s just I wonder if I love him. You know, I wanted to be able to feel that feeling, you know, the aching feeling in my heart whenever I don't see him, and I wanted to feel my heart beat frantically whenever I see his face, but, but, I didn’t…”

“Roan. Sometimes being in love is just not enough.”

“But…”

“Learn from me. I don’t want you to live a hard life like I did.”

“But, mom… I've felt it!”

“What?”

“Only it’s not with him.”

Beatriz was staring wide-eyed at Roan, shocked at her confession.

“I-i-it’s was a guy I met at the church last night. When he got closer to me, my heart was beating so rapidly that I thought it would burst out of my chest. And~”

“Stay away from that guy. Whoever he really is.”

Tears were about to fall from her eyes now. “Mom…”

“You heard what I said. And don’t cry, you’ll ruin your makeup.”

“I…”

“Go take your ring and put it on. It’s normal to have doubts when you’re in a serious relationship.”
The door burst open and Shara’s head popped in, “He’s here.” She dangled a pair of black heels, “Here’s your shoes.”

“Go,” Beatriz mouthed to her.

Pushing aside her uneasiness, Roan went downstairs to meet him. And when she saw him, looking very handsome in his black tuxedo with a striped black and red necktie, his red waistcoat was a nice contrast to his pristine white shirt, with a similar shade handkerchief folded neatly in his pocket to match her red dress, she was overwhelmed with a sense of familiarity. She knew everything about this man, and when he flashed her his confident smile, she realized that he was her source of stability.

“Are you ready?” he asked her softly.

She smiled and nodded, extending her right hand. He grabbed hers with his larger one, and she thought, he is my source of stability.

:
:
:

So why exactly was she feeling nervous?

It’s not like she’d fell in love with anyone else, not even the man with the orange hair.

It’s just that, if she were to fall in love, she wished it would be with William.

* * * * *

“We’ve arrived.”

Roan almost jumped at the sound of William’s voice.

“We’ve arrived at the hotel,” he repeated.

“Oh, okay,” Roan said sheepishly, feeling guilty because she realized she had remained mostly silent, selfishly lost in her own thoughts, all the way to the hotel.

William got out of the car, closed his door, jogged lightly over to Roan’s side and opened her door. He held out his right hand to her and helped her get out.

“Thanks…”

He’s such a gentleman. Maybe Mom’s right. I couldn’t have asked for someone better than him…

But her thoughts were soon drifted away when her eyes saw the tall, majestic building, looming in front of them. Its' modern look was breathtakingly beautiful. The Silken Puerta America, one of the most prestigious hotels in Madrid. It was reputed as the trendiest hotel around. The lights were shining brightly, reflecting on the beautiful marble floor. They stepped on the red carpet and made their way in, heading towards the ballroom, hand in hand.

William gave her hand a gentle squeeze, “There’s no need to worry. I’ll stay by your side all night long.”

He’s so understanding.

Roan sighed, eyes staring straight at the back of the man who was leading her towards the ballroom.

And he’s handsome too…

What more could I have wished for?

* * * * *

She had enjoyed the night so far, most of all the beautifully decorated ballroom, with all the tables decorated in golden tablecloths, and the gorgeous, sparkling chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the ballroom. She had even tried the famous and crazily expensive diamond martini William ordered especially for her. She squealed when she found a Bulgari stone at the bottom of the glass. She wanted to return it, but William stopped her. “Keep it. It's my special present to you,” William said, smiling happily at her, causing her to squeal again, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Hey, hey! William, my man!”

He had introduced her to a lot of people at the party and she had started to feel dizzy from trying to remember their names and faces. Her mouth felt so stretched from all the smiles she had to put on. And there, right now, was a large old man, his hair grayed along with his eyebrow and thick mustache who was waving at them, and she could feel William pulling her there.
“Glad you made it,” the old man said as they reached his side.

“I wouldn’t miss this party, after all, it is held specially to celebrate our successful deal with that multimedia company,” William replied.

“And who do we have here?” the old man asked as he concentrated his gaze on Roan.

“This is Roan Buenaventura, my fiancee. And this is Barty Luisenbarn, my business partner.”

“Nice to meet you, sir.”

Roan shook the old man’s hand, cringing as she could feel his gaze traveled upon her bare skin. There was a huge, ugly scar visible on the left side of his chin and another one across his right eye.

“A human, eh? You’re a very surprising man, William.”

Obviously not liking Barty’s mocking tone, William stared him straight in the eyes and stated firmly, “She is very important to me, and should anyone dare to do any harm towards her, I’ll make them pay.”

“My, my, aren’t you quite the gentleman, William?” a deep female voice cut in before Barty could respond.

They turned towards the owner of the deep, sultry voice. A blond woman, dressed provocatively in a tight black strapless gown, her hand holding a martini, was smiling coldly at the people in front of her.

“Samantha.”

“Don’t say my name so coldly, Barty. It made me think that you actually detest my presence here.”
William cleared his throat, “Roan, you’ve met Samantha before.”

“O-of course.”

Roan bowed politely before shaking Samantha’s hand. Of course she knew her. She was William’s secretary, whom William had instructed to call Roan and arrange for their dates when he was too busy, and had even once delivered Roan’s birthday present herself while William went abroad to settle a business deal.

Her hand is so cold, Roan thought as she released her hand from Samantha’s. She could tell that the woman never liked her but she didn’t want to know why. She wouldn't want to spend too much of her time worrying about what others perceived of her. That woman never spoke a lot towards her too and when she smiled, it was a forced, cold smile.

“So brave of you to actually come here, Roan.”

“Samantha,” William warned.

“I’m just stating the obvious, William. Everyone here at this party are werewolves and she should be aware that we’re a bunch of bloodthirsty creatures,” Samantha said calmly, completely ignoring William warning.

“That’s enough!” William snapped, he could tell that Roan was shivering. “You should know better than to cross your leader!”

Samantha stood facing William stubbornly. She seemed determined about challenging William. She looked confident at first, but suddenly, Roan saw her beginning to shiver and soon enough her knees gave out and she was sprawled on the floor.

The crowds had gathered around them and Roan heard they gasped when Samantha fell on the floor. There were stifled hushes and whispers, but they were all stopped when Barty shooed them away, insisting that nothing was happening and that they all should mind their damn businesses.

“What do you say now, Samantha?” William was still focusing his eyes on the blond woman.

“I-I-I’m sorry, William.”

William reached out his hand to pat Samantha’s head like a mother would her child, “Good. Never ever anger me, got it? I demand your absolute loyalty and respect towards me and people important to me, got it?”

“Y-yes, William.”

“Good.” Turning his attention towards Roan, William asked in a much kinder, softer voice, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Is Samantha okay?”

“She’s fine.” Then, directing his gaze at Barty, William instructed, “Take care of her. We’re leaving. I need fresh air.”

Barty nodded quietly. There was an unspoken rule between them. Respect and loyalty to the leader of the pack is an absolute must, otherwise they will bear the consequences, which most of the time would mean death.

“You silly girl,” Barty muttered as he helped Samantha up, while William and a very concerned Roan left the ballroom.

“I'm sorry about that,” he heard William mutter to Roan.

William is our leader. Even if Barty himself disagreed with William’s decisions or his way of life, defying him certainly was not an option.

* * * * *

That William is an idiot!

Such was the thought that crossed the mind of the spiky-haired man standing at the far corner of the ballroom as his cold blue eyes watched the scene before him. William had gone around introducing that human girl as his fiancee, and he even defended her. He could tell by looking at that little scene with Samantha. Well, she is hot, he got to admit that but the fact that she was human disgusted him. Humans are lowly creatures; weak, disloyal, and always too preoccupied with their swirling emotions.

If that idiot chose the human girl as his companion, then so be it! If anything, she would only bring him down, and if William’s weakened, that’s a good thing for our clan. I can’t wait to report this to Master.

“Mr. John Travis?”

Irritated, John snarled at the woman who dared to disturb him, causing her to scamper away, scared. He was not here to make conversations, hell, he didn’t even want to be here. He wouldn’t have to come if that good-for-nothing punk didn’t bail out at the last minute. Master really is too soft on his nephew. Which was why he chose to stay out of the crowd, to avoid people. He didn’t come to enjoy the party, and should any of William’s minions discover him at their party, they wouldn’t like it very much.

“I’ve had enough of this,” he hissed. He should be heading home right now. Besides, he already has valuable information on William.

William’s gotten weaker, thanks to that human girl. Now is the golden opportunity to strike him out.

:
:
:


To watch but never touch,

To want but never hold,

To care but never be cared for,

That is the inevitable pain,

That is unrequited love.

You’re so close for me to touch…
Yet you’re too far for me to hold…
Just tell me lies…
And I would smile…
Even if I was living in a dream…
I’ll still believe it’s the truth…
:
:
:
:
:



“Ah, so nice of you to finally join us here, Joey!”

Joey let the heavy wooden door slammed shut behind his back as he stepped into his uncle's office. It was a medium-sized room, cramped with an oversized mahogany desk in the middle of the room, in which behind it a handsome man with his slick brown hair combed backwards – letting a thick strand of hairs falling across his face – sat, his head resting on a throne-like chair, his gaze fixed directly at the young man entering his room, a faint smile tugging on his lips.

Behind the brown-haired man, an antique bookshelf loaded with files and books stood proud, a contrast to the state of the art gadgets placed in the room; an iMac, printer, fax and photocopy machine, along with a black telephone on the desk. There was also a large high-definition plasma TV hung on the wall above a set of sofas in the other corner of the room, from where one can view the busy streets of Madrid should they peered out the glass wall.

The Gonzalez Group of Companies owned the small three-level building with the CEO's office located on the highest level. Despite the modest appearance of their office in Madrid, in truth, it was a multi-billion company, dominating mostly the trading business in whole of Spain. There was another office in London, this one located in a towering building with thirty-two levels which was own by the company, but for some reason, their current CEO, Jose Gonzalez preferred his office in Madrid. It was the place where it all started, hundreds of years ago, when Paolo Gonzalez decided to get involved in the trading business.

Joey hated having to come into the office, it was not because he didn't want to meet his uncle, but because it reminded him too much of his long demised father. The office had been remodeled, renovated a few times, but Jose had kept it as much as it was back then, and that made it too nostalgic for Joey so he tried to avoid going into the room as much as possible. Jose was Paolo’s first cousin; the closest, the only living family member related by blood to Joey. When Paolo died, Jose took over the company, along with his only surviving child, for whom he would return the ownership one day.

Sitting facing his uncle, Jose Gonzalez, were three men, who turned around when he came in. They were Jose's most trusted men. The one sitting on Jose's right side was a dark man with his short curly hair hidden under a hat and his unseeing eyes under dark glasses. Mario Evanesco. He was blind, but that didn't make him weaker, thus earning him the trust and confident from Jose, who let him run their office in London. Beside him was another dark-haired man, his wide grin never leaving his face from the moment Joey stepped into the room. Joey knew his uncle trusted this man very much, even more than Mario, but there was something very disconcerting about him that made Joey wary whenever he was around. Maybe it was the grin, or maybe it was the way he teased people to bring them down; Joey could not decide. To Joey, that man, Javier Cortez resembled a snake, causing shivers down his spine whenever they interacted.

Sitting right next to Javier was a teal-haired man, slumped in his chair with his hands inside his pockets, a scowl placed firmly on his face. When his blue eyes met Joey's, he looked away with distaste. Joey remain unfazed, their hatred towards each other was mutual and very much known to people who knew them.

“Sorry, I was late,” Joey mouthed finally.

“It's okay, Joey. We've just started anyway,” replied the smiling man, a little too polite, Joey perceived. Mario remained silent, something that Joey expected from a righteous man like him. He probably is itching to lecture me about respect for my elders, Joey thought bitterly.

“Please, take a seat,” Jose's deep, rich voice jolted him out of his thoughts. His uncle motioned towards the empty chair beside John, asking him to sit there. Great.

Joey took his seat. He felt awkward being there. He seldom attended business meetings, despite Jose's constant urges. He knew his uncle and his men was concerned about the other clan, their greatest rival in the business world; the Hombre Lobo clan, and every decision they made, it was always influenced by how those decisions affect the other clan. Joey himself could not care less about their business, and he was never concerned about the Hombre Lobos despite his clan obsession with them. He was content doing what he loved the most. Painting. He owned his own art gallery in London, which he loved very much and visited as many times as he could. A nice place to be, compared to his cold, bare office in this very building in Madrid, located right next to Jose's.
Although his uncle took a great care into feeding him information about their business, he was aware that there were a few things hidden from him, especially matters regarding the Hombre Lobos. Not that he cared very much about that, but it somehow made him felt like an outsider, an ignorant fool, especially in a situation as he was in right now.

“So, what's the big news?” Joey asked nonchalantly, earning a stern look from Mario. Joey swore, sometimes that man seemed not to be blind after all.

Jose cleared his throat. “We were just discussing on the profit this month, which I would very much like to share with you.”

Joey held his right hand up, causing Jose to stop before he even began sharing the information.
“I'd like to know about how we stand against the Hombre Lobos,” Joey said firmly, causing the other men in the room to exchange glances. He was known as the ignorant fool all this time, after all, so it was time to do some changes. That was a decision he met moments ago, straight out of the blue.

“My, my. What a nice surprise, Joey,” Javier said animatedly.

“You've finally come to your senses, Master Joey,” Mario commented appreciatively.
John stay muted.

Joey shrugged his shoulders, “I just feel like I need to start taking notice of the happenings around me.”

Jose fixed his dark chocolate eyes on Joey before he began, “As you know, the Hombre Lobos had been our rivals for a very long time. We could have been easily named as the top company in Japan if it weren't for them. They are very strong, and their current leader, William Rozee is a very wise man. He managed to unite his clan and control them. Over the last years, their company; Rozee & Co. had managed to gross billions of profits, nearly topping ours last year.”

Jose paused for a while, letting the information sink in on Joey.

“Last night, John attended the dinner party hosted by them to celebrate their successful merging with an IT company – the one I asked you to attend – and he discovered something very valuable, very beneficial to us.”

“Well, what is it?” Joey asked impatiently, somehow regretting he had insisted his uncle to feed him news regarding the Hombre Lobos.

“If you had attended that damn party like you were supposed to, you would have found out yourself,” John hissed beside him.

Joey ignored him, eyes focused on the man in front of him.

“It seems we've discovered William's weak spot,” Mario said calmly, sensing tension brewing between the two bad-tempered young men.

“William had found the love of his life! And he is now engaged to her!” Javier announced, his grin stretched wider.

“What's that got to do with us?”

“She's human. A freaking human,” John muttered, a hint of distaste in his voice.

“So?”

John turned to face Joey, his face betraying an expression that was close to hatred. “Are you stupid or something? Humans are weak. We could easily destroy that woman or manipulate her, which in turn would guarantee the downfall for William!”

“How do we get to him by taking her down?”

John threw his hands up in the air, mocking an exaggerated act of despair, while Mario shook his head and Jose smiled softly at his nephew.

Javier made a ‘tch, tch’ sound with his tongue, “You obviously have never been in love, Joey. Sometimes love makes us do stupid things. We go to great lengths to ensure the other person's happiness, and would do whatever it takes to protect that person, even if it means losing our own lives. If something happened to that woman, it would destroy William, since it's obvious he cared a lot about her or he wouldn't have asked her to marry him.”

“Wouldn't that be too cruel?”

“Sometimes a loss is necessary in order to gain something more,” Jose explained.

“I don't know if I could agree upon acts of cruelty.”

“Who the hell asked you for permission?” John snapped at Joey's remarks.

“I believe I have every right to do so.”

John stood up abruptly, barely able to control his boiling anger, and pointed his finger at Joey. “Don't you ever let it get to your dumb brain that you actually have control over me or what I do!”
Joey slapped away John's hand, and stood up, leveling his gaze with John's. “Never ever point your filthy finger at me, you bastard!”

Looking for a way to unleash his anger, John kicked his chair, which skidded and missing Mario’s head by a few inch, causing the man to stand up as well.

“You're looking for a fight, eh? Bring it on, John!”

Joey grabbed the front of John's shirt with his left hand, ready to swing his right hand on the other man's smug face, but Mario had grabbed his hand before he was able to.

“That's enough. Have some respect to everyone present in this room, if not for Master Jose.”
John wrung off Joey's hand, before shoving him hard, sending Joey to stumble backwards, knocking his chair. Joey lurched upwards, ready to attack, but he was stopped yet again by Mario, who grabbed him, enveloping the younger man in a dead hug. Seeing the two men were getting more out of control, Javier stood up and blocked his body in front of John, pushing the man further away from Joey.

Both men struggling to get free from the men holding them, unsatisfied that their fight were stopped before it even started. Joey and John tried to wrestle through but to no avail, since Javier and Mario were far stronger than them.

Jose himself had gotten up, walked around the table to face John. “John, I do hope this is the last time you act disrespectfully in front of me and Joey.”

“I would never respect that good for nothing punk!”

“He is the rightful leader, the rightful heir to the throne, the rightful owner of the riches we were lavished upon. He is Le Seigneur des Loups. He is the leader of the pack.”

“I would never accept that pathetic excuse of a werewolf as my leader! He can't even transform into one! Are you fucking kidding me?” Jose's words made absolutely no changes to John's action.
Joey however had stopped struggling upon hearing John's words. That man was right. He was destined to be a leader, to achieve great things, but how could he do all that when he could not even transform? How could he gain power to unite his own clan when he was almost as weak as a mere human being?

“A werewolf who couldn't even transform into one? What a joke!” John spat hatefully, causing Joey's feeling to sunk lower in his stomach.

“John Travis,” Jose said, his tone firm.

“I'm sorry, Master, but I could never respect that pathetic man over there!” John blurted stubbornly, pointing over at Joey who didn't respond at all, head bowed low. Even if he had threatened John earlier about his finger pointing acts, Joey made absolutely no effort to carry on his threat.

“John Travis!” Jose repeated, his voice harsher this time.

John looked over at Jose for the first time ever since the ruckus started. When his eyes met Jose's piercing gaze, he shivered as he felt a menacing aura emanated from him.

“You would never act disrespectfully in front of me or Joey. Ever again.”

John fell silent. He could feel his knees weakened, as Jose's aura grew stronger, suffocating him, making it hard to even breathe.

“John...”

Javier released his death grip on John. Having nothing to hold on to, John fell on his knees. His trembling hands holding him from landing with his face flat on the floor.

“I don't hear you say anything, John Travis.”

“Y-y-yes...”

“What?”

“Yes, Master. I-I would never act disrespectful in front of you.”

“And...?”

“And towards Joey as well.”

“Good,” Jose muttered, directing his gaze away from John. As soon as he did, John felt his energy came surging back into his body as if they had been drained away earlier. Feeling much stronger, he got up.

“You may leave now.”

“Yes, Master.”

The teal-haired man hurried away to the door and walked out. Things had turned ugly in there and after he felt Jose's aura earlier, he had to be careful. That Jose is not one to fool around with. He would wait for another chance to teach that punk Joey some lessons. For now, he just had to get away.

Back in the room, Joey had been oblivious to what was happening between his uncle and John. He was too absorbed, wallowing in self-pity, his eyebrows furrowed even deeper and his scowl firmer. He was weak, he knew. If he had been stronger, he would not have lost his whole family. If he had been stronger, he would find a way to fight his trauma and would have been able to gain his animal form again. Yeah, if only he was stronger...

* * * * *

In this cruel world, the stronger triumphed over the weak ones. If you have the will to survive, if you want to survive, the only answer is to grow stronger...

* * * * *

Things were merry in Beatriz's house. Jerick and Roan had both invited their friends to come over for dinner, and the ladies had busied themselves in the kitchen since six in the evening, having closed the little chocolate shop earlier that day. Jerick however, was now chatting with his guest in the living room, Justine after he had introduced them to his family. Justine had brought along a bottle of high quality wine with him. He had come early, saying that it had been a long time since he had spent time with Jerick outside of work.

Shara herself had to be in the kitchen, for fear that if Beatriz and Roan were left to their own devices, they might try to cook one of their ‘new recipes’. They did fine when they cooked normally but sometimes they attempted to cook one of their new inventions and that was when things could get ugly. She and Jerick had once been treated to one of their special vegetable soup; consisted of chunks of melons and other stuffs she could not name. They had suffered from diarrhea for almost one week after they tried that one, and Shara vowed never to let it happen again.

She was fiddling with the oven, checking whether the chicken had been properly roasted when the doorbell rang.

“Oh, that must be Gerard,” Roan said, and stopped rolling the bread, while Beatriz continued working on the dessert.

“Say, Shara, why don't you go and greet Gerard? I'm in the middle of something,” Roan asked suggestively, aware of her best friend's crush over Gerard. Gerard took the same course as her in the university and they had gotten quite close. Roan had invited him over a few times, and Shara's crush over him grew more and more serious each time. Roan had secretly planned to set the two up with each other, and that was partly why she insisted Gerard to come earlier even when he told her he had other errands to run. The man had later agreed, making Roan happy enough that she bounced on her feet. Mission accomplished, she silently thought.

Shara protested at first, saying that it would be better if Roan herself went and greet him since she was the one inviting him over, but then gave in since she secretly wanted to see Gerard herself. She wiped her hands with the kitchen towel and walked to the living room, glancing back at Roan who flashed her an 'OK' sign.

Shara paused briefly at the door, primped her hair and wiped her palm on her blouse, somehow they had gotten sweaty. She ignored the puzzled look Jerick threw at her and grabbed the door handle. She swung the door open, maybe a bit too hard because she was being nervous of all, startling the man waiting on the other side.

He was dressed in a pristine white short-sleeved shirt and long black pants. His black hair was combed neatly over the sides, a nice contrast against his rather pale complexion. His glasses sat firmly on the bridge of his nose. Simple and neat. Just like Gerard, he managed to look handsome without making any efforts, Shara gushed silently.

“Good evening, Shara,” Gerard said, bowing his head.

Blushing, Shara bowed as well, “Welcome, Gerard.”

She opened the door wider, stepping aside as Gerard walked into the room. He went over to greet Jerick immediately, leaving Shara at the door, clutching her hand to her chest in a vain effort to calm her furiously beating heart.

She then closed the door, flashed a shy smile at Gerard who was now sitting on the sofa along with Jerick and Justine as she hurried back into the kitchen.

Roan, who was now helping Beatriz with the dessert, stopped when she noticed the blushing woman came into the room.

“Well, how was it?” she asked impatiently.

“Oh my God! He looks so handsome! I was so nervous I couldn't stop shaking.”

Roan jumped excitedly. “I'm so glad to hear it! Mom, Shara is in lurrve!”

Beatriz looked up, a mixed expression of relief and joy on her face. She jogged excitedly towards Shara's side and hugged her. “Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. To think that I had once worried that you would end up alone because you were always so brash towards men.”

“Mom!”

Laughter filled the kitchen as Beatriz and Roan teased the madly blushing Shara. Jerick popped suddenly into the kitchen, questioning them what was so funny and whether dinner was ready. They were about to shoo him away when they heard the doorbell ring again.

“Eh?” Roan said, startled.

“I thought Jerick invited Justine and Roan invited Gerard. You didn't asked any other people to come, didn't you two?” Beatriz questioned her children, who both shook their head. They were as startled as Beatriz was at the moment.

“Well then, who the hell is that?” Shara asked, puzzled.

“I don't know...” Jerick replied, his voice uncertain.

Beatriz looked sternly at her son, “Then what are you waiting for? Go see who it is!”

“I don't want to. Roan, you go see who it is!”

“Brother!”

“JERICK!!!” Shara and Beatriz shouted simultaneously.

Jerick walked away from the kitchen, claiming they were ganging up on him. Roan, feeling guilty suddenly, volunteered to see who knocked on the door. She went to the door, followed by Jerick who somehow worried about letting her go by herself since danger lurked everywhere, even though he was the one who told her to go to the front in the first place.

Roan opened the door, and was shocked to see the person standing before her with her back towards Roan. “Phoebe?”

The petite woman turned and she was as shocked to see Roan at the door. “Roan?”

Jerick looked outside, aware that his sister had discovered something shocking, at least to her, since she was standing there with her jaw opened after she muttered “Phoebe.” Phoebe, Phoebe, now where did I hear that name before?

When he saw the raven-haired woman, his jaw dropped, his expression more comical than that of his sister's.

“You!”

“Jerick!”

“Brother? Do you know Phoebe?”

“I met her.., err... on a case. How did you know her?”

“I study in the same class as Phoebe.”

Phoebe stood gaping as she watched the two talking about her. “Excuse me, are you two siblings? I'm sorry, you just don’t look alike.”

“That's a long story, Phoebe. We'll tell you all about it over dinner.”

“Wait! Why do you invite her in? Aren't you even curious on how she found out where we live?” Then he walked over to Phoebe and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her furiously, “Are you really some kind of a stalker? Cause if you're thinking of stalking me, you'd better think twice or I'm sure as hell I will make you regret ever doing so!”

“Brother! That's not nice,” Roan protested and grabbed Phoebe’s hand, pulling her away from her brother. Jerick watched in disbelief as Roan invited Phoebe into the house, slamming the door shut behind them. Phoebe had managed to turn around towards him before the door closed and stuck out her tongue.

“That bitch!”

Jerick kicked the ground furiously. Then he sighed, Roan is always so trusting towards other people. Feeling defeated he went inside, his mind still reeling over questions about that woman.

* * * * *

The dinner went fine. The food was great, and the atmosphere was great too. Jerick and Justine talked about the cases they worked on together, some of it made Beatriz could barely swallow her chicken, because she kept imagining the murder scenes they described.

Roan, Gerard and Phoebe shared about the university projects they worked on together. All three of them were taking the filmmaking course back in the university, and Jerick commented it was very suitable on Roan because of her vast imagination. They were currently doing a short documentary on werewolves, causing Beatriz, Jerick, and Shara to raise a questioning look over at Roan. They are very much aware of William's identity and were afraid if Roan would somehow let it slip, but she mouthed 'It's okay'.

Beatriz and Shara then mentioned about their plan to add the repertoire of confections they sell in their little chocolate shop, to which everyone agreed was a good idea since that shop had been increasingly gaining attention from people lately and they were receiving more and more orders.
There were few awkward moments as well; and had been when Justine asked Roan about her fiancé.
“I heard you were engaged, Roan,” he'd said. “Where is the lucky man?”

“He is away on a business trip.”

“Oh, you must have really loved him to agree on marrying him at such a young age,” Justine commented, while Roan fell silent, hands fidgeting nervously with the hem of her skirt.
Beatriz, noticing Roan's discomfort, began asking Phoebe's questions about how she ended up meeting Jerick. Phoebe struggled, searching for words to explain their meeting without making herself appear pathetic. Jerick piped in, helping her, and told Beatriz that they had met when he answered a call about someone causing a ruckus in a bar. He glanced over at Phoebe after he finished explaining, and caught her smiling appreciatively at him. He smiled back. He was never raised to embarrass anyone, and he was not going to start doing so.

Gerard meanwhile had shared with the ladies – the guys were obviously not interested – on his latest dress design and offered to show them in the future. They agreed enthusiastically. Gerard was known to be an excellent tailor; sewing with great speed and beautifully as well. Jerick however, fought the urge to snort.

Everyone was having fun. Before long, the food was cleared and they were too full to eat more. Jerick got up and invited the men back to the living room to drink the wine Justine had brought with him. Beatriz tagged along, announcing it had been forever since she had her last drop of wine.
Phoebe helped Shara and Roan cleared the table. She wanted to help with the dishes but she was pushed away from the kitchen by Roan, who insisted that guests should sit and relax, not do chores. She lingered in the kitchen for a while, unsure of what to do, then Roan offered to take her on a tour around the house. They left, after Roan instructed Shara to steer clear off the dirty dishes until she return, not wanting her to do the chores alone, to which the latter took no heed of since as soon as Roan left, she began squeezing the dishwashing liquid.

* * * * *

After a while, Beatriz and Justine were the only ones left in the living room, pouring glasses after glasses of wine. Jerick had rushed upstairs after he heard Phoebe squealed, saying something about his cute baby pictures. Gerard had disappeared outside some time ago, declaring he needed fresh air to avoid getting drunk.

“They are all grown up now...”

“Who?”

“My children.”

“Yeah...”

“Jerick turned up pretty decent too, don't you think?”

Justine looked over at the woman sitting beside him, her eyes glassy, and her cheeks rosy – a result from the wine she gulped. “He's a good man,” he assured her.

“I know...”

Justine began fiddling with his glass, “Now that they've all grown up, don't you think it's time you start thinking about yourself?”

Beatriz looked up at him, she clearly could not grasp what he meant.

“I mean, you've sacrificed so much raising them...”

“I'm their mother, it's my responsibility.”

Justine fixed his eyes on the woman before him, his mind remembering the time over a decade ago, when he first saw her, and she was as beautiful now as she was back then.

“Don't you ever think of remarrying?”

Beatriz stared disbelievingly at him, then she began to laugh. “I'm an old woman, Justine. Who would be interested in me?”

“If you let me, I'd be more than willing to share your joys and your pains, to share your burdens in life, to take care of you forever...”

She laughed again, although there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice this time as she asked him. “Are you proposing to me, Justine?”

“I think I am.”

“Don't be ridiculous. I'm old. I'm not beautiful anymore, so don't joke around with me. And I could tell that you are younger than me.”

“I'm not joking. I don't care about the age difference. And you are beautiful, as beautiful as you were when I first saw you,” he blurted his earlier thoughts out loud.

“Wait, what do mean when you first saw me? Have we met before? I don't remember ever seeing you.”

He sighed, “I was involved in the search team for Roan. I was a student then, doing my internship over at the lab in the city. When the local police called the headquarters and request for help, I was sent here along with the coroner. I saw you, and I thought, what a strong woman she is. I know you're sad at that time, but you were so calm and collected. We never talked – I was a nobody back then – but I watched you from afar as I grew more attracted to you.”

“Oh...”

“You served us hot chocolate when we finished our shifts. I remembered how delicious they were and how they warmed me as I wait for the other team to return, anxious for good news but at the same time refreshed and ready to continue searching again. And I loved those ramen you cooked for us as well.”

“Wow... I-I'm speechless. I never thought you would remember that.”

“I never forget. Believe me, I tried to. I was convinced that it had all been a stupid crush, that it's impossible for me to have fallen in love with someone whom I had just met. I've dated few women, looking forward to settle down but somehow I found out they were not the person I was looking for. A few years back, I met Jerick, guided him through thick and thin, but never finding out his relation to you. It was only when he told me about how he almost lost his sister, I began suspecting he was your son. He sometimes shared his lunchbox – when he brought one and happened to stop by at the morgue – and they all tasted familiar. Your cooking, I would know it everywhere, anywhere.”

He droned on, relishing the old times, his voice low, as he told her how, after knowing Jerick was her son, he had waited for the opportunity to see her again, wanting to know how she was.

“And when I see you again, tonight, you still are as captivating as ever.”

“Justine...”

“I'm not pressing you to tell me your decision right now, but I beg of you, please consider what I said earlier.”

“Justine, I might not be able to say yes.”

He put his finger on her plump lips, silencing her. A small gesture on his part that caused her to redden immediately.

“Please, no more words about it. Tonight, we'll just drink and enjoy the night like old friends.”
Beatriz directed her gaze on him and saw that he was being serious. “Yeah...”

* * * * *

Roan had gone downstairs, leaving Jerick with Phoebe who rummaged his closet looking for any evidence that could support her in an effort to humiliate him. He tried to close his closet door but that woman was unbelievably strong despite her petite form. Roan watched as they fought, laughing. She might be imagining things, but her brother does seem to be happy around Phoebe.
She then went to the kitchen, intending to do the dishes, but when she got there, she discovered that Shara had finished washing them. Shara was nowhere in the kitchen, so she peered outside, and noticed a shadow moving. She went out, feeling sure that it was Shara. But she was wrong. It was Gerard.

“Gerard? What are you doing here?”

The said man, who had been gazing at the stars turned around and smiled when their gaze met.
“The stars are very beautiful tonight.”

She directed her gaze upwards. He was right; the stars were twinkling brightly against the dark sky, and they were indeed breathtaking. “It's wonderful,” she muttered.

“I wish there was a shooting star, so I can make my wish...” she said dreamily.

Gerard, shocked by the faint hint of sadness in her voice, turned and looked over at her. He was surprised when he noticed the loAngeliiness in her eyes.

He let out a small laugh, trying to push the uneasiness away. “What more could you wish for, Roan? I thought you have everything,” he said jokingly.

Roan directed her gaze on him. “Do you think so? Hadn't it ever crossed your mind that even though I have everything, it might not be everything I want?”

“Roan…?”

She looked like she was on the brink of tears, but she wiped her eyes with her hand. Awkward silence enveloped them. Gerard wanted to comfort her, but couldn't find a way.

“Roan, are you okay?”

“I'm fine, Gerard. Don't worry,” she said unconvincingly. She tried to laugh it off, but it sounded all wrong to Gerard's ears.

“M-maybe I should just go back inside,” she stuttered, turning back and started to walk away, but stopped abruptly when she felt Gerard's strong grip on her wrist.

Startled, she turned around, “Gerard?”

“Roan, if you feel sad, don’t you ever try to hide it. And if you need someone to talk to, just give me a call. I am your friend. I would be more than glad to help you when you need me to.”

“Gerard…”

He took her hand with his left one. Then he patted her hand softly as he smiled at her, “Remember, you can ask for anything from me.”

Roan smiled gratefully at him, feeling somewhat relieved that someone had offered to understand her true feelings. They stood like that for a while, smiling at each other, both were unaware of a pair of eyes watching jealously from the kitchen. Shara, who had been in the toilet a moment earlier had come to the kitchen, intending to boil water so she could brew tea for their guests when she saw Roan and her crush holding hands outside.

I can’t believe this. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I just can’t…

* * * * *

Joey slammed the door and plopped down on his chair. He closed his eyes, trying to tame the stubbornly steady thudding in his head. He had come to the office two days in a row, what a shocker. It was nothing he had ever done before because he could never care less about his company’s business – Jose was pretty good at managing the company – but somehow, John’s harsh words yesterday had disturbed him. He felt like he had to prove that he was a strong man, and the first step towards that was change his attitude, get more involved with his family’s business.
He sighed and opened his eyes to stare at the bleak white walls before him. He glanced on a photo on his desk; a picture of a bearded man with a beautiful woman beside him. He was holding two little girls, one fair-haired while the other jet-black. The woman was holding a boy’s hand, they were both beaming brightly at the camera. His family. The family he had lost a long time ago. And it was all his fault…

There was a knock on the door, startling him. “Come in.”

A woman stepped into the room. Her long, wavy hair a pale green, her slightly droopy eyes somehow made her appeared seductive without even trying to, and the fact that she wore a tight pink blouse over her black mini skirt made her look even sexier. His secretary; Angeli Ramos, she was a very attractive woman, Joey had to admit, which was why his friends thought him gay because even being around a woman as hot as her couldn’t stir his interest in the opposite sex.

“What is it, Angeli?”

“It’s nothing, Joey. I’m just checking to see if you need anything.”

“I’m fine.”

She excused herself and was about to shut the door when Joey noticed the brown-colored box in her hand.

“Wait,” he called out to her.

“What is it, Joey?”

“What’s that you’re holding?”

He’d gotten up and started towards her, his acts making the woman nervous because he became excited all of a sudden.

“I-It’s just chocolate, Joey.”

Chocolate… Chocolate… Yes, maybe that’s what she meant! He sniffed the box in Angeli’s hand and tried to remember the scent he smelled on that wavy-haired woman, trying very hard to figure out whether he did smell the same scent on her. Angeli watched his boss quizzically. This man had gone mad. I haven’t seen him in months and when I do, he had gone mad, she thought.

“This… This chocolate… where did you get it?”

“I ordered it from a chocolate shop in Madrid. You see, I was fighting with John, and I was so upset, so I had to do something to forget all about him. He can be really rude sometimes but he’s actually a~”

Joey waved his hand, telling her to stop. He had no interest whatsoever in hearing stories about her hot and cold relationship with John. He’d seen her cried her eyes out before, vowing to never forgive that man but then, after a few days, revealed that they were back together few days later. How she could fall for the jerk, Joey could never tell.

“Who delivered it here? Was it a woman?” Joey asked hopefully.

“Y-yes…”

“Was it a wavy-haired beauty with great body, her eyes large and dark, her smile as bright as the sun?”

Angeli fought the urge to laugh. The way Joey had described the woman was very poetic and she had never heard such words coming from him before.

“As a matter of fact, it was.”

“Then quick, give me the details about that shop. The address, the phone number, just give me everything!”

“Yes, Joey.”

He would find her. He was excited. Finally, a lead that could help him to trace her. His sorrow earlier was now forgotten. His fight with John was no longer remembered.

I will find her. I will find her…

:
:
:
:
:

And I asked myself?
When will we meet again?
When will I be able to see your smile again?
You’re near…
Yet you’re so far…
What do I do to stop this yearning?
What do I do to stop this burning heart?
And I wish upon this snowy night…
I wish I could see you again…

Joey muttered a curse. He was in his small office in Madrid, where he spent most of his time lately. He stood peering down the streets of the city through the glass window in his office, hands jammed in his pockets, his trademark scowl clearly visible.

Joey sighed. Gone was his excitement yesterday when he'd discovered a lead to help him in his search for the wavy-haired beauty that occupied his mind permanently ever since he first saw her.
Yesterday, he'd made a call to the number Angeli gave him, which was answered by a woman – no, not his mysterious beauty, he remembered clearly the sound of her sweet voice – and ordered a box of chocolate, which he insisted to be delivered to his office early the next morning.

He arrived early that morning, even earlier than his uncle, and waited, his heart beating furiously against his chest. He paced around his room all morning, waiting for Angeli to knock on his door and tell him that a woman had come to deliver his chocolate.

Finally, Angeli did knocked, and she informed him that someone had indeed come to deliver the box of chocolate he ordered yesterday. But was it his mysterious beauty that had come? No. It was some rude and arrogant brat!

:
:
:
"What are you doing here?" he'd asked that brat when he entered his office, along with his loyal secretary. He sat straight in his chair, eyes gazing directly at the stranger.

"You're the one who ordered something from us," the kid replied.

"B-b-but…"

"What?"

"I thought someone else was going to deliver me the chocolates."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm the only delivery boy around."

Disappointed, Joey only managed an "Oh."

The boy looked up at Joey. "Do you want these or not?" he asked, lifting the box of chocolates.

"What? O-of course."

He placed the box on Joey's table, before reaching out his right hand, his palm upwards. Joey placed a few crumpled notes in his upturned hand. The boy quickly slipped them into his pocket and repeated his action earlier.

"What?"

"Where's my tip?"

"You…"

"I expect to be paid a large amount, since this place is quite far away from the shop."

"You bastard!"

"Ah, young master, that's not a very nice thing to say in front of a child," Angeli warned Joey. She'd witnessed the scene silently, but decided it was time to pitch in. It's not a good manner to say bad words in front of a child.

Embarrassed, Joey cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"Apology accepted," the boy replied smugly and Joey wished he could beat that brat right there and then.

Joey fished for few coins from his pocket. He was not going to give that good-for-nothing brat more than he deserved. On second thought…

"Is there an wavy-haired young woman working at the same shop you delivered for?" Joey asked, and went on to describe the woman he met at the church.

The boy eyed him suspiciously, while Angeli stifled a laugh. This woman must really be something to him, she thought.

"Yes, there is…"

"Well, what's her name?"

"You know, I'm going to have to charge you extra for this."

That brat really deserves a few hard punches on the face. "Okay."

"I think the person you're looking for is Miss Roan."

Joey waited patiently for the boy to tell him more, but he said nothing further. Slightly annoyed, Joey asked, "Well?"

"That's all I'm going to tell you."

"What?"

"I said that's all I'm going to tell you."

Joey gritted his teeth, a vain effort to control his seeping anger. "I'll pay you even more..." he tried to tempt the kid.

The smug looking boy looked up defiantly at him and shook his head. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I will marry Miss Roan when I grow up, so I'm not going to help any guy who's interested in her."

"Y-you!"

"Now pay me my tip, mister."

"You arrogant brat!!!"
:
:
:

Joey cursed again, his scowl etched deeper than it usually did. He'd been moody all day, and everyone else in the office tried their best avoiding him. Even Angeli hadn't talked to him ever since he sent that kid away with quite a generous amount of money.

His hand went up to ruffle his already messy hair. He didn't want to seem so eager about seeing her again, that was the reason why he did what he did, so that it would appear as if they meet again by accident. Sadly, his initial plan failed.

Joey let out a frustrated groan. That's it! It's time I put my ego and reputation aside. I don't care about anything else. I just want to see her again.

With that last thought, Joey grabbed his jacket and his car key. He stormed out of his office, startling Angeli. He waved his hand at her, told her that he won't be returning to the office that day, his mind repeating the same thing over and over again.

I'm going to find her, no matter what it takes… No matter where she may be…

* * * * *

Roan spent her days in the chocolate shop the whole day. She didn't have class so she decided to help her mother and Shara at the shop. However, some time in the afternoon, her mother had left, telling them she had an appointment with a customer. Shortly afterward, Shara went out as well, claiming she needed fresh air so she wanted to go to the park.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Roan had asked her, to which Shara had replied by shaking her head and then walked outside, leaving Roan alone at the shop.

She had gotten very bored then, after baking trays after trays of chocolate chip cookies. She was mixing her last bowl of dough, and secretly wishing she could add some cream into the mixture, when a car pulled off right outside the shop.

A man emerged from the car but she didn't notice because she was too busy thinking of other unique ingredients that could be added to the dough she was making, not that she could but it never hurt to imagine. She didn't even notice he'd entered the shop and walked over slowly to the counter where she was working on, a smirk clearly visible on his face.

* * * * *

Joey watched the wavy-haired beauty, a small smile forming on his lips. Found ya!
She appeared to be concentrating on making the dough with one hand holding the bowl while the other was rotating a whisk halfheartedly, as if she was no longer interested. She was clearly unaware of his presence. Beautiful, he thought, as his gaze traveled all over her body, then lingered for a few moments on her sexily pouted lips.

Slowly, he walked over to her.

"Hey…"

Startled, she looked up. When their eyes met, she gasped, her large gray eyes went wide with shock. The whisk dropped from her grasp, clattering against the bowl.

She still looks drop dead gorgeous even when she's gaping like that, Joey mused.

"Hey," Joey repeated.

Roan wiped her hands on her apron, and brushed away a few strands of hair plastered on her sweaty forehead, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about her looks at the moment. "Hi," she greeted softly.

"I'm sorry if I startled you."

"No, no. It's okay."

She started to clean up – picking things and throwing them into the sink – because she didn't know what else to do. Her heart had started to beat at a much faster pace than it normally did, so she had to do something, anything, to calm it down.

Joey watched silently as the woman before him flustered around the little shop, his smirk never leaving his face. She avoided his gaze, knowing that if her eyes caught his, he would notice that she was nervous.

"Is this how you treat your customers? 'Cause if you it is, it's not going to be good for your business."

She stopped, and looked up at him. Their eyes met for the second time, and she blushed involuntarily "I-I'm sorry," she stuttered.

He moved forward slowly, afraid that any sudden movement from him would scare her. "So, I would like to place my order now."

"Okay," she answered as she grabbed a small notebook and a pen on the counter. "What would you like to order, sir?"

"I think I would like to have the most special thing in this shop, please."

Roan scribbled something on the notebook, "I see. Would that be our special, the Elite Gold Gift Box, sir?"

"Emm… no. That would be you."

"Excuse me?"

"You. I said I wanted the most special thing in this shop. And you're it."

"I…"

"I'd like to have a date with you."

This time, she dropped the notebook and pen she was holding. Her heart was now practically pounding against her chest that she felt as if she could hear it thumping sound.

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"Tomorrow. I'll pick you up at 7.00 in the evening."

"I-I… I have a late class tomorrow."

"Then I'll pick you up there. Where do you study?"

"Wait! I haven't even said yes."

"I know you're going to say yes."

"I-I…"

Joey walked over to her. Roan instinctively brought her hand to her chest, as if shielding herself against Joey, his tall frame now towering over her. Then, he bent over slightly and whispered in her ear, she could feel his warm breath against the side of her face, and suddenly, she forgot how to breathe.

"You know, there's no use running away from me, 'cause I'll find you. I'll always find you."

"I wasn't planning on running away."

"Good," Joey muttered as he pulled away slightly from her. "So, does that mean a yes?" he asked teasingly.

"If that would stop you from chasing after me, yes."

Joey smirked. She's a stubborn one as well, huh? "It's too early to promise anything. Besides, you might be the one chasing after me once we've had that date."

"That will never happen," Roan retorted, albeit unconvincingly.

"We'll see."

"It won't happen," Roan repeated stubbornly.

Joey let out a small laugh, and to Roan's surprise, pinched her nose lightly, causing her to blush madly. "Quit being so stubborn," he told her. "Now, do you mind telling me your name? I'd hate to have a nameless date. You told me if I want to know your name, I'd have to find you first. So, now that I've found you, it's time for you to tell me your name."

Despite herself, Roan smiled. He's a very determined man, she thought. "It's Roan. Roan Eireen Buenaventura."

Again, Joey did something surprising. He knelt before her, took her right hand and planted a small kiss on the back of her hand. Startled, she went red. She felt a shiver ran down her spine when his warm lips made contact against her skin.

"It's a pleasure to finally know your name, my beautiful princess. My name is Joey Gonzalez," he said.

Roan laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound Joey had ever heard. "You're funny," she told him, and pulled her hand gently.

Joey stood up and smiled warmly at her, "Anything for your pleasure. Anything to keep you smiling and laughing like you did."

"Looks like I've found my own personal jester."

Joey bowed and waved his hand, acting like some performer at the end of a successful show. "Anything for you, Roan."

Anything at all…

* * * * *

Shara kicked on the ground, feeling frustrated. She'd thought walking in the park would help her forgetting the disturbing scene she saw last night – Roan and Gerard holding hands, oh, what a cruel sight that was – but it didn't help at all.

Instead, watching the kids played at the park, she kept remembering the times when she and Roan were at the same age. If it weren't for Roan, she would have grown up in the orphanage. After she lost her parents in the fire, Roan begged Rangiku to let her stay with them. She owed Roan a lot, she was aware of that.

So does that mean she would have to sacrifice her feelings for Gerard, if Roan and Gerard like each other?

Shara shook her head, refusing to answer the question she asked herself. This was the first time she actually liked a guy, she usually never paid any attention to them. At first she had thought it was just a crush, but the more she saw him, the deeper her feelings grow. And last night, last night, when she saw them… It felt like someone had stabbed her heart, because it hurt. It hurt so much…

* * * * *

"Joey!"

The raven-haired woman ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. She had just arrived at the house, and she was looking for her best friend.

"Joey!" she called out again and swung his bedroom door open.

Three pairs of eyes stared back at her, but none of them belonged to the person she was looking for. "Oh, it's you guys. Where's Joey?"

"Phoebe! We haven't seen you for a while. Come, come and join us. We're just playing Monopoly," Mark said to her, waving his hand.

Phoebe joined them and sat on the floor. "Where's Joey?" she repeated.

Darwin handed her the dice. She shook them inside her closed hand.

"We haven't seen him for ages," Robert answered her question. "Mark called him earlier. He told us he's at work."

Phoebe threw the pair of dice; one displayed three dots, while the other five. She bent over to move her metal piece eight spaces. "That's weird," she muttered.

"What's weird?"

"Joey. He hates going to the office."

Mark and Robert shrugged simultaneously. Darwin, however, remained expressionless.

"Did something happen?" Phoebe asked Mark, to which the latter replied by shaking his head.

It was Robert's turn now. He threw the dice, and ended up landing on Darwin's property on the board. Darwin held out his hand, and Robert paid him with the paper money, after he whined about how luck could be so unfair.

"Something must have happened," Phoebe said to herself.

"Enough about Joey. We haven't heard from you for a while now, Phoebe," Mark said, to which Darwin grunted an agreement.

"What about me?"

"Well, we heard you broke up with Earl, and that you're spending a lot of time with a new guy," Robert answered her, raising an eyebrow teasingly.

"Wow, words travel fast around here."

Darwin opened his mouth for the first time, "Our people are everywhere."

"Unfortunately. And yes, I did break up with Earl. And… I did spend some time with someone else lately."

"Is he human?"

Phoebe looked over at Mark. "Yes."

"Phoebe…"

"Don't start, Mark, okay? I know what I'm doing."

"You know we should never get involved with humans."

"Says who, Mark?"

Mark sighed. This girl never learns her lesson.

"You can't make your heart pick what's good for you."

"Does that mean you like this new man?" Robert asked her.

"I think so. I enjoy spending time with him."

Mark looked at her sternly, "Just make sure your relationship with him wouldn't jeopardize our safety."

"I'm not that stupid."

"Good," Mark muttered. Robert smiled understandingly at her while Darwin flashed his trademark 'OK' sign.

Yeah, sometimes, you can't make your heart pick what's good for you…

* * * * *

After Joey left, Roan collapsed on the floor, relieved and disappointed at the same time, the swirling emotions were too much for her. She was relieved because she felt as if she was holding her breath the whole time she was with him. And she was disappointed because, as hard as it was for her to be around him, she couldn't help but feel like she wanted more.

She was heady, dizzy, excited, scared and guilty all at the same time. Her conscience kept telling her that what she was doing was wrong but her heart, oh her stubborn heart, just wouldn't listen. She got up, staggered slowly towards the living room and plopped herself on the sofa.

I'll just go with the flow for now. I'll stop myself before I get too involved with him, she told herself. He makes me feel things I've never felt before, and I want to feel more, I need to feel more…

* * * * *

Later that day, as the clock struck two in the morning, when most of the residents of Madrid were fast asleep under the warmth of their blankets, in a dark and secluded alley, a shadow moved.
A woman dressed only in her nightgown limped in the alley. She looked behind her back, her eyes wide and bloodshot. Her feet were bare and an open wound clearly visible on her right leg, blood gushing from it, leaving traces of red liquid. She was crying and her breath was heavy, her hair wet with sweat.

She looked back again. She was tired. She had been running all the way from her house and her legs had started to feel very heavy, as if she was carrying tons of weight in them.

A rustling sound came from beneath the heaps of trash in the corner of the alley, shocking her. With eyes wide with fear, she looked in the direction of the sound, bracing for whatever creatures that might pop up from beneath that heap.

A small, hairy creature dashed across towards her. She screamed, stepped backwards, and her injured leg betrayed her. She tripped and fell on her bottom. The sewer rat ran back and disappeared beneath the heap of trash it came from.

She tried to get up, and winced in pain. Not only had she gotten her leg injured, her bottom was hurting now as well. She pushed up again with her hands planted firmly on the hard concrete, but failed again. She began to sob, and that was when she heard a growl coming from behind her. An animal's growl.

She looked back, and started to whimper in fear when she saw a pair of glowing eyes a few meters away from her.

"No, no, no, no…" she sobbed and tried to get up again, only to fall flat on her bottom again, so she began to crawl, trying to get as far as she could from the pair of eyes behind her.

As she crawled away, the shadow behind her – the owner of the pair of eyes – inched forward slowly, closing their distance. She could hear its growl growing louder and louder.

"Please…" she begged, to no one in particular. Maybe to God, because a creature worse than the demons was now chasing her and it will not stop at nothing until it had feasted upon her, she could tell, because she saw how it licked its bloodied claws hungrily after it wounded her.

The creature was now right behind her. She turned around and true enough, its large shadow was now looming behind her.

"Please, don't kill me…" she begged helplessly.

The creature paid no heed whatsoever to her begging. Instead, it opened it mouth and howled loudly, revealing its monstrous, sharp teeth. "Oh God…" she whispered, her body trembling with fear.

Tears flooded her eyes. The creature moved again. It was now on top of her, pinning her body against the rough concrete, its claws gripping her hands, buried deep into her flesh.

She could smell its foul breath now, and drops of saliva fell upon her face. She cried, disgusted and feeling hopeless at the same time. "No…" she croaked, and closed her eyes. She was going to die tonight, she knew, and there was nothing, nothing at all that she could do to fight that disgusting monster.

She kept her eyes shut as the creature let out a deafening roar one last time and sunk its claws into her guts. She screamed in pain but it soon faded. Her body twitched for a few seconds before it went still.

And if someone had been in the alley at that point of time, he or she could clearly hear the sound of the woman's guts ripped and her insides being torn away from her body. Her killer stayed there for a while, as it feasted upon its prey, undisturbed, her blood smeared all over its face and furs.
Yes, the killings had grown more rapid. Once it tasted the sweet taste of the human blood or their tender flesh, it kept craving for more. More, and more…

Another call was made to the Covert-Ops Squad. Another death. Another body was discovered in a secluded alley. A garbage collector had discovered the body by accident when he went to that particular alley to perform his daily duty.

Jerick and Miguel were manning the office. Jerick answered the call. Without any words spoken, they went inside Jerick's car and made their way to the crime scene. They remained silent on their way there, both were too shocked to talk. This would be the fifth death reported. They hadn't even made any progress on the previous four killings and now another body showed up.
Jerick pulled up by the road not far from the alley mentioned in the call. He gunned off the engine and said, "Here we are."

They got out of the car and walked over to the crime scene. Jerick falling behind Miguel as he'd paused to lock his car. They could see several uniformed policemen guarding the area, holding their guns tightly to their chests.

There were also a few more people, the crime scene investigators, combing the area for any possible clues left behind by the killer.

"They're pretty quick this time," Miguel commented, addressing the lab people.

"Yeah."

Moving closer towards the crime scene, Miguel's nose caught a whiff of an unpleasant smell. The nauseating smell of blood, mixed with the rotten smell of trash along the alley. He fought hard not to barf.

"You okay?" Jerick asked, concerned at how pale Miguel was.

"I'm fine. It's just the smell."

"I know. I thought I've smelt the worst, but this one is beyond that."

They walked closer, and Miguel saw something that looked suspiciously like the remains of a human's flesh on the surface of the alley. "Oh God…" he whispered.

Jerick said nothing. He saw what Miguel had seen, and that was undoubtedly what had remained of the victim.

Miguel brought his hand to cover his nose and mouth. The smell was getting more and more unbearable. He moved forward, keeping his sight on the red lumps scattered all over the alley. Then, he stepped on something sticky and it made a squishy sound when his hard shoe crushed whatever it was on the ground. He stopped, and lifted up his leg, revealing what it was he had stepped on.

"Oh, shit! I did not just step on a piece of someone's liver! Oh God, how am I going to clean my shoe? I shouldn't have come here! Oh, shit!"

"Quit your whining, Miguel!" an angry voice snapped at him. It was Fidel, who was bent over, methodically collecting pieces of the victim and putting them into a plastic bag.

Miguel shut his quivering mouth and followed Jerick, walking over to Fidel's side.

"Why is it that you're always the first one to arrive at a crime scene?" Jerick asked the bald man as soon as they reached his side.

"What can I say? Murders intrigue me."

"You're just sick."

"Yeah, who in their right mind could enjoy being around this?" Miguel said with a disgusted look on his face.

"Aside from me? The killer, obviously. 'Cause he's killing more and more frequently now, and as you can see, this one is unmistakably more brutal than the last one."

Jerick glanced around. It was bad, and it was messy. The alley was splattered with blood and chunks of human flesh; from the victim, no doubt. Rats and cockroaches scurried around from beneath the heap of uncollected trash.

"Where's the body?" Jerick asked, although deep in his heart, he knew what the answer would be.

"Can't you see what I'm collecting, Jerick?"

Miguel scrunched his nose in disgust. "What? That's so ugly!"

"Murders are never beautiful. The killer must have gotten very pissed off this time, or maybe too excited, because the victim was ripped off into tiny pieces, poor thing. The head was the only one that remained in one piece. The coroner's taken it to the morgue."

"Shit…"

"I know. Pretty sick, huh?"

"How can you guys talk so calmly at a disgusting place like this? I can't stand this. I'm leaving!" Miguel said and began to walk away.

"That idiot… I wonder why he became a cop in the first place," Fidel muttered as he paused collecting the pieces, and stared at his friend.

"Miguel!! Where the hell are you going? Get your butt over here!!"

Uh-oh.

Jerick turned around at the direction of the voice, "Is that Captain Ganzo?"

"Yup."

"What is she doing here?"

"She arrived a few minutes earlier than you guys. She went to examine the perimeter, trying to determine where the victim came from."

The small woman was walking towards them, her face contorted in anger as her gaze never wavered from a very scared Miguel, who jogged towards them as well.

"Captain Ganzo!" the three of them greeted in unison.

"If you have time to talk, why don't use it to find the killer?"

"Yes, Captain!"

"Then why are you standing like fools there? Get your butts moving NOW!"

"Y-yes, Captain!!"

Ah… No one dares to stand against the wrath of Captain Ganzo…

* * * * *

For some stupid reason, Roan found herself unable to concentrate in class that day. She was supposed to have meeting with Gerard and Phoebe to discuss their assignment but Phoebe had called and asked to reschedule their meeting. She even missed the class. Roan had thought she could use that meeting as an excuse to cancel her date with the stranger, but now that the meeting was postponed…

Yesterday, she had been excited about the date. However, when she woke up this morning, she was ridden with guilt. She was already engaged to someone else, and she should avoid seeing another man. That's it! I'm going to tell him to stop bothering me as soon as I see him later!

"That's all for today's lecture. Be sure to work on your assignment!" the lecturer reminded them before leaving the lecture hall.

Roan gathered her things with shaky hands, her mind occupied with plans on how she could cancel her date with Joey. Gerard, who was sitting a few rows away from her, stopped by her seat.

"Roan, would you like to grab something to eat before heading home?"

"Ah, Gerard! I'm sorry, but I-I already have plans," she stuttered, guilt spreading inside her once again.

"Oh, it's okay. Has your fiancé returned from his business trip, then?"

"Y-yes."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Gerard smiled kindly at her and began walking, but his steps halted when he heard she called out to him. "Gerard!"

Gerard turned around.

"Maybe Shara would like to have dinner with you. Why don't you ask her?"

Gerard was taken aback, and for a moment, Roan regretted saying what she said earlier. But then, Gerard smiled, "I'll ask her for dinner some other time," he told her.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow, Gerard!"

At least I'm able to do something good today…

* * * * *

Roan sneaked out of the university's gate, hiding among the swarms of people walking in and out of the building. She figured if she could just escape unseen, she wouldn't have to face that mysterious man, at least not today. She covered her head with her bag, glanced around, and began jogging away from the building.

"Where are you going?"

She stopped at the sound of the voice. It's him, she thought, turning around slowly towards the direction of the voice, her fingers clutching her bag tightly.

Sure enough, there he was, leaning against the wall with his hands shoved in his pocket. His hair stood out against the black jacket he wore over his T-shirt. One thing that caught her eyes was his deep scowling mouth, which made him seemed almost sexy to her.

Stop it! What am I thinking?

"Where are you going?" he repeated, his scowl etched even deeper on his face.

He looks so funny, Roan thought, and suddenly, she began giggling. Joey shot her a questioning look and she burst out laughing.

Joey ruffled his messy hair, "What's so funny?"

"You."

"What?"

"I'm sorry." Roan cleared her throat, "I shouldn't have laughed like that. It's just that, your face is so funny."

Joey scratched the back of his neck, somehow feeling oddly embarrassed but at the same time, pleased by her remark, "It's okay, I guess. But no one had ever told me I looked funny before."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Are you ready?"

Her laughs ceased, "Ready for what?"

"Our date."

No. No. Say no! "Yes."

"Great."

She watched as his scowling mouth curled up to form a smile, and his furrowed brows relaxed. He looked happy when I said yes, she thought, and she flashed a bright smile at him. "Great," she echoed.

Joey reached and grabbed her hand. "This will be one date you will never forget," he told her, his smile widened.

Hand in hand, they began walking away.

* * * * *

She had expected him to take her to a restaurant and have dinner, like any normal dates she'd had before. But to her surprise, he brought her up on a rooftop.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, puzzled.

"I want to take you on a special tour around Madrid tonight."

"But I'm from this town. Why do I need a special tour?"

"It'll be exciting. I promise you."

Joey squatted in front of the baffled woman, "Get on my back."

"Eh?"

"Get on. Don't be scared," Joey urged.

"O-okay."

Slowly, she wrapped her hands around his neck, her heart now pounding loudly as her body made contact against his strong, muscular back.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Mm…"

He got up as his hands grabbed her legs, wrapping them firmly around his waist.

"Sorry…" she muttered suddenly.

"Why?"

"I-I'm heavy…"

"Oh, don't worry about that. You're not as heavy as I thought you might be," came his reply, causing the wavy-haired woman to blush madly. She was grateful that he wasn't able to see her face at that very moment.

"Are you blushing?"

"What? H-how do you know that?"

Joey laughed, and it sounded so melodic to her ears. "It's just a wild guess. Don't worry, you're not heavy at all. You're so easy to tease, though."

"I am?"

Joey laughed again. This woman is so cutely clueless at times, he thought as he tightened his grip on her legs. "Hold on tight."

"Y-yes."

"Here we go!" Joey shouted and leaped forward.

* * * * *

Her voice was hoarse from all the screaming she'd done. Her hands and legs had started to feel numb, and her heart felt like it was about to burst out anytime.

When he had first jumped off the roof, she screamed for dear life, her heart skipped a beat as she felt the wind blowing against her face. I'm going to die, she thought, but then his feet landed firmly on the rooftop of another building, next to the first one.

"Oh my God…" she whispered through her trembling lips.

"Isn't it fun?" he asked her.

She opened her mouth to protest but he'd already jumped forward again to the next building. She closed her eyes and hugged him tighter, her embarrassment earlier over their physical contact no longer remembered.

He leaped from one building to another, she could no longer count how many because she was too busy laughing and screaming, enjoying every moment. At first, she was screaming because she was scared but by the time they landed on their last stop, she was laughing so hard, her heart pounding in exhilaration.

Joey landed effortlessly on the last building, smiling as he heard the woman behind him screamed one last time before she started laughing.

"Here we are," he told her softly as he lowered his body and released his grip on her legs slowly, letting go once he made sure her feet was firmly placed on the concrete building.

Still laughing, she got off from his back. He turned around and saw her swaying on her feet.

"Whoa, easy there," he said and grabbed her arms, steadying her.

She stopped laughing and looked up at him, her large eyes was shining brightly under the moonlight, her face flushed with excitement. He reached out his hand and wiped away few strands of hair covering her face. As he did so, his calloused palm touched her cheek and she gasped. He smirked. She's so beautiful, he thought.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Honestly, I've never felt this good."

"Glad to hear that."

Slowly, he let go of her arms, his eyes locked intensely on her. "You know, you were always laughing and smiling, but I've never seen your eyes shine like they do right now."

She gave him a questioning look.

"You look like you're missing something in your life," he continued.

Why does he sound like he could read me clearly?

He smirked down at her, his intense gaze still locked onto hers. "Keep them shining. They're more beautiful that way."

Her lips remained still.

"For me," he whispered loud enough for her to hear and began walking away from her.

Scared of being left alone up there, she called out to him, "Wait, Joey! Where are you going?"

"I'm not leaving you, if that's what you're worried about," he answered, and she looked down, embarrassed. "I brought dinner up here earlier. Come here, I'm starving, and I bet you are too."

The realization suddenly dawned in on her as he watched him slowly sat on the edge of the building, his legs dangling. She was up on the tallest building in Madrid. If she fell down from this height, she would crack open her skull and Brother, her mother and Shara would be so upset…

"Oi, Roan! What are you doing there? Come over here and eat dinner!"

"I-I can't…"

"What?"

"I-I'm scared of heights."

Joey slapped his forehead, "Why didn't you said so earlier?" He got up, and walked calmly towards her. "I wouldn't have brought you up here if I know it."

"But you looked fine just now," he added, raising an eyebrow.

"T-that's because I had you to hold on to," she admitted shyly.

He took her hands in his as soon as he reached her. "I got you. Don't worry," he said calmly and began pulling her hands softly.

"No…"

"I won't let you go. I promise…"

She looked up at him and saw his eyes, and that was all the assurance she needed. He began moving backwards and she followed him with trembling legs. She was too scared to look down, so she kept her eyes locked with him, drawing strength from his intense amber gaze. They moved in an agonizingly slow pace and after what seemed like forever to her, they arrived at the spot he was sitting on earlier.

"Here we are," he told her.

She nodded in silence.

"Now, sit down slowly," he told her, before adding, "Remember, I won't let you go."

Roan didn't know why, but she believed his words. She believed in him. She believed that he wouldn't let go of her, believed that he wouldn't let her fall. Slowly, she lowered herself, making sure her hands were still holding his as she did, and her eyes caught sight of the ground far down – the cars moving on the street below seemed like small dots on a game board from up there – and sat down with her legs dangled like his before. She let out a relieved sigh. I made it!

"Good girl," he mouthed as he took his spot next to her.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, "Don't ever make me do that. Ever again."

Joey laughed, "But you did fine. And I told you I'll never let you go."

She opened her eyes and looked straight at him, "I know."

Joey smiled, he seemed to be smiling a lot around her. "You have to learn to enjoy life. Be honest, how often did you feel what you have felt tonight?"

She pretended to think. "Never…"

"Yeah, neither did I."

They started laughing at his remark. Joey leaned backward and grabbed the box of pizza he'd left up there earlier. He opened the box and hand over a slice to the gaping woman beside him.

"What?"

"Pizza? We came all the way up here to have pizza?" she laughed.

"Why? What's wrong with pizza?"

She shook her head, still laughing. "You're right about one thing. This is the most extraordinary date I have ever had."

"Does that mean you date around a lot?"

"N-no!"

"You sounded guilty…"

"I-I'm not!"

"Okay, okay. I'm just kidding. Don't get so worked up."

Embarrassed, Roan looked down and started biting into her slice of pizza. Why did I say that?

"You know, you should start looking up so that you can appreciate the view in front of you."

"What? O-okay…"

Joey smirked as he watched her gazed into the distance. She's so different from other women I've met. She's sweet, naive, clueless, and very, very beautiful...

"Ah!"

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Joey asked, scared because of her scream.

"No. I'm okay. I just saw my house," she said and pointed her finger excitedly.

"Yeah…"

"It looked so small from here," she whispered. "Look! There's my university building!" she exclaimed, pointing further to the west this time.

She looks like an innocent child… A beautiful, innocent child…

"Joey…"

"Hm?"

"Thank you so much, for bringing me here."

"Hm…"

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know that Madrid is this beautiful at night."

Not as beautiful as you are right now… "Hm…"

"Why do you keep saying 'hm'?"

"Because I want to. Now, stop looking at me and eat up."

"Okay, Joey!"

That night, Roan did have her most unforgettable date. It was far from romantic, but she had a great time. They shared a box of pizza but to her, it was the most delicious meal she ever had. But sadly, she won't be experiencing this ever again… She will stop seeing him after this date. She had to…

* * * * *

Roan arrived home half an hour after ten. She slipped silently through the front door, worried that someone would catch her coming home this late. Unsurprisingly, her brother was waiting for her, sitting on the sofa with a cigarette in his mouth.

"Brother…"

"You're late."

"I-I'm sorry."

Joey had dropped her a few blocks away from home because she insisted so. He protested at first but she told him she didn't want to disturb her family so he gave in. Brother couldn't have known I was going out with him, could he?

Jerick took in her flushed feature. She appeared to have been running, looking so red like that. "Please don't wander around at night anymore. It's dangerous."

"I won't," she said, convincing him with a bright smile.

Jerick got up and ruffled her hair, "Have you eaten?"

"No…"

"I haven't either. Come, mom left us some food in the kitchen."

He began making his way to the kitchen but he stopped when he felt her hand tugged at his sleeve.
"Brother…"

"What is it?"

He couldn't see her face with her head bowing down, "I'm sorry if I made you worry…"

"What are you talking about?"

She looked up and he was shocked to see her eyes brimming with tears. "Roan, what's wrong?" he panicked.

"I know I haven't been a good sister to you. I don’t listen to you and I make you worry for me all the time."

"Roan…"

"I'll be a good sister from now on."

He grabbed her shoulders. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

She wiped away her tears. "It's nothing, I just feel like I need to change."

He tightened his grip on her shoulders, "You don't need to change anything. I love you just the way you are, and as a big brother, I'm supposed to look after you."

"Brother…"

"So you don't have to worry about making me worried. Got it?"

She nodded, "Brother, I love you…"

"I know. Now let's eat, I'm starving."

* * * * *

Joey arrived home with a smile plastered on his face, but unlike Roan, no one was waiting for him in the living room.

He went to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water and head over to his bedroom, his smile never leaving his face. He hummed a tune as he undressed and went into the shower to take a quick bath.
Changed into his pajamas, he poured a glass of water from the bottle he brought up as he stared at a framed picture by his bedside. It was the same picture as the one he kept in his office. He started talking to the people in the picture.

He began telling them story about a woman named Roan Buenaventura. He described how beautiful she was to his family and how she made him smiled and laughed like no one else did. He told them how he wished he could introduce her to them. He was sure they would like her had they been alive. Had they been alive…

With a sigh, he set the frame on the side table, and drank his glass of water. Then he turned off the lamp and closed his eyes, wishing that he'll meet her again in his dream…

"Good night, Roan…" he whispered into the dark.

"Ye may kill for yourselves, and your mates,
and your cubs as they need, and ye can;
But kill not for pleasure of killing,
and seven times never kill Man!"
[Rudyard Kipling, The Law of The Jungle]

When the moon was at it fullest, that was the night of The Hunting.

And on one fateful night of The Hunting, Joey Gonzalez had made the biggest mistake in his life and it had cost more than his will to transform. He had lost the most valuable treasure in a man's life – his family.

:
:
:

Joey lay on his bed. It was way past ten, and he was supposed to be sleeping right now. But he couldn't close his eyes. He kept staring at his window – he'd yanked the curtain apart – and the moon was clearly visible from where he was. The bright, round moon looked so beautiful, so tempting, and he felt a yearning inside of him, the urge to run outside and howl, telling it of its exquisite beauty.

The small boy tossed and turned in his bed. He tilted his head to listen to his twin sisters sleeping in the next room. He could hear nothing except for the sound of their soft snoring. A small smile played on the corner of his lips as he pictured the twins, Joy Gonzalez and Carla Gonzalez.
The twins were a few years younger than him, and both were totally different; in both their looks and their personalities. Joy had dark hair. She looked like a boy and acted like one as well. She loved football and sometimes, she could be cynical and sarcastic. Secretly, Joey thought she was similar to their father. Carla, however, was pretty much like their mother, Deborah Gonzalez. She had light brown hair, similar to their mother. She was soft-spoken, enjoyed helping in the kitchen, and she had a smile that would brighten anyone's day.

Despite their differences, Joey loved them just the same.

But he still loved his mother the most. To him, she was the most beautiful woman on earth; with her soft, flowing hair and her infectious smile. She was like the center of their universe, and their lives revolved around her; his, his father's, Joy's and Carla's. She was the sun radiating its' warmth to the people around her.

How a beautiful person could ever fell for his father was beyond Joey.

To Joey, Anthony Gonzalez is the weirdest man around. He enjoyed "bonding" with his little son. And how did he do it? By attacking him every morning and whenever he thought his boy was off-guard, which was totally different to how he treated his daughters. He would kiss and hug them, and sometimes, even if he hated to admit it, Joey felt jealous. And he would often “clown” around the house, much to his children's chagrin.

As strange as that man was, he was the leader of their pack, and a well-respected one. Joey wished he could grow up to be exactly like his father, minus that clowning around part, of course. And if he were to have a son, he wouldn't beat his son like his father usually did.
Joey closed his eyes, willing sleep to take over. But seconds later, they fluttered open.
Night of The Hunting.

He had always wanted to know what happened during The Hunting. He once begged his father to take him along on one of those nights, but Anthony strictly refused.

"Wait until you've come of age," his father said.

"Why?" he'd asked, his amber eyes full with curiosity.

"Because you have to gain your animal form first before you can join The Hunting."

Yes. The werewolves were born with the ability to transform, but it was dormant. They had to awaken the ability, then learn and master the skill of transformation. And normally, the ability awakened once they reached puberty.

But Joey's ability had awakened a few months ago. He hadn't told anyone about this. Not even his best friend Phoebe.

Joey tossed away his comforter and crept out of bed. He grabbed his jacket and tiptoed out of his room. He paused when he reached the twins' door. He opened the door and peeked. His sisters were fast asleep with their hands wrapping around each other. Smiling, he closed the door carefully, and made his way down the stairs.

His mother and father were not around. They had left for The Hunting, after his father gave him a nice goodbye present – a punch in the little boy's face.

As soon as he reached the end of the stairs, Joey stormed out of the house, his heart beating excitedly at the thought of finally being able to run open and freely under the brightly glowing full moon.

* * * * *

Joey went straight to the beach.

The moon was even more beautiful from where he was standing at that moment. He closed his eyes, felt the wind blowing against his face, and listened to the sound of waves hitting the shore.
He drew in a long breath.

And when he opened his eyes, his irises were no longer amber. They were red.

He began removing his clothes. First, he took off his jacket, then his t-shirt, his jeans and finally, his boxer. The clothes pooled around his leg, and he was now standing completely naked.
He tilted his head to stare at the moon, and as he did, he began to feel a surge of power boiling inside him. It grew stronger with every passing second. He shuddered as he felt fur growing all over his body.

Then came the first ripple in his bones. His whole body tensed as the changes began. His fingers began lengthening, his nails sprouting, as his legs buckled and he fell on all fours, his arms becoming his front legs. The changes continued; his teeth sharpening and his jaw extending.

After the last pain resulting from the transformation, came the euphoric release.

He was now in his complete animal form, his dark orange fur glistened under the moonlight. His eyes returned to their original color.

He opened his mouth and howled.

* * * * *

He always loved running.

He loved to feel the ground shaking beneath his feet. He loved to feel the cold wind blowing against his face. More than anything, he loved the sense of freedom he experienced whenever he was running.

He'd always been a fast runner, but when he transformed, he's an even faster runner. In his animal form, he was ten times stronger, hence ten times faster.

Despite his age, in that form, he was much larger than those older than him. He was more muscular and definitely the strongest among the young ones in his pack. Perhaps it was because he was born to be the next leader. He was born to be a warrior, to be the one who will succeed his father.
And as he ran along the empty beach, he really believed that. Under the star-filled sky, he felt great and strong.

He was lost in the elated sensation that he had forgotten that he had already violated his clan's rules. Ones that were being laid out by his own father.

Rule number one: to never hunt, harm, kill, or eat humans. Once werewolves tasted human's flesh, there was no turning back. They will become one of The Fallen, cruel, heartless beasts with uncontrollable hunger for humans. Werewolves are hunters by nature, and from time to time, the need to hunt will arise. Whenever such urges arose, they were to hunt and feed on wild animals.

Rule number two: to never transform into their animal form when they were alone. They were to do so only if they were in groups, where the others could guard the area while some transform, so they could be sure that there was no unwanted company in the vicinity. The year was 1615, when witch-hunting was at large, and as creatures feared and deemed to be involved with demonic powers, they were constantly in danger of being caught and killed by the hunters. Should someone spot them doing transformation, the whole pack could be in jeopardy.

Which brought rule number three: to transform only when they needed to, for example, when their lives are threatened. And when they do, they had to be sure that it was never done in an open space.

But he, in the course, in one night, had violated both rule number two and three. And it had cost him the lives of his loved ones.

* * * * *

He ran for hours. He didn't want to stop. He was enjoying every second.

He stopped only when dawn closed in. When the moon started disappearing into the horizon and when he saw a streak of light coming from the early morning sun, he stopped.

That was when reality hit him like a cold, hard brick. He had abandoned his sisters, and his parents, especially his father, would be really pissed if they found out what he did.

Panicking, he ran over to his clothes. In his rush, he began his change into his human form right there and then, completely unaware that a pair of eyes was watching him intently.

* * * * *

Joey slowed his pace as he neared his house.

An image of his angry father waiting for his return flashed across his mind, and he immediately shook the thought away. If luck was on his side, he might arrive home before his parents did.
As the outline of his house grew clearer, he quickened his steps.

But when his gaze fell on the figure waiting for him outside the house, his hand holding a lit cigarette, he stopped. He moved forward slowly, his heart thudding faster with every single movement he took.

"Papa?" he called out cautiously to the man standing in front of him.

"Hm…" Anthony replied, puffing on his cigarette, his eyes closed.

"Are you waiting for me?"

Anthony opened his eyes and turned to look at his son. Joey winced, noticing the anger flashing in his father's eyes.

"Where have you been?"

Anthony's voice was stern. Joey gulped. His father was always goofing around the house but when he was being serious, he could be really scary.

"I-I~"

"Didn't I tell you to watch over your sisters?"

"Y-yes…"

"Then why did you leave them?"

"Papa…"

"Haven't I taught you anything about responsibility?"

Tears were brimming in the boy's eyes.

"Didn't I?" Anthony repeated, his voice firmer than before.

Joey swallowed his saliva. It tasted like bile. "Y-yes~"

"Don't stutter!"

Joey could no longer control it. The tears were now flowing like a broken dam. "Yes, Papa…"

"Yet you still did what you did…"

"I-I~"

"I said DON'T stutter! I didn't raise a coward!" Anthony snapped.

"I'm sorry, Papa."

Anthony was fighting his anger. He'd never let himself got mad in front of his family, but what Joey did was downright irresponsible. He was counting on his only son to take care of the girls, but when he and Deborah returned home, they discovered that Joy and Carla, still sleeping soundly, were left alone. To top things off, the front door was unlocked. What if something bad had happened to them?

"I'm sorry, Papa," Joey repeated. "I tried to sleep but I couldn't. So I went out to play. But I made sure that they were safely in bed before I left!"

"To play? Have you lost your mind? You can't sleep so you went out to play, leaving your sleeping sisters behind?"

Joey could only stare at his raging father, his lips quivering. He screwed up big time, he was aware of that.

"Joey! Something! Anything could have happened to them, being left alone like that! Didn't you at least think of that?"

Joey's eyes went wide as the realization poured in, "I d-didn't realize that…"

"And you left the door unlocked? How irresponsible can you be?"

Joey threw himself on his knees and hugged his father's legs. He'd done something really bad. When he decided to leave the house, he was thinking of himself, of his needs. He never considered the effects his act might have brought upon his sisters.

"I'm sorry, Papa, I'll never do it again…" he cried and pleaded at the same time, staring up at his fuming father. "Please…"

Anthony watched his son angrily. But when his eyes fell on his son's tear-streaked face, his gaze softened. Joey was his only son, and even though Anthony might not show it often, he loved that boy dearly. But he had done something wrong, and he deserved some punishment.

Anthony lifted his hand. Joey closed his eyes, expecting his father to hit him. He gritted his teeth, anticipating the pain, but it never came.

Instead, his father's hand landed on his head and ruffled his hair lovingly.

Joey looked up, his eyes wide with surprise. Anthony sighed, his heart breaking with love for the little boy gazing up at him.

"Papa?"

The corner of his father's mouth curled upwards, and Joey breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't ever do it again," Anthony reminded his son.

The boy nodded enthusiastically.

"And don't think I will let you go without punishment."

Joey nodded again, as he wiped his tears away. A wide grin began forming on his lips. He would gladly receive any sort of punishments than having his father feeling disappointed with him.
"Now let's go inside. Your mother's worried about you."

Anthony held his hand out to him. Joey was reaching out his tiny hand to grasp it when he felt someone grabb him from behind and yank him backwards roughly. Startled, he screamed.

Anthony spun around, shocked to hear his son's scream. "Joey?" he mouthed worriedly.

And his heart sank when he noticed what was in front of him.

* * * * *

There were a total of 20 men facing him. Hunters. Rifles slung across their shoulders.
And the largest one of the lot was holding his wriggling son in his strong grip, his eyes glinting menacingly as he returned Anthony's gaze.

"Let my son go," Anthony said calmly to the large man.

The man said nothing. Instead, he covered the screaming boy's mouth with his large palm and took a few steps backwards, grinning challengingly at Anthony.

Two men stepped forward, taking the space occupied earlier by the large man. One of them was wearing cloak-like clothing, and he didn't carry a rifle like the others did. Instead, he was holding what appeared to be the Holy Bible in his hands. Must be a priest or something, Anthony thought.

The rest positioned themselves on Anthony's right and left sides. Anthony was completely surrounded by the hunters.

"Sir, please let my son go," Anthony repeated. "I believe he's done nothing wrong."

"Shut up, beast!" the man beside the priest barked.

A nagging feeling began forming inside Anthony's heart when he heard that. Could it be that these men knew something about him? Was it possible that they already knew the fact that he was a werewolf?

"Sir…"

The priest reached inside his cloak and took out a large wooden cross. He held the cross and the Holy Bible in front of him, his gaze focused intently on Anthony. "There is no place for evil upon this holy land of the Lord! My fellow devoted men, let Mother Earth be rid of this demon!"

"Wait~"

"What, demon?" the priest snarled angrily.

"I don't know what is going on here, but I can assure you, you are wrong. I am just an ordinary father working in the city to feed my family. I have done nothing wrong and my son~"

The priest yanked Joey from his friend's grip. "Don't think you can deceive us with such fooleries! We witnessed your child's transformation into an unspeakable beast!"

Shocked, Anthony turned his gaze towards his trembling son.

Joey had stopped screaming, his eyes went wide at the priest's words. His whole body was trembling now, he realized he'd done something wrong and was putting his family in danger.
"Did you transform?" Anthony asked slowly, hoping that Joey would say no.

But there was no answer. Joey was merely staring at his father, fear reflected in his amber gaze.
"DID YOU?!" Anthony roared.

Joey began crying again. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" he sobbed.

Right at that moment, Anthony knew, there was no possible peaceful solution to the problem his son had caused. As much as he hated fighting, he had to do it to keep his family safe.

"I have no other choice then," Anthony muttered. He took his stance, getting ready to change when he felt something cold and hard coiled around his body.

His hands pinned to his sides, Anthony stared down and realized that his body was wrapped tightly with a chain. In his rage towards his son, he hadn't realized the hunters to his right had thrown a chain at him.

To make things worst, it was a silver chain.

* * * * *

Joey watched in horror as his father doubled over in pain, his face hitting the hard ground. He watched, as the silver chain seemed to burn through the fabric of Anthony's shirt. The smell of charred flesh filled the air and Joey saw red lines appeared along the areas of Anthony's skin where the silver chain touched.

"Papa…"

Anthony tried to get up but the chain drew all the strength away from him. It wasn't because it was too tight, it was simply because of the damaging effect of silver upon werewolves. He moved his hands, causing the silver chain to burn deeper into his flesh. Anthony screamed. The pain was unbearable.

At that moment, the door swung open and Deborah rushed outside, alerted by her husband's scream. She gasped when she saw Anthony lying on the ground and made her way to his side, falling on her knees as soon as she did.

"Honey…" she cried.

Suddenly, she felt a strong fist grabbed a handful of her hair and smacked her face into the ground. The salty taste of blood filled her mouse. Another fist grabbed the front of her shirt and lifted her up easily, as if he was lifting a doll.

Deborah struggled to free herself, staring into the grinning face of the gigantic man who caught her son earlier. She tried to hit the man's arms but he obviously felt no pain. She kicked her legs around, wishing that she could hit his stomach. Once he let go of her, she could transform and save her family…

But she failed. The large man's body proved to be harder than stone. He held her with both hands and brought her down to face him, her legs still dangling in the air. He licked her face and she screamed, disgusted.

Anthony stared desperately at his wife. He was too weak to even move now. The silver was poisoning his blood.

Joey wriggled inside the priest's dead hold. His visions blurred with tears, his parents tortured before his very eyes.

The large man set Deborah on the ground. He turned her body around. Her back was now to him. He locked her neck with his large right arm, as his left hand fished into his pocket.

Grinning, he took out a knife. It shone, reflecting the rays of early morning light. He lifted the silver blade slowly, and pointed it to her neck.

"No…" Anthony begged.

The large man moved his left hand slowly. The tip of the sharp knife was now touching Deborah’s skin, and it reacted like acid. She let out a scream of pain as a hissing sound resulted from the brief contact, a burnt patch forming on her fair skin.

"Let her go!" Joey shouted.

"No can do," the large man answered through his bared teeth, and with one brief movement, thrust the knife into her throat. Then, to Joey's horror, slit the poor woman's throat swiftly.

There was a choking sound. Deborah's eyes went wide, her whole body convulsed for a few seconds before it went completely still. The large man dropped her limp body.

"NOOOOOO!!!" Joey screamed at the sight of his dead mother, blood gushing from her gaping wound.
Sobbing, Anthony tried to crawl towards his dead wife, ignoring the excruciating pain as the chain wrapped around him tightened with every single movement he made. After moving a few inches, Anthony gave up, blood foaming in his mouth.

As both Joey and his father mourned the death of their beloved woman, their center of the universe, footsteps were heard coming from the house.

Alerted, Anthony turned towards the sound, intending to warn his daughters to stay away. A sharp pain shot through his body and he coughed out blood.

He was too late. Two sleepy, puzzled faces emerged through the open door.

Anthony opened his mouth, trying to shout to his daughters, telling them to bail right away, but instead, he coughed out more blood. His clothes, his face, his beard were all covered with his own blood, and he could smell gangrene in his breath. His insides were rotting, fast.

"CARLA!!! JOY!!! RUNNNNN!!!" he heard Joey's panicked scream.

The bewildered twins stay rooted in their spots.

"RUNNNN!!!" Joey shouted, louder this time, and the girls began to sprint away.

Then, came the deafening sounds of gunshots.

* * * * *

The shocking horror unfolded before Joey's very eyes, and the same scene would be repeated over and over in his restless sleeps.

He wished he hadn't, but he saw clearly the bullets, silver bullets, pierced through Carla. Her small body was thrown forward because of the shot, and he saw how her fragile form jerk violently on the ground. After a few excruciating seconds, the jerking stopped and she lay still, her eyes wide, her mouth opened. There were holes in her body.

And Joy suffered the same fate as her twin. Even worse, two bullets hit her head, crashing open her skull and blowing her brains. Joy fell, and Joey saw pieces of her brain fly as her body crumpled on the ground. She died immediately.

"NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

A sickening wave of burnt flesh, the nauseating smell of blood filled Joey's nostrils and he vomited into the priest's hands. Disgusted, the man let go of him, and his little body sunk to the ground.
Next, came the infinite darkness.

* * * * *

Moments later, when he finally opened his eyes, there were no longer any sight of hunters standing with their rifles fired, their unkind faces smiling cruelly.

He'd opened his eyes to familiar faces.

"Joey…" someone said in a relieved voice.

The woman kneeling before him, Caila de Villa, was crying. When she saw the small boy opened his eyes, she stifled her sobs, and tried to force a smile. But her heart was breaking painfully at the sight of the innocent boy, so she bowed her head, trying to hide her tears behind her hair. Behind her, he could see his house burning in flames, the red glow of fire seemed to mock him. What happened?

"Miss Caila…" Joey croaked.

Clearing her throat, the said woman called out, "Benjamin! Jose! Joey's woken up!" She couldn't face the boy alone.

Two men rushed over to her side. One of them was Joey's uncle, Jose Gonzalez and the other one was his father's most trusted man, Benjamin Ricafrente, his messy, pale, blond hair kept hidden under his hat.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Jose said to him.

Benjamin bowed his head, "I'm sorry we hadn't been here earlier."

What do they mean? Joey thought, his mind momentary lost the memory of the tragedy that had occurred earlier. But the blissful loss of memory was temporary. Everything flooded back into his head when his eyes landed on a few figures lying on the ground, covered by blankets, their blankets.

"Where's Mama?" he asked.

Caila answered with her uncontrollable sobs.

"Where's Carla? Where's Joy?"

"Joey…" Jose tried to comfort him.

"Where are they? Where's my family?"

There was silence. All Joey could hear was the sound of Caila sobbing.

Then…

"Jo… ey…" came that weak, familiar voice.

Joey turned his head towards the voice. Lying a meter away from him was his dying father, his whole body wounded and bleeding. Clots of blood had formed in the corners of his mouth.
"Papa!" Joey exclaimed.

He sat upright and tried to stand up but failed. His knees buckled, perhaps because it was still shaking from the shocking horror he'd witnessed earlier. So he began to crawl quickly towards his father. The three adults followed him, their faces filled with sorrow.

"Papa…"

Anthony tried to smile, but failed. It seemed he'd lost control over his muscles.

"Sss….n…."

Joey started to cry. "Papa… I'm sorry…." He felt Benjamin's hand gripping his shoulder tightly, supporting him, and he was grateful for that.

Anthony closed his eyelids briefly, then he opened them, indicating that he understood everything.
Then his eyes began rolling oddly in their sockets, as he seemed to be looking for someone. They stopped moving as soon as his gaze fell on Jose and Benjamin.

Maintaining his gaze with them, Anthony revealed his last wish.

"Ttt….kk… care….. ss….n….. cop…….. ni……."

Benjamin and Jose both nodded, understanding what he must have meant. "Take care", "son", "company" was what he'd said.

His eyes started rolling around again, and this time they rested on Joey. Anthony drew out his last breath, forcing whatever strength left in his body to say his final word to his only son, his only surviving child.

"Live," he had said.

Then his head lolled to his side, his eyes closed. Anthony Gonzalez was dead. Benjamin's grasp on Joey's shoulder tightened.

Joey screamed his sorrow, his regrets, into the soft blowing wind. He was the one who screwed up. He was the one who deserved to die. Not his family. NOT HIS FAMILY!

:
:
:

Joey woke up with a start. His whole body and his bed sheet were drenched with sweat. It had been so long since he had that nightmare, the recollection of what had happened on the morning he'd lost his whole family.

He wiped away trickles of sweat from his forehead with his shaky hand.

That night was also the last time he could change into his animal form. Maybe it was because of the trauma. Or maybe it was because of the guilt that kept eating inside of him, making him wonder if he hadn't transformed that night, maybe his father, mother and sisters would still be alive.
There was nothing else he could do except wonder. And wonder.

"Are you okay?"

Startled, Joey jumped at the sound of the voice. Jose was sitting on the chair by his bedside.
"I'm okay. How long have you been here?"

"I heard you scream, so I rushed inside. You were tossing and turning but I couldn't bring myself to wake you up. It was that dream again, wasn't it?"

Joey nodded.

Jose stood up. "You haven't had that dream for a long time."

"Yeah."

"So why are you having it again now?"

"I don't know."

Maybe it's because I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen.

"Well, if you're okay, I guess I should leave and start preparing for work."

"Yeah."

Jose began walking towards the door. He grabbed the door handle, and began pulling it when he realized he'd forgotten something.

"Joey."

"Hm?"

"The Hunting's tonight."

Joey stared at his uncle. "So?"

"I want you to come."

With that word, he left the younger man, sitting on his sweat-drenched bed.

The Hunting, Joey thought. I've always hated it since that day…

:
:
:
:
:
I cried…
At the sight of the pregnant moon
I screamed…
Pouring my sorrow and loneliness
Into the silence of the night
I changed…
And became something completely inhuman.

"As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk
the Law runneth forward and back --
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf,
and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."
[Rudyard Kipling, The Law of The Jungle]

:
:
:
:
:



Joey was driving distractedly in his black Bugatti Veyron. His hand shifted the gears expertly but his mind was replaying the nightmare he had last night, over and over again.

He hated that dream. Most of all, he hated the feelings that resurfaced every time he had that same dream. It made him feel weak and useless. Even worse, it reminded him of the biggest mistake he'd ever made in his life.

How could he ever forget his father's last words? How could he forget his mother's tears when she saw her beloved husband lying and dying on the ground? And how could he erase the gruesome memory of his twin sisters' bloodied corpses?

Joey shook his head, trying to push the horrible images away.

He'd left home early that morning. He couldn't bring himself to fall asleep again after he'd woken up from that terrifying nightmare, so he decided to head early for work. But now that he was only a few blocks away from his office, he changed his mind.

He decided to go see her instead. Maybe, one look at her beautiful face could help him clear his mind. And maybe, hearing her addictive laugh would help brighten up his day. Maybe. Just maybe.
Or maybe, he was just looking for another excuse to see her again.

* * * * *

Roan was arranging the chocolates into their boxes when she heard a car pulled off outside the chocolate shop. She peered outside and saw an unfamiliar car. She let out a relieved sigh and continued her work. For some odd reason, she had expected to see William's white Lamborghini Murciélago, but she was glad it wasn't. She was still feeling guilty about her date with Joey, and she wasn't ready to face her fiancé just yet.

At that moment, the door swung open.

"I'm sorry, we're not open... yet." Her voice trailed off when she recognized the man striding into the shop, his scowl etched deeply on his face.

Speak of the devil...

"Hey," Joey said to her, a faint smirk began forming on his face. Oh, why does his voice have to sound so sexy?

"Hi," she replied, her eyes gazing approvingly at the handsome man approaching her. In the past, when she met him, he was always in his jeans and t-shirt. But today he was wearing formal clothing. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, revealing his toned, masculine hands, and his necktie was hung loosely around his neck.

"Stop staring at me like you want to eat me."

She blushed automatically at Joey's words. "I was not – !"

"Whatever," Joey replied. He walked casually towards the blushing woman and sat on a chair in front of her.

"W-wait a minute. What are you doing here?" she stuttered as she stared wide-eyed at him.

"I came to see you. Why are you acting like you're scared of something?"

"I-I'm not scared of anything. And please don't just barge in like this next time, Joey."

He directed his gaze at her. When his eyes met hers, she quickly looked away and started working nervously on the boxes of chocolates.

Joey watched the flustered woman. "I just thought that maybe you missed me, after that awesome date we had. So I decided to do you a favor and show up." Then, leaning closer, his face a few inches away from hers, his large hand placed firmly on the table, next to her smaller one. He grinned naughtily. "So, missed me yet?"

Her face went a deeper shade of red. "No."

Joey let his gaze lingered on her for a moment before he fell back on his chair again. Strands of hair fell across her ample bosom and she flicked them away. It somehow appeared very innocently seductive to him. Joey felt his body heat rising immediately at her gesture. He tore his gaze to look at the stacks of boxes and trays of chocolates on the table. "What are you doing?" he asked.
Roan's heart was thumping violently against her ribcage. He is such a tease. He would do things that make me flustered but then he acts as if nothing happened.

"Roan..." he called out to her, waving his hand in front of her, making her return her focus towards him.

"Oh, sorry. I'm arranging the chocolates."

"I see. Do you need help?"

"No, Joey..."

But he had already started putting the chocolates into an empty box. Roan laughed when she saw his arrangements.

"No, Joey. You got it wrong."

"Hm?"

"Here, let me show you."

She placed an empty box in front of her. "You see, Joey, these boxes of chocolates are made especially for White Day."

"White Day? What is that?" he asked, puzzled. He'd never cared about what's going on around him, and he certainly hadn't heard any of his friends mentioned about White Day before.

She looked at him as if he already lost his mind. Then, clearing her throat, she started explaining to him.

"You know Valentine's Day, right?"

Yeah, but I don't give a shit about it. "Mm-hm..."

"Well, girls give boys chocolates on Valentine's Day, which is on February 14th every year. Then, on March 14th, it's the boys' turn to give something to those girls as a way to appreciate the chocolates they've received from them."

"Oh..."

"And what better gifts can you give to a girl, Joey?"

"Mm... Chocolates?"

"Bingo!" she exclaimed brightly, pumping her hands up in the air. Joey couldn't help but smile at the sight before him.

"So, you need to make sure that you put each type of chocolate into the boxes. Don't just put them in randomly like you did before."

"Oh... I thought these are all the same thing," he said, referring to the trays of chocolates on the table.

"No, they're not! They don't even look the same!"

She held up a rectangular piece of chocolate and handed it over to Joey, who took it slowly, unsure of what she wanted him to do.

"Try it," she told him.

Joey put the tiny piece into his mouth and savored the sweet taste.

"See? We called this one 'Pave Pistache'. It's made from milk chocolate, filled with pistachio."

She handed him another piece, this time a round one. "This is called 'Arabica'," she announced proudly.

Joey munched the chocolate. "It tastes like coffee."

"That's because this one is filled with two roasted coffee beans."

She picked up yet another piece, this time it was a round one, decorated with swirly lines. He noted how it was darker than the ones she gave to him earlier. Joey took the chocolate obediently and put it in his mouth. "What is this one called? And why is it darker?" he asked.

"It's called 'Marquise'. It's darker because it's made with dark chocolate, and it's filled with crisped rice, almond, and hazelnut pieces." After a considerate pause, she added, "Dark chocolate means no milk is added."

"Oh, really?" Who would have thought that chocolates can be an interesting topic of conversation, Joey thought bemusedly.

He looked around the table, and his gaze fell on the tray filled with pieces of heart-shaped chocolates. Roan must have noticed what she was looking at because she offered him one.

"It's bitter," he commented as the chocolate melted inside his mouth.

"It's the bitterest one we have. I named this one 'Emotion'."

"Why?"

"Well, it's heart-shaped, right? Which means it's symbolizes the heart and love. Love is an emotion. And love is bitter."

"Why do you say love is bitter?" Joey asked again, not quite grasping her meaning.

"To me, bitterness reflects sorrow and hardships, and sometimes, love brought those things to your life."

"No, no. That's where you got it wrong, woman," Joey said, waving his index finger in front of him. "While I myself had never been in love, I believe it shouldn't make you feel like what you have said. Being in love should make you feel better, not bitter. Whatever it is that you do in life, you have to make sure that you enjoy it."

Roan gaped at him. She hadn't expected such intelligent words to come from him. At first she thought he was mocking her but he looked serious.

"You have to think of a new recipe to represent love. One that would make your customers happy when they eat it. Now that sounded more like love. Love equals happiness."

Joey waited for Roan to respond, but she continued gaping at him with an expression of wonder in her eyes.

"I am such a genius!" Joey said jokingly, and that broke the spell. Roan burst out laughing.

"You are shameless," she said to him. Joey pretended to be annoyed but then laughed along with her.

"Thank you, Roan," he said after their laughing fit stopped.

"Eh? What did I do?"

"Nothing. It's just that earlier this morning when I left my house, I was feeling a bit down. But you made me laugh."

"It's Roan to the rescue!" she beamed proudly.

"Yeah, yeah. You're like a superhero."

Roan put her finger on her plump lips and began to wonder. It would be nice if she were indeed a superhero...

"Hey, no daydreaming when you're with me."

Jolted out of her thoughts, she giggled awkwardly.

"Have you thought about what new ingredients you would want to try with for your new recipe?"

"Emm... There are a lot of things I could think of. You know, I've always wanted to add something unusual!"

"Something unusual?"

"Yes! I bet they would taste really great. I'll let you try once I've made them, Joey!"

Joey went green at the thought of having to eat chocolates with unusual fillings.

"O-okay."

Then she went on to ramble about other dishes that she wished she could add something new into. Joey's stomach began to protest as he heard her cooking plans.

"Hm… I know what the chocolates would taste good with," he said, smirking as he gazed appreciatively at the beautiful figure before him.

Oh, what am I doing? Stop staring at her body! I'm not a pervert! I'm nothing like Robert!

"What would the chocolates taste good with, Joey?" Roan asked innocently, unaware that Joey's inner demon and angel were fighting inside his head.

She obviously didn't get my hint. Here I am in a full-blown flirting mode and she didn't notice it? This girl really is clueless.

Joey cleared his throat. "Maybe you would like to taste some chocolate-coated strawberries?"

Roan blinked. "Eh? I've tried them. They're not that good."

Joey let out a frustrated groan, trying to refrain himself from slapping his forehead, to say she's clueless is an understatement.

"Oh, forget it!" he said, frustrated, and leaned forward towards her again.

They were so close now that she could literally feel warmth radiating from his body.

"You know what? Those chocolates are really good but I bet they won't taste as good as you," he said as he stood up, a boyish smile playing across his face.

"Joey!" she blurted, blushing madly.

Now you get my meaning, woman.
His face inched closer. She could now feel his breath on her skin. She wanted to pull away, wanted to escape but it was as if she was under a trance. She was unable to move, her eyes fixated on his lips. His sexy, sexy lips, and they were almost reaching hers. She closed her eyes, anticipating the kiss as he moved closer. Closer…

"What the hell is going on here?"

Her eyes fluttered open. She let out a gasp when she realized who'd witnessed the almost-kiss moment between her and Joey. "Brother!"

Joey pulled away from her to see a man scowling at them.

"Roan, who is this?"

"No one. He's just a customer."

"I thought we're not open yet."

"He was leaving."

"I am?"

"Yes, you are." She walked over to his side and started pushing him towards the door.

"Hey, hey…" he said, watching her panicked face, "I can walk out on my own."

"I'm sorry…" she whispered softly before turning her back towards him. He waited for her to turn around but she didn't. Ignoring something that felt suspiciously like hurt forming inside of him, he walked out of the chocolate shop.

* * * * *

"Hey!"

Joey stopped in his tracks. He turned around at the voice and saw the man Roan referred to as her brother jogging over to him.

He stilled himself, his fists clenched, expecting a fight.

The man grabbed the front of his shirt, anger burning in his eyes. Joey leveled his intense gaze with the man standing in front of him.

"Stay away from her."

"Nobody tells me what to do."

"Well, I am now. If I ever see you around here again, I'm gonna beat the pulp out of you."

"Jeez. Don't get so worked up, man! It must be a pain in the ass to have you as a brother!"

"You better watch your words, punk!" Jerick's curled fist on Joey's shirt tightened.

"Whatever. I like being with your sister, and no one can stop me from seeing someone I like!" Joey wrenched off Jerick's hard grip.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Jerick gritted his teeth to help control his seeping anger. He was not going to hit the man, especially not when his lovely sister was watching. "Leave! NOW!"

Joey gave one hard stare at Jerick before he turned and walked over to his car. Minutes later, his car sped away from the shop.

:
:
:

Hours passed, and day became night…
And thus came the moment Joey Gonzalez despised the most…

* * * * *

Every full moon, the pack gathered.

When they gathered, they would hunt…

It was the only moment they could become what they truly were…

They called it The Hunting.

And Joey Gonzalez hated it. He would often try to find out ways to bail out from having to attend that particular gathering. But his uncle had personally asked him to come so he couldn't refuse.
That man was now sitting next to him now, on a chair that looked very much like a throne. They were up above some sort of a platform in the middle of an ancient ruin, along with Jose's most trusted men, Javier Cortez and Mario Evanesco. His friends, who would one day take Javier and Mario's place when he'll take over the throne, Mark and Phoebe, were standing behind him. Robert was standing with the rest of the pack down below.

Jose flashed his nephew a confident smile, and stood up. He walked over to the edge of the platform. The crowd began buzzing when they saw him. They wrapped their left arms around the back of their neck, their hands resting on their right temples, tilting their heads to the left, and kneeled down on their right knees, as a sign of respect for their pack leader.

Jose gazed proudly at the people kneeling before him, his arms wide and outstretched.

"My brothers and sisters! My mothers and fathers! My sons and daughters!" he called out.

The crowd responded with a roar. Above them, the full moon glowed with its brilliant light.
Jose took out a small bottle from inside his jacket, unscrewed the cap and began drinking. Once he swallowed the liquid, fire glimmered in his eyes and Joey could feel a strong, powerful aura emanating from him.

Down below, the crowd began chanting his name, reacting to the surge of power in Jose.

"Remember… the Wolf is a hunter! Go forth and get food of thy own!" Jose shouted to the crowd.
The crowd repeated his words, shouting them into the silence of the night.

"And remember… the night is for hunting! And forget not the day is for sleep!"

Again, the crowd echoed his words.

"My fellow men and women! Release yourselves! Release yourselves and hunt deep inside the jungle! Embrace your power! The power of our ancestors! Go and hunt!"

A bright glow surrounded Jose – it wasn't visible to the naked eye – fire burning in his irises.

"LET'S HUNT!!" he shouted and lifted his hands, directing them towards the jungle.

The crowd let out one final roar. One by one they shed off their clothing, their eyes glowing red. They ran into the deep jungle, their naked bodies illuminated by the moon. Joey saw them leap, and as they did so, their transformations began. One by one, they turned into wolves.

They disappeared into the jungle. Smiling proudly, Jose called out to the rest of them. "Come, my friends! Let's join in the fun!"

Javier Cortez and Mario Evanesco stood up, so did Phoebe and Mark, their eyes were already red, glowing with anticipation of the hunt. They made their move, stripping off their clothes as they ran. Jose did the same, following behind them. They jumped down, their bodies changing in midair; muscles rippled, arms and legs lengthened, and their jaws extended.

When their feet landed, Javier had transformed into a large wolf, his fur gleamed like silver under the moonlight. Mario had changed into a white one, with a small patch of black on the top of his head. Mark's fur was light brown, and Phoebe's was dark violet, nearing the shade of black. Although the female wolf was slightly smaller than the rest, she was the fastest and was now running ahead of the rest.

But Jose was the largest and the strongest of them all. His body was longer, covered in shining black fur. He snarled when he landed on the ground, revealing his sharp, pointy teeth. Then, lifting his large head to stare up the glowing moon, he howled. It was a long, loud howl, and it echoed inside the jungle. Moments later, the other wolves howled as well, answering their leader's call.
Jose sprinted forward, making a big leap with his strong, muscular legs, and still sitting in his seat, Joey watched his uncle disappeared along with the rest of the pack.

"Amazing," someone commented behind him.

"You know, you don't have to stay if you don't want to, Darwin."

His gigantic, quiet friend stepped out from the shadows. "Even if I'm not a werewolf, technically, I'm a member of the pack."

"Better than one who is, but cannot transform," Joey replied bitterly. Deep in his heart, he longed to be able to run with his friends, to slip through the thick mass of trees. To hunt. To run freely.
Darwin patted his shoulder understandingly.

"Well, at least I've got you to wait around here with me."

Darwin mumbled his agreement.

* * * * *

Just like any other wild beasts, they were born to hunt. And the night of The Hunting was the one time they could hunt freely, along with their brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, and their sons and daughters.

And just like any other wild beast, even though they could kill easily, they weren't permitted to just kill anything they could. Once they caught enough meat to be shared amongst them, the hunting ended and they would began their feasting, quenching their thirsts for the fresh taste of living prey. The fastest and the strongest were usually the ones who made the kills, but everyone would be given the same amount of meat.

They would be fine as long as they didn’t kill humans – as long as it wasn't human flesh they feasted upon and that it wasn’t human blood that they drank. One taste of the forbidden meat and there would be no turning back. One taste and they would become one of the Fallen; the ones who could no longer be human again, ones who had to continue feasting on humans; ones who would be banished from the clan he or she was in.

Often, they would end up dead. Hunting for humans wasn't as easy as hunting for animals in the jungle, and when they were no longer able to live with the pack, they would suffer from loneliness, aside from being exposed to constant danger.

And that was one of the reasons why the werewolves must never get too involved with humans.

* * * * *

Getting out of his car, Jerick muttered a curse as he felt a sharp pain shoot through his back. Captain Sandra Ganzo had forced them to stay at the station, working extra hours because the mayor and the press were pressing her to solve the mysterious murders faster. She was upset and they had to endure her foul mood.

Jerick's mind recalled the meeting, and he had to admit it, he was at a loss. He was sure that no man could have done the dirty deeds. Maybe Fidel was right, he thought, that some werewolves were terrorizing Madrid. I'll talk to William when he gets back, maybe he knows something.

He unlocked the front door and raised an eyebrow at the faint sound of the television from the living room. Who's staying up at a time like this?

He made his way to the living room and saw his sister watching a Jerry Springfield rerun, but oddly, she was just staring blankly into the screen, not laughing like she would usually did.
"Why are you still up?" he asked.

She turned her head to look at him and smiled warmly, though it was very clear to him that she was pushing it. "Welcome home."

He plopped down on the sofa next to her, letting out a deep groan. His body was aching all over.
Roan watched her brother worriedly, "You must be really tired. You're working too hard lately."
"The captain would kill me if I don't work harder." Then, looking straight at her, he asked, "So, what is it you want to talk about?"

Roan lowered her gaze. Her brother could always read her like an open book. She played with her fingers, thinking of a way to start saying what she wanted to say.

"It's about that punk, isn't it?"

Looking up at him, her large eyes betraying emotions he couldn't read, she pleaded. "Please don't say a word to William."

"Are you asking me to help me with your little love affair?"

"Brother! You got it wrong! Nothing happened between us! I told you he was just a customer!"

"Do you kiss every customer who shows up in our shop?" Jerick asked sarcastically.

"We didn't kiss!"

"You would have if I hadn't come right on time."

"Please listen to me!"

"Roan, you're engaged. You're already spoken for, so it'd be wise if you stay away from other men. Mama raised you to be a good woman. Even if you are my sister, whom I love to death, I wouldn't approve of what you're doing. Because it’s wrong."

"We're not doing anything wrong!"

"I don't want to see him anywhere near you ever again," Jerick said firmly, ignoring her protests.

"You're not even listening to me!" she raised her voice, her eyes were welling with frustrated tears. "You’re not even trying to understand the situation. If you were to say something to William, he's going to think something had happened, and I don't want him to hurt an innocent man like Joey!"

Innocent, my ass! "Joey, eh? That's his name?"

"Brother!"

"Why are you guys yelling?"

Startled, they turned toward the sound of the voice. Shara was standing behind them in her blue nightgown, rubbing on her sleepy eyes.

"Some people are trying to get some sleep, you know!"

"Shara, please tell brother that nothing is going on between me and Joey!"

Shara stopped rubbing her eyes. Images of Roan and Gerard holding hands flashed in her mind. "I don't care about your love affairs, Roan."

Roan stared disbelievingly at her best friend, "Shara?"

"I know you're beautiful and you might think that all the guys around you are interested in you. Who knew that someone who appeared so sweet and innocent is playing behind her fiancé's back? I hope William will realize what kind of person you are."

Like a fatal stab to the heart, her words poured out, full of hatred and jealousy towards the girl whom she'd once vowed to protect from everything.

"Shara…" Jerick warned warily. Roan was crying, and he hated seeing that.

"What have I done to you, Shara?"

"Oh, enough of your innocent façade!"

Shara wanted to stop, but her heart was hurting, and as cruel as it seemed to be, she enjoyed seeing Roan's tears. Now she's feeling what I felt that night, betrayed and left alone…

Roan could no longer believe her ears. Everyone hated her, she thought, as she dashed through the living door. Feeling suffocated, she swung open the front door and bolted out of the house.

"Go ahead and run! Act like you're the innocent victim!" Shara called out sarcastically through her raspy breath.

"Shara, that's enough!"

The door closed with a slam as Roan left the house, her tears trailing behind her.

* * * * *

"What's wrong with you?" Jerick barked angrily at Shara.

She stared defiantly at him, her lips trembling with anger.

"It's one thing to give advice. You don't have to say such hurtful things to her!"

"Fine! Blame it on me! Just blame me for everything, like you usually did!" she shouted at him before she stormed up the stairs.

Left alone in the living room, Jerick kicked the sofa, venting his anger and frustration.

* * * * *

Roan wiped her tears with the back of her hands. She was running farther and farther, away from her overprotective brother, away from her angry best friend.

How did everything go wrong in just one night?
Something rustled inside the bushed. Her steps froze. She strained her ears, trying to listen to for any weird sounds, but all she heard was the loud singing of the cicadas. Must be the wind, she said to herself, trying to comfort her panicking heart.

She turned around, wanting to head back home.

Then a shadow leaped from behind the bushes and caught her. She screamed for help as her body was dragged away from the empty street.

:
:
:
:
:
Wash daily from nose-tip to tail-tip;
drink deeply, but never too deep;
And remember the night is for hunting,
and forget not the day is for sleep.
The Jackal may follow the Tiger,

but, Cub, when thy whiskers are grown,

Remember the Wolf is a Hunter –

go forth and get food of thine own.
[Rudyard Kipling, The Law of The Jungle]