Blood and Kisses

Chapter IV

Aspen woke up to someone tracing his fingers on her cheek. It felt ticklish and it annoyed her, but she couldn't open her eyes. She was too exhausted, she felt really weak. Like every inch of her body was on fire and every muscle felt sore from a fight. At noon lamang sa loob ng mahabang panahon siya nakadama ng ganoon.

"Hey, wake up!" anang baritonong tinig. "Gumising ka!"

She moaned in response and continued sleeping. Hindi niya alam kung anong nangyayari sa kanya, pilitin man niya ang sarili na imulat ang mata ay tila pinaglalabanan iyon ng sarili niyang katawan. Ang alam lang ni Aspen ay nais niyang matulog at magpahinga. Her muscles are killing her, tila ba siya nagbuhat ng isang buong building sa sakit ng katawan niya.

But the brute was determined on waking her up. Sumunod na ginawa nito ay niyugyog siya. Utterly annoyed, she had no other choice but to open her eyes and push herself up from the bed. Kinusot niya ang mata at tinitigan ang talipandas na gumigising sa kanya. Who's this guy?

She felt disoriented. Iginala niya ang mata sa paligid. Nasa loob siya ng isang di pamilyar na kwarto. It was kind of dark due to the heavy drapes on the windows. The sun is still shining outside, that might be the reason she felt kind of sick.

Muli niyang binalingan ang lalaki na kanina pa nakatunghay sa kanya. She was at first taken aback by his green eyes, they are too bright, she had to rub her eyes to make sure she's seeing things clearly. "What happened?" she asked him sleepily. Vampires don't need much sleep, specially at times when they are well fed. Hindi rin sila basta napapagod kaya naman bago para sa kanya ang nangyayaring ito.

"I saw you lying on the floor. What happened to you?"

She was lying on the floor? What?

Memories of what happened the night before came to her in flashes. The bar. His enchanting green eyes. The hot s*x. Drinking a lot of his blood. She remembered him almost dying. Then she fed him with her blood, saving him from imminent death and changing him into a vampire like her. And lastly, crumbling to the floor like she was dying.

Anong nangyari sa kanya? What was in his blood that made her burn like that? Like she was poisoned? Ordinarily, her blood was more potent that any other toxin on earth. Hindi siya maapektuhan ng kahit anong uri ng lason for her blood is poison itself. Ngunit nang nagdaang gabi.. Tiningnan niyang mabuti ang lalaki. He was a newborn vampire now, but how in hell was he able to get up just yet? He should still be sleeping now. Hindi pa dapat tapos ang transpormasyon nito. Verena told her it took weeks, almost a month to complete the transition.

"How long was I out?" she croaked. She winced at the sound of her voice and the dryness of her throat.

"I don't know." he brushed his hands through his brown unruly hair. Aspen wasn't sure if it's because he's a vampire already that's why his movements seemed so fluid. So graceful. "I woke up like I've slept for a week and.. I think we were both out for a day or two."

I gasped. What the hell?!

"I was hoping you could give me an explanation, cause I honestly can't remember s**t, besides.." his eyes turned a darker shade of green. "..f-cking you." isang maluwag na ngiti ang sumilay sa gwapong mukha nito.

Well, that's one way to put it. Pinigilan ni Aspen ang mapangiti rin. He remembered!

"What could've happened?" gulong tanong ng lalaki at naglaho na ang ngiti sa mukha.

"Why don't you tell me? Nauna kang magising sa'kin." she answered dryly.

The guy actually had the guts to chuckle. She had a glimpse of his perfect teeth, she knew he had fangs as well, hindi pa nga lang iyon visible sa ngayon. His skin looks marble like, and his eyes.. Damn. Vampire becomes him.

"I don't recall anything, I told you. I only remember having s*x with you." she had to roll her eyes at that. Kailangan pa ba nitong ulit ulitin iyon? Why don't he just tell her she is the best f-ck of his life?

Napailing siya. Kung hindi lang siguro dahil sa nangyari ng gabing iyon, she would've enjoyed recalling all the fine details of their mating.

Sinapo niya ang noo. Ano bang nangyayari? All of a sudden she felt light headed.

Naguguluhan siya nang husto! One night of supposedly fun and feeding frenzy turned horribly wrong!  Bumangon siya mula sa kama at nag-unat. Her muscles felt stiff like she have really slept for a long time, maybe this is what sleeping beauty must have felt that time. Tumayo rin ang lalaki mula sa pagkakaupo sa dulo ng kama at hinawi ang kurtina. Light flooded the room and touched the bare skin of Aspen's legs and arms. Napahiyaw siya sa sakit.

The sun's burning her!

"Ahh!"

"Why? What's wrong? Anong nangyayari sayo!?" nanlaki ang mata ng lalaki nang makita kung paano masunog ang balat niya. "What the f-ck!"

"The curtains! Ahh! Sh-t!" her eyes widened at how blisters formed on her skin. "The curtains!" bulyaw niya sa lalaki.

Mabilis namang hinawi nito ang kurtina at habol ang hininga na tumitig sa kanya. Napadukdok si Aspen sa sahig. If only vampires could cry, she must have been crying now. Sobrang hapdi ng mga sugat at halos maduling siya. A few agonizing minutes later, nagsimulang maghilom ang balat niya.

Thankfully, she still had her healing powers.

Pero paanong nangyari iyon? Only newborn vampires are sensitive to sunlight, and even they are not that sensitive. Hyperreaction ang nangyari sa kanya!

"Would you care explaining what just happened?" he was still in shock. "Did you just freakin' burn under the sunlight?!"

She eyed the guy. "Nasinagan ka rin ba ng araw?" she demanded. Nanatili siyang nakabaluktot sa sahig

"Yes?" anito na tila ba naguluhan sa tanong nya.

"Papanong..?"

This is becoming weirder and weirder every minute. And annoying, too! Papaanong siya na isang centuries old vampire, naapektuhan ng araw samantalang itong hinayupak na newborn na ito ay hindi?!

"This is insane!" Aspen got up from the floor as she slowly regained her strength. Nilapitan niya ang lalaki at pinitserahan. "What are you?!"

"What do you mean what am I?!" galit na balik nito. "Hindi ba dapat ako ang nagtatanong nyan? What are you? Sino ka?!"

"I am the only one who's allowed to ask questions here!" itinulak niya ang lalaki. She was actually intending on throwing him into the wall but he didn't budge more than a few inches. F-ck! Maging ang lakas niya ay nawala sa kanya! This is f-cking ridiculous! Kung anuman ang mayroon sa dugo ng lalaking ito, it poisoned her! Weakened her!

"Sino ka ba talaga?" the guy asked again.

Galit na tinitigan niya ito. She stared right into his eyes and tried to compel him. "I am Aspen, and I am a two hundred year old vampire, you should fear me."

The guy looked astounded. She thought for a moment that her compulsion might have worked. He stared at her blankly only to burst out laughing in the end. It was Aspen's turn to be surprised, and oh she was f*****g pissed! Hindi ito tinablan ng compulsion niya! Nagawa pa nitong pagtawanan siya!

"Was that supposed to be a joke? Sure you got burned by the sun, but that could be because of hypersensitivity. But to say that you're a vampire?" nagtawa nang nagtawa ito. Ang punyeta! Magpasalamat ka, gwapo ka at magaling ka sa kama kundi hinayaan na lang sana kitang mamatay nung isang gabi!

Naisip ni Aspen na sana nga hinayaan na lang niya itong mamatay. Ngunit ang misteryo nito.. At ang pangako niya sa kanyang creator..

Naningkit ang mata niya nang hindi parin tuluyang tumigil sa pagtawa ang lalaki. She growled at him and flashed him her fangs. She knew her eye color turned from amber to black the moment she snapped at him. Her pale features turned ashen and veins in her face turned red. Ganoon ang mga bampira kapag ginagalit, lumalabas ang inner monster. And that moment was so infuriating she didn't bother hide her true form.

Napaatras ang lalaki sa pagkakataong iyon. "You are not lying."

"Damn right I am not!" sigaw niya. Pagkatapos noon ay huminga siya nang malalim at nagbalik na sa normal ang itsura niya. "I am a freakin vampire and so are you! I changed you that night you slept with me!

"Excuse me?"

"You. Me. Vampires." she jeered. Hindi niya makontrol ang sarili sa pagkainis dito kaya kailangan din niyang inisin ito.

"Tell me you're kidding.. I'm not--I can't be.." tinitigan siya nito. She continued giving him a mocking smile. Hanggang sa tuluyan nang napaatras ang lalaki. Hindi makapaniwala sa narinig. "I-I..No! You can't do that! Can you?"

Aspen smirked. Now, it's her turn to make fun of him. This brute! "What's the matter? Hindi mo matanggap na isa ka na ring bampira? A blood sucking leech as some of you mortals so fondly call us?"

"Vampires are not real!"

"But I am real." she flased him her fangs.

He stepped back.

She stepped closer. Hinablot niya ang lalaki at iniharao ito sa salamin. "Notice how your skin looks different? Marble-like. Perfect." her hand touched his face and traveled to his mouth. She exposed his teeth. "Will you look at that..you have fangs, too!"

"Shut up!"

She shrugged and left him in front of the mirror to examine himself.

It was slowly sinking in. Gustong matawa ni Aspen.

He whirled at her. "But the sun does not hurt me! Lumabas ako kanina! I bought some food..because I was so.." he faltered.

"Lemme guess..hungry?" she ribbed.

"Yes!" sagot nito na sinalubong ang mga mata niya. "But I was not thirsty for blood! I just ate three hamburgers, that's it! Nawala na ang gutom ko!"

Napatda si Aspen. Ilang araw silang nakatulog. Dapat ay naghahanap na ng dugo ito ngayon.

Mabilis na nilapitan niya ito. Hinawakan nya ang magkabilang pisngi nito at tinitigan ang mga mata. Bahagya itong pumiksi ngunit nanatili siyang nakatitig dito. His eyes had gold halos around his irises, like her. Patunay na isa na ngang bampira ito. She stepped back. Hinawakan niya ang braso nito at hiniwa ang balat nito gamit ang kuko niya.

"Sh-t!" he jumped back but she was able to snatch his arm back. "Why would you do that!"

Pinagmasdan niya kung gaano kabilis na naghilom ang sugat nito. He was indeed a vampire. But there's something terribly wrong with him. Or was it really wrong?

"Hey..that was..cool.." anas ng lalaki nang makitang naghilom agad ang sugat na nilikha niya.

"That's not cool, you're a freak!" Aspen snided. Naiinis siya nang husto. He was a vampire alright! Pero hindi ito naaapektuhan ng araw kahit pa ilang araw pa lang ang tanda nito. Hindi rin ito naaapektuhan ng compulsion, dahil hindi na nga ito mortal. Vampires cannot be compelled by another vampire. Pero kahit pa nung mortal pa ito, hindi rin ito naapektuhan! How come? Tinitigan niyang muli ito. He has the same pale complexion as hers.

He is f-cking vampire!

But somehow, a different one.

He wasn't craving blood, for god's sake!

"What's your name?" tanong niya rito kapagkuwan.

"Xavier." nakangising sagot nito. Parang di kailan lang ay natatakot ito. "You can call me Xav."

Damn it. Tinalikuran niya ito.

---

Aspen tried to meditate after obtaining a full history of Xavier. Kailangan niyang mag-isip. Had she missed something? What kind of person is Xav? Ang sabi nito ay ulilang lubos na ito. Pinalaki ito ng lolo nito sa probinsya at maging ito ngayon ay yumao na. He said he was twenty seven years old. At sampung taon na siyang namumuhay na mag-isa.

She wanted to investigate on his background further but she wasn't able to regain her full strength yet. Hindi rin niya magawang humanap ng mabibiktima upang makainom ng dugo dahil kahit pa hapon na ay nasusunog parin ang balat niya sa liwanag.

It wasn't long before her anger turned into rage. She wanted to know what's going on. And she has to find out now! Hindi siya makakapayag na maging ganito na lang siya kahina habang buhay! Damn, she is a two hundred f-cking year old vampire, she used to be powerful and now she's more helpless than a f-cking rat!

"Holy sh-t!"

Kagyat na napadilat si Aspen nang marinig ang tinig ni Xavier. He was standing in the middle of the living room, balancing the leather couch on his left hand. "This is f-cking awesome!"

She hissed. Her mind was full of resentment.