CHAPTER 13
1007 Words
(Aira’s POV)
Warmth.
‘Yun agad ang unang naramdaman pagising ko.
Hindi ‘yung lamig na parang laging nakadikit sa kaluluwa ko.
Hindi ‘yung frost na automatic na dumadaloy sa walls kapag napapraning ako.
Hindi ‘yung storm na parang gusto akong lamunin kanina.
Just… warmth.
Isang steady, solid na init na parang kumot na naka-wrap sa’kin.
Arms.
Breathing.
Isang heartbeat na hindi akin pero sobrang lapit.
Napabukas ako ng mata, mabigat, parang bagong gising mula sa masamang panaginip.
Unti-unting bumalik ang mundo—bit by bit.
Dim light.
Flickering lamp.
Blankets na maayos na nakatuck sa paligid ko.
At mga daliri kong nanginginig pa pero nagti-thaw na.
And then—
Cassian.
Naupo siya sa edge ng bed, ulo nakayuko, forearms naka-brace sa tuhod niya.
Halatang pagod—‘yung tipong may nilabanang bagyo.
“Cassian…?” I whispered, confused.
Bakit siya nandito?
Bakit parang… binabantayan niya ako?
Before I could think of what to say, he spoke—low, steady, too gentle for someone like him.
“Aira.”
Just my name.
Pero tumama iyon sa dibdib ko na parang may humila ng hininga ko papalabas.
Nilunok ko ang sakit sa lalamunan. “Cassian… what—what happened?”
Dahan-dahan niyang tinaas ang ulo niya.
And God.
His eyes.
They weren’t cold.
They weren’t angry.
They were… tired. Worried.
At may kaunting takot—not of me, but for me.
“You collapsed,” he said quietly.
Parang sinampal ako ng memorya. “I—I didn’t mean to—”
“I know.”
Two words.
Soft.
Too soft para sa isang Alpha King.
Sinundan niya ng tingin ang kamay ko, kaya napatingin ako.
Puti pa ang fingertips ko, may faint frost.
Sa ilalim ng balat, glowing pa rin ang mga ugat ko—soft white, like moonlit cracks.
Nahuli niya.
Of course he did.
“Cassian…” bulong ko, ramdam ang panic na umaakyat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to see me like that.”
Nag-tighten ang jaw niya.
“Like what?” he asked. “Like you were dying? Losing control? Freezing half my damn pack?”
“I didn’t freeze anyone—”
“You could have.”
Hindi brutal ang tono.
Diretso lang. Totoo.
Hindi ako nakaimik.
Napabuntong-hininga siya, rubbing his hand through his hair—at doon ko nakita ang redness sa arms niya, healing mula sa frost ng storm ko.
Tinamaan ako ng guilt.
“You shouldn’t have come near me,” I whispered. “My powers could’ve—”
“Hurt me?” Cassian looked at me fully, eyes sharp. “Aira, I walked through that storm because you were screaming.”
“I was trying to warn you—”
“You think I care?”
Nag-snap siya, pero agad niyang kinontrol sarili niya.
Toned down, softer.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
Napatigil ako.
He should be.
Sila lahat dapat.
“You don’t understand what I am,” I whispered.
“Then explain it.”
Parang nahulog ang tiyan ko.
Explain?
Paano ko ie-explain kung ni ako hindi ko naintindihan lahat?
Paano ko sasabihin sa Alpha King ‘yung truth na ikakagulo ng pack niya?
“I don’t know where to start,” I admitted, pinipisil ang blanket.
“Start with this.”
Lean forward siya—slow, controlled, pero ramdam ang wolf sa ilalim ng balat niya.
“That power you released… it reacted to me. Like it recognized me.”
Napatigil ako.
Tama siya.
The cold didn’t hurt him the way it should have.
Na-resist niya, oo—pero hindi siya tinarak.
Hindi siya sinlash.
Para lang siyang tinulak… pero hindi sinaktan.
“It was like your power was… listening,” he said.
“It doesn’t listen,” I whispered. “It just—breaks.”
Lumambot ang tingin niya. “Aira.”
Parang may napunit sa loob ko.
You’re terrified.
Hindi niya sinabi aloud—pero ramdam ko.
At nang magsalita siya…
“You didn’t want me to get hurt,” he murmured.
“I didn’t,” I breathed.
“You think that matters to me?”
Boses niya bumaba, halos growl.
“If it’s you, I’ll walk through a thousand storms.”
Huminto ang mundo ko.
Hindi siya nag-joke.
Hindi rin nagbawi ng sinabi niya.
Just… said it. Like fact.
Cassian stood up, stepped closer.
Not too close—pero enough para maramdaman ko ang presence niya filling the room.
“Aira,” he said softly. “Tell me what’s happening to you.”
Nanginig ang daliri ko habang hawak ang kumot.
Sabihin ko?
Sabihin ko na Snow Court blood ang dumadaloy sa’kin?
Na ako ang race na pumatay sa mate niya?
Na hindi ako sigurado kung delikado ba ako sa kanya… kay Bella… sa lahat?
Bubuksan ko na sana ang bibig ko—
Pero bumukas bigla ang pinto.
“Alpha!”
Mara rushed in, breathless.
“We found something.”
Tumigas ang buong katawan ni Cassian.
Hindi siya tumingin sa akin.
Pero automatic siyang lumapit—half a step.
Protective.
Instinctive.
Kahit hindi niya inaamin.
Mara glanced at me, then back to him.
“There’s ice spreading outside the Alpha’s wing. Not normal frost. It’s… moving.”
Nanlamig ang sikmura ko.
Cassian’s eyes flicked to me—dark, unreadable.
“And there’s more,” Mara continued. “Tracks. Someone was on the grounds tonight.”
Cassian straightened, voice turning lethal.
“Who?”
“We don’t know. But they left this.”
She raised a small shard of ice.
May naka-carve na symbol.
A snowflake.
Twisted.
Sharp.
Unmistakable.
Huminto ang puso ko.
The Snow Court.
They found me.
Cassian’s jaw clenched so hard na halos marinig ko ang grinding.
He turned to me…
Slow.
Dangerous.
Alpha.
“Aira,” he said quietly. “Tell me what they want.”
At doon na bumigat ang lahat.
My heart pounded.
My throat tightened.
And for the first time since stepping into this pack…
Wala na akong choice.
I had to answer.
Whether Cassian hated me for it or not.
- Writer
