THE UNTAMED LUNA

THE SIBLING'S

The words hung in the air like smoke from the fire. I looked at Jade, half-expecting him to laugh, but he didn’t. His expression was dead serious.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Trust me, people around here talk about strange things in the woods, creatures that aren’t quite animals. Some say they’re spirits… guardians, maybe. Others say they’re something darker.”

A chill ran through my skin. The woods suddenly felt closer, as if they were listening.

“Oh, come on, Jezz. You’re just trying to scare us!" He shrugged.

I swallowed hard, staring into the window. “I swear… it wasn’t just watching me. It knew me.”

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then.. from somewhere deep in the trees, a distant howl echoed through the night, and it far too close..

I know, I hear it clearly.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Jade said with a grin, nudging his brother. “My brother and I will track down that wolf and throw him in prison.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling a mix of amusement and slight disgust. “Gross, dude. Not exactly the kind of flirting I’m into.”

Jade burst out laughing. “Yeah, save it for someone else, Jezz!”

I bit my lip, trying not to smile. Honestly, I just wanted to keep things simple. And I wanted to be close to my English teacher, to be my best friend.. a potential lover of mine.. Even if we can keep it secretly. Gosh! I'm so crazy.. advance thinking.

So, I turned away, pretending to ignore the awkward moment.

"Seriously...?” I hear Joel, as I walked to the kitchen.

Jolina had finished setting the table for our dinner. It's a better way to help her and start to get to know each other.

"Growing boys are always starving," She chuckled.

Then my stomach rumbled, suddenly feeling hungry as well. Luckily, Jolina had whipped up a feast! There were five boxes of pizza, with different flavors and toppings. Plus, she made two plates of pancakes, some sweet, cheesy and sour cream, a fresh homemade vegetable salad, and a cold can of beer.

"Oh, Mom! you're the best." Joel said, and now he take his first bite.

Jolina asked me questions about myself as we ate. Isn't she worried we will spoil our dinner? I guess not. Seeing how much food she has already put in front of us, or maybe this is dinner, I don't really know. But it's delicious.

"So, where are your parents from?"

"Surigao"

"Interesting!" Jolina's response

"And did they live anywhere before that?" she asks.

"Um, I don't think so. But I'm not really sure, actually."

I think my answer is close enough to be accurate. She continues stirring the food. The twins looked at each other for a second. What is that about? They do that a lot. Look at each other without speaking. Is it a twin thing? That would be so cool.

"My older son will be joining us soon," she informed me.

"Oh, I didn't know you guys had an older brother. You never told me," I told the twins.

"Nope." both of them answered and look at me in the same time.

Alright, I suppose it’s a bit of a secret. I’ll be meeting him soon. We’ve been chatting quite a bit. Jolina was curious about what my parents do for a living. She looked genuinely interested and impressed. She mentioned that she’s a homemaker and has always embraced that role. Most of her time is spent volunteering in the community. What a lovely person! She’s really done an amazing job raising her sons, they’re so polite and kind.

"I'm sure your parents are good people," Jolina inserted.

"My dad actually adopted me when I was very young. My biological father died when Mom was still pregnant with me. I don't even know where he came from."

Should I tell her all that? I don't think so. It's not necessary. Then I heard the front door cracked open and footsteps approaching the kitchen.

Why is my heart racing all of a sudden? As if my heart was being pulled out. And then, I caught a whiff of him.

"Mii.i- Mr. Albanzo!?"

My eyes go wide, and I can barely catch my breath as I gaze at him. He flashed a big smile, and it lit up the big room in his presence.

"Hello Jezz..." He speaks in a deep, rumbling voice that sends a shiver down my spine. Our eyes lock, and I can feel the intensity of the moment.

"This is Marvin, my eldest son," Jolina said.

"Uhm. He's my English teacher.." I responded shyly.

He grabbed three slices of bacon pizza, took a bite and turned to me when he said, "Eat. Never mind me."

He leap on my right side, where an empty chair awaited, his lack of professionalism became apparent. It seemed obvious that he was not a seasoned teacher. Additionally, it was clear that he had been famished throughout the entire day.

After we finished our meal, Mr. Albanzo took me out to the backyard, a peaceful spot filled with vibrant greenery, a variety of fruits, and different trees. As we stood there, I couldn't shake off a feeling of unease, suddenly aware that it was just the two of us.

"Do you like Mom's cooking?" Mr. Albanzo asked. OMG! I can't breathe.

"Yeah! "Of course, I ate a lot." I responded. I can see his smile coming directly at me. Like he was about to kiss me.

"How about school? Do you have a special person? A crush?" He asked suddenly, Why?

"Yes, actually, I meet him daily, and he is my..." I stopped all of a sudden. When I noticed that Jolina was about to left the table and take a step upstairs.

"I have to check my station" Jade run to his room.

"My homework is not finish yet. Bro. take care of her" Joel suddenly said and left us both here in the kitchen.

What are they doing? Why did they leave us both alone here in the kitchen?

"Mom! Abby Jezz is leaving now! I will be the one to take a ride to her home." Mr. Albanzo shouted out. Even though I never asked him to do that for me.

Is he merely joking, or is there a reason for their urgency?

"Okay, babe, bye Jezz! See you next time!" Jolina responded, slowly raising her hand from upstairs.

"So, let's go to my car. I will take you home now, time is calling..." Mr. Albanzo said.

If only my heart can talked, I will tell him that I wanted to spend more time with him. But, there’s no much more I can do since he my teacher, and I am his student.

The following day, I received an invitation from the twins to attend a family dinner, AGAIN!. right exactly what I wish for!

The Albanzo family is preparing to launch a new restaurant located conveniently near our school. I see this as an excellent opportunity to deepen my understanding of the wolf family. For the time being, I will keep my findings to myself, as I wish to pursue my own journey to discover my origins.

"Tagi, how are you? I'm sorry I was busy at school, there were so many lessons to review. Can you tell me your story there?"

I send a message to my closest friend, Tagi, as I have been missing her dearly. There was a time when I even considered flying to Surigao just to be with her.

While waiting for her reply, I placed my phone on the table to see any message right away. As we enjoyed a feast of Korean food, the twins excitedly shared stories from school. Their mom, Jolina, and Mr. Albanzo listened with interest.

Mr. Marvin Albanzo kept observing me, but instead of feeling uneasy, I felt strangely at ease around him.

I couldn’t believe how bold I was to question his feelings for me. His response gave me just enough hope to believe he might feel the same. The thought made me thrilled, but I reminded myself to stay calm. We only met a week ago, and I learned his first name just three days back. Still, it feels like I’ve known him much longer.

In the sweltering heat, I find myself making excuses to slip away from the table and head to the restroom. I take a moment to gather my thoughts.

What's going on with me? It feels like I can't help but lose control when he's around, as if I'm intoxicated by his scent.

As I was checking myself out in the mirror, I was totally caught off guard when Marvin burst into the room and locked the door behind him. My heart raced, and I felt a wave of panic, as he hurried towards me.

"Marvin...." I stop.

He suddenly hugged me and pressed me with a hot kiss...

A kiss that calmed me down.... in my lips.

His lips is very soft and sweet, as if I wanted to bite him, for snatching me... for snatching my very first kiss.

He even touch my back, may arms lay in his, until his hands slowly touch the bottom of my....

"Ahhh..." I screamed.

What is he doing?

"Ahm Sir.. stop..." I murmured when my lips has a time to tell.. but I can't continue because he pressed again his lips into mine.

The kissed was deepened. Until...

"Mr. Al... They will..." He tried to shut my mouth by his soft lips again and then he said, "c*m to me..."

Mr. Albanzo touched my private..below. A humm sounds follows on me...

I can't resist...

My hands trembled as I was afraid, afraid of something, but my heart wanted more.. I like this moment, to be with him.. to be touched by him.

It makes me feel exploded. He genuinely play it hard by his fingers.

"Ahh..Ahhmm.." he let me moaned, until he covered my mouth by his bare hands.

I can hear he moaned also near in my ear. I knew he likes it.

I pushed Marvin, but nothing happened because his grip on my body was strong. As if he wanted to claim me at this time. I can't help myself but to give in and tried this unusual world that only his presence was all I needed.