“Grandpa, are there really monsters?” said the little child, while holding a pretty pink-haired doll, “Nana told me that if I was naughty, monsters will come and get me, are they true?”
The old man chuckled, and halt from mixing his fresh fruits, “Well, it really depends, monsters come in different physiques, if you do ask me, they are true, but not all monsters are bad,”
“But why do they call monsters if they are not bad?”
The old man sighed and sat on his granddaughter’s height, “People brand unique creatures as monsters, regardless of their true nature,” He looked straightly into her eyes, “Remember this, my child. You will always have the capability to see other people’s true nature, you will always, and always see within their eyes,”
“What’s her condition? Tell me!” Lincoln, the pack leader, was so worried about Jasmin, her wife, who is in labor right now; even though he is the Alpha, he wasn’t allowed inside the room where Jasmin was giving birth.
“My lord, please be at ease; all the best accoucheuse is inside to assist our Luna, so rest assured that they will help her deliver your baby,” Donovan, his loyal servant, told him, “Come and sit in your quarters,” but the Alpha refused to listen, Donovan knew this day will happen, that the little kid he took care for the longest time is becoming a father, he can see in Lincoln eyes the mixture of love, worry, and excitement.
Donovan’s heart is filled with pure joy. He can see the changes in his kid; he treats him as his own. Donovan was Lincoln’s grandfather’s closest friend. When the old man died, Donovan chose to take care of Lincoln’s father; when Lincoln’s father died during the attack, instead of leaving the pack, he stayed and bore the responsibility of raising Lincoln.
“How was Jasmin, my dear nephew?” Jovani, one of the pioneers of the pack, arrived, together with his servant and wife, Elisa.
Elisa is the youngest daughter of Benedicto; she arranged marriage to the son of Pacito and Gregoria, one of the most powerful clans throughout the city.
Although she is the least favorite, Elisa’s family was forced to take the place of her sister, Janine, who loves someone else, and their parents wanted her to live her life to the fullest, even though she has to stand in place of her sister.
Elisa bears in mind that she has to become stronger, so no one can ever do again what her parents did to her; she grew stronger and mature; she despised her family and accepted the greed of her heart and Jovani.
She knew Jovani didn’t love her; he just wanted her body and her face, which can be shown to the public; she was a trophy wife; she didn’t know how to love, how to care, and how to fight for someone you cherish, which Elisa saw with the Alpha and Jasmin, she is genuinely worried about the couple.
“She’s still inside, giving birth to our child,” he answered, still restless. He is both worried and afraid. Three months ago, they went to one of the eldest in their clan, a babilu, who foresees the future, and babilu confirmed that Jasmin was carrying was both a blessing and a curse.
After that incident, a rumor had spread that maybe, Jasmin was carrying a twin of the opposite sex, who they believe is an omen. Lincoln’s family once had a twin, and bad luck followed them until their graves, up until their generation.
So, having a boy and a girl as the twin is an omen, a taboo, a sin that must be eradicated to save the future generation; but, Lincoln fell in love with a farmer’s daughter, and the moment she said yes, he promised her the world, a world that is full of pure happiness and security Lincoln didn’t want anything to happen to Jasmin; he loved her more than his own life.
“Don’t upset yourself, Lincoln; Jasmin can do that; after all, you promise our clan that you and Jasmin will be able to produce a child that can replace your position as the Alpha, even though she is a human,”
Lincoln looked Jovani straight to the eyes, giving him a dead look, “Uncle Jovani, we have to talk about this matter, I know that you care about the clan, but you can’t own my decision; I still have all the rights to govern my people, please know where to stand your feet,”
Jovani seemed to be offended by what Lincoln said, but he chose to remain his composure, “Lincoln, I am one of your trusted family members, I am just worried that Jasmin will bear a child that will bring us bad luck, you know what I mean, Lincoln, many wolf and human had tried, but they failed and executed, I don’t want that to h——-”
“I know what I want, and what I need, I am responsible for all my actions, and I will always be, thank you for your kindness and care, but I h—-” Lincoln halted when one of the accoucheuses come out, “Divina! How was my wife? Is she fine?”
Fear crept into Lincoln’s heart when Divina started to cry, “My lord,” she said with a shaking voice, even Jovani and Elisa stepped in to know the reason she was weeping, “My queen had given birth to a twin, a boy,” their face lightened up, “And a girl,”
“Que horror!” Out of so much aghast, Elisa shouted, “Jasmin bore an omen!”
Everyone gasped; fear and restlessness ate their hearts upon hearing the news; all the excitement they’d been bearing in their heart immediately disappeared.
“I already told you, Lincoln! That human will bring no good to us!” Jovani angrily said, “You have to kill one of your children to stop the curse!”
“No!” Lincoln said, and storm out, he went to his family, where he found Jasmin, crying, the moment Lincoln saw tears falling from Jasmin’s eyes, he felt that his heart was pierced with million needles, “My queen,” he kneeled down, “I love you,”
“Lin, I can’t, please, I can’t lose any of my children, don’t kill them, please,” Jasmin pleaded with his husband; she hugged them like anytime someone would take them away from her.
“My queen,” Lincoln can’t utter any words; he can’t put into words how heartbroken he is; his wife must have been feeling worst than him.
“You have to kill one of them, Lincoln! You will put our clan in great danger!” he immediately covers Jasmin’s naked body, “You know that having a twin of the opposite sex is an omen! It’s a forbidden act! Those children will kill everyone; it’s written in our ancestor’s guide!”
“Who the hell told you, you can come inside; that is a punishable sin!” Lincoln shouted, trying to remain his calm self, “Get out, while I can still hold myself; I don’t care whether you’re my family or not, you are disrespecting my wife!”
“Lincoln, I beg of you,” Elisa stepped in, crying, “Please, be the Alpha for us, we can’t lose everything we have, even our lives, just because of your selfish act, kill one of them, kill the girl, the boy should be the next in line to your position,”
“How dare you say that to my face,” Lincoln’s body is starting to heat, and in any second, he might not get a hold of himself anymore.
“Please,” Elisa begged before dragging Jovani outside their quarters, “We beg of you, on behalf of the whole clan.”
Silence echoed in the whole room; Jasmin was sobbing, still, holding her children; he calmed himself before caressing Jasmin’s peach-black hair, “Don’t worry, my queen. I will not let anyone hard our kids,”
“Then how?” Jasmin asked. Her heart is crushing, just thinking that her daughter will have to grow up without her presence, and she will not have the chance to teach her daughter what she needs to learn.
Jasmin wouldn’t be able to know Vera’s favorite food, color, fruit, movies, or music; all those rights will be forbidden to save Vera from great danger.
“We will hide her in the mortal world, and then, we will let them believe that we kill our child,”
“You’re sending my child to the mortal world as early as now; you’re not keeping her; you’re killing her, Lincoln! No!” Jasmin started to howl, like a mad person.
“No, no, my queen, let me through,” Lincoln is trying to calm her, “I know someone who will surely take care of her, and when the right time has come, you too will meet again,”
“And who is that person that you can even trust to take care of our daughter?” Jasmin was still crying, refusing to listen to Lincoln; her heart was in great distress like it was tearing apart.
“A couple I saved when I was still a crowned Alpha, I promised them, that as long as I am alive, I will be their protector, and in return, anything I ask to them will be given, they are the kindest people that I have met from your world, my queen,” Jasmin was still doubting. Still, she chose to trust Lincoln; she nodded, “Then, we shall grant her a name and a blessing of protection and wisdom; what do you want to be her name, my queen?”
Jasmin looked at her daughter, with eyes closed, she caught her smiling, “Vera, we will name her that, for she brought heaven joy to us for a short period,” she turned to their other child, “And this kid will be named Max, which means Exalted, and strong, for he will stand up for the others, and will remain still, amid any dilemma,”
Lincoln caressed Vera’s hair; she got her hair from her mother, “Vera, my daughter, I’m granting you protection,” he wounded himself and dropped it to Vera, “This blood will serve as my protection for you, that no one will ever know that you are different among the others unless it’s someone who loves you unconditionally,”
He turned to their other child, who is sleeping peacefully, “And you, Max, my son,” he dropped another blood to Max’s forehead, “This will serve as your guide to become a strong leader and a great protector; your leadership will be known,”
The couple kissed each of their children’s forehead, cheeks, and feet.
And with that, the twin’s paths separated.
