Hidden Bite (Book 3 of Bite Trilogy)

Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Asked

I woke up in a freezing temperature, and even if Zen's arms were wrapped around me, I could still feel the intense cold.

Sinubukan kong bumangon at humiwalay sa kanya, ngunit mas higit na humigpit ang yakap niya sa akin. "Z-zen, it's freezing cold. What did you do?"

When I tried to pull away from him, his arms tightened while his eyes were still closed as if he didn't hear my words.

"Zen," ulit ko.

"Later," he murmured.

I rolled my eyes. At iritado ko nang hinampas ang braso niya, saka lang siya napamulat pero hindi natinag ang braso niya sa akin. "Let me go."

"A minute, Claret. . ."

"Zen Lancelot Gazellian," mas madiing tawag ko sa kanya.

Saka lang siya natauhan, nauna pa siyang bumangon sa akin habang sapo ang kanyang noo. Nanliliit ang mga mata ko sa kanya habang nagmamadali akong magsuot ng damit at tahimik lang siyang nanunuod sa akin.

"Are you okay? Do you need more blood, baby?"

"I am full."

He nodded. "Good to hear."

Muli akong umirap sa kanya nang sulyapan ko ang marka ng mga kagat ko sa dibdib, leeg at balikat niya na malapit nang maghilom.

Akala niya ba ay siya lang ang makakarami ng kagat sa aming dalawa? Kung hindi ko ginalingan kumagat ay mauubusan ako ng dugo sa kanya.

"We have to go, Zen."

Hindi na ako lumingon sa kanya at hinayaan ko na lang siyang magbihis sa likuran ko. Akala ko ay didiretso na siya sa pintuan nang maramdaman ko na lang ang presensiya niya sa mismong likuran ko.

He bent and planted a soft kiss on my right cheek. "I love you."

Nagtungo na siya sa unahan ko at hinawakan niya na ang malaking kahoy na harang at sinimulan na niya iyon itulak pataas. Lumingon ako sa pinanggalingan namin at gamit ang kaunting galaw ng aking kamay ay ibinalik ko iyon sa pagkakaayos.

Nang tuluyan nang itaas ni Zen ang harang, mas lalo kong naramdaman ang tindi ng lamig dahil sa hangin na umiihip, at halos masilaw ako sa puting kulay ng makapal na nyebe sa labas.

Makapal na usok ang agad lumabas sa aking bibig nang sandaling lumabas na ako sa tindahang iyon habang nakahawak na pa rin si Zen sa makapal na kahoy— with his bared chest and only that pants that covers his body.

I know that anyone who could see Zen Lancelot Gazellian right now could easily identify him as the culprit of this thick snow— because who in this world can literally walk confidently in the middle of the vastness of snow naked?

Halos yakapin ko na ang sarili ko sa tindi nang lamig.

While Zen's already walking ahead of me, and both of our legs were half-buried because of the thickness of the snow.

"Baby. . ."

He stopped walking ahead and offered his hand with mine. I couldn't help but shivered with this coldness, and gasped as I admired Zen in this crazy weather.

If werewolves glisten every time the moonlight shines on them, the way the blinding white snow enveloped the whole— it's a time that Zen could finally tell that sometimes he can own this world.

How the small snowflakes dropped to his hair, the way the snow melted on his chest and turned into droplets of water gliding down his naked body, and the way he stood in that freezing temperate without even a flinch but utter confidence.