I
It’s almost ten o’clock in the evening yet the Contest for Ms. Albaya 2021 is only on its midway. Grazziena knows very well what will happen to her when midnight time will tick on the clock.
Grazziena is getting nervous but she tried to make it a point to never lose her poise and grace every time she ramps on the stage. She wanted to take the spotlight and to stand out among the rest of the candidates; never knowing that she already did, especially in the eyes of the Chairman of the Board of Judges. She already enthralled him with her grace and beauty at the onset of the pageant.
It’s ten-thirty in the evening and they are in their last attire; the long gown creative attire.
Grazziena carried with ease and grace the blue princess cut style, free-flowing long gown out of abaca fibers, which was specially made by her mother for her.
Everyone is cheering on contestant number 8 as she started to ramp on the stage with her blue long gown.
When all the contestants finished ramping with their long gown attires; the master of the ceremony came forward.
“In my hand is the list of some minor awards and the top ten, who will remain on this stage for the question and answer portion for this competition.” The Emcee said as he held and waived in his right hand a white envelope.
The spectators grew wild while cheering on with their bet’s names or numbers.
“Best in production number goes to Contestant no. 2!” the Emcee announced to the dismay of most of the audience. Their bet is number 8 because she danced really well.
“Boooo!!!” some of the audience shouted. Contestant number 2 is the daughter of the Vice-Governor of their Province.
Grazziena held a long breath but remained to be in her best pose.
“Best in casual wear… no other than… contestant number 2!!!” again the Emcee announced. Spectators are getting more annoyed.
“Be fair!!!” someone shouted from the middle of the audience.
Then the Emcee spoke again. “The best in Talent goes to … Contestant number 5!!!” Grazziena once more held her breath. She does not want to be frustrated during this early stage of the winners’ announcement. Indeed, Contestant Number 5 for her deserves to win the best talent because she has that golden voice. She sang one of Whitney Houston’s songs and she sang it in equal expertise with the popular singer.
“Best in long gown goes to . . . Contestant number 2 again.” The Emcee’s voice now seems to be nonchalant already.
“Boooo!!!” the audience is getting wilder.
“Now, ladies and gentlemen, the judges have chosen the best photogenic among the candidates… who are your bets?!” the Emcee asked the audience and mostly shouted Grazziena’s number, which is number 8.
The Emcee smiled and nodded, “You are right! Ms. Photogenic is contestant number 8!”
Grazziena could not move immediately as her number has been called.
The audience shouted with glee and Grazziena suddenly came into her senses. She gracefully walked to the center of the stage to get her prize and sash.
When the top ten has been announced, Grazziena’s number has been called last. As her number has been called, Mel jumped and shouted with so much excitement.
II
It is time for the question-and-answer portion. When Grazziena glanced at her wristwatch, her heart faltered. It’s eleven ten in the evening.
Every contestant was given ten minutes to answer their picked question.
“Number 2, please come forward and pick your question here.” The Emcee said while shaking a medium gold box where the folded questionnaires are written.
“Contestant number 2, here is your question. If you are to be crowned as Miss Albaya tonight, what will you do the next day?”
Contestant number 2 smiled nervously. She moistened her lips with her tongue and cleared her throat before speaking. “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, thank you for that beautiful question. If I will win tonight… tomorrow I’m sure I will be riding the float that will carry me around to show our province that I was the one who won the contest. Thank you.” She then smiled confidently but the audience roared with laughter while some of the board of judges looked at contestant number 2 dumbfounded.
Some of the top ten answered well while some got nervous and answered lamely.
“Last but not the least; contestant number 8, please come forward.” The Emcee smiled as he looked at Grazziena walked towards him.
Grazziena picked out the last paper in the golden box and handed it to the Emcee.
“Contestant number 8, here is your question. If you are the reincarnation of someone in the past, whom would you want to be and why?”
Grazziena smiled. “Good evening everyone; good evening judges; thank you emcee for that question. If it happened that I am a reincarnation of someone in the past; I hope I am the reincarnation of Mother Teresa; although I don’t want to die as a virgin because I dreamed of having my own family in the future but I wanted to be mother Teresa or St. Teresa of Calcutta because she gave herself wholehearted to freely serve the poorest of the poor; something that is too difficult to do in this lifetime. Her unwavering and unfaltering faith in God, top it most. Mother Teresa is someone to emulate. Thank you.”
The audience clapped and shouted loudly as Grazziena finished answering. The judges smiled.
The Chairman of the Board of Judges looked at Grazziena with a little naughty smile on his lips. He can still vividly remember her answer.
After a ballad singer serenaded the contestants, the Emcee walked again towards the middle of the stage; in his hand is a white envelope containing the list of winners.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the most awaited moment has come. I will be announcing the winners.” The Emcee stated with excitement.
“Come on, give it on!” someone shouted to the laughter of the audience.
“Alright, Second runner-up goes to contestant number …. 5!” the called contestant came forward and has been given a cash prize, a trophy, and a sash.
“Now, I will be calling the first runner-up… the first runner-up goes to contestant number 3!”
Now the audience is going crazy; contestants number 2 and number 8 have not been called yet. Who among the two will be crowned as Ms. Albaya 2020?
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Ms. Albaya 2021 is …” The Emcee stopped and looked at the audience.
The audience shouted their bets.
At that moment, Grazziena suddenly glanced at her wristwatch and she felt her face turned to ash. Ten minutes more and it will be twelve midnight!
I “And our Ms. Albaya 2020 is … Contestant number 8!” the crowd screamed with glory and Mel jumped to his feet, clapping and shouting. Grazziena looked at her wristwatch; it is eight minutes before midnight. Fears wobbled in every purse of her skin. She needs to escape now. When the young and gorgeous Chairman of the Board of Judges came near her, his lips were almost touching her right ear as he whispered, “In due time, you will be mine.” However, Grazziena did not notice his words anymore. She was already uneasy and thinking about how to escape. As soon as her crown has been put by him on her head, Grazziena acted as if her stomach was aching. “Excuse me, I can’t take it anymore, I need to go to the comfort room.” Then she turned her back, got her crown from her head, and ran. Grazziena motioned to Mel to get her prizes and without any word, to the shock of the spectators and judges, she ran going
I“Miss Albaya, would you not want to climb up?” The gorgeous man with those deep-seated eyes asked Grazziena with his expression dancing with amusement.“Err, I’m sorry.” Grazzienaalmost stumbled as she tried now to climb up the float where the grinning god of masculinity is standing. Grazzienacould not remove her eyes from the man.Something inside Grazzienakeeps on whispering and wobbling. The man’s scent of a cool breeze soothed into her nostrils, making her mind went wild. Then she heard an excited whisper that lingered into her heart. “MATE.”Grazzienafelt incredibly confused about what she is feeling and hearing. She has read some paranormal stories about werewolves written by good foreign authors and she could not imagine that such fictional stories would happen to her. She can understand the word &
IGrazziena has been frozen. She felt herself quivered as the governor’s scent filled her lungs. Something within her gallops and jumped as if triggered by such a smell. She was drawn into his eyes and his inviting lips made her quivered more.“Sister Teresa, I repeat stopped looking at me like that or else, I will devour your lips right here, right now.” Governor Draeko whispered once more, his hand reached for Grazziena’s hand.As if awakened from her deep sleep, Grazziena back off. She made two steps backward away from the seducing gaze of the young Governor. “I am not Sister Teresa.” All she could murmur.Governor Draeko made a chuckle. “The reincarnation of Sister Teresa then,” he said teasing the newly crowned beauty Queen.Grazzien
I In a village situated at the heart of Mt. Reveree; Lumaro the son of the Alpha of the Cold Mountain Pack will soon celebrate his twentieth birthday. He will be the next Alpha and his father’s challenge for him is to find his mate, soon to be the Luna of their pack. Once he found her; only then that he can replace his father as the new Alpha of the Cold Mountain Pack. “What else could I do father? I have visited every other pack’s full moon parties to find my mate but I failed. I cannot feel any connection with those numbers of the unmated she-wolves that I have met. Could it be that my mate is still yet to be borne?” Lumaro asked his Alpha father with so much frustration. Suddenly, Alpha Maro remembered something. Didn’t he and his best friend Gregor make a pack and a prayer to the moon goddess that should, the Luna will give birth to a daughter, they wished her to be the mate of his son Lumaro, who was just one year old at that time? Alpha Maro has
I Lumaro tried to look further for his mate. He traveled in nearby pack villages, even in the rouge pack but he could feel the sign of his mate; he could not even smell her. After almost one month of traveling to different places looking for his mate, Lumaro went home feeling like a failure. He was not able to find his mate yet. “My son, I need to tell you something; I guess this is the most opportune time to let you know this thing.” It was Lumaro’s Alpha father who has spoken when he saw Lumaro arrived with a depressed expression. Lumaro suddenly looked at his father, with eyes on their inquisitive form. “What is it Father?” he asked curiously. “It is about your possible mate.” Lumaro’s Father replied as he sat on the wooden, well-sculptured chair in their living area. “I am excited to listen now my Alpha Father.” Lumaro also sat on the wooden chair in front of his Father, readying himself to listen. “Your possible mat
I Grazziena received a bouquet of red roses early in the morning. It has been delivered by a known flower delivery shop from the city. Surprised, Grazziena looked at the words written on the attached card. The note written in the attached card said, “To the woman who is giving me beautiful mornings just by thinking about her. . . See you this afternoon at our hotel Ms. Grazziena… Waiting with love, Jervin Ty.” Grazziena became uneasy. In a recent F******k live interview with a reporter from a local branch of a known TV Station, Jervin Ty vocally admitted that it was him who insisted to his father to invite the reigning Ms. Albaya 2020 to grace the opening of Ty’s second-biggest hotel in the province. When asked by the local reporter why he insisted so, Jervin Ty smiled warmly and pointed his finger on his heart part then softly said, “She hit me here.” The reporter’s eyes grew big and giggled as she looked at the camera, winked, and bade goodbye.
I And they said for a man to gain more allies and powers, he needs to know the real meaning of the word, “Control”. Control means, not only manipulating people to follow you but more so, manipulating yourself, your emotion to never burst out in anger, hatred, jealousy, or any other bad emotions in front of other people. This is what Governor Draeko has in mind when he saw the son of the Hotel Magnate and Business Tycon, Ty holding the hand of Ms. Albaya 2020 while helping her get out of his Mercedez Benz. It never occurred in him that this young man of the Ty family would be so persistent, to the extent of fetching Grazziena personally from her home going to the hotel. This is his problem; he cannot just do that right now. He cannot just go to Grazziena’s house without a valid or legitimate purpose being the Governor of Albaya Province. What would be a good purpose to visit her and her family using his Governor position? That he needs to think deeply. He cann
I She opened her eyes when she felt the nearness and the hard breathing of Governor Draeko. Unable to control herself, she touched the heart part of Governor Draeko. She even managed to caress it gently and then innocently checked on the expression of the young Governor, who is now closing the gap between them. “Grazziena, I really like you. At the onset that I saw you there on the ramp, I felt something different and I want you to be mine.” Governor Draeko whispered as his eyes are closely focused on Grazziena’s innocent-looking face. Grazziena kept her silence. She did not know what to say actually. Her heartbeats overwhelmed her senses. When Governor Draeko’s lips slowly came closer to her own lips, her eyes automatically shut and her lips trembled. She felt nervous at the same time excited. What could be the taste of the lips of a young and gorgeous Governor? She thought and then something inside her willowed with joy. Seeing that Grazziena cl