Chapter 7

“Odin.”

Niluhod ni Fenrir ang kanang tuhod habang tinatayo ang kaliwang binti. Nagbitak ang gilid ng maskara niya kaya bumungad sa ‘kin ang namumula niyang pisngi na may kasamang sugat na nagdudugo.

I glanced at Odin. His teeth gnarled with anger. Bakas din ang pamumula ng kaliwang kamao na may galos ang knuckles sa pagkasusuntok sa kapatid.

Nagpahatak ako nang hinablot ni Odin ang aking kaliwang braso saka nilagay ako sa likuran niya. 

Dumilim din ang paningin nang napansin niya ang pamumula sa bandang pulso.

“Tangina!” 

Tumakbo si Odin papalapit kay Fenrir na katatayo lang. All his punches were flying in the air.

“How dare you too! You hurt Rox, huh!” he scowled as he threw punches to his brother.

Mabilis ilagan ni Fenrir lahat ng ‘yun. As if, basang-basa niya ang kilos ng kapatid. He swiftly moved his body in grace - parang nagsasayaw. 

“Are you barking at the wrong tree, my little brother?” tanong ni Fenrir nang yumuko ito mula sa jab ni Odin.

Albeit a known womanizer and a fuckboy, Odin knew some martial arts. In fact, he was the one who insisted that I work out. 

“Wow, ah.” he panted. Taas baba ang katawan nito sa pagpagal na paghinga. “Look at her.” He shifted his gaze to me. “Y-You…didn’t…let her go out…” Muli niyang binalik ang tingin sa kapatid. “Y-You just…i-imprisoned her to your…house,” he scoffed. “Ilang buwan na ba ang nakalipas? Tatlo? Kalahating taon!”

My eyes widened in shock. 

Hindi ko namalayan ang oras - lalo na’t ang ginawa mong maghapon ay mag-ikot, magyosi at magbasa ng samu’t saring magazines.

He removed his mask. His face was bare but butterflies tried to escape from me. 

“W-Why you’re so upset, little brother?” he asked sarcastically. He clapped his hands and even stretched his fingers. “Do you want my wife?” he smirked.

He posed his arms in an attack position - just like what I watched in movies. “Reality check - she’s mine.”

Tuluyang kumawala ang mga paruparo sa aking sikmura. Kasabay nito ang awtomatikong pagharang sa harap ni Odin. Tinaas ko pa ang parehong braso pa-side.

“Why, Roxie?” he asked amusedly. “Are you siding with him?” A smirk appeared on his face.

Umiling ako. “Tama na ang away niyo ni Odin,” maagap kong sagot. Nanginginig ang braso ko sa kaba. Bakit kinakailangang mag-away ang magkapatid. “Odin,” lumingon ako sa likuran. Para itong asong ulol na may leash sa leeg. “Y-Your kuya saved me…”

“Save?” His face went into horror. I felt his calloused hands on my shoulders - firmly gripped on me. “That heartless bastard? Saved you?”

My eyebrows furrowed. “Oo.”

His face told me he didn’t buy it. “But he –”

“ – ganito kasi…” I shifted my body beside him, nearing his ear and covered it using my hand.

Fenrir’s face became stoic. He put his arms down while his stares were piercing me. 

After I whispered everything, inakbayan ko si Odin sa kanyang leeg patungo sa kaliwang balikat niya. “Ano? Okay ba?”

Namulagat ako nang hinigitan niya ko sa bandang likuran saka nilapit sa kanya. “Odin -”

“Kuya,” aniya sa kapatid. Tinaasan lang siya ni Fenrir ng kilay. “Pahiram muna si Rox.”

Kapansin-pansin ang pag-igting ng ugat ni Fenrir sa gilid ng noo niya saka mga ugat sa braso. It seemed he didn’t like the idea.

“She’ll be in our guestroom. Masama na ikulong mo ulit siya doon,” seryosong wika ni Odin. Lalong hinigpitan niya ang kamay sa gilid ng aking baywang. “Let’s go, sister-in-law?” sa malandi niyang boses.

Tumingin pa siya sa kapatid niya na may pang-asar na ngiti. Saka giniya ako papalayo sa kanya.

Nagtama ang tingin namin ni Fenrir. Umawang ang aking labi na wala akong makitang reaksyon sa makulay niyang mata. Nakakrus pa ang dalawang braso habang hinahayaan kaming makalayo.

Bumuka ang kanyang labi. Walang tunog. Pero nakaramdam ako ng kakaiba ngunit nakakatakot na awra. Kaya naman sumuko ako sa staring challenge naming dalawa.

Sumalubong sa mansyon ang mga kasambahay nila na naka-scrub suit na kulay dark blue. Odin provided orders to prepare the guest room upstairs.

It was beside Odin’s room. Frantically, my own room in the mansion. Since I was always with Odin, Tita Sigyd and Tito Loki treated me as their own. They even reserved a guest room - just for me. 

Pagpasok ko, sumalubong sa ‘kin ang honey lemon na amoy. It suited my character - a ball of sunshine to everyone. 

Queen-sized bed with lots of pillows around it. They looked fluffy based on my liking. I want to sleep with a lot of pillows. They served as my crying shoulders whenever I felt down until the covers were drenched.

It had a bedside table and a lamp set in dim. I wanted to sleep in a dimmed light room - if I slept in the dark, I made sure that the sliding window going to my own balcony was open wide. 

The room was very simple with white and navy blue combination on it. Bagay na bagay para pumayapa ang isipan ko.

“I’ll go now in my room,” mahinang wika ni Odin mula sa aking likuran. 

I felt his arms wrapping again on my waist. His chin was buried on the side of my shoulders.

“If you need anything…” Kumawala siya sa pagkayayakap sa ‘kin. May kinapa siya sa bulsa nito saka nilahad ang aking kamay.

My eyes sparkled when I saw what he gave me. A rectangular-shaped thing with dents on the side. It glimmered across the hallway with its faint light with my old picture of it.

“How did you get –”

“ – ako pa ba? It’s your old phone na akala mo nawala na. They managed to find it on your bed.”

Pilit akong ngumiti. Naalala ko kung paano akong nagwala sa kwarto na ito noong hindi ko makita ang phone ko. 

“You can chat with me or call me if you need help. Gusto mo, makipag-usap ka sa magulang mo,” aniya habang tinataas-baba ang kilay nito.

Hinampas ko siya sa braso na napa-OA ang reaction. “Never! As if, kinakamusta talaga ako.”

Isang kakaibang ngiti ang sinagot ni Odin sa ‘kin. “You’ll never know…o siya, matulog ka na. May Marlboro din sa drawer mo.”