LOGINI fell in love with a cold, taciturn tattoo artist named Henry Kane. So I deliberately damaged my tattoo again and again, picking at the skin and reworking the design, just to see him a few more times. By the third visit for touch-ups, scrolling comments suddenly appeared before my eyes: “I’m dying of laughter. This desperate female lead literally destroyed her freshly tattooed skin just to see the male lead again, and she still didn’t dare confess her feelings.” “Henry Kane is actually the embodiment of an ancient ferocious beast who sat on mountains of gold and silver but refused to spend them, choosing instead to open a tattoo studio to experience mortal life.” “He looks icy and distant, but his possessiveness has long since maxed out.” “He was just afraid his violent nature would scare his woman away.” I looked at the man in front of me, who was lowering his head as he wiped down the tattoo machine, and he did indeed give off an unmistakable keep-your-distance aura. But the comments claimed that he wanted to possess me? “Um… Excuse me?” The man tilted his head slightly, and under the weight of his deep gaze, the confession lodged in my throat. My mind short-circuited, and I blurted out, “I… I wanted to tattoo it on my lower back this time.” In an instant, the comments exploded in joy. “Woohoo! We’re taking off!” “Lower back, you say? That’s a sensitive spot! Can this pure-hearted ferocious beast really hold back?” “Good grief, straight to the undressing scene! This cunning move by the female lead is operating on a whole other level!” The man’s hand gripping the tattoo machine jerked to a sudden stop, and the air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Then he answered, his voice slightly hoarse and unreadable, “Alright.”
View More"Lepasin! Aku mau mati aja," teriak Luna terus memberontak.
"Jangan, Lun! Ayo kita pulang ya Nduk," bujuk Tari, ibunya itu menarik Luna yang sudah separuh badannya terendam air pantai.
Dari kejauhan Minah berlari tergopoh-gopoh bersama beberapa tetangga, mereka akan menyelamatkan usaha bunuh diri yang sudah kesekian kalinya dilakukan Luna.
"Tolong selamatkan cucu saya, tolong!" pinta Minah histeris pada Bapak-Bapak yang berlari bersamanya itu.
Dua lelaki bergegas lari ke pantai, malam ini air pasang, belum masuk terlalu jauh saja, air sudah setinggi ketiak orang dewasa. Tenaga lelaki memang berbeda, sekali tarikan saja, Luna sudah berhasil dibawa ke tepi pantai.
"Aku mau mati ... " jerit Luna diiringi deburan ombak yang menerpa semua orang di sana.
Seketika Tari menghambur memeluk sang putri, dalam tangisnya ia mencoba menenangkan putrinya itu. Minah pun datang menghampiri, ia turut memeluk anak dan cucunya itu.
"Mbah, ayo kita bawa pulang Luna sekarang," ajak Pak RT yang tadi membantu menarik Luna.
"Enggeh, maaf sudah merepotkan!" balas Minah sungkan.
Tubuh Luna yang sudah lemas mudah dipapah oleh para lelaki itu, sementara Tari menuntun ibunya di belakang sambil mengikuti, ia merasa beruntung di keliling orang-orang baik, para tetangga yang pengertian dengan kondisi mental Luna sekarang walaupun tidak semuanya, masih ada saja orang di sekitar mencemooh keadaan Luna yang padahal seorang korban.
"Makasih banyak, Mas, Pak!" ucap Tari kepada mereka yang sudah menyelamatkan Luna malam ini.
"Sama-sama, kita pamit pulang!" Mereka pun undur diri.
Minah membukakan pintu, terus berjalan masuk menuju kamar Luna, pintunya ia buka lebar-lebar agar bisa dilewati oleh dua orang sekaligus. Tari dengan telaten membuka pakaian Luna yang basah kuyup, mengeringkan badannya lalu memakaikan baju tidur yang nyaman.
"Maafin Ibu ya, Nduk! Ibu ketiduran tadi sampe kecolongan," sesal Minah dengan mata yang mengembun.
"Wes toh, Buk! Bukan salah Ibu kok. Masa orang ngantuk disalahin, sekarang Ibu istirahat, biar Tari yang jaga Luna," ujar perempuan paruh baya itu mengusap tangan ibunya yang sudah keriput.
Kali ini Minah sudah tak bisa menahan laju air matanya, "kamu yang kuat ya, Nduk!"
***
Suara kokok ayam jantan terdengar dari samping rumah, lantunan adzan pun dikumandangkan dari masjid terdekat. Tari terbangun, menguap sambil merentangkan tangannya ke atas, melepaskan pegal yang menjalar pada setiap persendian tubuhnya.
Matanya yang masih belum sepenuhnya terbuka mendadak terbelalak ketika tak ia dapati Luna di sampingnya, Tari bergegas turun dari tempat tidur, setengah berlari keluar kamar.
"Luna! Lun, di mana kamu, Nduk?!" panggilnya berulang.
Tari menghela napas lega tatkala menemukan Luna yang tengah duduk di ambang pintu dapur.
"Ternyata kamu di sini, Nduk?!" ucap Tari mendekat.
Tak ada jawaban dari Luna, ia tengah memeluk lutut, tatapan matanya kosong, tubuhnya berayun ke depan dan ke belakang. Sungguh melihat kondisi putrinya yang seperti ini membuat batin Tari menjerit tapi sekali lagi ia harus kuat, siapa yang akan menyembuhkan putrinya kalau bukan dirinya?
"Masuk yuk! Di sini dingin, kamu gak pake baju hangat juga kan?!" ajak Tari, ia menarik pelan tangan Luna agar segera beranjak dari sana.
"Loh, Ibu dari mana?" tanya Tari ketika melihat ibunya tiba-tiba muncul dari arah luar.
"Dari masjid, oh ya! Kamu ke pasar sana beli ayam, tempe dan lainnya buat jualan Ibu," perintah Minah.
"Loh, kan biasanya juga kalau belanja sore, Buk!" Heran Tari.
"Udah sana, biar sekalian ajak Luna jalan. Kasian dia di rumah terus," kata Minah tak ingin dibantah.
"Yok wes, aku sholat dulu habis itu siap-siap ke pasar," balas Tari sambil menuntun Luna untuk kembali ke kamarnya.
***
Matahari belum sepenuhnya terbit tapi pasar ini sudah sangat ramai, jilbab cokelat Tari berantakan karena tersenggol orang-orang ketika melewati jalan berdesakan.
"Sini, Bu! Biar Luna benerin," ucap Luna membawa ibunya ke tempat yang lebih sepi, ia cekatan merapikan jilbab instan yang sudah miring-miring di kepala ibunya itu.
Tari memandangi putrinya sambil menahan tangis, rasanya putrinya itu tak pernah mengecap kebahagiaan sejak kecil, Luna kecil tumbuh menjadi anak yang hanya melihat pertengkaran kedua orang tuanya, tidak pernah mendapat kasih sayang dari Bapak kandungnya sendiri dan setelah dewasa justru ia harus mengalami peristiwa yang merupakan sebuah malapetaka bagi setiap korbannya.
"Ibu, kok diem?" tanya Luna bingung.
"Enggak, kamu capek?" Tari mengusap keringat yang menetes di kening Luna.
"Apa ini sakit?" tanyanya lagi sambil mengusap perut Luna.
Luna menggeleng tegas, "ayo Bu, cepet. Biar kita bisa cepet pulang juga." Luna mulai tak nyaman dengan tatapan orang-orang di sekitarnya.
Setelah mendapat semua bahan untuk membuat pecel pincuk dagangan ibunya, Tari pun segera mengajak Luna pulang, ia paham putrinya tak nyaman bila berada lama-lama di keramaian.
"Ibu Tari!" sapa lelaki berkulit putih dan tinggi ketika mereka berpapasan.
"Eh, Nak Evan!" sahut Tari membalasnya dengan senyuman hangat.
"What're you doing here?" tanya Tari pada pemuda asal Kanada itu.
"Just look around after jogging," jawabnya lalu melirik pada Luna yang sedikit bersembunyi di balik punggung ibunya.
"Wah ... Rajin sekali kamu!" puji Tari, ia tau Evan sudah mulai bisa berbahasa Indonesia setelah tiga bulan tinggal di sini.
"Supaya ... Se-hat," balas Evan sedikit tersendat.
"Who's she?" Kemudian Evan menunjuk Luna, sejak tadi ia terpesona pada wajah manisnya itu.
"My daughter. Oh ya Lun, kenalin ini Nak Evan, yang waktu itu pernah Ibu cerita," kata Tari menyuruh putrinya berkenalan.
Evan lebih dulu mengulurkan tangan, Luna ragu-ragu membalasnya tapi setelah melirik ibunya yang memberi isyarat tak masalah, Luna pun akhirnya menjabat tangan pemuda bermanik mata amber atau orange kecoklatan itu.
"Evan!" ucapnya memperkenalkan diri.
"Luna," balas perempuan hitam manis itu menyebutkan namanya.
Tiba-tiba saja seorang Ibu yang melintas menepuk tangan keduanya dengan kasar hingga jabatan tangan mereka terlepas.
"Jangan mau sentuhan sama perempuan kotor, najis!" hinanya sambil menetap sinis pada Luna.
"Astagfirullah, Buk! Mulutnya dijaga ya, jangan asal sembarangan kalau ngomong," bentak Tari yang tak terima putrinya mendapat cacian seperti itu.
"Ibu, kita pulang aja, Buk! Ayo Bu," ajak Luna mendorong kuat ibunya, ia tak mau ada keributan.
Sementara Evan termenung sambil menatap punggung Ibu dan anaknya itu yang kian menjauh. What's going on?
***
Evan kembali ke tempat kostnya, keningnya yang berkerut tajam disadari oleh Dimas, teman satu kostnya.
"Wes ... Mas Bule! Kenapa toh?" tanya Dimas menepuk pundak Evan yang sudah duduk di bangku bambu panjang yang ada di teras depan kost mereka ini.
"Kamu kenal Luna, anaknya Bu Tari?" tanya Evan.
"Kenal, why?" Dimas bertanya balik sambil berlagak karena bahasa Inggrisnya juga pas-pasan.
Akhirnya Evan menceritakan kejadian di pasar tadi, Dimas manggut-manggut mendengarkan.
"Ya ... Memang begitulah, masih aja ada orang yang berpikir begitu. Kasian Luna, padahal kan dia korban," ucap Dimas dengan nada sedih.
"Korban? Memang dia korban apa?" tanya Evan tak mengerti.
"Sini!" Dimas meminta Evan mendekat lalu berbisik tepat di telinga Evan.
"What?" Evan belum paham betul apa yang dikatakan Dimas.
Dimas menggaruk kepalanya bingung, sulit juga menjelaskan pada orang yang berbeda bahasa, namun ia tak kehabisan akal. Dimas menyalakan ponselnya, mengetik sesuatu di sana lalu menyerahkannya pada Evan.
"Oh my God!" Seketika Evan membekap mulutnya sendiri.
Pada layar ponsel Dimas tertulis terjemahan.
"She was raped and now pregnant."
[Dia diperkosa dan sekarang dia hamil]
****
Henry looked at me, his dark, fathomless eyes reflecting me in my wedding dress.“I’m afraid this is a dream.”“If it is, I never want to wake up.”He lowered his head and pressed a reverent kiss to my ring finger. In that instant, a streak of black light seemed to flash across the chapel’s dome. Only I knew it was the manifestation of Henry’s excitement. His tail probably thrashed so violently beneath his trousers that it might have snapped.That night, Henry finally let go of all restraint. The room lay in shadow, and he pressed me against the floor-to-ceiling window, the lights of Riverton flickering like stars beyond the glass.“Claire…”“Yes?”“I want to get another tattoo.”“Where?”He gripped my hand and pressed it to his lower back, mirroring the spot that corresponded to mine. There, with each of his breaths, a faint outline of a feral totem emerged.“I want to tattoo your image. I want to carve you into my bones forever.”With a low roar, the familiar bla
Henry strode in wearing a black trench coat, looking almost out of place amidst the grandeur. Yet, he seemed utterly commanding. Behind him marched two rows of men in black suits, each carrying ornate gift boxes. Some even bore several heavy mahogany chests.The display dwarfed the occasion when the Grants had come to propose marriage.The comments exploded:“Holy hell! Is this what a fierce beast’s entrance looks like?”“Dragons hoard jewels, while this beast hoards gold! This must be the fortune Henry amassed over a thousand years!”“I knew Henry was a hidden tycoon!”Dad froze, his hand trembling as he pointed at Henry.“You… who are you? Who let you in?”Henry calmly moved to my side, instinctively shielding me behind him. Facing Dad’s fury, his expression remained detached and slightly arrogant.“I’m Henry,” he said. “Claire’s boyfriend.”He snapped his fingers. Immediately, the men behind him opened the chests.Gold glimmered, almost blinding me. Bars upo
Henry had already dressed neatly and sat by the bed, watching me.He held a cup of water in his hand, his gaze clear, all traces of his non-human features fully restrained.Only the way he looked at me betrayed what he was.“You’re awake?”He helped me sit up and fed me the water, his movements so practiced it felt as though he had rehearsed them countless times.I took a sip, and my throat finally felt less raw. My gaze drifted unconsciously to his collarbone.There was a new tattoo there.Red, still swollen from being freshly inked, but unmistakable.It was my name.The characters were rendered in the most ancient, wild cursive form of script, like an old, binding sigil.My fingers trembled as I touched it.“When did you… get this?”Henry caught my hand and rubbed it gently against his palm.“Last night, after you fell asleep.”“Did it hurt?”“It was better that it hurt.”His eyes darkened, and a satisfied smile curved his lips.“Pain makes it unforgettable. It rem
None of us said anything for a while.A deathly silence filled the air.Then the comments stirred up again:“You’ve got real guts, weak male.”“Breaking in at a time like this. Are you tired of living?”“Henry just barely stopped himself from killing someone!”“Run, you idiot, run!”…Ethan looked at the intimate way we were standing, then caught Henry’s murderous expression.His brain finally finished loading.“Holy—!”He pointed at us, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.“You—you two actually—”He looked at me. “No wonder you only wanted the motorcycle and not the money!”Then he looked at Henry. “No wonder that security guy kept staring at me. Turns out he was checking whether he’d been cuckolded!”Then his expression flipped completely, bursting into wild joy.“That’s amazing! I’m finally free!“Who’s this guy? He looks fierce. Can he fight?“Not bad, Claire. Solid taste!”My head throbbed.“Shut up.”Henry looked at him coldly. “If you’ve got a problem, ta
Henry’s eyes blazed red, his chest rising and falling violently, as a beast roused to rage.“You like him that much?” he asked roughly.I barely opened my mouth when Ethan’s distant voice rang out, “Claire, where are you? The auction is starting!”I shivered in fright.The ferocity in Henry’s ey
The kiss ended, and my legs went weak. I could only hang onto Henry as he steadied his breath.“Now that you’ve drawn me to you, don’t even think about running,” he whispered possessively.I laughed between gasps. “I won’t run. Even if you try to push me away, I won’t leave!”Suddenly, footst
The next evening, Ethan’s flashy sports car pulled up outside my house, right on time.“Miss Rivers, please,” he said as he offered me his arm.He wore a crisp white suit, looking every bit the playboy, while I was dressed in the champagne-colored gown he had picked out for me. I took a deep bre












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