Chapter 9

Leggings, sports bra and sleeveless shirt on top. Alundra was good to -go as scheduled, It's Friday morning and expectedly her first day of training . She aimed to upskill herself in self-defense. The series of threatening occurrences bothered her to the extent of deciding this suicide-like activity.

"It's suicidal that everyday, I shall be with him who's been so cold, dominant but looked so hot with brown messy hair, tanned skin, crystal blue eyes, lovely kissable lips, added with his small stubbles of growing beared on his jaw and neck which made him a lot hotter. If only he knew how gorgeously hot he looks. If only he would stare at my eyes and see what's in her wildest imaginations lie in my head, If only he would seize being cold and snob! "She hissed.

You're late, he said when she was about to get herself out of her car . Aren't you supposed to be here at exactly 6:00 am? Raf's stoic face met her at the sea shore which annoyed her. I would be on time if it's an in-house training. What would you expect from me then? Arriving at this far at least 10 minutes before 6:00 while I have to drive 2 hours from my house?

"This isn't a good training venue Mr. Fernandez, '' she complained, diverting her tardiness to the annoying venue.

"I should have worn my two piece and shades! "she added.

Raf stood beside her while facing the calm soft waves in the morning, watching the horizon where the sun slowly showed up its wonderfully bright rays as it rose, touching with moderate passionate heat to their skins.

He sighed and looked at her intently. For the first time Alundra saw Raf's emotion on his face, he looks so calm and gentle ,his crystal blue eyes are telling her something she could not define. He's been so cold and emotionless from the day she met him, even those days that Zandra told her it was Raf who found her in the forest.

"How are you?" His soft voice brought a little silly feeling of nervousness to her senses.

"Oh my God, why is he this cute, oh no erase.. erase, cute is understatement, it's hot!" her giggling whisper to herself while looking away and pretending to watch the other end of the shore.

"I'm good," she smiled and glanced at Raf . "I mean, how's your life going? "he further asked.

"I'm alright, though I'm still having doubts on my real self, but somehow still having this kind of feeling that despite everything, I'm still lucky enough that tita Zandra welcomed me ,not as a stranger but a family" her hair swayed in every gentle blow of the wind, it's cold breeze comforted her heart.

Unusual heart-to-heart conversation with him soothed her heart like he's been a friend she have known for so long, she could not even recall those times she last talked about herself, it was always been the studies, the job, the friends that she had that filled out her daily stories, and not this crucially sensitive matter, it's her-her real life.

"I wish I could go back to that moment when I could truly recognize myself. I want to be real, I wish I could be."She touched her necklace, it had always been her mannerism to touch it with everything she felt dubiously melancholic. Its pendant tells her she's Alundra, such a very beautiful necklace with blue crystals engraved in each letter; she looked down her wet toes, while waves kept traversing longitudinal motion like those of the soft sound of the breeze.

Her heart was comfortable with Raf, she felt calmness and peace with him, such feeling she secretly treasured every time he's around, along with that familiar lovely scent of pine forest breeze, she knew he could understand her sentiments and fears considering his presence during those days she was awfully uncertain of herself and things around her.

"Do you have any idea of my real identity? I mean, Did you know me even before I got involved in that traumatizing night?" Her lips rose-up and smiled bitterly. Silly me. "How would you know? I mean we've just known each other since I was saved by tita Zands team right?" she asked him naughtily. She hid that Zandra told her already that Raf himself was the one who found her in that vast grassland amidst dark forest.

Raf was caught off-guard. He was surprised. He looked away and watched the horizon instead of answering her.

"I know, deep inside your heart is a person seeking for an answer, a well- defined answer that will complete you as a person. I know it's hard looking at other people and friends with complete family,the real ones. I know that spaces in your heart could never be filled by our presence." He sighed and squatted to get some pebbles, and opted to throw it to the slowly streaming waves."

“It hurts me as well. I apologize that I could not say anything about it. It seemed to be better this way for you to be spared from the trauma, for the recurring pain and agony once you'll remember everything you've gone through, but please remember this, do not ever think of blaming yourself, it was never your fault. One day, you'll be ready enough to endure that pain, strong enough to stand against suffering." he looked upward straight to her hazel brown eyes.

“Whatever happened in the past could never stop you from fulfilling your destiny;We may need enough time fixing everything, but someday you'll find real answers and you're gonna get your perfect opportunity to know yourself; you'll surely become what and who you really are;"

He stood up and faced her again allowing Alundra to assess his real emotion, "and if that finally happens, you would always find me behind watching you, as you rise behold your destiny! "

His long utterance put her in awe that it was the first time she heard his words that seemed really putting her his' responsibility. He sounded like he knew her even before that night. He sounded like it's dangerous for her to learn her past. He sounded like he's hiding the truth so that she would be spared from the agony.

It got her deeply curious. “What must be his reasons? I should find it out, I should win his trust that would make him reveal the real story behind. She planned in an instant "Whatever it is, I deserve to know the truth behind this darkness" her mind quietly spoke.

"Would you mind if I ask something?" she planted her sweetest smile. Raf looked at her. She smiled and handed her hand for a shake. "Can we be friends?" Her heart skipped wishing he would catch this bait,it's risky but this must be the only way to find out the truth, the answer she was always looking for. Who she really is!

Raf's crystal blue eyes widened for her unexpected question. He could see the innocence in her smile. She never changed, still a pure-hearted beautiful lady he admired for so long.

He smiled with his perfectly aligned white teeth that added his appeal. Hotter than ever. He handed his hand for a shake formally sealing their friendship. It fluttered him that the Luna he admired from afar had offered friendship to him.

When he pressed his hand to hers, he intently looked at her eyes silently hoping to feel the usual spark between werewolf mates like what his predecessors kept telling him that when he get closed to his mate, he would perfectly distinguish her smell and when he touched her hand it would send some flapping sensation that would quiver his senses. He waited. He hoped,but none. There was no spark, no sensation at all.

It's nothing. Then he realized,"she's not my mate." He felt saddened by the thought that this Luna he kept admiring will never be his. He felt invisible swords stabbed his heart, he felt pain even his hardened heart; he quickly closed his eyes before she would notice it.

"He smiled and shook his hand with mine,he looked at my eyes with his crystal blue orbs. I always loved staring from afar ever since I met him. I was stunned when his hand touched mine. The feeling was pleasurable but strange that I could not name it.I wondered why it brought some quick delicate sensation I can't explain.” His brows creased partly surprised by the feeling, it seemed like sparking or something else was tickling. She looked at him again but his eyes were shut. Isn't he comfortable with my hands or does he feel the same? Alundra silently asked herself.

Alundra took her hand back and smiled a bit unto him, who's eyes were already open, but the enthusiasm wasn't there anymore." He's back to his usual stoic face.

"Ah, I think we can start the training now?’ She suggested. He just smiled and said "Nope!"

"What?" she can't believe him. After traveling this far and yet, training's not gonna be pursued. "But why?"her creased brows' showed her undeniable confusion.

"Then what?" she commented.

"Your proper training will start tomorrow at 5:00 in the morning, that means you have to rest today, collect all your strength and endurance for you to be able to at least cope with it.”

"Aren't we supposed to start today?" she complained. `We have already started. Now, go home and rest. ``he said with finality.

"What the!" she immediately turned around and got back to her car, pushed her remote and slid in without any words. "So disgusting!"

Xander connected with Raf's mind. “It's not safe here.” an interruption. "Yeah it isn't,I can see them watching over us, she'd better be at home today" he remarked, and slid into his Cadillac pursuing the same road straight to Alundra's home.

The next day went well, True to his words, Raf trained her from basic warm-ups to basic stunts. Again, true that the day had been too tiring.

Training days passed. Raf had been more of a trainer but a friend just as what they agreed from the first day of official friendship. Through days being together, she found out somehow they could be good friends. He smiles more often, he talks more often, and this brought her sort of fluttering butterfly-like sensation. After each day of training, she kept herself alone in her room while reminiscing about each experience, of course it includes more of her admiration to her skillful handsome trainer. She sighed.