12 Doppelganger

Years passed and the wolves and Uncle Tom did not bother Isabella and Aunt Teresa anymore, probably because they knew that Lucas and friends would not take things sitting down.

Meanwhile, the surrogate mother and surrogate daughter thought that they had to take care of the money that John and Nenita left. They thought of how to earn. It would be a good idea to have an income and replenish the savings.

That was how Tatin found her, in her dire predicament, orphaned, but loved no less by her newfound heaven in the person of Aunt Teresa who unselfishly loved Isabella. On the other hand, Isabella helped her sell goods in the flea market when she had no school. She would rather live with Teresa whom she knew from whence she was a baby and had been her loyal nanny, helper, and friend of Nenita and John. She knew that she could trust Teresa. A family court had affirmed that trust by granting Teresa her custody.

"What's your name?" she heard Tatin asking as she was arranging some of the goods that they were selling.

She looked at him- the snobbish look showing- "Why?"

He was caught by surprise. That was not expected. "Hmm, none, I only want to know," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Isabella." She withdrew her look.

He was smiling. Tatin was always there and she grew to like him. She didn't know, but every time he was there, she was happy. Seeing him around, just talking, made her days complete.

Tatin frequented the store and as where any love story would go, they fell in love.

However, one day, a girl her age came to her. She introduced herself and told her that she was engaged with Tatin.

"Are you telling me to keep away from Tatin? Tell him." She turned her back.

Silence.

Then, she told the girl to tell Tatin to stop coming to the store.

That was it. The end of a love story about to bloom. But destiny decides that it did not have to die that way. No. Tatin was stubborn. He still saw Isabella even though he was engaged to be married. His parents had arranged such marriage, he said, and she believed him. She believed his every word. He would fight for it.

Time came when he had stopped coming, but Isabella remained hopeful that he would come back.

One day, he came back. Isabella was very happy. He took her in one of those favorite gardens where different kinds of beautiful flowers bloomed. They kissed, becoming one soul. Oh! It was like a kiss of eternity for Isabella. Warm. She felt that warmth. She knew that he loved her. She didn't know, but there was something in Tatin that told her that he would never leave her.

Suddenly, from out of the blue, a pack of wolves was all around. They encircled Tatin and Isabella; Uncle Tom was one of them. They had planned to kill Isabella. Isabella had to change her form sensing the danger. She couldn't allow them to hurt Tatin. To her amazement, Tatin also changed into a wolf form, ready to defend her. They looked at each other, then, faced the wolves, and lunged at them together. A fight ensued, claws against claws—the fangs and nails tearing and sinking into the flesh of the enemies. After time passed, the wolves were surprised. Why were these two wolves stronger? They thought. They didn't even get injured. When they had disengaged, Tatin raised his right limb; then, an invisible light ward off the wolves who were trying to get back at them as they were too many. They got stuck in their feet. Tatin looked steadily, she didn't know where but it was like he had his mind focused on something. He wasn't moving. The enemies were dented. Isabella was more surprised. She didn't know that Tatin was like her, her doppelganger in a man's body. She did the same thing and the wavelength (like electromagnetic) of the vibration grew larger, both of them not moving. The woods were shaking. The enemies could feel Tatin and Isabella and what they were giving them were painful; a number started to fall, one by one.

"Arrgghh…" They screamed.

Tatin and Isabella stood up, still.

Uncle Tom and enemies were terrified that he and his pack of wolves ran away.

What happened did not skip the attention of Apollo and friends. Nanny Teresa hurried to his place to tell him of what took place.

It turned out that Tatin was an heir to the head of the wolf-dom. Only, he was what one might call with an "unpolitical" view. He did not agree with everything that his father said, believed and advocated and when paired with another wolf whom he felt he was a stranger to he would do all that he could to dis-engage. He would rather stay alone than be married with somebody he did not love.

However, to disobey parents in their culture was disrespect so he had to struggle to resist his parents' wish.

Isabella was aware of the fact.

"You will marry when the next full moon appears." Azazel, Tatin's father said.

And as his father's word was everybody's command, Tatin couldn't do anything. He had resisted, but obedient just the same.

The fight only stepped up what wedding plan had been delayed for a long time. The bride was happy and grateful because she married an heir; she was confident that her decision would afford her the security that she needed.

Jezebel was a practical person.

Tatin couldn't be stopped. He would still come to the store to at least look for Isabella. One day, she had totally disappeared, perhaps to avoid his presence, too, he thought. Aunt Teresa broke the news that she was abroad to continue her studies—that she was too heart-broken and that she wanted to forget.