This chapter is somewhat long. And finally, something all you've been waiting for is going to happen! What is it? Hmm . . . let me think . . . :DD

Chapter 26

Kathrynne Flynn Martins. Just what exactly was she doing in a place like this . . . dressed in some clothes as if she was going to engage in some sort of battle on enemy land? Well, with the current situation in hand, Adam began assuming if she did come for a battle. The look on her face was plain serious and said, ‘Anyone who dares, I’ll take you on.’ like the usual look Akira puts on her face.

      “Alpha Adam, I presume?” She asked in a silky voice. “Current alpha of the Bourne Harlem pack and America’s Alpha King?”

      “Yes . . . ma’am.” He hesitantly answered, staring at her in confusion. “You are . . . Akira’s mother, correct?”

      “Looks like someone got their homework done.” She said and walked over to him, unhesitatingly breaking off the chains that bound him to the wall. “I came because I was worried for my daughter and her mate . . . though I did not exactly expect that man to be you.”

      “It’s only understandable since the blood of an alpha female is flowing in her veins as well.” He smiled, shaking off the metal that depleted his energy. He felt the strength rush back to his limbs and he stood up with a small sigh of relief. “Though I surely did not expect you to be here . . . ma’am.”

      “I always prepared myself for this day.” She answered with a stern look. “The day that I would come back for my daughter to help her and her mate. After all, since she still has the blood of a werewolf, she’s bound to have a mate, and I know that Michael would not allow that sort of thing to happen.”

      “Then why did you leave her behind when you could’ve taken her with you?”

      “Hunters weren’t allowed to come along in the reformation. There’s a barrier that leads to the pack which repels the presence of hunters.”

      “But I brought Akira to my pack.” He reasoned out. “The barrier did not show any sense of defensive mechanism towards her.”

      “That’s because of your mark.” She replied.

      Adam raised a brow questioningly at her statement while she merely nodded towards the open door, motioning for him to follow while she walked in long strides out of the dark room. Adam, who was now much more aware of his surroundings, managed to catch the scent of the damp air which was mixed with blood and grime. It was a disgusting scent to smell and made his nose twitch. Since his sense of smell was stronger than ordinary, it made him cringe how awful it was.

      “I’ll explain on the way, come on.”

      The hunters that came rushing on their path were all knocked out in merely seconds. They almost did it effortlessly that anyone who would look their way would think that they were merely throwing away a light feather—with one hand.

      “Akira’s body is a perfectly balanced hybrid. Her werewolf and hunter blood coexists with the same quantity so although she would be considered as a half-blood of two, powerful bloodlines, they negate each other which allows her to continue living her days like a normal human girl, though her physical capabilities are greater than that of a normal person’s. However, when you marked her, it caused a reaction with her werewolf side, causing it dominate her hunter one. In other words, the reason why she was able to enter that barrier of yours was because of your connection with her. Do you get what I’m saying?”

      “Perfectly understood.”

      “However, since the mating bond isn’t completed yet . . . there’s still a chance of it being broken since your connection with Akira is still as fragile as a single strand of hair.”

      “I know that. She’s really stubborn though. Until the end . . . she refused to give up. It’s really annoying the hell out of me (and the readers) sometimes.”

      “It seems that she got that trait from me.” She smiled ever so slightly, but it soon disappeared. “If there’s something that someone of my blood will ever do—it’s submit. Even when it comes to our mates, we put up a fight.”

      “. . .” Adam remained silent, looking at her while lost in thoughts.

      “It’s something that you should’ve expected of some from an alpha female of Krasno Lobo. But since you didn’t know, I guess you went through a hard time.”

      “You guessed right.”

      “I wanted to ask though . . .” Adam trailed off. “Why did you leave Akira behind? Didn’t you love her and Mr. Michael?”

      Kathrynne stopped at her tracks and turned to look at Adam. “I love Akira since she’s my daughter, but that man . . . I feel nothing towards him but pure hatred.”

      “Wha—why?”

      “He was the one who raided my pack and killed my mate.” She began trembling in anger. “And even dared take me in just because he found me interesting. After that, one thing led to another and I got pregnant with Akira. I didn’t love that man one bit, he forced himself on me.”

      “But then . . .”

      “After I bore Akira, I left her behind although it broke my heart. I was helped by the pack members that survived the hunters’ raid and we reformed our pack. Right now, Krasno Lobo is long gone. We’re back, only as Vendetta Lobo.”

      “Vendetta Lobo . . .” Adam paused. “The unofficial pack of wolves that goes against hunters, taking revenge for everything hunters did in every raid and doing the same thing that was done to them?”

      “Just what would you expect? This is a pack of revenge. But unlike normal packs, you can leave it right after you have done what you felt you needed to do and join another. Anyone’s also free to join as long as they don’t do anything like betray the pack during their time of stay, otherwise, they would be sentenced to death penalty.”

      “But an unofficial pack acting is strictly against the law, and since I’m the Alpha King, I can’t let this go.”

      “We’ll discuss this later, but at least show some gratitude for us saving you. It wasn’t that easy breaking through the defenses you know.”

      “Yeah, I know.” Adam hesitatingly answered.

      “We should save Akira first, I’ll bet on my golden stilettos she’s trying to break free right now.”

      “I will, too.”

      “It’s going to be hard for you to die since you marked her now.” Kathrynne said. “It’s going to be really agonizing to go through that experience, especially since the mating stage is at its earliest stage.”

      “What does it feel like to lose a mate? Not that I want that to ever happen between Akira and me.”

      “It’s hard. They say the mark is removed when the other dies, but they’re totally wrong.” She whispered. “It loses its effect, but the feeling as if your own thread of life has been cut . . . it’s an agonizing experience which almost made me want to kill myself. If your mate dies, it will feel like he took everything you have with him and you’ll feel empty like you lost a purpose in life. I don’t think I want my daughter to experience that . . . which is why I’m here.”

      Adam thought he saw a dark bruise on her shoulder, but he was wrong. It was her mate’s mark—one whose connection has been cut and totally rendered lifeless.

-*-

Just thinking about what could’ve possibly happened to Ann and Adam made Akira’s heart pound. She couldn’t sit still inside the room and kept wondering about, fidgeting nervously as she thought about what she was supposed to do.

      Why am I feeling like this? She thought to herself.

      Unable to bear it any longer, she started yelling. “Hey! You guys out there!” She yelled, kicking the door as hard as she could. “If you freaking do something to Ann, I’ll freaking kick your asses to hell! I’ll make sure you don’t see sun shining the next day!”

      Silence.

      “If you freaking hurt Adam, you’ll see! I’ll . . .” She trailed off when she realized what she was saying. “Anyways, open the door! If you don’t, I’ll break this down!”

      What am I saying? She asked herself again. Why the hell am I even concerned for that guy, anyway? Didn’t I want this in the first place? To be back to my father again? To be finally away from him?

      She groaned as a pain sparked on her shoulder. Adam was a bit too far to be comfortable right now. She was feeling cranky.

      Still . . . she trailed off. What the hell is happening to Adam?

      She somehow felt very sick to her stomach. It was like something kept on twisting and turning on the pit of her abdomen that she couldn’t quite figure out what.

      Was she . . . nervous?

      Nervous for what? Nervous about what’s going on . . . or nervous about . . . him? Why?

      ‘You’re worried.’ A voice on the back of her mind whispered.

      ‘No, I’m not worried.’ She bit back, but her mind said otherwise.

      ‘You are. If not, then why do you think you’re feeling like this? Admit it, despite what happened the past few days, you like Adam.’

      ‘The hell?! I don’t like him!’ She screamed, grabbing hold of a bunch of her hair while crying out in frustration. ‘I’m like this because of the mate thing! I have nothing to do with it!’

      ‘Don’t deny it. You like Adam. No. You love him.’

      ‘Oh, hell no. I seriously don’t.’

      ‘Yes, you do. You like Adam. You like him very much.’

      ‘I don’t.’

      ‘You do.’

      “I DON’T!” She finally screamed outwardly, her voice resonating on the walls.

      Akira kicked the door as hard as she could and saw it breaking from its hinges. She kicked the door some more and got ready to completely break it before it was suddenly pushed open, her father marching in.

      “Akira!” He bellowed, and she took a step back, growling at him menacingly. “Don’t you dare give me that look, young lady!”

      “You know I don’t like being kept in a room against my will! What happened to Ann? What the hell did you do to Adam?!”

      “Why should you give a care about that guy, Akira? Who told you to be concerned about people like them?”

      There must be a reason why I’m worried. She told herself.

      “People like them are still alive! They’re living their own life in a place we all don’t know. Who gave YOU guys the right to do this to them when you obviously don’t know anything?!” She snapped back at him.

      Yes, that must be it. That must be the reason why I’m worried. But something’s missing.

      “Akira!” He yelled again.

      “I will not approve of this! Adam may be a total jerk but he doesn’t deserve to be treated like this!”

      “Akira!”

      “He may have taken me against my will and forced me into a strange world I didn’t know, but he showed me a whole new side of life which I didn’t know! Just these past five days he made me feel different! He made me feel . . .” Her voice fell and she looked at her father.

      Gritting his teeth, he pulled back his hand and landed a loud slap across her cheek. Akira was practically thrown back by the brute force, but she didn’t let it faze her. Although it hurt like hell, she did not cry because of it. Instead, the tears fell automatically as if something inside her broke.

      “Just listen to yourself talking. Do you like that man? No. Do you love him?”

      Akira looked up at her father as the tears welled up from her eyes. Her cheeks were burning hot from the previous contact his hand made against her delicate skin. It literally did slap some sense into her.

      “No . . .” She denied. “I don’t . . .”

      Michael clenched his teeth and landed another smack on the other side of her cheek. “Don’t you even dare, Akira. I don’t know what I’m going to do if you do.”

      “I don’t . . . love him . . . absolutely . . . not . . .” She said with a broken tone.

      “Then tell me why you show concern for that man. Tell me why you care for him.”

      “I don’t!” She screamed, but she almost choked trying to force the words out of her mouth. “I don’t love him.”

      “Then do it.”

      “Do . . . what?”

      “If you truly don’t love him, you’re willing to remove that mark, yes?”

      “. . .” Akira didn’t answer and remained silent.

      “Do you know the way to remove that mark?”

      Her stomach dropped and she shook her head, sobbing.

      “There’s only one way to do it.”

      She looked up at him.

      “You have to kill him.”

      The girl’s eyes widened and she found herself shaking her head. Almost instinctively, the words rolled out of her mouth. “No.”

      “Akira.” Her father held a warning tone.

      Akira took a step back as her father took out a gun from his back and held out to Akira. She looked down at the item in his hand as he walked over to her and practically forced it in hers. She shakily gripped it between her fingers, more tears falling out from her eyes.

      “No . . . I don’t want to . . .”

      “Are you saying you don’t want that mark to ever lose its effect?”

      “. . .”

      “All it takes is just one shot.”

      She looked down at her trembling hands, her fingers wrapped around its handle. Imagining herself shooting Adam made her knees shake. That guy may have forced her into something she didn’t want, but she wasn’t that angry to even try and murder him for it.

      These past days taught her different things. Adam taught her different things. Why would she want to kill him?

      “Akira.” A voice rang.

      She dragged her gaze up at the sound of the voice. Her eyes met those beautiful silver ones. Just thinking of them being closed and never gazing back at hers with a look of challenge made her sob. How could she ever do it?

      “It looks like the subject came here himself.”

      “Adam.” Akira muttered.

      “Do it, Akira. It just takes one shot to the heart.” Her father told her.

      Adam’s expression shifted to a look of worry to a sudden look of pain. His jaw clenched as he stared straight into her purple irises. Akira could slightly make out his hand curling tightly into a ball. Yet, despite the given threat he didn’t move from his spot on the doorway. They just continued looking each other as if they were communicating with each other through their eyes.

      Move. Why don’t you move? Akira whispered. I’m holding a gun which can kill you. Why don’t you run?

      His eyes held challenge. His eyes held those look in them as if telling her . . .  ‘I trust you’.

      Her tears continued to roll. They trickled from her chin and dropped straight to the ground, splashing ever so slightly with a low ‘plop’.

      Akira slowly lifted the gun and pointed it at Adam. She silently cursed the tremors running through her limbs. Her aim was shaky.

      “Do it, Akira.”

      “Akira . . .” Adam’s voice was pleading, but then, the next moment, he did something she didn’t expect.

      He smirked.

      That stupid, arrogant, irritating smirk he always sent her way when he said something in the lines of ‘You are mine’ or ‘You belong to me’ or even ‘You cannot run away’. Just recalling the way he told her those words, it sent a shiver down her spine. Up until now, he had that control over her which she didn’t like very much.

      “What’s wrong, Akira?”

      She stopped.

      Her trembling stopped. Her tears stopped. More importantly, she also stopped her denials. Her arms went limp on her side and she dropped the gun on the floor. It clanged noisily in her ears, but she was too focused to the man standing in front of her to care.

      To her shock, to Adam’s shock, and to her father’s shock, she ran. But she didn’t ran into his arms like anyone would normally expect. Instead, she ran towards him and elbowed him on the stomach, making me double over from the pain.

      “You’re an idiot.” She said, before bending down and crushing him into an embrace.

Welllllll . . . ? What did you guys think? So Akira finally admitted that she liked Adam in a non-verbal kind of way, huh? Well, I was crying somewhere in the middle of this chapter. Poor girl, trying to deny it. Fufufufu. :DD

Until next time! And remember to vote and comment! And just to inform you, I'm going to challenge you guys to give me 200 votes on this chapter! :D I'm just striking a goal--not forcing you or anything! Vote if you liked it! I'm not going to blackmail you or anything. I don't like writers who does that--those who won't upload just to get votes. Honestly, they just annoy the hell outta me. :DD Anyways, see you guys next week!