Little Black Riding Hood

Chapter 42

Blade's POV

Atsuko's scaly figure looks back at me after I said that and turns back to Laine. She completely ignored my existence.
She took a step forward as Laine's calm yet crazy smile gets ready for an attack.
"Legs broken." she said. I felt some sort of power surge coming from her and then Laine's legs just broke in half right after she said that. What the hell?!
Laine falls face flat and screams in pain. What kind of power is this?
Atsuko takes another step forward. "Arms snapping like twigs."
The continuous snaps in Laine's arms is so painful to even hear. I can't watch the sight in front of me. Laine looks up with his face all bloodied up. His healing powers taking place. I got ready to defend Atsuko just as she opened her mouth to speak again.
"Reversed healing."
His back snaps up as blood splattered everywhere. His healing powers aren't helping him. They're doing the total opposite - killing him from within. This intensity of her power. Is this Atsuko's true power?
Laine laughs. "Very interesting indeed. Don't forget that I too have your powers!"
Atsuko halts and watches Laine's next move.
"Return of power!" Laine calls out.
We waited for Laine to fully heal and pounce on us but nothing happened. He looks confused at what just happened.
"W-What is this?!" he shouts. Atsuko takes another step forward and grabs Laine by his neck with her arm now covered in light green scales.
"What you took was nothing." she calmly answers. "My order is absolute."
Just then an arrow was shot towards Atsuko's arm causing her to drop Laine completely.
"Get your fucking hands off him!" someone screams. A she-wolf appears with her eyes completely black as she stood in front of Laine defensively. Atsuko stands firm at where she is as the she-wolf defends Laine.
"C-Candy, you're not supposed to be here!"
"Oh shut up. You bit off more than you chew now look where you got us! Even that bitch Akira is on our tails!"
The she-wolf Candy took out a gun and pointed at Atsuko. She was ready to defend herself against it until she changed her trajectory towards me. Wait, that gun is loaded with silver bullets.
"Shit." I cursed as I try to dodge it once it was fired. One shot could instantly kill me.
Atsuko grabs the bullet with her hand just in time and here I am again face to face with my mate but what I'm seeing now right in front of me is no longer the sweet Atsuko I used to know. Her eyes look battle ready and seems like she's seen more deaths than I ever could.
She turns back to where Laine was but those two are already gone. Atsuko growls in frustration. She just freaking growled! She extends her hand and created a hole that lead us to the battle going on outside. A man with twin daggers appeared. He's covered up like Atsuko used to be. Is he one of those Dragon Forest?
He eyes me then bows slightly to Atsuko in respect.
"All members are acquainted for." he says. Just then, Cailen drops in. He whistles at how Atsuko looks.
"I knew you weren't normal." he purrs while looking at Atsuko up and down. "Makes me wanna devour you even more." I growl at him and his eyes makes their way to me.
"Yo. Some nice battle going out there. Wanna join?"
Atsuko pushes Cailen aside and calls out to her member. "Rhett."
This Rhett guy follows straight by her tail and Kray appearing next to her. "Atsuko, you're alright?" he asks sounding surprised by looking at her form. "No, Atsuko. Don't overexert yourself."
His pleading look is confusing me even more. What is going on? I just gave her back her powers so why the fuck is this fucker even worried?
Atsuko stares out in the direction of the battle. Outside was as chaotic as it sounds and the loud roar literally just proves me right.
Atsuko summoned her dragon and this time he twice the size of an aircraft. He bellows at our enemies and roasted them alive as Dragon Forest and my pack pushes forward.
The Queen lands in between me and Atsuko with her black and white wings in full sight.
"Glad to have you back, Atsuko." she says as she takes out a dark orb. Atsuko eyes seemed to have shimmered slightly with the chaos going on behind us.
"Now that Laine escaped with his tail in between, I found the solution in releasing your friends' souls."
The Queen nods towards Atsuko as she holds up the dark orb. Atsuko seems to have gotten the message and the same power surge happened again. However, this time Atsuko was speaking in a different language and another voice.
"Freedom to my people." she says. The dark orb glows slightly and it suddenly disperses into many tiny orbs slowly taking form of humans. The pack members watch in awe while the Dragon Forest members bow their heads in respect. The humanoid shaped orbs look back at us and there was one that I recognized. The woman that died in Atsuko's arms! She smiles and gives Atsuko the thumbs up before dispersing into the air with the others.
"Its finally over." Kayle appears next to me half naked.
Atsuko turns back and faces me. "No, not yet." she says as she raises her hands as another dark orb appears. Shit, don't tell me she's going to kill me?!
The orb launches itself forward at me but bypasses me just by an inch and I hear it land on something. Someone chuckles deeply behind me.
"You think it's that easy to be rid of me, child?" Laine laughs with his dark wings spread out. He's fully healed again. He snaps away the dark orb Atsuko launched and it disperses.
"I know you cannot keep up that form much longer. That evens the odds between us." he says.
The Queen steps up next to her. "Don't count your luck just yet." she says.
Laine chuckles. "Shouldn't you worry about the safeties of your unborn prices, my Queen?"
The Queen bares her fangs and gets ready with her bow in hand. "Threaten my boys again, your next talk with be your last."
Laine chuckles as he raises his hands. Dark figures appear behind him as their eyes open to be glowing red. What is this?
"You have your tricks, I have mine. When I want something, I'd do anything to get it." Laine chuckles.
The Queen steps forward only to be held back by Atsuko. She puts her hand and pushes the Queen behind her.
"Atsuko?"
"You may be an astral projection, your Majesty but you are pregnant and also a Queen. Please stand back, I can handle this."
The Queen's lips twitches into a smile. "Indeed you do." she obliges to what Atsuko asks and watched as the battle unrolls in front of us. Atsuko extends her right hand and out of nowhere a sword flew into her arms. What is that? A magical sword?
Atsuko unsheathes her sword and the blade itself is completely pitch black. What kind of sword is that?
Laine laughs. "Child, even with Dragon Forest, you're outnumbered. My shadows cannot die."
The members of Dragon Forest appears right behind her with their weapons hand in hand. Lucas looks all suited up too and ready to back Atsuko at any time.
"You're one to talk." she says as the dark shadows behind Laine begins to shimmer. Laine looks confused at what is going on and the shadows immediately disperses into mist. The mist then immediately enters Atsuko's sword.
"You're forgetting that I am darkness." Atsuko says. Laine's expression clearly says that he's about to be defeated by my mate and takes a step back to retreat.
Then, from above, two members of Dragon Forest both with different kinds of spears cross pierced Laine by his neck on the ground holding him in place. Another member appears with twin winged blades and slashes Laine's wings away.  The amount of teamwork done is astounding.
"You threatened Dragon Forest, my family and my mate. You killed my friends." Atsuko says.
Laine laughs as if the pain of the loss of his wings is nothing. "Child, you are one extraordinary human. Now that I've seen the extent of your power, it makes me want more." he exclaims with those hungry eyes of his.
He starts laughing as his body starts to dry up like a plant until there was nothing left of him. He ran just like that?
It looks as though all this chaos was all just an experiment to him? Was he testing the limitations of Atsuko's powers?
"He'll be back fully prepared this time." the Queen says as she retracts her wings and weapons. She faces the members of Dragon Forest. She nudges Atsuko's shoulder.
"This must be your teammates. Pleasure to see you again."
The three members of Dragon Forest carries out a presence that nobody should messed with them. They approach Atsuko and the four of them together makes it seem like their presence could take down everyone here. Kray approaches Atsuko carefully.
"Atsuko, your powers..." he says worriedly.
"What's wrong?" Cailen asks. Kray's worried look moves to Cailen then to Atsuko. Her dragon flies down and transforms back into human.
"The compensation of using my powers." her dragon says as he too prepares for what's about to happen.
Atsuko breathes in and lets out a calm exhale as her scales and claws retract. The Dragon Forest members around her got ready as the scars begin to appear on Atsuko and her whole body begins to be filled with cuts. Blood trickles down her body and taints the grass she stood on.
I rushed towards her only to be held back by the three Dragon Forest members with their weapons pointed at me.
"Kaito." I growl as I noticed his scent. He's the one with the winged blades.
"Not another step." he hisses.
Her dragon tries to pick her up but she refuses.
"Atsuko, we need to get you to the hospital now." I said to her still trying to get through her dragon only to be kicked in the stomach and I land against a tree. Fuck that hurts.
I growl at him. "Either get out of my way or I'll force myself through it."

Her dragon's eyes glow purple like hers and small scales start to form on his face. "I'd like to see you try." he chuckles as he seems amused at my threats.
"Reign." Atsuko commands. He stands down immediately and moves aside for her.
"I'm alright." she says as her wounds close up immediately. "Your mark is working now."
"So what are your orders, Blade?" Tayler says as the pack comes up to face Dragon Forest.
"Do we bring her in or not?" Kayle says. The other Dragon Forest members surround Atsuko with their weapons and Lucas walks away from the pack towards them.
"I'm sorry but we won't allow that." Lucas says.
I look at Kayle. "Are there enemy survivors?"
"A few."
"Lock them up under 24/7 security. I'll interrogate them later."
"Blade, what about Atsuko?" Kayle asks again. He looks towards his cousin but she makes no eye contact with any of us. I got up with my stomach still aching from that kick.
"She told me the truth but I did not listen." I said. "I don't know what Jake did to your people but I am sure he must have done something to have angered all of you to do this to him."
Lucas looks at me in the eye. "He killed us. Tortured and sucked out their powers for his own gain."
I hear footsteps to find the King Alphas shirtless as they eye Dragon Forest. Their forest green eyes go back to me.
"So, young Alpha, what is your decision?"
I gulp and took a deep breath.
"Come back with us and explain what happened thoroughly. Since your secret is already out, just tell us what Jake did. I'll make sure you won't get punished for anything."
Kaito steps up. "Really? How can we believe you after what you did to her?"
The pack behind me breaks into whispers.
"You have the ability to wipe out my entire pack. If anything were to happen to her, I'm sure Dragon Forest will return the favor ten fold, am I right?" I said. This is another bargaining chip I'm handing in but this time I won't make the same mistakes.
The pack in the mind link is already having fears in their minds but I reassured them that Dragon Forest means no harm if Atsuko is unharmed. Some have already began to understand why Atsuko did what she did. She did all that to protect all of us.
"I'll go." Atsuko says as she comes out from her people. They did not say anything in protest of her actions as they allowed her to come to me.
Suddenly, I had two spears pointed at my face while Kaito was already having his knife by my neck in a flash. The pack didn't have enough time to react at what just happened.
"Like you said, we will return the favour ten fold if anything were to happen to her." he says with the intent to kill. His eyes flashes the eyes of a maniac that is so used to killing. They retract their weapons and disappeared along with Dragon Forest leaving Atsuko alone with us.
"Get the wounded treated immediately and the prisoners in check. Those unharmed get back and rest up. Her hearing begins tomorrow." I ordered the pack members as they bowed and disperse to do their job.
"Speaking like a true Alpha now." The Kings said. I guess they didn't bother to meddle much because they wanted me to learn.
"Yeah, so sorry to interrupt." The Queen chimes in. Her astral body looks more translucent than before.
"Kitten?" her mates asks worriedly.
"It's time." she says as she clutches her stomach.
"What?" one of the Kings asked.
"My water broke you idiots!" she shouts as she creates a portal.
The Kings did not hesitate as they run into the portal. I hear howling as my pack celebrates our victory and the welcoming of our new princes.
As the Royals leave for the birth of their children, my pack disperses to conduct their duties as they leave me to settle Atsuko alone.
She avoided eye contact as Kray holds onto her hand. "Atsuko."
I growl at him slaps his hands away from her. "Don't touch her."
His eyes glow yellow back as he snarls back with his fangs baring at me. "You dare say that after what happened?"
"Look, he was just acting on instincts to protect us." Kayle defends me.
"And she acted the way she did before Jake almost got all of you killed." Kray snaps back.
"Please, stop." Atsuko finally spoke out. We stopped and look at her.
"I-It's my fault to begin with. If I was honest from the start, none of this would have happened." she speaks out still not making any eye contact.
"Atsuko..." I said as I slowly grab hold of her hand. She jumps at my touch but calms down after the sparks we usually feel are more intense than ever. I hear her heartbeat growing stronger and stronger.
"I'm sorry." she apologises while keeping her head down.
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry for hurting you. I should have listened and trusted you." I cup her face gently and make her face me. Her eyes returned to the normal beautiful black orbs and when we met eye to eye she starts to tear up. Then, she begins to wail and hugs me while burying her face in my chest. That took me by surprise. That took all of us here by surprise actually.
"I'm sorry!" she cries out. I returned the hug and patted her head. What did I do to deserve her? She kept apologising when in fact this whole shit started out because I didn't listen. Kray and the twins watch as she cries herself out in my chest. I didn't say anything as I let her pour out her emotions on me. The bottled up sadness and guilt she has is making me feel worse than ever for mistreating her.

Kray's POV

I watch as Atsuko cries herself to the point of exhaustion until she fell asleep in that brat's embrace. He carries her up in his arms as she snoozes soundly.
"I'm taking her back to get her treated." he says.
"We'll report back to your dad on what happened." the twin Betas said.
"Thank you." he says and that caught all of us off guard. Did he just thank them? What in the world is going on?
The twins blinked at him a few times. "S-Sure." they say awkwardly before shifting into their wolves and return to the pack house.
I sense that this brat is growing because of Atsuko, thank Goddess. I walk up to him and place the red vial in his pocket.
"She has the tendency to keep getting hurt. One day, when her life is on the line, you have to make a choice." I say to him. He and I know this is not just one small part of my blood. It's completely concentrated to the extent that one drop fully transforms a human into a vampire.
Chase, her previous mate appears next to us with his maker. "Atsuko..." he trails off with his relieved expression that she's alive. Blade growls at him causing him to stop in his tracks.
"Not another step closer." his eyes darken at him. He nods and return to his maker's side.
"You were already dead to her so I'd rather you keep it that way." he warns Chase. Chase clutches his faded dragon tattoo.
"Understood, Alpha but promise me this." he looks up at him with his darken yellow eyes.
"You're in no position to order me around leech." he growls.
Chase takes a step forward towards him. "I do actually. I used to be the leader of Dragon Forest so if you repeat the same mistake on Atsuko again, it will not only be Dragon Forest coming after you."
The feeling of authority coming out of Chase is just as intense as Atsuko's. I remember they both share the same power and since that Chase used to be the leader of the most powerful organization in the world, even I would not underestimate his words.
Blade made a 'tsk' sound meaning that he's fully aware of the threat. I've already lost count to the number of threats against this guy if anything were to happen to Atsuko. I mean who could blame them? She's lovable even if she is a murderous crazy assassin that experiments on anything once she gets curious on something.
"Let's get the girl back to rest and maybe get her examined too." Chase's maker, Levana says while pulling Chase back.
Blade growls in approval and made his way back to the pack house with his sleeping mate in his arms. I wish I could follow but I have to report back to the King on this issue. The vampires and I made our way back to the coven once I've made sure that she's in safe territory.
"Just go." Levana says next to me.
"Excuse me?"
"It's so obvious of the bond you have with her. Just snatch her away."
I glare at her. "Atsuko has already made her choice."
She shakes her head. "Losing to a pup like that." she says. "It's a pity though after all that you've done for her. What were the Fates thinking?" she says about the part where the Fates are said to have blessed us vampires with two different mates. Was it supposed to be a curse?
"You two would make good mates for each other. The Fates are cruel, General, even to us vampires." she says.
I stare ahead at the trails and damage done by Atsuko along with the blood stain that was left by her. I turn back leaving behind the chaos.
"Yes, they are cruel indeed."