Sorry for the long update! I can only upload a new chapter once a week, since I'm really busy. We also have our quarterly exams this week, so it's gonna be hectic! Wish me luck!
Chapter 27
Adam felt his heart leap when Akira crushed him into an embrace. Although she did elbow him before doing so, he was still somehow glad for her show of affection.
He wanted to trust her since she was his mate after all. Life without her would be meaningless. What he thought when she pointed a gun at him was that . . . maybe he could give her the choice for once. If she truly was unhappy in his arms, he would give her the right to kill him to set her free. After all, he was holding her against her will for the whole time. He thought that it would be pointless to keep her by his side when he truly wasn’t happy . . . so he allowed her to choose.
And he didn’t regret it.
“Akira . . .” Adam whispered, a small smile curling on his lips.
“Akira . . .” Her father muttered disbelievingly.
Surely seeing his own daughter run into the arms of the enemy shattered his pride—especially after he just asked her to kill him!
“Get away from that guy!” He yelled.
“No!” She yelled back, facing her father while using her own body to shield him, “I will not move! You will not lay a single finger on him or it’ll be me who you’ll face!”
“Why are you doing this, Akira? I didn’t raise a child who would turn against me like this one day! Why do you not listen?!”
“No! That’s not it, dad! Why don’t you listen? I may have been taken against my will but these guys aren’t like that at all! You guys are wrong about them!” She exclaimed, “I don’t know exactly what’s going on but I’m not that stupid to realize!”
“I guess it’s clear to me then. You are choosing his side rather than your own flesh and blood. Are you seriously doing this?”
No one spoke for a few moments and Akira stared intently at her father. A few heartbeats later, the girl finally spoke after taking a long, deep breath.
“I sure as hell am, dad.” She answered. “I didn’t like the way your guys treated Ann. That wasn’t the right way to handle a living being.”
“If that’s the way it goes . . . then I’ll kill that guy for myself!” He took another gun from his back and pointed it to the couple.
Adam immediately shoved Akira behind him protectively before they heard the gun clicking. Michael was already halfway from pulling the trigger until a knife flew towards him and knocked the gun right out of his hand, disarming him.
Everyone, especially Michael, was shocked by the sudden turn of events. None of them knew where the knife came from, but Adam had a guess who.
“Typical of you to resolve into something like that.” A voice muttered from behind Adam, and he instantly moved out of the way, revealing the beautiful form of the woman who bore a striking resemblance to Akira.
“W-who . . .” Akira stammered, looking intently at the woman before her.
“Ah,” the woman breathed, “I never thought that such a cute child would bloom so beautifully like a rose. You’ve grown so much, Akira. The fact that I wasn’t able to watch you grow up like a parent should pains me.”
“The heck?” She muttered.
“I guess you don’t recognize me.” She sighed with a hint of sorrow lacing the tone of her voice, “Figures since I was never there for you.”
“You . . . can’t be . . .” The girl whispered, dubious beyond belief.
“Kathrynne . . .” Michael trailed off. “Is that really you?”
“In the flesh.” The woman answered, now with hatred and anger.
“But I thought that they killed you . . .”
“Werewolves are not like you narrow-minded fools.” She sneered, “They understand what happened and they were more than willing to take me back. I was not killed or harmed in any way. In contrary to your beliefs, I was treated very kindly and much better than you ever would have done.”
“But it doesn’t make sense. Why would you run away?”
“It doesn’t make sense?” She growled, “Get your f*ck*ng head out of the clouds, Michael! You’re delusional! I never shared any of your crappy feelings! You forced them on me! I was already marked by the time you took me and you killed my mate! Now tell me which doesn’t make sense!”
“That’s not true . . . you know that I . . .”
“Shut up!” She yelled, pulling out a gun and pointing it at him. “Don’t even think of doing anything else, you bastard! Attempt anything and I’ll blow your skull right off your neck.”
“Kathrynne.” He said sternly.
“I don’t understand.” Akira said, near to tears, “Are you really my mother?”
“I can’t get any more real, darling.” She answered, not taking her eyes away from the man in front of her.
“Seriously?” She inquired, sniffing her tears away. “You come in looking like a real badass. You expect me to believe you?”
Kathrynne chuckled. “What can I say? I don’t really give off the motherly aura you were expecting, and don’t ask me to try because I’m sure as hell you would be disappointed.”
Akira sighed, “Forget it. With the way you speak, you wouldn’t be able to make anyone believe you actually bore a child.”
“They will when they see you. We’re like two peas in a pod, darling.”
“For some reason . . . this dramatic reunion turned into an absolute joke.”
“What can I say?” Kathrynne shrugged. “I’m more into ChickLits and comedy.”
“Geez.” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re my mother.”
“But I’m sure as hell can believe you’re my daughter.”
“Like mother like daughter.” Adam muttered.
The tense atmosphere disappeared totally with the current conversation. Adam was holding back his laughter while Akira stood on one corner, scratching her head while staring at the woman pointing a gun at her father.
“That reminds me . . .” She said in realization. “Dad, was what she said true?”
“I loved your mother the first time I saw her, Akira.” Her father smiled, as if it was something everyone should be happy about.
“Something tells me that there’s more to what you’re saying.” Akira answered.
Her mother huffed in obvious abhorrence. “He’s the only one who felt that way.”
“I think it’s best that we leave now.” Kathrynne told the couple behind her in a low whisper, glaring unwaveringly at the man before him.
“Do you think . . . that after seeing you again, I’ll let you go? I won’t allow it.” Michael snarled. “I will never allow my daughter to be taken away by a mutt. Never.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
Michael glared at everyone in front of him, eyeing each and every person standing before him.
“Ann . . .” Akira muttered and she hastily looked up at Adam. “What about Ann? What happened to her?”
“There’s no need to worry about the pup, darling. She’s currently in very good hands. Mind you, we need to get out of here.”
“But . . .”
“Akira. Make a decision now. Will you stay or will you go? Choose. You have to choose.”
Before Akira could open her mouth, Michael spoke, “There’s no need to open your mouth, Akira. What you did a while ago already made it clear to me that you are siding with them.”
“Dad, I . . .”
“But I’m going to give you one last chance. All you need to do is step forward and leave his side and come to mine.”
“No . . .” She shook her head. “If it means hurting these people, I won’t. And with the fact that the one you told me you loved is pointing a gun at you, it only makes it clear to me that what you’re doing is wrong.”
“Well, then, you left me no choice.”
Thanks for reading! Until next time!