Spring Forward, Fall Back (Alucard x Chubby! Reader)

Chapter 76 - Dracula's Return

"You feel them, too?" I asked. I had been feeling like we were being watched from the moment I stepped through the mirror, but it was when Dracula turned on the engines that ran the lights inside that the true awareness kicked in.

"Yes, but I don't know if he'll attack, and that's what has me on edge," he answered.

"Its Isaac," Adrian said, frowning with the knowledge.

"Well, if its him we should invite him in," I said, only to be held back by Trevor.

"We should, yes," he began, "but we don't know what frame of mind he's in. Remember, the last thing he knew of Sypha, Fang Face and me is that we were here to destroy his master. We bring him in now, he may attempt to kill us before allowing us to explain."

"I think you give him a lack of credit," I said on a huff. "Yes, I understand your wariness, believe me, but the problem is that he would have to ask questions once he comes in and sees Dracula and sees Lisa beside him. Don't you think he'd wonder what that was about more than whether you murdered his master, who would be standing here as well?" I watched as their thoughts crossed over their faces, Lisa and I both standing there looking at them like they were huge idiots.

"At any rate, I'm going to go ask him in. I have to let down the barrier keeping people out anyway, and I can do that just on the doorway." Grunted protests followed me as I moved down the hall to the door. Once I opened it, I scanned the treeline. I knew he was out there because I could smell him, his apprehension.

He was a smart man, that's for sure. He had not wanted to give away his position, so he never lit a fire. That means he must have carried water and dried foods with him so he could remain in the shadows without making his presence known by foolishly attempting to cook his meal. Wise, indeed. The blood in my veins pulsed and my eyesight sharpened, allowing me to delve deeper into the darkness and pick out his heat. I could hear his heartbeat in the darkness even though it was nearly buried beneath the grumbles, growls and whines of the night creatures he surrounded himself with.

"Come, Isaac," I said softly. I saw that his eyes widened when I picked him out of the group and smiled softly. 'He's wary,' I thought to myself. 'Wise, but needless.' I chose my next words carefully.

"He's waiting to see you," I said just as softly before I turned back to the doorway. I uttered the spell that would open the barrier just over the door and stood close by so he'd know he was safe. The others stood in the entry hall prepared to fight if necessary.

"He has night creatures with him, but they're not coming with him," I told Adrian. I could see his eyes narrow before I spoke again to his mind. "One of the creatures talks."

"Are you certain? Could you have been mistaken?"

"No," I responded with exasperation. "I heard it. It told him to be careful."

Isaac made his way to the door, his eyes darting around as if to make sure he wouldn't be ambushed. I understood why he was doing this, but I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. As soon as the noise bubbled out of my throat his eyes shot to me, the confusion evident in his attempted glare.

"You are a strange woman," he remarked, an eyebrow raising as he spoke. "You should fear me, and yet you stand here and laugh at me freely. How do you know that I won't kill you where you stand?"

"Because of two reasons," I said as I felt Adrian and Trevor take their places on either side of me.

"You!" Isaac shouted angrily. As he began to pull forth his weapon, I held my hand up to stay his progress.

"I think it would be better for you to come in, Isaac. It would make what I have to tell you a bit less awkward and the proof would be more evident. And I've decided to like you," I said, receiving a look of disbelief on his face. "It would be much better if you just came inside and accepted my hospitality and explanation rather than stand here and possibly die for your troubles."

"I believe that my night creatures would have a bit to say about that," Isaac said menacingly, a sneer appearing on his face. "I need only snap my fingers and they'll be at my side."

"And I need only lunge forward and rip your throat out for daring to threaten my mate in front of me," Adrian said, his own menacing tone resonating through the air.

"Enough!" I said loudly. "This pissing contest you men seem to have to do is really boring, you know that? Now let us go in like a normal group of people, sit down, have something to drink and speak with each other with a little more 'explanation time' and a little less 'look! I have a big dick!' or I will have not a single bit of remorse at beating the ever loving shit out of all of you!" When I turned and started stalking toward the entry hall, I heard them speaking behind me:

"She is quite formidable, isn't she?"

"You have no idea. It's best for you to just do what she says."

"I have no doubt she would love it if you didn't, though. I think she's itching for a fight."

"Don't say such things, you asshole. You know from experience what her bad moods are like."

"Poor Baby Fang Fuck worried that he'll have to sleep on the floor?"

"Shut the fuck up and move it."

As I walked into the entry, Dracula pulled Lisa closer to his body in an effort to protect her while Sypha positioned her hands so she could cast her first spell at the moment Isaac proved to be a threat. I entered the room and attempted to calm them all with simple hand gestures but found it to be useless. Understanding their wariness, I simply turned back around to watch Isaac's progression through the hall toward us, Trevor and Adrian leading him onward.

Isaac looked around him to ensure no one hid in the shadows to attack, his eyes darting to and fro with his body showing the amount of tension and preparedness he had. He continued to keep his attention everywhere as he came forward, the light in the entry way slowly crawling over his dark skin and showing him that we all awaited him. His eyes looked all around the room before alighting on us and, at first, it appeared that he would shout at Sypha and Trevor as they stood side by side, but then his eyes turned and took in the vision of Dracula standing there before him and they widened in shock and recognition. His mouth gaped slightly to see his master standing there before him, but fell open at the vision of his master's lady wife held tightly to his side, her face seeming to glow as she smiled softly at him.

"Master?" Isaac uttered softly. "How can this be? I was told that you had perished! And your lady wife stands beside you as if she weren't burned at the stake a year ago. How can this be?" He then dropped to his knees before us and placed his weapons carefully on the floor in front of him.

"Are you still my friend, Isaac?" Dracula asked softly.

"Yes. I will always be your friend," Isaac responded gently, tears suddenly appearing at the corners of his dark eyes and a gentle smile pulling at his cheeks.

"Then stand, my friend," Dracula said with a smile. "Come and meet my Lisa, and join us for refreshments so that we may talk and tell you a story you may have trouble believing."

"I will listen, my friend. I will try to believe it as much as I believe in you," Isaac responded as he stood and moved closer to us all, his face softening and his body losing the tension it held. There would be a long conversation in our future, but this saved time that we had no idea we were becoming short of.