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Chapter 5

The numbers on the old-style digital alarm clock read 8:42 p.m. in glowing red numbers, casting an eerie light upon the room. Divina groggily sat up in bed, taking note of the time. She typically relied on her cell phone to wake her up, but her Pa had never quite abandoned his trusty alarm clock. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she realized she had slept for over five hours straight. That was highly unusual for her - after all, she was always one to keep moving.

Reaching over for her cell phone, Divina's heart sank as she saw the missed calls. Most were from her loved ones - Melissa, her mom - but the last one caught her off guard. It was her dad...and they weren't exactly on speaking terms at the moment.

Despite her aching head and exhaustion, Divina couldn't shake the vivid dreams that had consumed her mind. Kidnapping, mystery men...her subconscious had been busy even as her body rested. But there was no point in dwelling on them. They were just figments of her imagination.

With a deep breath, she made her way down to the kitchen to heat up her dinner. A note from her mum, Amy, was waiting for her. It was a quiet, lonely meal as she sat at the dining table, pondering over the events of the last day. If her dreams held any truth to them - with her grandfather's ramblings about Lycan Godmothers and all - it meant that there was a whole other aspect to her life that she had yet to uncover.

With a sense of urgency, she retrieved her laptop from her room and started to type the word "Lycan" into a Google search bar. The first result that popped up was a Wikipedia article detailing the origins of Lycanthropy.

Type: Humanoid. In Dungeons& Dragons, a lycanthrope is a humanoid shapeshifter based on various legends of lycanthropes, werecats, and other such beings. In addition to the werewolf, in Dungeons & Dragons, tigers, boars, werebears and other shape-shifting creatures like werewolves and related beings are considered lycanthropes, although in the real world, “lycanthrope” refers to a wolf-human combination exclusively.

Divina delved deeper into her research on lycanthropes, uncovering their ability to transform between human and animal forms. And then, as if drawn in by some mystical force, she found herself clicking on a page devoted to vampires.

Though many dismissed vampires as mere legends or fairy tales, Divina was struck by something she read: that vampires were unparalleled in the realm of intimacy.

Images of steamy, fantastical encounters danced through her mind, making her acutely aware of the loneliness that filled her quiet nights. She longed to know more about these nocturnal creatures, to delve deeper than the shallow portrayals she had seen in movies.

But as she sat lost in contemplation, the sound of her mother's car bustling into the driveway brought her back to reality.

"In here Mom," she called out as Amy made her way inside.

Divina was taken aback by what she saw - Amy's hands were empty, a rarity for a woman who usually blasted rock music throughout the house while lugging in bags full of groceries.

But Divina's curiosity about vampires outweighed any confusion she felt about her mother's uncharacteristic behaviour. She needed to speak with Amy - some questions needed answering, and longings that needed to be fulfilled.

“Mum, can we talk?”

"What troubles you, my dear?" the slight raise of Amy's eyebrow betrayed her curiosity and concern at the same time as Divina's voice sounded desperate.

A silent sigh escaped Divina before she spoke her mind.

"Am I a Lycan?" She asked the words sounding preposterous in her ears. Why did she feel like there was more to her than meets the eye? All the stress had caused a stream of strange yet wonderful dreams.

Amy's eyes almost bulged out from their sockets, unable to keep her shock under wraps. She had to change her demeanour quickly to avoid raising any suspicion.

"A Lycan, what could that be?" she replied, forcing a smile to her face, "A vampire or a werewolf?"

Divina's gaze didn't waver. "No, you don't understand, Mom. I feel like there's something different about me."

Amy chuckled softly. "You've been indulging in too many fables and fairy tales, my dear. Those are just stories."

"But Mom, I have this--" Divina struggled to articulate the sensations consuming her mind.

Amy's ears pricked up, detecting more than mere curiosity in her daughter's voice. There was more to this than met the eye.

"Tell me, are you experiencing anything strange?"

Divina hesitated before answering, "Yes, no, I don't know."

"Have you felt any peculiar stirrings, my dear? Share them with me,” Amy’s voice lowered, her tone edged with urgency. A Lycan prowled through their town, and it wouldn't be long before the vampires caught the scent of him. And where Lycans roamed, vampires lingered close by.

"I've been having these dreams...of the same person," Divina admitted, hesitant.

"Dreams? Who is this person? Did you happen to catch the word 'Lycan' in your dream?" Amy asked, her eyes flickering with alarm.

"No, nothing like that. It's just that we...we engage in...um, otherworldly activities," Divina trailed off, her hand flying to her lips in mortification.

"Activities? With whom?" Amy's voice bristled with a fierce maternal instinct.

"Mum, please. You don't need to know. It's just a dream, and I never even see his face," Divina pleaded. Although the mystery man had now taken the face of Melissa’s property she wasn’t going to share all the details with her mum.

"You must tell me what's happening to you. It's for your own welfare," Amy implored. Divina’s cheeks flushed a deep red. It wasn't the time to disclose to her mum that she wasn't quite a virgin.

"I just feel like there's a part of me I don't know...like something's been taken from me," Divina mumbled, fidgeting in her seat.

Amy wavered. Was now the opportune moment to unveil the truth to her? No, not yet. It could jeopardize her daughter's safety in ways she could not even bear to consider.

"Precious girl, I understand what you're experiencing. You're overthinking things. It's natural for young adults to feel this way at times. There's no such thing as Lycans or vampires lurking out there," Amy placated, her voice soothing.

"But - "

"Enough. That's enough for today," Amy interrupted firmly. She would staunchly shield her daughter from the violent, bloody world of supernatural politics. Divina deserved nothing less than complete and absolute safety.

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