Chapter 49

Kane's gaze shimmered with desperation as he appealed to Crystal. "How can I become strong enough?" he implored.

A flicker of determination lit up Crystal's eyes. "It is the red moon that shall grant you the power you seek," she proclaimed. "Just wait until it appears, and then we shall try again."

But the reality of having to endure three more weeks trapped in his wolf form hit Kane like a sharp blow. The red moon seemed impossibly distant, and the thought of being stuck for even one more day was almost too much to bear.

Kane's heart pounded in his chest counting down the weeks with mounting anticipation. Only three more until the red moon would finally grace the sky with its luminescent beauty. Crystal, his trusted friend and witch could barely contain her excitement.

"The red moon only comes once in a century," she reminded him, her eyes gleaming with fervor. "You are one of the lucky few, Kane."

But Kane couldn't focus on her words, not when a searing pain ripped through his body. He doubled over, feeling every bone in his frame splintering and reforming like a grotesque puzzle. His skin bubbled with the sudden rush of hair sprouting from every inch of his body until he was no longer a man, but a creature of the night. A wolf.

"Don't look at me with those puppy dog eyes," Crystal chided, folding her arms across her chest in mock annoyance. "There will be time for that later. When the red moon rises, we shall try again."

With a weighty heart, he departed Crystal's abode. Three weeks seemed an interminable wait, and what actions would he undertake in the interim? Yet Kane had confidence in Crystal's competency. After all, she was in his debt. His thoughts strayed to the time when he had rescued her life from the gnash of witch hunters. They had seized Crystal, tethered her to a tree, and prepared to commit her to the flame. It had been ever since they had become steadfast confidantes.

Crystal stood solitary, bereft of family. Her kin, one by one, had perished at the merciless hands of the witch hunters. The weight of her heartache was apparent, and Kane comprehended why she hesitated to perform the fateful spell. Her heart was gentle, and the mere thought of Kane succumbing during the incantation would forever torment her conscience.

With a fierce and guttural cry, he plunged into the depths of the wood. His mind was set on retreating to his own abode, but only after keeping a vigilant watch over Divina from afar. There was something indescribable about that bewitching sorceress, something that intrigued him deeply...Perhaps it was her ability to penetrate the realm of dreams. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. One thing was certain, however. She had managed to burrow her way into his very being in a manner that no other ever had.

As he raced through the tangled trees, his mind was consumed with thoughts of Divina. His lithe limbs propelled him forward with increasing speed, easily leaping over gnarled roots and toppled trunks. The trek back to his home would be arduous, but he simply couldn't afford to linger in the woods for three endless weeks.

***

With the dawn came Divina's swift ablutions. She donned a fitted white tank top and dark blue jeans, cinching them tightly with a leather belt. Her knees met with sleek high boots and she swept out to her car. An ominous feeling rumbled within her as she turned the key in the ignition. The police had summoned her for questioning over the savage assault at her mother's funeral, but she had no clear idea how to answer them. The truth was far too unpleasant of an offering.

Perhaps she should speak the truth. Admit that a swarm of bloodthirsty vampires had descended upon her. But that would only lead to her being committed to an asylum. No, she couldn't take that risk. With a heavy heart, she pulled into the police station's parking lot and found a spot. As she stepped out of the car, she took a deep breath, bracing herself for whatever lay ahead.

With measured steps, Divina made her way through the front doors of the station. Her head held high, she approached the desk. "Good morning," she began, only to be cut off by the middle-aged woman behind the counter.

"Sign in and take a seat," the woman barked, holding up a clipboard. Divina complied, settling into the uncomfortable, worn chair. The woman's impoliteness grated on her nerves, but she remained silent, holding her tongue.

"Divina?" a voice called out, and she looked up to see a tall man with mousy brown hair and a crooked nose approaching her. "Good morning, thank you for coming in," he said with a smile that failed to hide a certain air of deception. "I am Detective Arnold," he added, his eyes flickering briefly over her before focusing intently on her face.

Divina's instincts immediately went on high alert as she observed the detective's every movement. There was something about him that didn't quite sit right with her, and she found herself subtly tensing up. "No problem," she muttered in response as the detective gestured for her to follow him.

He led her down a dimly lit corridor and into an interrogation room, where he gestured for her to sit down across from him. "Don't worry, this is just a friendly chat," he said, his words laced with a hint of sinister undertone that did not go unnoticed by Divina. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he wasn't telling her, and she waited with a growing sense of unease to hear what he had to say.

The suffocating stillness of the cramped interrogation room set Divina's nerves alight, her heart hammering inside her chest while perspiration clung to her forehead. Detective Arnold's unwavering stare only served to exacerbate her unease, sending a clammy wave of discomfort rippling across her flesh.

"Why don't you divulge to me what occurred yesterday?" The detective inquired, his hands planted firmly on the table as his piercing gaze remained fixated on her countenance. "A group of men materialized from the forest. It all happened so quickly," Divina hastened to reply. "And who might these gentlemen have been?" he interrogated, prompting a gulp to escape from Divina's throat. "I cannot say," she responded softly. Suddenly, Detective Arnold pounded his hands upon the table, frightening Divina so much that she sprang from her seat and inadvertently caused her chair to collide with the wall behind her. "Do not deceive me, young lady. I am aware of your identity - a sorceress at that." Divina was paralyzed, her spine chilled to the core.