The next day, she decided to get some fresh air in the woods alone. She loved being around nature and listening to the sounds of wildlife. Upon the floor lied trees of yesteryears, ripped from the roots during storms. She made her way to Melissa’s temporary hideout. A place which had become hers too, countless summer holidays was spent in the woods. Those were her childhood days, when she believed in fairytales and hoped a prince would ride by on his white horse and sweep her away. She laughed at the memory. How young and naive she was back then. So trusting and sweet.

The hardships of life had changed her. Love didn’t last. She had learned that from her parents. Constant fights and screaming matches were something she would rather do without. She didn’t see the point in love if it didn’t last. Why would anyone want to put themselves through so much heartache? Yet wasn’t that what she was doing. Fantasying and dreaming about a complete stranger and love? Shaking her head she sighed. She really had to pull herself together.

She filled her lungs with a deep breath of air from the fresh morning forest, instantly she felt better. This particular place had something magical about it. She couldn’t just say what it was. The smell was freshly organic, the sweet sounds of the birds which pervaded her senses filling her thoughts with the oneness of nature.

The aged beautiful trees around, the cave, and the skyscrapers of different trees, it all added to the magic, surreal feel of the place. She could hear the scurrying squirrels in search for food and the bristles of wispy moss. The twigs crunched under her feet while she made her way through the carpeted path. Shooting and soothing was the peace of the morning. The forest was alive, with prey and predators’ alike rising from their slumber to begin their daily routine of survival.

Each sound was distinct and she could separate each one from the other. On her right a snake disappeared behind some bushes.

She wasn’t afraid like many she knew. To her all nature was beautiful and held an air of mystery.

She thought about going for a swim in the river. It’s shimmering surface looked inviting. She laughed as she remembered all the times she and Melissa had spent in the very same river pretending to be mermaids.

The river was a slice of mellow harmony amid the fragrant leaves. It flowed like time, always onwards, always towards its destiny.

She thought about her future. Was becoming a doctor really what she wanted to do? When she had first signed up for collage she was positive that is where her destiny laid. Now she wasn’t so sure.

She felt like there was more she had to do with her life. But what? It was only the start of the summer and it had left her confused.

No longer did she know what she wanted to do with her life.

She glanced at the lake again and smiled. The hands of fate would lead her down the path she was to take.

Divina undressed herself exposing her stunning body. She knew she had a great figure. One of the perks from collage was the gym. She loved to keep in shape and feel her muscles burn and ache from pushing them to their limits.

She felt better as she entered the water. She welcomed the kiss of coolness and watched the water ripple and swirl around her. It seemed like the soothing liquid was washing all her worries away. Her head was light, void of worries in this world. Even her over active mind ceased its questions and thoughts.

No voice could be heard, only the running stream and the creaking of the branches swayed by the gentle wind. She traced her hair with the cold water. She took some laps forward and backward. There was nothing as good as a refreshing swim within the utopia of nature. She felt whole and alive, the sun shone on her bare skin and she basked in the heat.

Divina hadn’t enjoyed her swim in the river for long when she heard the rustle of the forest floor, like someone was coming towards the river! Not now, she was naked and exposed.

Quickly she made her way out of the water grabbed her clothes and hastily put them on. It was a struggle with her wet skin and her clothes stuck to her like a second skin. It happened during her quick rush. Her leg brushed against a sharp stone. She was just putting her sneakers on, when she felt a swift whiff of wind pass by her. Divina raised her eyes up just in time to see Melissa’s property staring at her.

“Am very sorry for . . .”

Divina was shocked,

“I didn’t see you coming,”

“Erm I , I just came from that angle, it’s very possible you wouldn’t see me coming.” He replied.

Divina could now understand why Melissa’s property was all Melissa could think of at the party. He was quite cool and hot when close. He wore a pendant which Divina thought was for something more than ornamental use. Scenes from her first dream found its way to her mind. She had seen that pedant.

His shoulders were truly broad. Easily she was distracted and the pendent vanished from her thoughts. The way his muscles rippled under his white t-shirt, made her weak at the knees. Her hot sensual dream, it played like a movie in her mind. Gulping she tore her eyes away from his body completely aware of the blush that had reddened her cheeks.

“What are you doing here?” She asked defensively. Annoyed from the fact that he had interrupted her refreshing swim, and embarrassed by the feeling of desire/lust running through her she had snapped at him.

“Just getting some fresh air in the woods, are you alright?”

“I am Divina by the way,”

“I know, Kane Steel,”

Divina bent down to nurse her wound, it wasn’t a brutal injury but the pain had lasted longer than it should be. It stung like crazy as the wind blow on the open wound.

“Hey! You got to help me home. I don’t think I can walk perfectly” Divina didn’t receive any response. She looked up and just as Kane Steel had appeared he had disappeared.

Kane Steel got home as soon as he could. He needed to get away from her. To every other person except the vampire clan and other Lycans, his father had just bought the cursed mansion which was in the middle of the woods.

But the truth was that he had bought the mansion and the person referred to as Kane’s father was his young nephew.

He walked into the hall way in a swift pace, Kane hadn’t taken more than a few dozen steps when he scented another Lycan.

It should never happen, Lycan’s are rear breed and they keep a long distance from each other. Two Lycan’s within twenty miles could only lead to a battle of supremacy. But this asshole was a lycan in his territory.

“Come on, your son of a bitch” Kane shouted. This asshole had some cheek letting himself into his home.

Anger welled inside him along with the instinct to fight and protect his territory.

He flexed his hands at his sides, his weight balanced on the two balls of his feet, ready for a fight. Then Kane saw it come around the corner at the far end of the hall with a raucous snarl. In split seconds, he launched himself forward with a massive swipe which would have taken Kane’s throat and a part of him if he hadn’t dove and rolled.

The fight between a Lycan and another Lycan wasn’t to death because they could not kill each other except one who possessed the wrathvamp- the enchanted sword which could kill any mythical creature with the smallest cut, it was until one surrenders. Even the chopping off of one’s head did not work. The body would search for the head, coming known as zombies. It was a curse of their kind. To live eternity as a beast, he got to his feet in one swift move. Kane took quick steps backward this Lycan was definitely a saber wielder. He was almost six feet tall, bald-headed and built like a WWE superstar. He looked juiced up, hungry for blood. Which he couldn’t get, Kane had to think fast. That bastard could turn around and bite him.

A bite from another Lycan was serious. He would be crippled in pain for days and become delirious with a high fever.

Most Lycans were horrible looking it was a curse that had been placed on his kind, somehow his pack had escaped that fate. Some had said it was the fact that his father was the alpha of all alphas’ that had saved them. Kane wasn’t sure why.

He transformed into his animal form, his fangs and claws rising like the moon in the night. Then his opponent switched the saber in his hand to the other hand while he prepared his left hand into a meaty fist. He swung a blow at Kane with much more speed than Kane expected. The punch landed on Kane’s jaw, it should have sent him to the floor if he hadn’t crashed into the wall. He heard the crack of plaster and anger surged through him from the damage caused.

The crash kept him on his feet although he hurt his head badly. Good move, it’s time to end this shit. The evil beast who was having the upper hand started to grin, definitely he thought this would be easy for him.

Kane brought his left leg around swiftly and knocked the knife from his hand and nailed the beast in the ribs with a formidable sidekick. The Lycan quickly recovered and drove his shoulder into Kane’s middle completely knocking the wind out of his lungs. Both Lycans hit the floor with a crunching thud, each grappling for the upper hand, landing punches which would have killed a human in an instant. The bastard must have been bigger, but Kane had enough experience and speed. In seconds Kane had the other Lycan pinned face down on the floor. Kane trapped his neck in his hands and squeezed it with all his strength. The deadly beast continued to struggle but he couldn’t last more than fifty heartbeats.

“Take the nearest exit you bastard,” Kane roared. He transformed back to his human form and pulled the unconscious beast to the yard. He was sure when the moon came out, it would have found its way out of town.

Kane made his way to his library, stacks of old books with rumpled edges which smelt of age occupied the shelves from left to right. A small table and a chair were at the centre. Kane found a special kind of solace in the pages of a book, any book. In his former life he had been a professor of geophysics. But he left all that to find the enchantress who had the wrathvamp, the only threat to his life.