Chapter 2 Nightmare From the past

18 years later.

"Mom! I'm gonna be late!" a girl shrieked, yanking her long, golden hair into a messy ponytail. "Where's my lucky jacket?!" she yelled, tossing clothes haphazardly from her overflowing wardrobe.

"On the bed!" her mom's voice called from downstairs.

"And my keys?"

"Here!" A set of keys sailed through the air, landing with a clatter on her vanity.

"Got 'em!" she snatched the keys and dashed to the window. "Start the car, guys!" she shouted, tossing the keys to her friends waiting below.

She practically flew down the stairs, grabbing her bag. "Okay, bye Mom! Love you tons!" she threw a flying kiss over her shoulder and bolted for the door. A hand gently tugged her arm. She turned to see her mother.

"Is this really necessary?" Her mom sighed, her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and resignation.

"Seriously, Mom? I'm not five! I'm turning eighteen tomorrow, and it's not like I'm going to Mars. It's a two-hour drive. Plus, I've got my three amazing bodyguards with me, remember?" she said, trying to reassure her mother with a mention of her three reliable male friends.

Her mom let out a long-suffering sigh, a small smile playing on her lips. "Fine," she conceded. "But please, be careful."

"Of course," Alexandra nodded, kissing her mother's cheek. "Bye, love you!"

After her daughter left, her mother stared at a framed photograph, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek. "Can't blame me for being a overprotective mom, can I? I've kept my promise, Apollo. When are you going to keep yours?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "I can't even reach you. Are you okay? Are you still fighting out there, protecting us?" She sobbed, clutching the frame to her chest.

"You brought that book again? Seriously? Haven't you read it a million times already?" Alexandra smirked, catching sight of the novel in her hands. "My Tutor Is A Werewolf By. Dimple'z."

"Oh, come on! Don't underestimate my love for Leonard Hammington! I could read it a thousand times and never get tired of it!" she declared proudly, flashing a grin at Blite, her twenty-one-year-old, perpetually cheerful friend.

"Yeah, yeah, of course! Miss Fantasy-land!" Blite teased.

"I'm a werewolf and vampire writer, not a reader," Alexandra corrected, puffing out her chest.

"Correction: you're a werewolf-hater who writes fantasy novels!" Blite retorted, her laughter echoing in the car.

"Hey, I don't hate werewolves. I hate the way supernatural stuff is portrayed on TV – the demons, fairies, vampires, and werewolves. It's all so over-the-top! I'm a grown-up now, that's why I'm writing fantasy novels. I'm gonna get the facts straight, and maybe even make a movie out of it," Alexandra defended herself, her voice laced with a touch of defensiveness.

"Yeah, a seventeen-year-old spoiled brat with unrealistic dreams," Blite teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I'm turning eighteen tomorrow, and I'm not spoiled! My mom just loves me a lot," Alexandra retorted, pouting dramatically. The two of them were like a pair of bickering puppies.

"Okay, okay, eighteen-year-old mommy's girl, then," Blite conceded, letting out a fake laugh.

Suddenly, the car lurched violently, throwing them forward.

"What the hell, Walter?!" Alexa shrieked, turning to her friend and longtime driver, Walter James Mchally.

"Give me a break! You guys are killing my ears! Can you please shut up, at least for today?" Walter shouted, his voice strained.

"Yeah, I agree with Walter," Samantha chimed in from the passenger seat, Samantha Harry, Alexandra's best friend since middle school.

"Thank you, Sam. You understand me," Walter muttered, his lips pressing into a thin line.

"Hey, guys! Cool it! We're on a road trip, not heading into battle!" Scott intervened from the back seat, his voice calm and soothing.

"She started it," Blite glared at Alexa, pointing an accusing finger.

"You two are acting like toddlers. Let's put on some music, Sam. Do the honors?" Scott asked, turning to Sam. She shrugged, putting on some upbeat rock music. The music drumming in their ears, the group resumed their journey, the tension momentarily eased.

"Oh my god, I'm so dead! Mom's gonna kill me! It's midnight! Look at all these missed calls! I told you we should've left earlier!" Alexa exclaimed, stepping out of the car. The house was dark.

"Why are the lights off? Is Mom asleep?" Alexa wondered, a prickle of unease running down her spine.

Walter's eyes widened. "Wait here," he said, sprinting towards the house.

Scotty exchanged a quick glance with Sam, then nodded. "You guys stay here," he said, following Walter inside.

"What's going on? Is this some kind of surprise birthday party?" Alexa asked, glancing at Sam, a nervous smile playing on her lips.

"Maybe," Sam replied, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. A moment later, a loud crash echoed from inside the house.

"What was that?" Blite blinked, her eyes wide with alarm, staring at the dark house.

"Forget the surprise, I'm going in. Something might've happened to Mom," Alexandra started towards the door.

"Don't!" Sam quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

The noises grew louder, more frantic. Alexandra tried to push past Sam, but Sam held firm. Then, something huge smashed through a window, landing with a bone-jarring thud, shattering Alexa's beloved flower pots.

"What the actual hell?! You ruined my beautiful flowers!" Alexandra shrieked, staring in shock at the enormous, hulking beast that had just crashed through her window.

The beast grinned, its teeth bared in a menacing snarl, and growled at them.

"Is that... a vampire?" Blite gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Get back!" Sam suddenly lunged forward, transforming into a wolf before their very eyes, attacking the other wolf with a ferocious snarl.

"Whoa! Did you just see that?!" Blite shouted, her mouth agape.

Another loud crash came from inside the house. "Mom!" Alexa cried, spinning around. "I have to get to Mom!" She ran towards the house, only to find it invaded by wolves... and vampires? They were everywhere.

"Mom?" she screamed, her voice barely a whisper. She sensed something approaching, her hair standing on end. She swallowed hard, her breath catching in her throat. Then, a figure appeared beside her, his voice a desperate plea. "Run!"

Her eyes widened at the sight of her savior, a pale figure ripping into the legs of a creature lunging towards her. He grabbed another, plunging his fangs into its neck, sucking its lifeblood.

"Walter?" she whispered, her voice trembling. It took a moment to recognize him, her friend, her protector. She watched, horrified, as he wiped his bloody lips.

A beast struck her, sending her sprawling to the ground. Her legs trembled, her eyes squeezed shut. But when she opened them again, Walter's hands were on her neck, holding her back. "Run, Alexandra!" he urged.

Her legs refused to obey. She crawled down the stairs, feeling a sharp pain in her leg. She turned to see a pale figure rushing towards her – a powerful woman with long fangs. Alexa fled to her room, slamming the door shut. "What in the world is going on? Am I dreaming? Or did I somehow stumble into one of Dimple'z books?" she whispered, hugging her knees, her face a mask of shock and disbelief.

The door creaked open, revealing a woman with long, sharp fangs. "Daughter! Get out of here!" she hissed, backing away until her back hit the wall. The woman approached cautiously, the moonlight illuminating her face, highlighting her fangs. She took a deep breath, her voice softening. "Don't worry, honey. Mommy's here."

"Mommy?!" Alexa's eyes widened, her voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and relief.