Chapter 5

　　It had been a whole week, and Lydia hadn't said more than a single sentence to her mother: "It's either you tell me, or we keep living like this." She had mastered the art of being there without really being there—physically present, but emotionally checked out.

　　Rebecca, her mother, had tried everything. Sweet words. Angry outbursts. Bribes. Even threats, in an attempt to make Lydia forget what had happened. But Lydia wasn't the type to let things go. She wasn't about to drop this. She was going to get answers whether anyone liked it or not.

　　When Rebecca walked through the door that evening after work, Lydia was sitting on the living room couch. The sight was almost shocking. She rarely sat anywhere but her room these days. Rebecca hesitated, unsure if she should say something or leave her be. But before she could decide, Lydia stood and began walking toward her room

　　"You're just special, Lydia," Rebecca said softly.

　　It was those words that made Lydia stop. Slowly, she turned

　　"Special?" she scoffed. "I'm not special. I'm someone who hurt people."

　　Rebecca's composure cracked. She sat down, her hand covering her face. "I see the marks they always put on you," she said, her voice breaking. "And I'm sorry. I know I never said anything. I was scared. Too scared to even talk about it." Tears started rolling down her cheeks.

　　Lydia, who hated seeing her mother cry, moved closer. She put her hand on her back, soothing her. "It's okay now," she murmured. "At least they can't hurt me again."

　　Rebecca looked up, her eyes red but suddenly determined. She grabbed Lydia's hands, her grip surprisingly strong. "I think it's time you go to school with your likes," she said.

　　Lydia frowned. "What do you mean, my likes?"

　　Rebecca hesitated, her lips trembling. She held Lydia's hands tighter, struggling to find the right words. How could she explain a secret she had kept for so many years?

　　"Lydia, she began softly. "There are things about you about us that I never wanted to burden you with. Things I thought you might never have to face. But after what happened..." Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard. "You need to know the truth."

　　"What truth?" she asked

　　Rebecca released a long breath she was unaware she had been holding and ran a hand over her hair. "You are different from everyone else, Lydia. You are special. Yes, but not in the manner you have always thought. You are...you are part of a different world."

　　"What are you talking about, Mom?" Lydia asked, pulling her hands back, looking completely lost. "What do you mean by a different world? I'm just me. There's nothing special about me except that I can apparently hurt people without meaning to."

　　Rebecca shook her head. "You're more than that, Lydia. Your father-" She stopped, as if the words physically hurt her. "Your father wasn't human."

　　Lydia just sat there, trying to wrap her head around what she was hearing. "What?" The word came out shaky.

　　Rebecca reached out, taking her hands again. "He was...a werewolf. And so are you."

　　There was total silence that if you drop a pin, the next house would hear it. Lydia just stared at her mom, trying to find something, anything in her face that said this was all some sick joke. But no, Rebecca's face was dead serious.

　　"A werewolf?" Lydia said, her voice barely audible. She let out a disbelieving laugh. "Mom, are you hearing yourself? That is not real. That can't be real."

　　"It is, Lydia, Rebecca said firmly. "Think about what happened in the woods. The way you...changed. The strength, the speed, the way you always heal so quickly. It is all part of who you are. Who you have always been."

　　Lydia shook her head, backing away. "No. No, this doesn't make sense. Werewolves don't exist. They're just...myths, stories."

　　"They are real, sweetheart." Rebecca said, standing up and taking a step toward Lydia. "Your father's pack...they exist too. They are out there and I have been keeping you hidden from them your whole life."

　　Lydia's breath came in short, sharp gasps. "Why would you do that? Why hide me from them?"

　　"Because I was trying to protect you!" Rebecca's voice cracked. "I didn't want you to live that life. The politics, the danger... I wanted you to be normal. To have a chance at something better."

　　Lydia eyes flooding with tears, "Well, congratulations," She spat out, "That worked out perfectly, didn't it?"

　　Rebecca winced at her tone but she wasn't backing down. "I know this is a lot to process, but you just... you have to trust me on this. There is a school—one for gifted youngsters like you. It is where you will feel safe, where you can be yourself without being viewed negatively, and where you will learn to manage what is happening to you."

　　"Safe?" Lydia scoffed. "You mean with a bunch of other people like me? People who can hurt others without even meaning to?"

　　Rebecca responded softly, "No, I mean people who can help you handle and understand it. People who know what it feels like and won't pass judgement on you. Lydia, you cannot continue to hide from yourself out of fear. You deserve answers. You deserve to understand who you really are."

　　Lydia could not take her eyes off her mom. Her mind was blank. She kept opening her mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out. Her whole life had been a lie? Just like that? She wanted to be mad maybe she should be mad but mostly she felt... weird. Like the time she found out Santa wasn't real, but a million times worse. At least then she'd just lost Santa. Now she'd lost... what? Who was she even supposed to be anymore?

　　After a while she managed to whisper, "And what if I do not want to?"

　　Rebecca's face softened. "Then we keep living like this. You and I, trying to figure it out on our own. But I think you know, deep down, that this is the right thing to do."

　　Lydia looked at her hands, the same hands that had reformed in the woods and hurt Amber and her girls. "I don't know, Mom. I don't know if I can do this."

　　Rebecca pulled Lydia into a hug. "You can, sweetheart. You can."

　　Lydia hesitated for a moment before asking, "How are we going to afford this school? We don't have money for tuition. I was on scholarship, and I messed that up. How will this even work?"

　　Rebecca smiled and gently pushed Lydia back to look her in the eye. "So, is that a yes?"

　　Lydia bit her lip but nodded. "Yeah, but we have no way of paying for it, you know."

　　Rebecca put away a stray strand of hair behind Lydia's ear. "Don't bother your pretty little head about that. I am your mom, remember? And it is my job to handle the big stuff. You just focus on being ready for what is ahead."

　　Lydia gave a weak smile. "Okay...but you better not go selling your kidney or something."

　　Rebecca laughed, stroking her cheek. "I'll manage, Lydia. Just trust me on this. You're worth everything. And I mean everything."