Jane The Virgin - K.M.

1

Chapter One

XIOMARA VILLANUEVA's heart sank as she stepped into her daughter Jane's bedroom, only to find the young girl hunched over the toilet, her delicate features etched with discomfort.

This wasn't the first time Xiomara had witnessed this scene – in fact, it had become a disturbingly familiar sight over the past two weeks. Jane had been plagued by bouts of unrelenting nausea, unable to keep even the simplest of meals down.

At first, Xiomara had chalked it up to a passing bug, as Jane had insisted, but the persistence of the ailment told a different story.

As Xiomara knelt beside her daughter, she gently brushed the damp strands of hair from Jane's forehead, her motherly instincts kicking into high gear.

The girl's pallor was worrying, her skin clammy and her movements sluggish, a far cry from the vibrant, energetic child Xiomara knew.

It pained the mother to see her daughter in such a weakened state, and the desperation in Jane's eyes as she turned to Xiomara for help only amplified the ache in Xiomara's heart.

"Sweetie, I don't think this is a bug anymore," Xiomara murmured, her voice laced with concern.

She knew deep down that something more sinister was at play, something that required a more profound solution than a simple over-the-counter remedy.

Jane's condition had only deteriorated over time, the frequency and severity of the vomiting episodes increasing with each passing day.

Jane, her face etched with exhaustion, leaned back against the tub, her damp hair clinging to her forehead. "Maybe it's time to try having your blood to heal me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Xiomara understood the implication – as a vampire, her blood held the power to restore Jane's health, to provide the nourishment and healing her body so desperately craved.

Without hesitation, Xiomara rolled up her sleeve and brought her wrist to Jane's lips. "Here you go, my darling," she said, her tone soothing and reassuring.

Jane latched onto the offered wrist, her eyes fluttering closed as she drank deeply, savoring the rich, restorative properties of her mother's blood.

Xiomara watched with a mixture of relief and concern, praying that the infusion would provide the respite Jane so needed.

As Jane leaned into her mother's side, Xiomara could feel the tension slowly ebbing from her daughter's body. "Feel better?" she asked, her fingers gently caressing Jane's cheek.

Jane nodded weakly, her eyes still closed. "A little bit," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. But Xiomara could sense that the relief was only temporary, that the underlying issue had not been fully addressed.

Gathering her daughter into her arms, Xiomara carried Jane to her bed, the girl's exhaustion evident in the way she nestled into her mother's embrace. "I'll come check on you later," Xiomara promised, brushing a tender kiss against Jane's forehead. "I have to go to the shop to check on things."

"Okay," Jane replied, her eyelids already heavy with the pull of sleep. As Xiomara watched her daughter's eyes flutter closed, a wave of concern washed over her. Something was clearly amiss, and Xiomara knew she needed to get to the bottom of it, no matter what it took.

The drive to the family's apothecary shop was a blur, Xiomara's mind consumed by the worrying state of her daughter's health. As she stepped through the door, the familiar scents of herbs and tinctures did little to soothe her nerves. Greeting the staff with a distracted nod, she made her way to the back office, her thoughts racing.