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She had inherited her mother's looks and her father's sense of humor. But as far as she knew, and she knew a lot, this she hadn't inherited from her parents. For a while she thought she was jut getting really into her books. When instead of going away as she pushed her books down her priority list, it got worse. It was more intense then the usual feel of not belonging. Then the odd dreams, little sleep and weird instincts came. She went from caring about school to being more aware of her surroundings. She became sensitive to lights of all kinds and she felt malnourished. It wasn't until she woke up one day and found her eyes a new shade of blue, past the range of her already strange, ever changing eyes. That day she never felt more like pouncing at someone who hadn't heard her following him. Catching herself she stopped short. It was then that it finally hit her that something was extremely different about her.
That day she tried to act as normal as possible while in class and moving through the halls. It took all her energy to focus on one thing then keep twitching to catch all of her surroundings and not walk as if she were a predator stalking it's prey. For someone who always kept people guessing and refused to blend in it was a difficult change of pace. She cursed herself for putting her hair up that morning because now there was no way to hide behind it. The day dragged on longer then any other and resisting the urge to strike out at anyone who spoke to her didn't make it any easier. At the end of the day she fought to keep herself from running out of the building.
She kept her head down as she walked the pathway to her car in the parking lot. She had to slow down her pace slightly to not run into the people in front of her or scare them into thinking she was following them. She just focused on the ground and tried to make sense of what was going on. "Trying to figure out what you are?" A young man asked beside her making her nearly jump out of her skin. She hadn't heard him approach and even now couldn't hear his footsteps. Figuring that she really was going crazy she didn't give her mind the satisfaction of answering him. She did watch him from the corner of her eye though. He walked a steady gait with a slight sway to it as if he moved with such ease and grace. He was lean and muscular under black jeans, biker boots, and a white v-neck t-shirt. He had long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. He looked sure of himself and a little cocky. She couldn't believe her mind had come up with this man. "I'm not a ghost or figment of your imagination," he assured her. Before she could stop herself she answered him. "Then why don't I hear your footsteps?" She asked. He smirked. "Haven't you noticed? You don't make a sound as you walk either," he replied.
She stopped short as she came to realize what he said was true. She only heard her heart beating and breathing but she could feel that she had walked differently making no noise at all. She looked over at the young man suspiciously. "How did you know what I was thinking?" She demanded. A smile tugged at the young man's lips as he indicated for them to continue walking. "I'm like you, well not exactly like you but same general family," he told her. She looked over at him confused and a little disgusted. "We're not from the same family," she told him. He nodded. "Not blood relatives. Same species though," he corrected. Again she stopped to stare at him. "What on earth are you talking about? Just because we're both humans doesn't make us related. How high are you?" She asked him. He actually laughed. "Trust me, even if I was high I couldn't come up with the answer you want to hear from me," he told her slyly. She tilted her head slightly gazing at him. "You want to know what you are. I have that answer," he said softly. She waited for him to tell her. "You're a puma Jinx," he told her leaning towards her slightly. She cocked an eyebrow at him confused. He leaned back and smirked. "And you are?" She asked playing along. A wide smile spread across his face and she watched at his eyes changed from a dark green to a shining emerald green and his black hair fell into his face. "A black panther," he replied.
Jinx's jaw actually dropped open. Not in surprise but because she actually believed that he might actually be a black panther. They continued walking and now she kept a very close eye on the man claiming he was a black panther. "What's your name panther?" She asked him suspiciously. "Edric," he replied simply. He seemed to be studying her as well as she was him. She couldn't help but laugh a little. "Your name is Ed?" She laughed. A low growl came out of his throat that definitely wasn't human. "It's Edric not Ed. There's no shortening my name Jinxie so watch it," he threatened. Jinx couldn't help her instinct to curl her lip at him slightly. It seemed to cool him down immediately though and he grinned. "I see you have found many of your animal instincts," he said. Jinx flinched away closing her eyes shut tight as a car swung around a corner with its lights on. Edric grin widened. "And other instincts as well," he said very abstractly. She spun around to look at him. "What other instincts? Let's say I do believe you about the Puma part or whatever type of cat you're claiming I am," she began until he cut her off. "You are a Puma, and you do believe me but continue," he said. She growled back at him for interrupting but continued. "What is this other then? And why am I not an animal right now?" She demanded. "I think I can help you with that," another young man's voice replied from behind her.
Jinx jumped around and snarled slightly. She jumped so that he back wasn't to the new comer or Edric. The new comer smiled. "I see you don't like having people at your back, a good quality," he said. "I don't like people sneaking up on me," she snapped in return. The stranger looked exactly like Edric his only difference was dark eyes that were brown and a green streak in his hair. She blinked in surprise when she realized that she was able to notice how different they smelled though. "Jinx this is my brother Ricardo. He's similar to you as well," Edric introduced them. She lifted her eyebrow at Ricardo. "Let me guess Ric, you're a panther too," she said sarcastically. Ricardo smiled and shook his head. "Vampire actually," he corrected her. Again Jinx's jaw dropped. "This is getting ridiculous. First I'm a puma now a vampire. Should I leave you two alone so you can get your story straight?" She asked them. To her unnerving they both gave her a smirk. "You're half vampire half puma. Lucky enough for you though neither affects the other but instead work together," Ricardo told her. If Jinx was a fainter she's sure she would have fainted now. "A good reason I should believe you both?" She asked them. In a flash Edric was gone and replaced by a huge black panther and hissed at her, while Ricardo bared fangs at her. Before even thinking about being scared, Jinx crouched slightly and growled low in her throat at the two of them.
Ricardo slowly retracted his fangs, a creepy thing for Jinx to witness, and looked at the panther. "I think we should take this somewhere else," he told both Jinx and the panther. In a flash the panther changed back into Edric and only then did Jinx stand up straight though the anger didn't leave her eyes. Ricardo turned to her. "Let us go to your home and discuss this, shall we?" He asked her. She looked at him for a moment before she shrugged. "You're the only ones giving me answers so I don't see why not. Though I don't have room for both of you in the truck," she replied. Ricardo waved his hand at her. "Edric will ride in panther form," he assured her. Before Edric could begin to protest he popped into panther form. Jinx raised her eyebrows at Ricardo. "Had I known I was able to do that I would have had him shut up awhile ago," she said opening the door for the panther to jump in. Ricardo gave her an amused grin. "Unfortunately you can't I just get that special ability for having to deal with him as a brother," he replied. The panther growled from the backseat. Jinx turned around to glare at him. "You rip any lining and I'll skin you," she growled. The panther hissed at her making her bare her teeth. Ricardo glared at the panther and turned to Jinx. "Let's get home before your temper ruins everything," he said.