Kyle looked over the ingredients on the counter, smiling with satisfaction when he saw everything he needed. The pepperoni had taken a few tries, but the elementals had finally found the right thing.

Damn, he was really looking forward to this.

"Is pizza some kind of meat pie?" Kira asked, seeing the meats and cheeses with some confusion.

"Sort of. You'll see. We have enough for two, so you can make one and copy what I do." He said, getting out bowls and spoons, handing one of each to Kira. "First we make the dough."

He opened the bag of flour, measuring out what he needed before handing it to Kira.

She looked at the flour uneasily before measuring out what he had, dumping it hastily in the bowl and yelling in surprise when it sent up a cloud of flour dust into her face. She wiped her eyes, letting out a dusty cough.

Kyle couldn't help but let out a laugh at her expression as she glared down at the bowl. She was so cute- had she never baked anything before?

He sputtered as flour hit his face, wiping his eyes to see Kira grinning at him wickedly, another handful of flour at the ready.

"Oh bring it on, babe." Kyle matched her wicked smile, grabbing a handful of his own.

The way was brutal- both of them were soon as white as ghosts, and so were the counters and pans they used for shields. Finally Kira grabbed Kyle's shirt to keep him from avoiding her again. She let out a yell as she slipped on the powder strewn wooden floor, Kyle reaching out to catch her.

They both toppled to the ground, Kyle landing beneath her. They both stared at each other, their bodies tangled together after their fall.

Kiss her, idiot! Jasa whispered to Kyle.

Kyle flushed at the feeling of her body against his, seeing her cheeks redden as well. He set a flour covered hand against her black hair, watching her intently for any sign of resistance.

He moved closer, brushing his lips against hers. She let out a small gasp, moving down to deepen the kiss.

Jasa yelled in triumph through Kyle's mind at the fact that she was returning the kiss. Kyle made a deep noise of satisfaction and felt a strange rumbling through his chest. When they finally broke the wonderfully passionate kiss their breathing was heavy as they looked into each other's eyes.

Kira chuckled in amusement, setting her forehead against his. "You're purring."

Kyle flushed more, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Can't help it- I purr when I'm happy." He whispered, his voice a bit husky.

Kira's smile widened as her cheeks grew brighter under the flour. She looked at both of them and burst out into laughter. "Did we leave any left for the pizza?"

Kyle looked down and laughed as well. "Dunno, bit it was sure fun." He ran a hand through her long hair, his expression softening. "You're very beautiful, you know that, right?"

Kira looked back up at him in shock before glancing down shyly. "I'm a bit too big boned to be called that, Kyle."

What? Who had put that in her head? She had gorgeous curves- not the skinny women that were 'beautiful' back home.

He set his hands against her hips, smiling warmly at the feel of her curves under his palms. "Feels perfect to me."

She smiled sweetly back up to him, making his heart pound in his chest. Christ, she drove him crazy.

"We should probably get back to making dinner." She said quietly.

"Alright." He said reluctantly, taking his hands off her so she could get up. He gave her one last kiss, both of them breathless before they started making dinner again.

Kira was used to hearing painful yells at sunset, so when they didn't echo through the mansion she began to worry. The sun had set some time ago… and Kyle was nowhere to be seen, or heard. What if he had suddenly gotten hurt or something?

Her heart twisted at the thought of him somewhere in pain and she rose from her bed, going to seek him out in the dark house. She didn't like this place at night, even though that was when Kyle was in his human form. The cobwebs and dark shadows of the place made her skin crawl uneasily, even with all her abilities, she was scared of the dark. Ironic, considering what she was.

She crept slowly through the hallways, the house silent except for the creaking of wood floors where she stepped. She came to Kyle's room and faltered in the doorway, seeing him inside. The full moon was showing through an open window, the light revealing spotted fur still covering him. Why had he not shifted back to human?

Kyle turned around, his normally vibrant green eyes turned to a bright yellow. She gasped in surprise and took a step back in alarm. "Kyle?" She said uneasily.

"I am not Kyle. He is asleep, as I usually am during this time." His voice even sounded different- it was smoother than Kyle's husky voice, as if laced with the purr he had made earlier.

"Then who are you?" She asked, trying to look at the figure. It looked like Kyle…

"I am Jasa. Kyle's leopard." He faced her, his face the same as Kyle's… and yet different. His expressions weren't the same, his movement more fluid and with greater purpose. "I have longed to talk to you myself, Kisa. Kyle hears me in his mind, but I have no ability to speak with you… yet."

"What do you mean yet?" She asked quietly, wondering if the leopard was safe. She had heard so many stories of the horrors they did… but if he was part of Kyle, he must be alright. Kyle wouldn't hurt her- and neither would his leopard… right?

"You are our mate. If the pact is created I will be able to talk with you at all times." He held out his hand, beckoning her to come to him. "Come, sit. I will not harm you in any way, Kisa. You have my word as an elder soul."

Kisa didn't know what he was talking about, but with the soft tone of his voice, she knew he wasn't going to harm her. She could tell when people were lying- and he wasn't. She walked over to him, sitting on the bed next to him and was grateful to see him smile in satisfaction.

"It is good to talk with you, Kisa. Even if this is the last time, I will remember it for always."

Kisa felt a twinge of pain run through her. "What do you mean last time?"

"Kyle and I do not have much time left here. We are going to have to leave soon." He said softly, taking her hand in his. "You must not tell him I have spoken to you about this. He would be… upset. He does not want to see you hurt."

"It would have hurt more if he didn't tell me." She said bitterly. "Why would he keep that from me?"

"Because he has no choice. It is… painful for both of us. I care about you greatly, Kisa." He hesitated for a moment and smiled softly. "We both do."

Kisa shook her head gently, biting her lip. "I-I can't… you're a shifter. I'm human- there's no way."

"I have seen it work before in my many years. True mates are hard to come by- and you cannot deny that the Pull is present. Do you not feel it?"

Kisa remained silent. She could feel something pulling her toward him, yes… it was as if she craved his presence for some reason. "I shouldn't feel this. I'm human- I don't feel shifter things like that."

"All creatures are ruled by instinct, even humans. Shifters are part human, after all. Am I not worthy of being your mate? Are you disgusted by my appearance?"

Kisa looked up at his face, seeing the angular creatures that came with Kyle's leopard form. It was still familiar, able to see hints of his human face within the feline, and yet the angles were far sharper than a human's. It was… exotic, almost. "No, that's not it. You don't know about me… I'm… not normal."

"Neither am I, Kisa." He took her other hand, holding hers between both of his own. "I know you are not normal- and I know why, now. You smell of earth and stone. Ancient, and yet new."

Kisa's breath hitched nervously. "You know what I am?"

"Yes, Kisa. I am not afraid of you- and neither would Kyle. You must choose to tell him for yourself. I believe he would take it much better than you think he would."

"He can't hear us at all? Can't see anything?"

"Nothing- it is as if he is in a deep sleep that can only be roused by the sunrise."

Kisa nodded softly and glanced up at Jasa shyly. "So… if you know so much about what I am, why are you not nervous at all? You know the power I have."

"Because, Kisa, I find women with power incredibly attractive." Jasa's smile turned wicked. "I suppose that is what makes me different from other leopards. I do not wish to be dominant all the time."

Kisa couldn't help but laugh lightly at that. "Well then, Jasa... I think you and I will get along just fine. I just… hope Kyle will feel the same."

"Talk to him tomorrow. Either way, you must tell him for yourself. I will not speak a word to him of our conversation, and I trust you will reveal yourself. There is no need to keep secrets from us, Kisa." He leaned forward to put a hand through her hair, sighing happily at the feeling of the soft locks. "We must accept each other completely to trust one another. We are shifter- two souls bonded together in one body. We shift at night, and we are a bit stranger than your normal shifters." He smiled, raising a hand to have her offer a description of herself.

"And I'm… a witch." She said uneasily. "I control earth and stone, and people fear me for it." She looked up at his bright smile and laughed in disbelief. "I can't believe this… I've never said that aloud."

Jasa wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him and kissing her cheek gently. "There is a first time for everything."