Chapter 1
September 02 2003

"Resaca, Roxy hurry up there are two charming boys here for you" called mother from the bottom of the stairs trying to hurry her two daughters to get ready.

"just a minute." I called to my mother as I brushed my black hair with blond streaks. I put my brush down on my dresser walked out of my room and went down the stairs with Roxy behind me. "And just who are these boys you are talking about?"

"ya mom just who are they?" replied Roxy jumping the last few steppes down.


"Funny you should ask." Said a very familiar male voice as I enter the kitchen.


"Hi Daniel, Brad." I said with a smile coming to my lips. I took a quick glance a Roxy as she did the same at me.

"Hi Resaca, Roxy." replied Daniel with a grin on his face. "Roxy aren't you going to say hi or does a cat got you're tongue?"


"Hi Brad and no a cat doesn't have my tongue Daniel."

"can't you two ever get along?" I asked giving puppy eyes to my sister and Daniel.

"no because you know I hate him Resaca and I always will." Roxy replied walking toward Brad grabbing a cookie on the way and sitting on his lap, well giving Daniel the evil eye.

I went to Daniel and gave him a peck on the cheek and pulled a chair over and sat down. "Well you well damm have to for today at the least." I said giving my sister a look.

"well what are we doing sitting here, should we show the girls the birthday presents Daniel?" Asked Brad looking a Daniel.

"yes we should." said Daniel as he grabbed my hand with his own and pulled me out of the kitchen. Brad grabbed my sister's hand a lead her out as well. When we were in the hallway Daniel put a blind fold over my eyes Brad did the same with Roxy. They lead us out the front and stopped in front of the garage and took the blind folds off. In the garage were two black jaguars and in the car were two black cats or so we thought.

The car was all black except the silver corm outside and inside and the lights. on the seats were two roses one in each car. They were no red or pink or white roses but I deep violet. I picked mine up and looked more closely and they were black. Black. I didn't know what that meant but I did know what Brad and Daniel were vampires. I was perfectly fine with it but I knew something about the connection between black roses and vampires I was just not sure it was true. never except a black rose from the dammed I remember that line from an unknown letter to me. It stood out in my mine in bold letters. I stole a quick glance from Roxy then looked back at the rose. The black rose. I looked at Daniel and then the car. I was speechless. My words felt like they were stuck in my throat, like I didn't have vocal cords.

"Thanks Brad. Thanks Daniel." said Roxy for me those last word with ice in them. Roxy had a cold face with an icy glare right at Daniel.

I gave them a smile and kissed Daniel on the cheek and hoped in the car and looked at the black cat in the passenger seat. what is you favorite wild cat? Black panther why? I remembered Daniel asking that question a week before my birthday.

"Daniel what kind of cat is this?" I asked wanting to see if he got me my favorite cat. I started petting it and looking at it and just by looking at it I could it was a she. She had big almost gold eyes surrounded by black lashes. I looked over at my sisters cat and I could tell it was a he. He had a big muscular head and body. He had green eyes unlike the female which had gold eyes. He was a smaller then her.

"You're favorite. Why?" He said looking down to the floor then looking up again with a slight smile on his face. He walked toward me and the cat. He stared petting her "what are you going to name you're black panther Resaca?"

"I donno. Shadow or something like that. What about you Roxy?" I replied looking at Roxy waiting for an answer to my question. I looked back at the panther and kissed her on the forehead and she didn't pull away, but she started to lick my face. I rubbed her forehead playfully and she pounced on me. I thought she was going to bit my head off. She started wrestling with my playfully.

"ok ok ok ok you win" I said as she was licking my face. She pulled back. I scratched her behind the ear and she stared purring. I looked at Daniel, my sister and Brad and they were all laughing at me "meh."

I got up and went to Daniel and put my hands in his pockets and looked for the keys to my new car. I found the pulled them out ran back to the car and stared the engine. I pushed on the accelerator and drove out of the garage.

"are you guys coming or what?" I shouted over the soft purr of the engine looking behind me at them. They stopped laughing. Roxy and Brad ran to her car well Daniel ran to mine. I unlooked the passenger door and he got in. I turned the radio on loud. I pushed the accelerator hard and we flew down the street with Roxy behind me.