CHAPTER 1

Kezly Raksha Rome stood outside her house. Her name was the perfect description of her. Kezly Raksha. Cat Demon. Her last name stood for where her family originated.

She was a shapeshifter. Able to change into any cat in the world. Her natural enemy was the vampire, ever since the rejected Blood Ritual that had made them all sworn enemies.

She ran inside to grab a few stakes and matches, wood and fire. The two things able to kill all vampires. She had found a group of the parasites on her way home from school. Even the super natural needed an education.

She had two jobs that she had earned within her short sixteen years. She was the Best of the Best of the shapeshifters and the vampire hunters. On her down time she was assigned to find and protect the world's only Extreme Power.

She got back to the warehouse where she had last seen the blood suckers.

There they were. Three of them. They hadn't seen her yet but they were walking her way. Perfect.

Kez changed quickly and quietly. She felt the tremors run through her body, and then she was standing there in her favorite form. A cheetah, fast and deadly. She just needed to stun them then grab the stake.

She leaped. She heard screams. High and shrill, female, and low and bellowing, male. The last just stared at her, hatred in its eyes.

"What is it?" the female yelled.

"It's a cheetah? Wait, no, it's a shapeshifter!"Damn he had seen her eyes. He turned to run the other way yelling at the others to follow him.

They didn't have the chance. They tried to fight but she was too fast. She tore up the blond male first then went for the copper headed female. When she finished that one off she went for the last one, and found herself looking into the deepest, darkest blue eyes. So blue they were almost black.

She lost her grip and was flung off. A face loomed over her, a handsome face with black hair and the blue eyes glared at her.

"You will regret this." It spoke in a hard, cold voice. "Leave."

She roared. Nobody told her what to do. She jumped to her paws, but he was already gone.

She changed back into her human form and walked toward her house. On the way she stopped to check the scratches and bruises and her face in a store window. She knew she was pretty with bright silver eyes and long, dark brown hair but her beauty was always marred with the signs of a fight. She walked away with a few scratches and a heavy heart.

CHAPTER 2

When she got to her house she immediately picked up her phone and dialed her friend's cell phone and waited.

"Hello?" A voice said.

"Hey Jake. It's me." She said.

"Oh hey Kez. What's up?"

"I found a group of them, three. I got two of them. The other got away." She said, embarrassed. She never let anyone get away.

"They got away! How did it get away from YOU? I mean, nothing gets away from you. Are you alright? Did it hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine. It just… I don't know, it just got away. Maybe I'm sick or something. Anyway do you think you can come over for awhile?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay I'll see you in a little while. Hurry."

"See ya." The line went dead.

When he got there she immediately gave him a hug then followed him to the couch.

"Hey Kitty", he said jokingly.

"Hey Tweety." She smiled at him. He was an eagle. It was a joke between them.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing did you get anything on the 'Extreme Power'?" She didn't really believe in it.

"Well, It is apparently living here."

"How do you get all this information? You know everthing!"

"I just flew around and looked at clues. Did you actually give me a compliment?"

"Yes." She could feel her skin turning red. "I'll go check out the place." She got up and headed for the door.

"Do you want me to come?" he asked following her.

"Nah, I don't need to be worrying if you get caught in a jet stream or something." She put on her coat and opened the door.

"Funny"

"But no, really I can handle it. Where's the place?"

"It's near that old abandoned mill. The third house."

"The one that burned down a few years ago?"

"Yeah."

"Okay I'll see you later then."

"See ya." He gave her a kiss on the cheek as they walked their two separate ways.

CHAPTER 3

She walked up to the house near the mill. It was a total wreck. The awnings were shredded. The door was almost off its hinges.

If the Extreme Power lives here then the world is about to be saved by a giant piece of trash, Kez thought.

She went up the stairs onto the porch and knocked on the door. It snapped under her hand and fell to the floor.

"Hello?" her voice echoed throughout the house. "Hello, is anybody home?" No answer.

She walked inside. "Hello, is anyone here? I'd really like to talk to you."

Then she was grabbed from behind.

CHAPTER 4

"Who are you?" A husky voice sounded behind her. It was low, male.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." She yanked her arms away from the man's grip and the room was suddenly illuminated. She turned slowly and registered a dirty couch on a disgusting rug. That was the only furniture. Then she saw a very familiar face. Those dark blue eyes seemed to glow in the half light.

"YOU!" Kez yelled astonished. "Who are you?"

"You first." He replied. He looked confused. He didn't even know who she was.

"Kez, your turn."

"James. James Michael Drache." Great, he was a Drache. The most powerful of all the vampire families. The closest to royalty. "What is your rank?"

"I think you already know." She glared him with her silver eyes. It scared most people.

"You're the cheetah, aren't you?" He looked into her eyes, remembering.

"Yep." She was amazed at herself, she sounded so calm.

"You had no right to kill my friends! You're dead!"

"Is that so?" She asked calmly. "Who is more prepared?" She pulled her spada from her knee high boots. Itwas an Italian sword made of bamboo, used for practice fighting. It was very strong. She started circling him. "What do you have?" She asked him. "What can hurt me?"

Without answering, he jumped on her shoulders. At the same time she was changing into a stronger form. Instead of landing on Kez, James landed on a very angry lioness.

Kez bucked him off her back and swirled around to face him with a vicious roar.

"Wait, are you a Rome?" he was astonished. "Romes are the only ones able to change into more than one animal, right?"

She pounced.

"No, don't you know about our future?"

She was confused. She changed to her human form. "What?"

"We're supposed to do another blood ritual. You and me."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"In a week."

"Why was I not told?"

"I don't know."

"Oh." Kez turned and walked unsteadily out of the house.

"Bye." James whispered as he watched her form fade in the distance.

CHAPTER 5

"Did you know about this?" Kez was furious. She had almost killed the guy who would help her bind the two races together. "Did you know about the blood ritual? Can you hear me? Jake? Jake!" She shook his shoulders. They were sitting on her couch once again.

"Yes." He dropped his eyes to the floor.

"You knew!"

"Yes."

"Why was I not told about the ritual?"

"You two are supposedly 'spirit bound'. You were supposed to meet at the ritual."

"What is 'spirit bound'?"

"You two branched off the same old soul. You are bound to each other by spirit."

"I would figure that would be us." She gestured to the two of them.

"Well if it was based off of friendship, I would too, but it's not."

"You don't mean…" she was horrified.

"Yeah… love."

"I'm supposed to love that idiot who half the time doesn't even know what he's talking about?"

"'Fraid so, that's why they chose you two. It makes the blood stronger during the ritual."

"I won't do it until I know him more. I'm not falling in love with a stupid thing without a life."

"Actually he's really smart."

"Whose side are you on anyway?"

"I didn't know there were sides to pick from."

"You know what I mean. Do you want me to fall in love with that bloodsucker?"

"I would rather you not but if it helps our race…"

"I have to be the good guy here, don't I?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Great."

"Yep."

"Why is it always me?"

"I have always told you that you have bad luck."