Eliza felt a brief surge of anger but controlled herself.  Jimmy locking the door rubbed her the wrong way.  No one likes coercion and Eliza liked it less than most.  It was a long time ago and she'd almost completely repressed the memory, but the effect was still there.  She felt panic rise and she fought it.  She also fought her fangs' attempt to deploy.  "I'm not in danger," she told herself.  "I'm not in danger."  She walked to the door and reached around Jimmy to open the latch.

He grabbed her arm to try to stop her from opening it, and much to his surprise, she seemed to slide out of his grasp with no apparent effort.  He thoughtlessly grabbed her by the shoulder to pull her from the door and she spun into his grasp, breaking his grip with tight block.  With her left hand she thrust forward, striking him with the heel of her hand square on the solar plexus.

His eyes popped open and he took one step backwards and bent forward, struggling to breath.  Eliza spun and unlocked the door and pulled it open.  Her knees buckled and she held onto the door frame to support herself.  Her face was bathed in perspiration and she was shallowly panting.

Vicki's eyes were wide with concern.  "What are you two doing?" she squealed.  "You are friends!  Stop that.  Stop that this instant!"  She stomped her foot.  "Play nice."  The last comment caused both of them to turn an stare at her.  Jimmy began making very strange sounds, causing Vicki to run over to him to try to help him.  She quickly realized that the strange sound was laughter and it sounded strange because the wind was knocked out of him and he still couldn't breath.  It made for an odd sounding laughter.

Helping him to the couch, he sat and took a deep breath to get his diaphragm working properly.  "Oh, kicked my ass proper, you did, Eliza.  I'm sorry.  I wasn't thinking."  He looked at her and shook his head.  "No one would believe that Jimmy Jammer would get his clock cleaned by a wee lady.  Vicki told me you were a bad ass."  His smile and apology were shaky but sincere.

Eliza gained control of her reaction and straightened.  A series of conflicting emotions  reflected in her face and she seemed unsure of what to do or say.  Vicki, for the first time realized that Eliza was very distressed and her concern shifted to her.  "Lizzy, what's wrong?  You look as pale as a ghost!"

"She's always pale," Jimmy thoughtlessly remarked.  Vicki jabbed him with her very hard elbow and he grunted and bent over again.  Today was not Jimmy's lucky day with women.

Eliza seemed to carefully consider her words.  "I'm sorry guys, and Jimmy, I'm really sorry, but it's not you, it's me."  Before anyone could say a word, she stepped outside, closed the door.  By the time Vicki had run over to call her back, there was no sign of her.

She walked, not fast, just walked.  How odd it felt, so alone, so disconnected.  She realized that tears were running down her cheeks.  "I didn't know vampires cried."  Jesse was her kind.  He understood but he was so much older than her.  He was being nice and he probably even like her and, she grinned, the sex was wonderful, but Codrin had told him to take care of her.  They were almost family.  She snickered and thought that it was almost incestuous.  Incestuous or not, it sure was fun, but then her mood darkened.  She wanted - she needed - something to call her own.  Somebody who knew her, understood her, and took her freely on her own terms.  She sighed and wondered where she could find someone like that.

It was pitch dark.. The stars were the only light.  The moon was not up yet although the glow indicated that it would be rising soon.  She felt the tingle and realized it would be full.  She'd not had a snack for several days - just hadn't been in the mood - and the full moon always made her itchy-twitchy.

"Damn!" she thought. "I do not feel like being all nice and cuddly with my fucking meal!  All I want is some damn blood."  Her mood darkened.  She was not cruel, she didn't enjoy causing pain but a girl does have to eat.  Humans thought nothing of bashing some things' brains in to eat it's flesh.  Why should she treat humans any different than humans treated their fellow creatures?  Food is food and everything has to eat.

The full moon was just peeking over the horizon and she could see the climbing spire as a silhouette against it.  She gazed up at it thinking how much it looked like single lonely fang.  She was wearing the same leathers she'd been wearing last night.  They were scratchy from being wet and then having dried.  She'd not taken the time to soften them before getting dressed.  She grimaced, thinking of her earlier disaster with Vicki and Jimmy.  "Must be THAT time of the month," she thought watching the full moon rise.  "I gotta start staying away from people around the full moon or I won't have any friends."

The rising of the moon made her feel better but did sharpen her appetite.  She knew that most of the clan could feed casually, sometimes killing for no good reason other than hunger, without remorse, but she didn't think she'd ever get that callus.  At least she hoped not.  She felt there was value to all life, but if it was so damned valuable, why did everything have to kill something to live.  She pondered the conundrum that has stymied philosophers and came no closer to a resolution than any of them.  The only difference was she was able to admit that she didn't have an answer in a lot less words than they.

As she entered the park, she got the eeriest feeling.  Her hyper sense tingled and she became instantly alert, fangs displaying and adopting a ready stance, prepared to move in any direction, to engage in whatever fray was necessary.  She quivered with anticipation but nothing happened.  She waited and then she realized that her sense, although triggered, was not screaming danger.  She sensed a presence, but it was a different sensation.  She could almost taste a burning curiosity, but it was not hers.  It was a feeling from the presence.

She scanned her surroundings, the dark presenting no handicap.  The second time she relaxed and used her peripheral vision and there - next to that tree.  She could almost make out a shadowy form merging with the darkness, almost becoming one with it.  She flickered and was standing there, and there was nothing.  She felt a chill pass over her body.  She knew that she was being watched, and for the first time since being captured by the hunters, she felt a tingle of fear.

She still could gather no sense of danger or hostility, only curiosity.  She straightened and relaxed a little, wondering if her imagination was getting the best of her.  Next, she'd be seeing ghosts or even vampires.  She shook her head telling herself it was her imagination and to let it go.  She sighed and slowly walked over to the climbing rock.  Thinking "light" thoughts, she swarmed up the challenging pinnacle as easily as walking up a stair way.  She gasped and realized that she was not alone on the rock.  Someone or something was on it with her, climbing just out of sight, pacing her.  That was impossible.  Ok, she was going to put a stop to that.  She pushed away from the spire, into the darkness of the open space and dropped to the ground one hundred and fifty feet below.  "Let's see them do that," she muttered to herself.

A scuffling sound on the other side of the rock, nearing ground level and a soft thump, informed her that she was no longer alone.  She felt her heart race.  What was going on?  She flickered to where the noise seemed to come from and was almost sure she saw a sleek form vanishing into some thick under brush.  She flickered in that direction and realized that it was too thick to navigate comfortably.  What had gone in there and was it a danger to her?  She heard a noise and she flickered to it and grabbed.  She felt the sensation of softness and wiry strength.  She gripped with the strength of a vampire (albeit a young one) and held on for dear life.  She was shaken and felt a soft but very firm blow to the side of her head that dislodged her grip and knocked her at least twelve feet.

She executed a picture perfect fall and roll and was on her feet in a ready stance quicker than could be seen.  Nothing happened.  Eliza realized that she should be afraid, but she was more irritated than afraid.  "What thort of cat and mouth game is going on here," she hissed through her fangs.  Then she made a face.  She did have a tendency to lisp when the tried to talk through fully deployed fangs.  She was almost positive she heard a snicker.  She stamped her foot in fury.  "Stop it!' she screamed.  "Show yourself or I'll hunt you to the end of the earth and freaking eat you!"  Now she was sure she heard a chuckle.

A husky voice that seemed to come from almost everywhere said, "Put the fangs away and be nice and I will."

Eliza was dumbfounded.  Silently she allowed the fangs to retract.  She stood erect and put on her most innocent look.  She heard a rustle and saw a large feline presence emerge from the darkness of the underbrush and slowly approach her.  It walked towards her and stopped about six feet from her.  Eliza was unaware of the expression of pure astonishment on her face as the feline form rippled and resolved into a young woman with slightly feline features.  She was taller than Eliza, well, everyone was taller than Eliza, totally nude and covered with a short golden fur.  "I'm Christa and I'm your local were-kitty.  And you would be?" she asked holding out her hand as if to shake hands.

Eliza reflexively took her hand and responded, "Eliza.  And, uh, I guess I'm your local vampire."

"Cool," Christa said.  "The full moon brings you out too?  Damn, I'm hungry!  Want to hunt together?" She paused.  "Oh, and we were not playing cat and mouse.  It was cat and bat.  I'm the cat," she giggled.

"Oh, no," Eliza groaned.  "A were-cat with a bad sense of humor."  “I’ll have you know I’ve never turned into a bat yet,” she cried.

Then beginning to laugh, she said “although, I must admit, I’ve never tried.  Sure lets hunt and see what we scare up.”

Turning, they both started moving back toward the main section of the park, since that’s where most of the action was bound to be.  They both moved off, sensing not seeing what was moving around them.

Thinking to herself, Eliza wondered if she could read Christa.  She knew, had learned with Jesse’s help, that she could ‘read’ humans.  She knew what they were thinking, scary sometimes.  Just another of the little things Jesse had added to her education.

Suddenly, she heard a light chuckle, inside her head.  Then, Christa said, “yes Eliza, we can read each other.  Most of us fey creatures can.  I’m surprised you are just learning this now.  How long have you been a vampire?”

With a scowl, Eliza replied that her ‘mentor’ for want of a better word, had been killed by hunters, leaving her to discover things on her own.  “I met Codrin a short time ago and he took me under his wing, (pun intended) teaching me small things and tricks until Jesse came along.  All of this, Eliza realized, had never been uttered.  They were speaking silently.

“Oh I like this, she sent to Christa.  Saves the voice, it does,” she chuckled soundlessly.  This also helps me practice and become more proficient at........

They both became aware of the voices at the same time.  Flickering into the shadows as if they’d never been there, two pair of yellow eyes, glowed in the dark.  Two homeless men were shuffling their drunken way along the pathway.  In the shadows the two entities, one vampire and one feline, looked at each other, asking the same question silently.

With barely a nod, they began stalking the men.  With a silent pounce, both men were taken to the ground and never knew what hit them.  Projecting, Eliza sent both of them into a type of trance.  Since this was for food, not pleasure, she did not project it.  She quickly sank her fangs deep into the neck of her victim, not paying any attention to the noises from Christa, knowing only that she fed also.

Knowing the sun was going to be showing itself soon, Eliza flickered into the shadows and moved with lightening speed, until she arrived at her apartment.  Entering, she made her way to her apartment and let herself in.  Toby met her as usual doing the kitty cat shuffle, meaning he was glad to see her and where the hell was his dinner.

Grinning slightly, she bent down placing his food in the bowl, on the floor.  Toby gave her chin a rough swipe with his tongue and dove into the food.  “So much for the dainty cat appetite.  Eliza laughed and thought, if he had a shovel his mouth would be full.”

Making her way to her bedroom, Eliza removed her leathers and fell into bed without bothering with nightclothes.  The weather had warmed considerably, and she felt it.  She still preferred the cold.   She was uncomfortable in the warmth of the approaching summer.

Covering herself with a light sheet, she slept.  Slept the sleep of the dead.  Anyone looking at her would have thought she was dead.  She barely breathed.  Only by looking closely, could they see the rise and fall of her breathing.

Toby, having finished his meal, jumped to the bed and took his position on her pillow, just above her head.  Laying there, just above Eliza’s head, he looked like he was king of all he surveyed.  He proceeded to clean himself thoroughly.  He was doing his nightly duty of protecting his mistress.

He surveyed her with a proprietary air.  His person, mmmmm she had a dirty face. Padding down the pillow, he gently licked the corner of her mouth.  A small rivulet of blood had left its mark.  He cleaned it away and moved back to where he’d been laying.  He stretched himself out, dozing in the dark of night.  He was content, his person was home and he had a full belly.

A slight noise made him lift his head.  The fur along his back rose slowly.  There was a slight hiss, as if from another cat.  He was the first to back down.  Looking totally confused, he watched as a thoroughly strange cat appeared in the room.  Sniffing, he knew it was a female, but she was odd looking.  About the same or taller than his person.  This one smelled like cat and person.

She looked at Eliza laying there sleeping, and slowly just disappeared.  Jumping up with his fur again raised in the attack cat style, he hopped around looking for the intruder.  She was gone, as if she’d never been there.

Christa stood by the bed, watching the cat and the girl.  Although she really wasn’t a girl.  She seemed to be a little older than Christa herself.  The cat was funny, he didn’t know what to make of her.

Ugh, it was time to leave.  The sun was beginning to come up and she needed to be back in her own place.

The dark was lightening as she made her way into the woods and began to run.  Slowly she returned to herself, her light matting of golden fur giving way to the
naked golden skin beneath.  As the dark became dawn, she made her way home.
The transformation easier now.

Entering her own bedroom, she also slept.

Eliza awaked with the totally relaxed feeling of being fully fed.  She remembered, instantly, what had happened last night.  She hadn’t realized were-wolves and were-cats were more than a myth.  Although if vampires truly existed, why not were-people.  Definitely made the hunt more exciting.

Toby wasn’t in the bed as he usually was. Eliza looked around the room and found him playing on the floor, with what looked like a fur ball.  Getting out of bed, she moved toward him, as if to attack, like they usually played.  Toby looked and backed up.  When Eliza reached the fur ball, she noticed that it was the same color as the soft fur covering of the cat person she had met last night.

“That’s strange,” she thought.  “How did that get here?  Oh well, must have rolled off my clothing.  Wait, though, I had leathers on last night.  Fur wouldn’t stick to leather.  No blood on it, so I know I didn’t bring it home.”

Suddenly very curious, Eliza thought it was time to talk to Jesse.  Now she had many questions.  First and foremost being, could a being like that just appear in my room?  If so can I do the same? How did she find me?  Oh yes, many questions.  Oh the possibilities this opened up.  If all this was possible for her also, just think of the fun she could have.  She chuckled quietly and went out to start coffee, still thinking.

While her coffee was brewing, Eliza showered, dressed to go meet Jesse.  She knew he’d be playing tonight at the club.  Donning short leather shorts, a white, midriff baring, laced up blouse, she was ready.  Applying the dark eyeshadow, dark lipstick, not black this time, blood red, she knew she looked good.  With the full feeding, her color was slightly flushed.

Leaving her bedroom, she headed for the kitchen with Toby running in front.  He headed right for his dish, looking up, as if to say, “ok feed me now.”  Opening a can of his food, she placed it in his dish and watched him go to town.  It still amazed her how quickly, but daintily he ate.  It was gone in a flash and he proceeded to five himself his after dinner bath.

Laughing out loud, Eliza grabbed herself a cup of coffee and sat down to drink it.  “Oh, wonder if the paper came yet,” she thought.  Jumping up, she went to the front door, opening it to see.  Picking it up, she scanned the headlines.  Oh, two bodies found in the park.  The headlines screamed, “BODIES FOUND MUTILATED”.  “That’s not true,” she thought.  “I sure didn’t mutilate any body.  What in the world are they talking about,” I wonder.

Finishing her coffee, she place the cup in the sink, and headed out the door.  Gaining the sidewalk, she walked fast, as it was still too light to do the flickering to her destination.  She walked fast, but not abnormally so.  She was so deep in thought, she didn’t even hear the wolf whistles sent her way.

Arriving at the club, Billy the bouncer, waved her past the line formed.  With a quick salute, she entered the club.

As she went in, Jesse looked up with a frown on his face.  “Now why is he frowning and why does he look upset?”