"The cat's scent is completely gone," Ethan murmured to John. All the men were back inside, sitting down in the office again. The men all seemed extremely tense as they sat around the desk in the office. Ethan's eye kept twitching and Claudius stood as still as a statue.

"You don't think it was a shapeshifter, do you?" Claudius questioned quietly, and John shook his head. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Shapeshifters may be the most powerful and unpredictable creatures alive, but one thing we all know for sure is that a shapeshifter can not, no matter what, change their gender. It doesn't work for them, and there are visible signs that shows the proof of that." John stated as I sat in the hallway as a moth, listening in to what they had to say.

I understood why they didn't think it was possible; it was super rare for shapeshifters to be female. Peering at Cornelius, I wondered if he considered the thought as his eyebrow twitched a few times while he looked down at his hands. The men sat silently in the office, all seemingly unsure of what to do next.

I decided to check up on Cassie who was now upstairs in her room, the door locked. I flew up the stairs and slid under the door, checking up on how she was doing.

She laid face down on her bed, sobbing sounds coming from where she lay. She seemed almost as upset as someone who had lost someone to death. Her phone buzzed and she glanced at it, sighing and putting it face down on the bed.

"I just wish I had a real friend like my cat Aria." She whispered, more so to herself than anything, then continued to cry into her pillow. Something inside me broke.

I decided I would do something nice for a change, even though it was very risky. I flew back down the stairs and out of the open living room window. I got far enough away, hiding from cameras and prying eyes. Landing, my little legs bent and slammed together, melding into two appendages as my body lengthened and hair grew from my head. One shake of my head and my face snapped into place. A pair of green shorts and a black tank top formed from the shedding of skin cells. The clothes looked convincingly real, and if I had to take then off I could. They were lightly fused to my body; it would feel like ripping a band-aid off.

Moving from cover, I passed a car window. A younger version of myself stared back in the reflection. My hair was shorter, in loose curls. I lengthened my eyelashes, something I had always been self-conscience about as a teen. I took a deep breath and composed myself, slowing my heartrate and keeping it at a gentle thump-thump rhythm as I walked down the sidewalk.

What I was about to do next was reckless.

Walking up the driveway to the house, I knocked loudly on the front door.

A few moments later, John answered and I half smiled.

"Hi, I just moved to this place and I'm kinda lost. Do you know where a gas station is? My parents must be worried and my phone died so I can't contact them." I spoke in a young voice, as convincingly as I could. I softened my gaze at John as he looked down at me curiously. Almost as if shocked to see a young girl on his front steps.

"Uh, here. Come on in. What's your name?" He pushed the door wide open and I entered. I peered around, as if seeing the place for the first time. Head tilted back and eyes slowly taking in every object nearby, I waited for John to pass in front of me. He hadn't known the name of Cassie's cat, so I decided--

"Aria," I continued to wander inward, waiting for him to offer up his phone to make a call. Slowly turning around, I pushed a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.

"What a beautiful name. Here, just use my phone." He said as he handed me his phone. I looked around for somewhere to sit down and seemingly spotted the couch. I walked over to the living room as John followed my movements with his eyes. I called one of Avery's fake numbers and put it on speaker phone.

There was, of course, no answer and I frowned.

"I don't know what to do," I said as I handed back his phone. He looked a little confused and shrugged. I sat down on the couch, putting my head in my hands as I stared at the ground, faking a worried look. He walked in front of me and knelt down, almost unsure of what to do. I looked into his eyes and he sighed.

"You could always just stay here for tonight and I can drive you home tomorrow. We have a spare bedroom downstairs and my daughter is just upstairs. You look to be around her age," He pointed towards the upstairs, and my plan was going accordingly.

"Is that ok? I mean, I don't really know you," I wanted to play it off as someone my age would. Not just trust the offer.

"I could find you a charger for your phone, if that would help. The sun will be setting soon, I could rearrange some meetings and take you home later tonight," He mentioned and I glanced out the back windowed doors towards the backyard.

"It's ok. I'll try calling my parents later. Do you have an android charger?" I questioned, not having seen one on my ventures earlier.

"Unfortunately no.. I will go and check with my colleagues to see if they have one. In the meantime, head up the stairs and introduce yourself to my daughter. It's the second door on your right." He said, shooing me off to get back to his meeting.

I got up and went to go up the stairs when I saw the three men standing in the office, staring at me.

They watched as I walked up the stairs, finding it hard to think straight. I walked up to Cassie's room and knocked.

"Go away." She said in a sad voice.

"Uh, hi. Your dad sent me up here. I'm lost so he invited me to stay the night." I said, and she threw the door open, taking me in.

"Wishes really do come true!" She said, pulling me inside her room.

"Uh, hi." I said and she smiled, sitting down on her bed.

"What's your name?" She questioned and I shrugged.

"Aria. And your name is Cassie I presume." I said and she gasped.

"That was my cat's name! Oh gosh, not that your name is a cats name, but like I just lost my cat named Aria.. I'm rambling on now." She said, then I smiled.

"It's okay, I do that sometimes too." I said and she smiled. I laughed a bit and she joined. Ethan, Claudius, and Cornelius were standing right outside the door. I could hear their heartbeats as they listened to us closely. I wondered how suspicious they were.

"So, what's your favourite TV show?" She questioned and I smiled.

"Definitely The Walking Dead. I think it's a pretty cool show of the undead, don't you?" I questioned and she nodded.

"I like that show too, but Heroes has my favourite show locked in place." She said and I laughed.

"It would be so cool to have super powers, like them!" She said and I shrugged, letting my head fall down slightly and my eyes drop from her gaze.

"I think it would be seen as more of a burden than a gift," I said, and she gave me a sideways look.

"Why would you say that?" She questioned and I shrugged.

"Not being normal would be so hard to make a life out of, or fit in. Like could you imagine if you were immortal like Claire and couldn't die, and watch everyone around you die? I just think it would be so sad." I said and I heard Claudius cough on the outside of the door.

Cassie got up and opened the door, looking at all of them with a glare. They seemed a little shocked and Cassie was almost fuming with anger.

"Go away, you guys! You already made my life hell because you chased off my cat thinking she was some sort of shapeshifter! Gosh!" She said, then slammed the door.

They left and went back downstairs and back into the office, where the door was closed behind them.

"Cassie, can you keep a secret?" I questioned and she turned back to me, looking at me in the eyes.

"Does that mean we are friends?" She questioned and I nodded. She smiled and clapped her hands.

"I can definitely keep a secret then!" She exclaimed and looked her in the eyes. I didn't know why I wanted to tell her what I was, but I didn't want to tell her the full truth.

"I am Aria." I said, then she laughed.

"Yeah, silly, I know your name already, that's not really a secret to keep!" She said and I shook my head, looking at her completely serious now.

"No, that's not what I meant," I said, then sat down on the ground in front of her. I started to shift slowly, and show her my cat form and she covered her mouth with both hands.

"Don't scream." I whispered as a cat and she nodded slowly, keeping her hands over her mouth as she breathed in and out heavily.

I shifted back and looked at her expressions change continuously.

"Are, are you.." She questioned and I shook my head, waving my hands.

"No, I'm not a shapeshifter if that's your questions. I am a shifter, but I can only change into cats." I said, trying to bullshit this as best as I could. I just needed her to see that I wasn't bad. All shapeshifters got such a bad reputation because of the bastard men that ruined our image years ago.

"That's so cool! I thought I would never have a friend who would somewhat understand what I have." She said, and I gave her a sideways look. She held out her hands and after a few seconds, a small lightning bolt shot from her hand uncontrollably and hit her Xbox. It sparked and she cringed. She wiped her hands together then shook her head.

"I can make electricity. It's definitely not as cool as shifting into cats though, you technically have nine lives!" She said and I shook my head, laughing.

Ethan burst into the room and looked from me to Cassie. I didn't even hear him come up the stairs, which meant he must have stayed and listened. Stupid werewolf stealth, I could never seem to hear it.

"What the hell is going on here?" He questioned angrily, and I looked at Cassie.

"Uh, science?" She said unconvincingly as her Xbox smoked in the corner of the room.

He charged at me and Cassie jumped in between us, holding out her hands.

"NO!" She screamed, and I looked from her to Ethan.

"This is my only friend and you will NOT take her from me too!" She said, then pushed him back a bit.

"But she's a shapeshifter! Think of the money!" He yelled, and Claudius followed by John and Cornelius entered the room.

"I'm actually not a shapeshifter, but a shifter. I can only change into cat forms. It's really not that special or worth that much." I said convincingly, looking John in the eyes, knowing it would have to be him I would need to convince.

"I do not care if you can change into a butterfly, you are still a shapeshifter!" Claudius said, coming towards me. Cassie shot a bolt at him and he flew back into the wall, convulsing.

"Calm down!" I yelled and shifted into a liger, growling at them. They all froze and stared at me like I was some sort of rich, shiny object that no one could afford these days.

"Now, back up and let me explain. I would also like an explanation as to why a vampire, werewolf, and dragon are all in this house together and not ripping each other apart." I said, and no one moved. I unshifted back to my normal form and watched as they slowly came into the room and sat on the ground in a sort of semi-circle.

"I was bullshitting you before if you were wondering. Yes, I am a shapeshifter, but no, you're not going to sell me off to some random girl who wants to own me, because I would kill all of you before I even thought that any of that would occur. Secondly, Cassie could use a trainer to learn how to control her power-" I was saying when John stood abruptly.

"Shapeshifters don't even have the talent to control things such as the powers my daughter was so luckily gifted with!" He exclaimed and I hushed at him.

"You didn't let me finish," I said glaring at him, my eyes changing to black.

He sat down immediately and I nodded, looking at Ethan.

"I have a friend who controls water at will and I could get her to teach Cassie a few things on how to control her powers." I continued, going on about my childhood friend.

"And where is this so-called friend at the moment? Why isn't she with you?" Cornelius questioned and I sighed.

"We had to split off, so I dropped her off with my friend Riley because it was too dangerous to stick together with everyone and their pets out searching for my kind like some sort of witch hunt. It's ridiculous and unfair. How would you feel if you were hunted to extinction then had to run for your life to get away from people wanting to sell you or control you?" I snapped, then calmed down, realizing that my nails had lengthened. My ears were pointed like those of a wolf. Ethan stared at me with wonder in his eyes.

I growled at him, a deep and throaty growl that would make any alpha back down. He whimpered and backed up slightly, using his arms to pull him backwards. I looked at Claudius who snickered at Ethan's reaction and I hissed loudly, my teeth sharper than a fish scale or double-sided sword.

Cornelius stood and his eyes shifted, challenging me with his green slitted eyes. I breathed out and sent a flame towards him. He dodged it and returned it, and I caught it in my hand, wielding it like Avery had taught me to with water. He sat back down and closed his eyes, the flame in my hand vanishing as I saw him give in.

"Now that THAT has been settled, can this not happen again and can I have your word on my protection?" I questioned them, Cassie glaring down at her father.

"Yes. Aria, we will protect you." John said, looking down at his legs crossed beneath him.

"My name's not Aria. That is the name your daughter gave me. My real name is Amanda." I said, and he nodded, looking at the others who sat there in silence. A crashing sound on the main floor sent the door to Cassie's room flying shut by Cornelius, who was in mid-shift, pointing towards the window.

"They're here for you," John said, and I looked at Cassie, grabbing her hand.

"Let's go find Avery." I said and then shifted into a slim crystal dragon, pulling Cassie onto my back.

I flew out the window, soaring up into the sky, my crystal stomach making it look as if I were invisible, making it hard for the intruders to spot us.