Halfblood

Chapter One

A dark brown cat sat at the street corner, waiting.

Golden eyes watched the pavement, it's tail flicking back and forth patiently. A girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and gray eyes was walking, a schoolbag on her back. The sidewalk was busy, and the cat kept its eyes on her as she weaved through the crowd. She kept her head low.

The cat saw her look nervously at the people and the anxiety in her eyes. He recognized her then, and padded toward her, sitting at her feet and meowing.

"Hey, little kitty," the girl said as she looked down at him, extending her arm to pet his head. The cat let her do so and begin to wrap himself around her legs, stalling time. "You're so cute." She smiled. When she looked back up, the cat moved out of the way and she was met with a fist. She stumbled back and saw three men around her. She growled deep in her throat, and the cat walked back to the curb, sitting down and watching.

The girl wiped her bleeding nose and got into a fighting stance, her gray eyes flashing to an amber color. The men began to back her into an alley, and the cat followed. He jumped on a windowsill to watch.

She let herself become pushed back. The way she moved was almost cat-like. Two of the men stepped up, and one advanced on her. She sidestepped him and tripped him, making him fall flat on his face. As the man tried to get up, she kicked him in the groin. He shouted in pain and curled into a ball, holding himself. The girl turned around and took a punch to the cheek by the other man.

The cat's eyes narrowed curiously and he put his head on his paws.

The girl growled and ran into the man, dipping her shoulder and slamming into his jaw, causing him to fall back into the wall. And then to the cat's surprise, she bit him, tearing out a chunk of flesh and muscle.

The cat growled at that but was silently impressed. Not every person who fought back could bite through muscle. But before she got the chance to run, the last man hit her on the back of the head with a metal pipe. The cat purred at this and hopped from the windowsill.

She looked up, holding her head and crouched slightly. The cat followed her gaze- there was no one around. Suddenly, she was a girl no more but instead a mighty leopard. She leaped at the remaining thug and tore him limb from limb like a savage animal. When she was done, she transformed back and was a normal girl once more.

The cat's eyes widened and he purred. 'She's a halfblood!' he thought smugly. Glancing around, the cat leaped from the sill and transformed into a tall young man. He leaned against the wall and smiled at her.

"Nice to meet you, Abigale."