Hi, I'm back. Chapter 3!

The next few days were like the end of the world for Keller. Her father was living in the same house as her, the man who abandoned her. Keller didn't know if she could survive another week, it was pure torture.

"Keller, you need to relax," Rashel ordered, after finding her sister stare blankly at her breakfast for ten minutes.

"I can't!" Keller exclaimed, trying to think of a reason. "I want to go on a mission soon, need to be prepared..."

Rashel raised her eyebrow at her, Keller almost blushed. That was a really stupid reason.

Galen sat next to her, and rubbed her back.

You are going to have to tell her, he thought.

I know, but not right now.

Galen shook his head, eating his eggs.

Pardus chose this moment to walk into the kitchen, holding Dilecta closely. He kissed her forehead, and sat down.

Keller wanted to throw up, how could she be so jealous? He had abandoned her! Left her on the streets to die!

Looking up, Pardus shot her and Rashel a smile, Keller gritted her teeth.

"Where are your other kids?" Iliana asked Keller's "father." He grinned.

"One is coming now, Formosus. He is about nine now," Keller despised the way his eyes shone with love when they talked about his children.

"The other, Venustus, is still sleeping."

"Anyway," she snapped, bringing everyone's attention to herself. "When is the next mission? I need to...get out of here."

Pardus frowned, shaking his head, as if he was disappointed in her. Keller nearly growled, he had no right to feel like that!

Calm down, love, Galen spoke through the link.

Biting her lip, she tried to push down any anger she felt. It didn't work.

"Bet you want to kill another dragon," Ash joked, and Keller glared.

"Another?" Pardus exclaimed.

"Yes," Keller said. "What is it to you?"

Rashel turned toward her, and mouthed, why are you so rude?

Keller mouthed back, none of your business!

Turning back, she listened to the conversation.

"Yeah, Keller is pretty badass," Ash said, and the panther felt like throwing something at him.

"Not like me, no way!" He quickly added, seeing her look. Keller mentally face-palmed, that wasn't what she meant.

"Isn't that...dangerous?" Pardus said, biting his lip.

"Yeah, I almost died," Keller blurted out before she could help it.

Her father looked like he could be sick.

"Okay, moving on," Galen said, putting his arm around Keller's waist. "What is happening with Mary-Lynette? She is in university, right?"

"Yeah," Ash said dreamily. Keller snorted, brushing her hair out of her face.

"You are so pathetic," she told him. Ash looked scandalised.

"HEY! That isn't a very nice thing to say," he complained, and Keller resisted the urge to shoot up her middle finger.

"I need some air," she said, standing up. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Pardus said with a smile, she didn't respond.

Finally getting outside, she stared at the wall for a moment. This was all too much, Keller didn't know if she was able to handle it.

Don't come after me, she said through the soulmate link.

Running in her panther form always seemed like a luxury. She could finally be at peace; once she was an animal, her emotions toned down a bit.

Now, feeling the wind through her hair, the burn in her legs, did nothing to help her situation.

All she could feel was nausea, rising in her stomach as the thought of her father came to mind.

This was literally the worst month of her life. Ever since he got here, she had been feeling like she was run over by a truck, than set on fire.

Life sucked.

Keller moaned, the sound coming off weird as she was a panther. The pain in her chest had never been so great.

Keller started sobbing.

Pardus' POV

Pardus had known tracking down his two long lost daughters would end up being a mess, but he couldn't live with the regret of leaving them any longer. Every day, he had looked at his family, and imagined the two twin girls standing alongside them.

It felt like heaven, and Pardus wanted it to be true.

So, he went off to find them. It was quite easy, Raksha –now known as Keller –was pretty well known. She was an excellent fighter, worthy of any opponent.

He had gone to Circle Daybreak, in the hopes of finding her. And just his luck, Rashel was there as well!

It seemed everything was perfect, so he brought his family over.

But, now, glaring at his breakfast, all he felt was the regret he wished was gone. Raksha –Keller – knew that he was her father, and she would soon tell Rashel. It was hopeless, they would hate him. His two oldest daughters would hate him.

"Are you okay?" Sweet Rashel asked, and he marvelled at her beauty. He couldn't believe he had left her, he couldn't believe he left any of his children.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," the nickname slipped before he had really thought of it. Quinn, the vampire Pardus thought was too dangerous for his daughter, glared at him, growling.

Galen, Raksha's soulmate, broke the silence, talking about poetry. Pardus was quite fond of Galen, a good choice for his beautiful panther. Not only was he a good man, but he was the prince of shapeshifters. Galen was Pardus' superior.

Dilecta decided to start crying then, and as usual (even though it's been four years) he started to panic at the sound of his child's cries. Taking a deep breath, Pardus stroked Dilecta's spine.

"What's wrong, my love?" He asked her, and she whimpered. Dilecta was tired, he guessed, she had stayed up all night. Sleeping in an unusual place was terrifying for Pardus' little girl.

"I can take her to her mom," Iliana offered. Pardus smiled gratefully at her, and handed the four year old over.

Galen winced then, and Pardus instantly knew it had something to do with Raksha. He had a soulmate once, too, and he knew how it felt when they were upset.

Pardus wanted to cry, it was his fault Raksha was so distraught. He shouldn't have come here, she was obviously happier without him.

Rashel started talking, and taking a long look at her, Pardus knew he couldn't leave. These girls were too precious, and he would be damned if her ever let them go again.

Rashel's POV

Rashel would like to think she was an intelligent girl. Sure, she was a fighter. Known across the world as "The Cat," but the vampire had always liked to figure out puzzles. Like, for instance, why Keller was so upset.

Rashel knew it had to do with Pardus, and to think about it herself, he was quite strange. And he did glance at the two sisters a little too much to be normal.

It was all so unusual, but Rashel had to figure it out. It was for the sake of her sister.

Rashel had the nerve, the motive, and the ability.

This was going to be easy, she thought, walking toward Pardus' room.

Like killing a vampire.