Beta Santana Vasquez

"Check the whole place." The three wolves in front of me, spreads out. Each going in a different direction.

This was the place some strays decided to take my kid. It's close to the base, which means they were watching us. Waiting for the right moment to ambush Lady and Ghost.

What the hell is wrong with me? I should have went with them. Snapping a stick, that I pick up after kneeling near the very spot where Lady and Casper stood late, I looks up to see Mitch, one of the trackers with me.

He whines a short cry and shook his head once.

"No go, huh?" I stood to my feet, searching the area. Where would a bunch of rogues go if they had a brain behind the operation? No far, but far enough.

"Listen up."

The three wolves gave me their undivided attention.

"We search this forest again."

A host of whines and barks were send my way by meeting my gaze.

"We have to be sure, guys. My kid out there." I rolls my right shoulder. Man, this stress was really getting to me. "Just look for anything that could be used to stash something or someone away. Now, fall out."

A round of excited barks follows, and all three wolves headed out in one direction to begin the search.

I could use a lay right about now. Once I find Ghost, maybe Lady would spend some quality time with me.

I deserve it, and she does too.

"Better join them and get too it." Running, I shifted mid strode.

I ran near the end of the others, hoping to catch a waft of Casper's distinctly, boyish odor. It's been well over half the day since we set out on this quest. I could always sense the others exhaustion. It wouldn't be long before we'll have to turn around anyway. GG wouldn't tolerate the most of us missing a meal.

'You get anything, man?'

'Nope. Nothing.'

Slowly down, we came to a stop near the edge of a grassy meadow. Being color blink in our wolf's forms had it's disadvantages, but it also had it's advantages. On the other side of that meadow and to the right a few meters, I could make out the black and gray details of the roof of an old-fashioned barn.

'Wait. What's that over there?'

'Don't know.' Mitch answers, tilting his head to one side.

'Well, we're about too. Come on.'

"Hey Abena, what'ya go?"

Abena, with her legs crossed on the floor, sat at a small table. A deck of Tarot cards and regular playing card spreads out in front of her. Each deck formed a different pattern on the glass surface table, though I had no idea what they meant to her. The only thing I did know was the witches I knew used one deck not two different ones.

She glances my way for all of five seconds before returning her gaze to the table. "Not much. The forces of light and dark tells me that many individuals are involved with little Casper's disappearance. Some of those individuals stronger than the other."

Tabitha, a witch in training and Abena's niece, hover over a map and gentle swinging a crystal, at least it looked she was swinging the rock. Scying. She had told me that the crystal held my son's energy.

She had us all held a crystal of our chosen for five minutes that one time. Sometimes about the crystal absorbing our natural energies, or some bull about finding us through our energies. I never understood witches or sorcerers or whatever magical things they do.

"The wind tells me familiarities of the past are at work. The boy is safe, for now anyway."

"Any clue on who is his kidnapper?" I lean over her table only to have her sway her hand at me, telling me to move out of her light.

"Did you not just heard what I said?"

"Yea, I heard you, but you know I'm not good with that witch talk."

"Its not witch talk, if you use that mind of yours instead of wasting it on slang talk." She turns those creepy, white eyes, on me. "The short answer: no."

The front door opens at that very moment. Blac, Haven, and Lady walks through the door, one after another.

"Sup."

"Did you find anything?" Lady walks towards me. Her expression telling me that she was hopeful yet skeptical.

I didn't want to tell her no, for I was sure she could read me like a book just by looking into my eyes. "We will find something."

"Alpha, another one came." In rushes Sam with another small box in his hands.

Lady quickly pluck the box from the boy's hands. I sniffs towards the box, but reframe from lowering my nose.

Lesson learned.

There was this funny, unique scent around the box. I smelled it last time, but I don't think the others did. Which makes sense. I was the stronger sniffer. Family trait, I blame, but I couldn't quite place the scent. I know I've smelled it somewhere before.

But where?

"Find him." Lady's says, immediately drawing my attention.

The way she gave the order was calm. A deadly calm tone that seem to send a shiver running down my spine. I can recall the last time she used that tone, and that was when Acheron, that sadistic vampire, had Isis dropped onto our door. His back bleeding profoundly from multiple whip lashes.

Lady squeezes the paper note in her right hand. Her eyes were widows to the rage boiling within her. "Do whatever you have to. Look everywhere. I don't care if you have result to your powers. Use them."

Blac and Haven nods, turning around and heading for the door. Haven grabs a few bottles of potions before she follows Blac out. Once they were gone, I approach Lady. Gently taking the note from her hand, I read it.

"They're going to kill him, Santana."

"I won't let that happen, babe." I gently pulls her fingers, tightly wrapped around the piece of cloth, apart, kissing her fingers. She needed my comfort, even though we weren't exactly together.

"I'll have Cloud take a look at this."

"Good idea." Lady drops her hands to her side. "I think I'll take a shower, and figure out what I'm going to say to Ashton McCain tomorrow. I'm going to need to be prepared."

"Ice going with you?"

"For that, yes."

"Than I'll catch you later." I gave her a wave, as I pass her.

That guy isn't going to like being woken up at before nightfall.

The basement wasn't very deep when we got the place, but now that the vampires had their way with the basement. The place sat a good eight foot deep. Figures. Vampires still crave the eight foot drop even in the afterlife.

Reaching the bottom, I did take in the gothic, red and black theme of the living place for the handful of vampires that were part of the pack. In all honesty, the place looked like something straight out of Dracula. Dimly lit place with spider webs hanging from different corners.

They even slept in caskets, for Pete's sake. Although those things do have a bed comfort interior.

Approaching a red casket, I knocked on the lid, impatiently and hard.

"Cloud, wake that ass up."

The lip open up a crack or two. I could make out the red eyes of Clouds and his fingers of both hands curled over the rim. Even in the dark, I could make out his frown. "Go. A. Way."

"This is serious. They threatening a finger next."

Cloud pushes the lip to his casket open all the way. It flew back with a audible bang on the other side. Sitting up, he meets my gaze. "Only a human will threaten disembodied body parts."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because" Throwing one leg over the rim of his casket, and than the other, he emerges with bloodshot eyes. "If it was one of us, me in particular, I would have either sent his body or his head." He runs both his hands through his hair several times.

"And I would tie you to the ground and watch you fry in the sun."

"You can try." Cloud straightens his thin jacket, buttoning it up to his midsection. "Think about it. This person is sending parts and pieces. He toying with us. If he was serious, the kid would be dead long before now."

"I don't like this. I really don't."

"What did he sent this time?" He eyes my closed hand on my right.

"A piece of Cas's clothing."

"Give it."

"His scent is on it, but from what I can tell: there doesn't seem to be any other scent on the piece."

"You wolves rely on your nose too much. The gift about having a vampire as a friend is my vast knowledge and wisdom."

Egotistical Bateman.

"And my psychometry abilities." He closes his eyes, inhaling the scent on the clothing.

The ability to see the history of an object only by touching it was impressive, I admit. And Cloud was one of the best when it came to his abilities. He was, after all, a old vampire who have seen a lot of years. So he tells us.

"Yea. Yea. I'm all graceful." I nods my head and gestures for him to hurry it up.

"You really should be." He gives me his back.

"Quiet. I should also be able to sense the person magical powers, if a sorcerer or warlock is involved."

I heard hissing in the distance. Must be Dice. The guy really needs to get over his distrust of short girls.

"Casper is fine. From what I can tell, they have him sitting in a small room. A closet, perhaps. " He turns to face me. The redness gone from his eyes, revealing his grey ones.

"It seems as if they they may have had him in a dark place for a time there. I saw darkness. But the hands that cut this-" Cloud holds up the clothing. "Was female."

Lady is not going to be happy about some other woman handling her son without her knowing her.

"Anyone else?"

"I saw a few men. Judging from the hands that pass this piece of fabric around, they were dirty. Rogues perhaps."

"Could be." I heads towards the staircase. "I want you and the others to search the skies. Nightfall is almost here, so you can get started soon."

"Will do. Just expect us to feed while we're out."

"Yea, that's cool."

Now I just need to inform Lady.