CHAPTER 26: WATCHFUL

Zhen yawns to life as footsteps beat against the floor, the sounds of dragging feet becomes the alarm that wakes him up. He rubs his eyes and stretches his back while the wolves discuss something.

"Morning sleeping beauty," Joseph taunts him and hands him a bottle of water.

"What's going on?" Zhen asks, "We can't all fit here, so we are looking for a place to stay?" Cassandra comes out of the kitchen with some pancakes.

She lays it on the table, "We were thinking of going back to Rocky Cabins. It is a good place to stay hidden. There is enough human involvement and enough spots to create a hidden den," she says.

"You need a witch to create a hidden den," Zhen says, "That is where you come in little sorcerer," Shedrach says and sits on the couch beside him.

He stretches his hand forward to grab a pancake.

"You guys are serious," Zhen chuckles, "Okay, but I need to pass by Ororo's. I need to get something before we can get your hidden den up and running," he says.

He carries his jacket from the top of couch and drops it on his lap before stretching for a pancake.

"You know before you make a den at Rocky Cabins you have to be sure there isn't another den there. I mean it looks like a really good spot to have a hidden den. If there isn't one till now there has to be a reason," Zhen says.

Cassandra turns to Axel who leans against the wall with Hannah beside him.

"I can tell that others have been there before but we never met another werewolf until you showed up," he says.

The scattered image of this small room quickly disappears behind the taste and feel of the pancake on Zhen's tongue. He sizes Cassandra up with the sides of his eyes and the question pops in his mind; does she know what she is doing?

He has heard of packs who use ferals for their dirty work but he has never heard of a pack formed by ferals. If she succeeds she can probably change their nature, she can give them a home. If she succeeds.

Considering that she is probably doing all this for revenge she may not be as clean as she seems.

It's not my problem.

In a coffee shop just across the street from The White Goose, Ororo's thrift shop, two immortals wet their tongues with hot coffee as their eyes look far away through their extensive vision, through the glass doors, through the moving cars along the street and through her windows.

"Samuel and Rachael McQueen have just parked in front of the old hag's shop," Carter says as he sips from the edge of the cup. He leans forward and almost buries his big belly under the table while Alex sits with folded hands.

She let's the air blow the little steam from her cup as her attention is fixated on the sphinx and the human as they walk out of the Audi A6.

Carter adds some cream into his cup and stirs it before taking another sip, "The only thing these humans know how to do is be livestock," he says as he spits into the air.

"Tastes like shit," he says and returns his gaze to the old woman's shop.

"What is it that this old woman knows? This guy has come here twice and she is clearly a strong witch," Carter says but Alex pays him no heed.

The sides of her long straight hair drapes over her shoulders and her chest. Her black jacket grips her body and she lets her covered palms wrap her biceps in her fold.

What is going on?

"Carter, call the wolves stationed at Roosevelt. Be sure they give us good intel," she says sternly with a clear voice.

"Something is going on," she mumbles.

Samuel's darkened face would have been a pleasant one for the old woman but she knows he probably is in pain from his loss but yet she knows enough for creatures like him escaping death is more an ability than skill.

She has no reason to be soft on him.

"I thought it would take a while before I see your face again," Ororo says. "What can I say? I missed your beautiful eyes," he says and she grunts at him.

She walks sluggishly towards the counter and only halts when she sees the little woman besides him. Her black hair flowing over her shoulders and her brown eyes are filled with power, will and fear.

But something lingers around her, something dark and unnerving.

Ororo walks close to Rachael and rubs a hand on one side of her face while Samuel watches the old lady behave strangely, "Um, what's going on?" Rachael feels a bit uncomfortable.

"What have you done child? You have touched dangerous magic. Old, powerful and wicked," she says.

Samuel looks at them and wonders what she is talking about. He knows enough to listen to the old woman when she says strange things.

Does this have anything to do with the fact that Rachael could see Gabriel?

"Be careful, for that which gives will eventually come to collect," Ororo warns.

"Okay, that's weird" Rachael says.

"We want you to help us find someone, Alucard is his name," Samuel says and the woman removes her eyes from Rachael and turns her blank gaze to the immortal.

"The Golden Lion. I need something of his if I am to find him," "What if we share blood?".

His question makes the woman raise a brow and she begins to eye the man, "A blood connection. You and the golden lion?" "Dracula fathered both of us," "Hmm, took you long enough to find out" she says.

"Wait, you already knew Alucard as Dracula's spawn? And you didn't think it necessary to tell me," Samuel frowns and clenches his fists.

"You know how it goes. Every information you have is currency. In our world you can't give information lightly not even to those you share history with," she says.

"You bloody shaman," "Can you help us?" Rachael interrupts them and the woman sharply turns her head towards the woman.

"Yes. But this won't be like the last time, I am getting paid." Ororo says, "Of course," he makes a face before pulling out some cash from his pocket.

"This has to be enough. Now, where do I bleed?"

It doesn't take long before Ororo sets up white clothes and red candles in a room Samuel had been in some hours ago. He removes his suit and folds up his sleeve, he shoots out a claw cuts across his wrist. His blood spills into the black circle Ororo drew on the cloth and the candles immediately light up.

"Give me your hands," she says and takes his hands in hers.

She begins to chant some incantations and Samuel's eyes begin to glow as he sees through her mind.

Her mind travels through a foggy atmosphere. It is thick and almost unending but it eventually clears up, revealing a castle shroud in darkness. She looks through a window and immediately she finds herself in this strange castle.

She sees Gabriel's body laying on a table and a man with long gold hair standing beside the table.

He turns his back and his glowing blue eyes catches hers, "I see you," he says and stretches his hand to grab her but she immediately screams and suddenly finds herself staring into Samuel's glowing eyes.

"You found him," Samuel says, "Yes, but he knows you are looking for him. Where is that place?" "Thank you. Come on Miss McQueen, let's visit Clouds," he says.

Samuel and Rachael leave the shop. Rachael is more confused than she was before coming here; "What did you see?" she asks as she opens the door on her side of the car, "Count Dracula's castle. That is where he is keeping Gabriel's body," Samuel answers as he gets in.

He starts the car, "Where is that?" Rachael asks, "The Otherworld,".

Alex and Carter watch from across the street, "Shall we pressure the old woman again?" he rubs his white hair as he asks. He looks at his side and he can almost feel her gaze tear him apart, "Haven't you learned anything from last night? Idiot. Come, let's keep watching for now," she says.