Kierra

Would seem the cleanup crew is here and currently working. I'm curious but I don't want to disturb or draw attention to myself. Trying to stay downwind is killing my ability to track anything with all the smells coming with the wind.

Circling around a bit more, I pick up the dryness of Vampire. The dryness of a room having been locked and sealed for a long time. Also get sweat from three different individuals.

One of them is a known scent. The odor coming with the images I'd picked up from him earlier today, a strong one of a giant white tiger. Creeping up closer, I can finally see some better detail.

Some of the fencing had been ripped up so a large van could pull in, the rear end facing the opened basement doors. The vehicle's open as bags get loaded into the back. Benjamin with two other Vampires I don't know.

Keeping as quiet as I can, I move closer to Benji. Sensing him tense, body stiffening, I know he's caught my scent. Not sure if he recognizes it as me or not though, so I stay hidden.

Turning, he looks right at me, blue-green eyes reflecting light just like a cat. His long goatee flashes with glass beads that also catch and reflect light beams. Keeping my tail down, but my ears perked forward, I flow into his head.

"It's me, Benji."

He relaxes instantly after I whisper into his mind. Either he doesn't see me as a threat at all, or he trusts me that much. Not sure which idea bothers me more.

Getting motioned over, I make my way closer slowly, keeping an eye on the other two who've seemed to take a break, leaning against the side of the van. A small area is dug up near it where some wood is burning. Providing them the light they need to see by as well as helping to cut down on the smell coming up from the large double-doors laying open a few yards away.

"Didn't know it would be this bad. Never seen anything like this before. Not in this area anyway, it's more common over in the Middle East."

I make my way up to his side and stop, his words sending shards of ice through me. Common? Seriously? My head is above the Vampire's waist, his long-ass legs next to me. I could headbutt his gut easily. Resisting the impulse to do so, I stay beside him, looking over his team while all three of them look at me.

"Never thought they meant literally when they said silver. You're almost metallic."

Tilting my head up to him, I give a look.

"Surprise."

It's said sarcastically as I keep from squirming under all their scrutiny. The other Vamps are bathed in shadow, but I can make them out just fine. Both male, younger looking than Benji but that doesn't mean much.

One has his hands in his jeans pockets, tall and kind of gangly, but muscle tone is clearly defined. The tight, white wife-beater shows him off well as do his tight black jeans. Black hair looks to be tied back, so not sure of its length, but it does look to be streaked with a lighter green.

Reflective eyes are hard to make out until he directs his gaze to his friend beside him. The green in his hair matches his eyes. All color-coordinated, how nice. Jaw darkened with stubble shadows his face.

His friend, who's also tall, is facing me with his arms crossed over his wide chest. Black muscle shirt covering a very clear cut muscled upper body. Low cut blue jeans ripped at the knees enclose thick legs that are probably just as pumped with muscle.

Blond hair is in an honest to God mullet. The back looks very long as a lock of it hangs over his shoulder, his blue-hazel eyes are shadowed by thick eyebrows. Not bushy exactly, just thick, and a square jaw, very prominent with his butt chin. So glad I'm not in my human skin, as I don't think I could control my face. The dude is just so...textbook 80's muscle man.

I don't hide my amusement from the tiger beside me though. He pinches my ear and tells me to be nice. Looking up at him with an innocent face, my maw opens in a grin. Benjamin's head shakes, lips giving a lopsided smile. Looking back to his friends who are still staring at me, I feel my yellow eyes flare.

They start to look uneasy, so I just plant my butt, curl a long tail over my front legs, and try to seem as unobtrusive as possible. That relaxes them a little but not much, so I just start ignoring them, whispering to the male next to me instead.

"How long have you guys been out here?"

He looks down at me, gaze meeting mine. Can't read the look on his face, so I'm not sure how to take it. An ear gets quirked, drawing his attention to it. I whisper in his head, but he talks aloud.

"Long enough to hear your cry earlier. Least I'm guessing it was yours. How many wolves you got in this area?"

He asks it jokingly, but I reply honestly.

"Least three that I'm aware of, if you count Xavier as one."

Startled, he looks out around us, causing me to laugh softly in his mind. I can see him shiver and look at him curiously, tilting my head.

"You aren't afraid of wolves now, are you Benji?"

"Afraid? No. Wary? Yes. Wolves and Vampires don't tend to mix or mingle much."

My head cocks the other way, eyes glinting at him playfully.

"You sure that's a Vampire thing and not a cat thing?"

Getting a flick to my ear, I nip at his side, causing him to jump, which in turn has the other two rousing and coming to attention. Looking over to them, I raise a forepaw and wiggle it limply at them. I get confused looks from them as Benji laughs lightly, waving them off.

"To answer your question, yes, it is me. As for co-mingling..."

My yellow eyes direct themselves back to his face.

"You're more than welcome to run here as long as you mean no harm to those who are mine."

Dark eyebrows rise, his crew cut blending in with the night. Black t-shirt and jeans as well, so that seems to be the outfit of the day. He looks at me as if ready to laugh at the joke, but when he sees that I'm serious, he gives a small nod. I give him another canine grin, mischievousness alighting through me.

"Doubt you could keep up with me, but you're more than welcome to try."

I get both brows raised at me this time, causing me to laugh softly in his head and make small yipping like noises aloud. Benji then asks something that sobers me rather quickly, my head turning to look over the old house.

"Your howl, there's power in it. The three of us felt what you were when you did it, a sudden need to smile as elation filled us, hope and love welling out of nowhere. Got to say, it was a little awkward to feel around a couple of other guys."

Chuckling in his head, I show him. Sending images from my mind to his of the part of my dream that caused the emotions to come forth. He teeters a bit, so guess he's not used to images flying at him.

"Sorry. I take it you Vampires don't do what the animals do?"

Shaking his head, a hand holds it like I just gave him a headache. I tend to have that effect on people.

"Some may have that ability, but I do not. I think you just gave my brain a seizure."

Doubtful. Even if I did, he'd heal. Big Heep Vampire, uh-huh.

His friends get back to work, so I stand back up and watch them.

"Will everything be disposed of right away or will there be DNA tests done to see who they are?"

My voice is quiet, slipping into his cranium gently after the image overload. I'd like their loved ones to have some kind of closure, but I've already asked so much of Benjamin, I don't want to ask for more. Looking up at his face, a grim expression is worn as he watches the others.

Reflective lens catch the flames as he looks down at me, making his eyes glow. The effect is creepy but cool. If I could duplicate that on canvas...

"I don't know, depends on where it goes and what they want to do. Can send a request along, but unless a good enough reason is given, it will just be burned."

Nodding, I look back over as they come up with several more wrapped bags. The shininess of them reminds me of garbage bags, but I'm not sure if that is what they are or not.

"Your friends are more than welcome to use any of the stuff I left here. For sure not taking any of it home with me."

Plastic sheeting I might take, it wasn't cheap and can be used. The gloves, masks, and even the twine can go. Benji's head inclines, looking over at the small pile.

"I kind of figured since it was left here. Some of it was used, the masks just made things worse."

"Oh, don't I know it. I even tried putting a tiny amount of cologne on mine, but that just made it God awful. If Vamp noses are anything like mine, you guys have my sympathies."

The side of his mouth quirks up. His shirt covers a lot of his tattoos, but not all. He'd mentioned once that the faces were loved ones. Thinking about it now, I wonder if they're old loved ones or recent ones.

He may look like he's in his late twenties, but I'd bet he's quite a bit older. I remember when I first met him, I was drawn by the tattoos first, the sheer amount of them. His calm, laid back manner making him very easy to get along with was also a draw in and of itself.

Faline would pick on me because at first, I did have a major crush on him. Since I have no real clue on how to flirt with anyone, I just pushed it all aside. Besides, at the time, I was trying to get up and going, get published, and prove to others as well as myself that I was good enough to do so.

After I found out that one of Benjamin's jobs there was an editor, I was horrified. The books I'd published aren't romances by any means, but there are scenes in them that always make me feel awkward when knowing family has read them and know that those ideas came out of my brain. Then having a male who I find attractive read them? Oh my.

He was really cool about it, but I would be red just about every time I saw him for weeks afterward, always real professional about it, which made things easier, just awkward on my part. I think he knew, and knowing now what he is, I'm even more sure he knew how I felt.

So glad that shit calmed down. Of course, the fiasco in his 'office' recently could be considered just as bad. Worse even, since there was a lot of skin.

I'd offer to pay for the clothes he had lost because of me, but to do that now would show that I was thinking about it. That just won't do, so no mentioning. I'll pick him up a couple shirts or something as an apology.

Having retreated into my head, again, I startle when my ear is tugged on. Blinking a couple times, I look up at him.

"Huh?"

Laughing, he shakes his head.

"What? I'm sorry, if you said something, I didn't hear it. Was kinda off in...cooky land."

So not going to admit I was recalling nude flesh and hard muscles...

"What's up with you and my ears anyway? You have your own fluffy ears, pet yourself."

Takes a moment, but then I look at him again, then away quickly.

"Err, pet your own fur."

His hand is over his face, the opposite arm held across his body, trying to cover his laughing at me, but totally failing. The other guys keep looking over at him, curious I'm sure as they only hear half of what's going on since I'm not projecting.

I know what he's like in the human world, have no idea if he's the same in this world. He could be a whole different type of person. The beads in his goatee are clacking together with his movements.

If I had expressions, I'd be scowling right now. But since wolf faces don't have the right muscles for that, I just glare at him. Glaring is easy, and I get better at it all the time.