Chapter 2

Sonja and Lisle had been Vlad's life and joy. They knew that he worked for the Varat but didn't know the kind of work that he did. He let them believe that he handled Verat finances. Even an oginization like the Verat needs a banker. He didn't want them to worry when he was away on "business". Life had been good. Lisle was eight years old and loved her daddy. Sonja was as beautiful as the first day that he met her. As far as Wesen families go it was the picture of perfection, until tragedy struck. The human doctors had no idea how Sonja and Lisle got sick, there were no diseases that they knew of that matched their symptoms. Vlad knew. He didn't know the name but he knew it was a Wesen malady and that it was very hard to cure. It was one of those sicknessess that Wessen talk about in hushed tones, for fear that if it heard you it would come for you. He frantically searched for someone who could treat it, daily Sonja and Lisle got worse, but he never gave up. Finally he heard a rumor of a Hexenbiest who had cured this before. She was even in Austria. Her name was Frau Pech.

Vlad was overjoyed to hear about her, exstatic to find an address for her, possitively overjoyed to talk to her on the phone and find out that she really could cure his family, for a steep price but he didn't care, he would pay anything. Then he was unconsolably heartbroken when he went to see her and she was gone. She was no where to be found, and he was excellent at finding people. He tried to find someone else to treat his wife and daughter but it was too late. First Sonja died. He held her to the end, tears streaming down his face, begging her to stay. Then Lisle died a day later. He couldn't think of it without tears forming in the corners of his eyes. She had lost so much weight by the end that he felt like he was holding a doll more than his eight year old daughter. He cradled her and rocked her on the old wooden chair in her room. It had been his Grandmother's rocking chair and he had always hoped to give it to Lisle and watch her rock her own children and grandchildren in that chair. Now that would never happen. He never told her that her mother had died, how could he. He just looked down into her sweet face, smiling back up at him right to the end. He looked her in the eyes as she died, she had nothing but love to give him, and he could do nothing, absolutely nothing to help her. He thought of her last moments, the last thing she said to him.

"Can we go to the Zoo tomorrow daddy?"

"Sure we can go to the Zoo. What do you want to see at the Zoo? Do you want to see the pandas again?"

"I like the pandas" Lisle's face brightned.

"Well we can go see the pandas tomorrow."

"Can I get a stuffed panda?"

"I'll get you anything you want little Lisle"

"I want a stuffed panda, I think I will name it Lucy. Does that sound like a good name daddy?"

"That sounds great Lisle."

"I love you daddy." She wispered. She had got so weak.

"I love you too little Lisle. I love you so much my darling." Vlads voice broke as he blinked back tears. She smiled one last time and closed her eyes. She died so peacefully that she looked like she was sleeping, but he knew. A man that was so well aquainted with death always knew. He held her for the rest of the night and into the next morning. He grieved for both of them that night, and then the next day he started to plan his revenge.

At first he thought that Frau Pech had simply run off, he was going to kill her for that. Once he started to dig into her past he figured out a different story. Frau Pech had been seen with a beautiful blonde pregnant woman. In fact, the blonde woman was the last person that anyone had seen Frau Pech with prior to her disappearance. Vlad found a gypsy who unwillingly led him to a camp where someone had seen Frau Pech die. The blonde woman was there. From there a driver who recalled that a blonde pregnant woman had been seen with Prince Victor, a few hundred dollars and the name of a hotel was given. It didn't take long after that to find the concierge who had been working when the blonde woman was staying there. Now he knew that her name was Adelind Schade. He pieced together that she was also a Hexenbiest and that the baby she was carrying was very important to the Royal family. He also found that Adelind had killed Frau Pech, why he didn't know, he didn't care, it sounded like a Hexenbiest thing. What mattered was that Adelind had killed his family's only chance at life. Now he was going to kill her.

Working for the Verat made it easy for him to find out that Prince Victor had left Austria and was in Portland. Adelind had been from Portland and her baby was very important to the Royal family, so she must be in Portland too. So that is where Vlad went next. Portland Oregon. Vlad had never opperated in America so he was able to get into the country quite easily, none of his aliases would be flagged there. Growing up in Austria meant that he was fluent in German, French, and Italian. His English was good but did have an accent. He figured that Portland was a big enough city that he shouldn't stand out too much. All he needed to do was find her, after that there would be no need for talking.

It was not nearly as hard to find her as he thought it would be. A google search told him the law firm where she used to work. A nice admin assistant who was being horribly underpaid was amenable to the smallest of bribes to give Vlad Adelind's last know address. A search of her home told him that she wasn't there anymore but she had been recently. Prince Victor was in Portland so she must be with him now. There were only so many Hotels in Portland of the class that would suit a Prince. He waited outside each one until he saw the Prince exiting one morning. There was a beutiful, no longer pregnant, blonde woman with him. He had found her, Adelind Schade was going to die.