Prologue

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"So get this," Sam started. "Over in Texas, a woman was found with her heart ripped out of her chest. The police arrested her husband for the murder after a very brief investigation. A week later, the same thing happened with another couple."

Dean took a sip from his beer and swallowed. "Could be a werewolf case," he shrugged. "Or the husband did it. It's always the husband."

"It wasn't the husband here. He and his wife were soulmates. Soulmates never kill each other," Castiel stated simply.

Dean stared at him, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Seriously, Cas? Soulmates now? Didn't think you were such a hopeless romantic."

"Your bitterness does not surprise me, Dean."

Sam snickered.

"Come on, Cas. Soulmates? Really? Leviathans, demons, werewolves? Sure! But soulmates? Now that's a load of crap."

"Soulmates are real, Dean. Your parents were soulmates as well. Their union was determined even before they were born. They were destined to be together."

A smile tugged at Sam's lips. "Soulmates, huh? That's kind of nice."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Of course you would think that."

Sam glared at his brother before turning back to the angel. "Does everyone have a soulmate, Cas?" he asked hopefully.

Castiel shook his head. "No, not everyone."

Sam's face fell.

"But the both of you do," Castiel added.

Sam looked up in surprise, a wide grin spreading on his face. He turned to look at Dean. "We have soulmates! Isn't that great, Dean?"

Dean scoffed. "Don't let it get to your head, Sammy. We're hunters. We don't get soulmates or a white picket fence in some swanky neighbourhood. We get to deal with monsters and die with a gun in our hands. That's what we get." He chugged his beer and slammed the empty bottle on the table.

"Mom and dad were soulmates," Sam argued. "And we have soulmates, too, Dean. That means we have a chance. That means there's hope."

Dean shook his head. "Not for me, Sammy," he muttered sorrowfully.

Sam sighed, softly shaking his head to himself.

Over the years, they had lost family, friends, and lovers. Each loss weighed heavier on them, but it always seemed to weigh on Dean the heaviest.

While Sam had always made an effort to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Dean had stopped trying to see it a long time ago. To him, there was no way out of the hunter's life. There was no hope. He was convinced he'd die on a hunt, gun raised and fighting back. Sam saw his life ending differently. As an old man, surrounded by his friends and family. The family he was sure he'd have one day.

If only he could share some of his hope with Dean, make him see that there was more than life as a hunter.

But there was indeed hope. Dean had a soulmate. A woman out there meant to be with him. Someone who would make him happy and give him the happy ending he deserved. Dean may be reluctant, but Sam knew. This was exactly what Dean needed. It was only a matter of time.

"Have we met our soulmates already, Cas?" Sam asked curiously.

"Not yet, but you will."

Sam smiled. "Do you know when? Who they are? Do all angels have that knowledge about us humans?"

"Yes," Cas answered hesitantly, seeing where Sam was going. "But I cannot give you any of that information. It could interfere with the course of events that are supposed to lead them to you."

"Surely, giving us their names couldn't hurt?" Sam asked innocently.

"Sam," Dean grunted. "Give it a rest."

Cas anxiously looked between the two brothers. "I really cannot tell you, Sam. You are not supposed to meet them yet."

"Fine. Don't tell me mine. I'm willing to wait for my soulmate to come into my life. But clearly, Dean doesn't want his soulmate, so you could give him the name of his soulmate. Wouldn't matter, right? He's not gonna go look for her anyway."

"Eh," Cas hesitated. "I'm not sure the angels would be too happy with me if I did that."

"They don't have to find out," Sam grinned.

Cas sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll tell you the name, but only the name! You cannot go looking for her, understood?"

"Loud and clear!" Sam beamed.

"Dude, I said give it a rest!" Dean hissed at his younger brother. "I don't want to hear this crap."

"Well, why not, Dean? You just said you don't believe in soulmates, so why not hear it? Doesn't matter, right?" Sam smirked.

Dean glared at him. "Fine," he growled.

The bunker briefly fell silent. Dean felt himself grow tense, breathlessly awaiting the angel's reveal. His face remained neutral and uninterested, but his insides were twisting. 

"(Y/N)(Y/L/N)," Castiel spoke. "Your soulmate's name is (Y/N)(Y/L/N)."

Dean swallowed thickly, an odd sensation spreading in his chest. For a moment, he held his breath and let his brain process the name. (Y/N). It sounded nice. Pretty, even.

He cleared his throat. "Well, I don't care anyway. Doesn't matter what her name is."

But that was a lie.

Dean went to bed that evening, the weird feeling keeping him awake all night. Thoughts of his soulmate filled his head. Her name echoing in his mind as he tried to imagine what she would look like.

He couldn't help it. As sceptical as he was about love, he couldn't stop it. Hope had crawled its way back into his brain. A small spark of hope that sent tingles through his entire body. He felt lighter than before. More awake than he had been in weeks.

He had a soulmate.

And for the first time in what felt like centuries, Dean could imagine a future for himself. One that didn't end in him dying at a demon's hands. 

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The first chapter of this book out into the world of Wattpad! I hope I have intrigued you with this opening prologue. Let me know what you think! 

Thank you for reading! 

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