The village was filling with people by the time you reached the center. Dean ran ahead of you, pulling you along, but he let go of your hand the moment other people came into view. You understood why, and you tried your best to ignore it, but a sting of disappointment surged through you at the loss of contact.
But all thoughts of Dean were forgotten when you saw it.
A deep purple cloak, lying on the ground, fluttering with the cold breeze.
No.
"Charlie?" you whispered.
Dean's face went pale as he stared at the cloak. You were not the only one panicking at the sight of her cloak. Your friend was beloved by the entire village, and you heard the gasps of fear rising up into the night as the other villagers realized what was happening.
"Charlie!" Dean bellowed, his deep voice ringing through the air. The people around you froze for a fraction of a second, then sprang into action as one. You stood still, unable to move through the fear paralyzing you.
Charlie was fine. She had to be fine.
Crowley was in the woods leading a search party that included Gabriel and Castiel, but there were still plenty of people around to form smaller search parties. They would tear the village apart until they found her, alive and well. You repeated that to yourself.
Dean immediately took the lead, assigning different areas of town to each search group. As everyone started to clear out of the area, he placed his hands on your shoulders, squeezing gently and forcing you to look into his green eyes.
"Don't worry. We'll find her."
You nodded numbly.
"I think you should stay here. Some are staying behind to set up the Meeting House as a sort of camp, providing food and drink for the search parties and acting as a central location for the search parties to share information. You'll be safe in the crowd."
You nodded again, and Dean softly ran a hand down your cheek.
"Try and stay busy, okay? Try not to panic. Charlie will be fine. I'll bring her back." And with that, he was gone.
You did as he suggested and helped set up the large, mostly empty building the town used for meetings and celebrations. You worked late into the night, giving hot beverages to people as they came in to take a break, bringing no news of your best friend. Your hopes shot up when you saw Dean walk in, but he sadly shook his head no as he walked over to you.
"Nothing yet." He took the drink you handed him gratefully, taking a long sip of the steaming herbal tea. "Are you okay?" His eyes searched your face, sympathy deeply etched in his expression, and you couldn't resist. You leaned into his arms, careful not to spill the tea, and buried your face in his chest, tears coming fast. One of his hands tangled in your hair as he murmured soothing words, trying to calm you down.
"Y/N?" A menacing, gravelly voice sounded behind you. You pulled yourself out of Dean's arms and turned to face Castiel, Crowley standing behind him. You could feel your face burning, but you squared your shoulders and held your head up.
"Castiel! You're back! Have you killed the wolf then?"
"No. We were hunting when a few men from the village found us and told us of Charlie's disappearance." His eyes never left Dean as he spoke, a harsh anger radiating from him. "What do you think you are doing with him?"
"Do not start that again, Castiel," you warned, feeling Dean tense behind you. "Dean is leading Charlie's search party. Help him or go home."
Castiel looked at you like he couldn't believe his ears. "I think I'd like to talk to Dean outside for a moment."
Dean shrugged and followed him out, giving you a small, comforting smile as he went.
You moved to follow them, your anger radiating throughout your body at Castiel's attitude. Who did he think he was? You were stopped by two dark brown eyes, shining with some unnamed emotion. Crowley gave you a wide smile.
"So sorry to hear about your friend Charlie." He reached out and stroked your arm. If it was meant to be a sweet gesture, it felt oddly out of place. You gave him a tight smile, avoiding eye-contact. "I'm sure we'll find her, with Dean running the search party and all."
You caught the odd glint in his eyes as he mentioned Dean...and he was still stroking your arm.
"I-I do hope so. Charlie has been," you swallowed the lump in your throat,
"Charlie is one of my closest and dearest friends. I would be devastated if anything were to happen to her."
"I'm positive we'll find her." He moved closer, his nostrils flaring as he stared at you hard. "This is a beautiful red cloak, Y/N. Red is...red has always been my favorite color." His voice was soothing, almost mesmerizing, but there was something in his eyes...
Crowley suddenly leaned in towards you. From shock alone you stayed planted to the spot, a cool chill running through you as his nose brushed your cheek. He inhaled deeply, then drew back, plucking something off of your shoulder.
"Hmmm, seems you've gotten some hay stuck on your cloak." He pulled back, his face contorted in disgust. "What..or who...led you into the barns today?" The way his eyes went dark and the tone of his voice made you feel as though Crowley already knew what you were doing in that barn. You tried to keep the blush out of your cheeks but they soon matched the brilliant cloak that surrounded you. His eyebrows quirked up as he gave you a sly smile.
"Secrets are never good, Y/N." He leaned closer once more, his face mere inches from your own. Your stomach fell and your heart started racing, Crowley's smile only growing wider.
You opened your mouth to answer, but were cut off by someone calling your name. You looked past Crowley to see Castiel, face red and eyes blazing as he motioned for you to come. He walked out of the building and you chanced a look to Crowley. "Sorry...my brother...I have to go," you mumbled as you moved by him. His hand grabbed your arm tight around the elbow. You looked at him wide-eyed and he gave you an odd grin.
"Y/N," he purred, "Be safe out there. Don't want to have to go looking for you, too."
"Uh...uhm th-thank you sir." You pulled away from him and turned to leave, but not before grabbing Charlie's beautiful cloak.
Pushing open the door and breathing in the cold night air, you ran right into a thick body. "Oh sorry...Dean?" you breathed out as he turned to look at you with shining eyes. Anger was etched into every corner of his face but somehow he managed a soft smile for you.
"Sorry about that. Cas- your brother seems to disapprove of my being near you. Or even talking to you." He cleared his throat and looked away. You felt the tears prick your eyes, but you didn't let them fall. Instead, you moved to stroke his face with your free hand.
"Yes but Castiel is not me. I.. I enjoy being with you very much," you whispered. His head moved into your touch before he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.
"Will you meet me later?" he breathed, eyes flying open to show his dark green eyes.
"Y-yes, of course," you couldn't suppress the smile on your face. You intentionally shoved the thought of Gabriel to the back of your mind. The fire in your lower belly re-ignited, and you wanted to kiss him right there, to let him know it was all okay, it was all him.
"Y/N!" Gabriel's voice called for you and you gave Dean a sad smile.
"Our barn, two hours," he whispered as he walked by you, his low voice sending a spark through you. Gabriel was walking towards you, his face pure anger.
"What was he talking to you about?" he spat, watching Dean's retreating figure.
"He was just sympathizing about Charlie. He knows how close we are." You smiled at Dean's back and turned back to Gabe. He seemed to have believed you, giving you a little nod.
"Well I'm here to walk you home." He held out his hand. You walked silently, but Gabriel didn't stop talking about the search party and how he kept getting separated from Crowley.
"He's impossible to keep up with. I know he doesn't look it, but he is in great health," he laughed as you reached your door.
"Thank you for walking me home, Gabriel," you smiled as you reached for the doorknob. He stopped you, grabbing and cupping your face as his warm eyes bore into yours. He very softly pressed a kiss to your lips. There was..nothing. No spark, no love, though it felt like he was trying so hard to make you feel it.
"Goodnight, Y/N. We'll resume our search after we've slept." He pulled back and kissed the back of your hand, his lips wearing a small smile.
"Goodnight, Gabriel." You pushed into the house and shut the door, your body collapsing against it.
"Took you long enough," Castiel snarled. You looked over to see him sitting at the table, his body much too calm as he appraised you.
"I am too tired for your berating, Castiel." You took off your cloak and hung it up, along with Charlie's, your hand lingering on hers for a moment.
"What has gotten into you? You've been very disrespectful to me. And to Gabriel." He stood up quickly.
You turned to look at him with wide eyes.
"Don't you dare go near Dean Winchester again." His voice was commanding and almost frightening, and you snapped.
"Your hatred for Dean Winchester is unfounded, Castiel," you shouted, his face morphing into shock at your outburst. "He is not the concern!" Your voice shook. "We must find Grandmother and Charlie! They are the concern!"
"You think I'm not worried about them as well?" his voice was low and gravelly. You knew he was angrier than you'd ever seen him, but you weren't backing down. Not this time.
"It does seem that you are more worried about Dean Winchester than you are about our own grandmother. Need I remind you it was Dean Winchester who saved me from the wolf...not Gabriel, and definitely not you!"
You stormed towards your room, slamming the door as he called out your name. Your heart was racing as you leaned against the door, listening and praying for Castiel to go to bed as well. You couldn't take anymore of this fight. He moved around the living area, mumbling to himself for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, you heard him walk by your room, pausing at your door for a moment before continuing on to his own room.
It wasn't hard to sneak out. It was second nature to you after a childhood spent sneaking out to meet Charlie. The two of you would spend your summer nights running through fields of soft grass, swimming in the pond, and talking about what it would be like to be an adult. As you quietly left your cottage and hurried to the barn, your heart filled with sadness at the memories.
Charlie had to be okay, right?
Your grandmother was gone. Charlie was gone. You were treating Gabriel unfairly and he was bound to notice. Castiel was angry with you for spending time with Dean. Crowley had been nothing but kind and helpful, and yet your stomach turned at the thought of him. And Dean was...well...
It was all too much.
By the time you reached the barn, your eyes were streaming with tears, your breaths coming fast and ragged. You stumbled into the barn and collapsed on a pile of hay, your cloak wrapping around you like a blanket. You wept with everything you had, shaking and crying so hard that you didn't notice when Dean joined you.
Suddenly, the hay shifted next to you, and you felt a large, warm hand on your shoulder.
"Y/N? Are you okay?" His voice was soft and comforting, and it only intensified your emotions.
Without a word, you turned and flung yourself into his arms, knocking him down onto his back. Your vision went red as your cloak swirled around both of you, and you let out one last sob as your mouth crashed onto his.
Dean understood. He pulled you even closer and settled down inside your cloak, his body hard and hot against yours. His mouth moved with yours gently, coaxing the fear and sadness out of you and replacing it with the quiet strength he seemed to always radiate. It wasn't long before your tears stopped, and the only thing in your head was the way he tasted. The way his arms felt wrapped around you. The way he sighed against your skin.
You had never experienced anything like this before.
All of Castiel's warnings were forgotten. As Dean rolled to lay above you, undressing you both slowly, you knew without a doubt that nothing had ever been this right. There was nothing shameful or wrong with being here with Dean. There was only the sweet flutter of his eyelashes on your neck as he nuzzled against you, only the way your body involuntarily arched closer to him when he ran his hands down your ribcage, only the new sensations pulsing through your veins that you hadn't known you'd been missing until now.
"Y/N," Dean murmured, kissing you like you were the very water he needed to survive. "Are you sure?"
You leaned back to look him in the eye, those green eyes darkened with desire for you but still gentle, asking permission.
"I'm sure," you said firmly.
Dean shuddered at your words. You ran your hand down the muscles of his back, reveling in the feel of his skin against yours. You marveled at the raw power and strength of the man who was holding you so gently, as if you were something precious or fragile.
You suddenly remembered where you had left off earlier- interrupted by the discovery that Charlie was missing. The hours since then seemed like years, and you were suddenly desperate to get your hands on Dean. Slowly, memorizing every inch of skin while letting the burn inside you grow until you certain Dean could feel its heat, you ran your hands up his arms to his shoulders, down his chest and stomach, and finally lower, until you held the hard length of him in your hand. Dean sucked in a breath and tensed, groaning softly into your ear when you slid your hand up and down to feel every bit of him.
You gasped as he bucked his hips forward into your hand, rubbing against the most sensitive spot on your body as he moved.
"God, you feel...you're already so wet..." he growled. You weren't sure if that was a good thing or not, but he didn't stop moving, and if it felt even half as good for him as it did for you, then that was a very good thing.
You slid down into the cloak even further, blocking out every trace of the outside world. Dean kissed you, eyes open and staring into yours, when he entered you. You clung to him as you adjusted to the unfamiliar feeling. It was full and warm and not at all unpleasant.
And then he moved.
A jolt of white hot sparks hit your nerves, traveling from where your bodies were connected up your spine and out into your veins.
"Dean!" you cried out, needing him to guide you through this.
"Shhh, I'm right here. It's okay. Just feel it."
You closed your eyes and trusted him, giving into the pleasure he created with every push. Your hips met him thrust for thrust, wanting to feel him more deeply, chasing some sort of release to the pressure building inside you.
Dean's fingers moved between your legs to slide against the bundle of nerves there, and the pressure exploded. You cried out his name and held on to him as you shook, everything going white with the intense feeling. He slammed into you once more, going still as he moaned, then falling on top of you.
He kissed you lazily, the rolled to his side, pulling you against him so that your foreheads were pressed together.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Better." It took all the strength you had to muster that reply.
"Good. Me too." He smiled shyly at you, and pressed a kiss to your forehead, so sweet and gentle that tears came to your eyes.
The two of you fell asleep wrapped up in your cloak, hidden from the village and everything that awaited you there.
You woke up surrounded by red, your eyes barely opening to feel the warmth of your cloak, and of Dean against you. He was pressing light kisses just below your ear, and the night before came rushing back to you. Everything was so surreal, like you were floating. But your happiness quickly ebbed away as the sinking thought of your grandmother and Charlie took over. Your eyes flew completely open and you moved to get out of Dean's grasp.
"Shhh, wait... it's okay, no one is here." He pulled you tight, pressing a kiss on your temple. You continued to struggle and pulled yourself free of his strong arms.
Somewhere in the woods, your grandmother was hurt- and here you were, wrapped up in Dean Winchester.
What was the matter with you? Did you really feel so much for this man that you could forget your family? That you were willing to spend the night with him in secret, no matter the consequences if anyone found out?
Those kinds of feelings were dangerous.
Needing to clear your head, you sat up quickly. He sat up with you, his green eyes wary as you hastily dressed.
"Are you not happy?" his voice was low and you could hear the undercurrent of hurt. You turned to look at him, smiling sadly as you cupped his face with one hand. His eyes shut as he melted into your touch, like it was only you that he needed.
"Very happy, Dean. That was...amazing." You ran a hand through your hair, trying to make it somewhat presentable. "But I really should be focusing on saving grandmother and Charlie." And not getting so lost in you. You stood, pulling at the cloak and sliding Dean off of the cloak and into the hay. You guessed hat his golden skin, sleepy eyes, and sex-mussed hair would normally be a sight to see in the morning, but right now it just made your stomach sick.
How could you have engaged in something so pleasurable while people you loved were missing?
You began walking quickly to the large entrance, the sounds of Dean throwing on his clothes behind you. Peeking out into the dawn, you saw that there was no one in sight, but that didn't mean that you were in the clear. You turned to call to Dean, only to jump when his green eyes were closer than you expected, looking right down at yours. His lips curved up into a mischievous smile as he leaned down.
You moved your head back, watching as his eyebrows slanted up in confusion as he realized you didn't want him to kiss you.
"Not now, Dean, please." You looked back out the door, then back to him. He seemed to be shutting down, his facial expressions flowing between confusion and hurt. "Look," you placed your hand on his arm, "it's not that I don't want to. I do, I really do. But now....we have to find grandmother and Charlie. This...with you...it's too much right now. I'm sorry. I need some time." you smiled at him, your hand moving so that your thumb stroked his cheek.
"But eventually? When his is all over?"
Your face flushed with want and need as you nodded, unable to stop yourself.
"What about Gabriel....or Castiel?" His voice was low and gravelly as his hand came up to capture yours against his face. He looked at you through his lashes as you took a deep breath.
"They'll learn to live with it. But for now I must go. Do you think I can make it to the woods undetected?" You looked outside again, the morning still newly settling on the village.
You felt him tense. "You're not going into the woods." His voice was stern and cold.
"You're not going to stop me." You jumped out of the barn, your body running quickly as the cool breeze cut through your lungs. It was too much, too fast, but you had to get to the woods. The red cloak billowed behind you in the wind, the sound of it rustling somehow giving you the strength to keep moving. You flew through the first few yards of trees, the sky still dimly lighting your path as you jumped over branches and rocks.
You soon lost your momentum and stopped to take a deep breath, your chest heaving as your cloak settled around you. You tried to gauge which path, which way would be best...but you honestly had no idea what you were doing. The chill began to settle in your bones as the wind ripped through the trees, their leaves shaking ominously. You pulled the cloak tighter as you tried to decide what to do. Somehow you felt it was now or never.
Before you could make a decision, a strong hand grabbed your shoulder and pulled you back. You let out a loud scream as the other hand clamped over your mouth. Whoever it was leaned forward and whispered into your ear as your struggled.
"It's just me, calm down." Dean's voice coursed through you, immediate relief, and you visibly relaxed against him. He slowly removed his hand and let you out of his hold. You turned to him, your face red and heated as you threw him a dirty look.
"You could have just said 'Hello' or something," you muttered as you pulled the cloak up, the fabric snatching on a jagged stone.
"Right, so you could sprint like a maniac again." He made a face, "No, thank you. You definitely would have tripped and hurt yourself, and then I'd have to explain your injury to Castiel."
"You're going to have a lot more than my bruised knee to explain to him," you hissed and he took a step back. You immediately regretted the words, mentally kicking yourself as they fell into the air between you both.
Dean looked lost for a moment before his brow set in a straight line. He grabbed your hand and began dragging you back towards the village.
"Dean, let me go!" you shouted as you pulled away from him. You were using all of your strength to dig your heels into the ground, but you were no match for his strength.
"I don't know what your problem is, but I am not going to get lost in the woods with you again! It's too dangerous," Dean spat over his shoulder at you. You pursed your lips as you tried one last time to pull away, your wrist just barely slipping through his hold. He fell forward a bit from the momentum as you stumbled backwards. Before Dean had settled himself enough to respond, you threw him a tight smile, turned, and ran.
You could feel Dean right behind you, keeping pace. He could easily overtake you, but he had apparently accepted that you weren't going to go home until you had accomplished...whatever it was you were doing.
You slowed, realizing that you were running deeper and deeper into these dangerous woods with no real plan whatsoever. You came to a stop, chest heaving with the effort of running, and turned to Dean.
"So, are you going to help me, then?" you asked.
Dean rolled his eyes and nodded. You immediately felt more at ease, knowing that Dean wasn't going to leave you, and then felt guilty for being so selfish.
You thought for a moment. The wolf. You needed to track and find the wolf.
Somehow, that seemed to be the key to everything, although you weren't sure how killing the animal was going to help you find the missing people.
Then it hit you: the witch. She knew something. So much had happened in the last few days, and you looked back on your visit with Rowena with new eyes.
She could help you.
"Rowena." Dean's eyebrows shot up at your suggestion. "We have to go talk to her again. She can help us."
If Dean wanted to argue, he held it in. You assumed he sensed that it would just be another pointless argument. His arm twitched as if he was going to reach for your hand, and you felt a pang of disappointment when he held that urge in as well, choosing instead to simply start walking. You hurried after him.
Somehow, Dean seemed to know exactly where you were, and after a short walk, you found yourself staring at Rowena's cottage.
"Are you certain you want to talk to her?" he asked, is face etched with worry.
"Yes." You managed to keep your voice steady when you spoke.
As if she had been waiting for you (and you supposed maybe she had), Rowena opened the door of her cottage and waved you inside.
There was no need for polite formalities, so you simply followed her in and sat down at her table. She sat across from you, smiling eerily, while Dean stood at the door, tense and uncomfortable.
"What brings you here?" Rowena asked, quirking an eyebrow.
You continued your direct approach. "The wolf. My grandmother and my best friend are missing. The men in the village formed a hunting party, but they weren't successful. Can you help us?"
"Of course." Rowena smiled at you like you should have known to ask her sooner. "Like I told you before, you cannot hunt or kill what isn't there."
"What does that mean?" Dean's voice boomed through the small space. "Stop playing games and just tell us what we need to know."
Rowena stared at him for a moment, clearly deciding whether or not to do as he demanded, then nodded at him. "What you need to know is that you are dealing with magic." She looked at you. "Magic beyond what you can do with your herbs and healing powers. Magic that is old, primal, and dangerous."
"And what does that mean?" you whispered, dread forming in your stomach.
"It means that the wolf is only a wolf when he wants to be. The wolf is also a human, walking around in the village as if he were one of your own."
You were stunned into silence.
"What?" Dean almost shouted. "You're telling me that one of the men in the village is responsible for the missing women? That he's...not human? That's not possible." Dean was getting angry, and you understood why. Anger was easier to deal with. But you had long since accepted that magic existed, and tried to remain as calm as you could.
"Oh, it's possible," Rowena chuckled. "And true. The real question is the identity of the man. For all she knows," she gestured toward you, "it could be you."
"It isn't," you replied automatically. You knew that, in your heart, without question. Dean was good.
"You're right, dear, it isn't him. He has a pure heart." Rowena said this as if it were a criticism. "But if you think hard, I think you know who it is."
A pair of brown eyes flashed through your mind. A smooth, charming voice and a commanding demeanor. Someone you should have been able to trust, but who made your skin crawl.
Crowley.
You stood and ran outside, feeling overwhelmed and slightly sick. Crowley had touched you, had cornered you, had worked next to Gabriel and Castiel. And he was evil.
"Are you okay?" Dean was right behind you, hand on your shoulder.
"Yes, thank you. I apologize, I just...needed some air." You looked up at him, hating yourself for what you were about to do.
"Could you go back inside and get me a drink of water, please? I can't go back inside that stuffy cottage."
Dean stared at you for a moment, eyes clouding with worry. Then he nodded.
"I'll be right back," he said meaningfully.
You watched as he went inside, memorizing every detail of his graceful body before whispering a goodbye.
And then you ran.
You ran as hard as you could, not following a path. You didn't want Dean to track you, so you switched direction often, and did your best to get as lost as possible. When your heart felt like it was going to burst out of your chest, you slowed to a walk.
Once you began walking in a straight line, it didn't take long for you to stumble upon a path. It was entirely unfamiliar, and you were sure you'd never been this deep in the woods before. You slowed even more, finding it difficult to see without sunlight. It should have been early afternoon and bright, but the trees, as always, blocked out most of the light.
You began shaking, pulling your cloak tighter around you as you thought about what a terrible decision this had been.
"Allow me to tell you again what a beautiful cloak that is."
You spun around to find Crowley standing there, unsurprised at his arrival. That had been your goal all along, actually. How had you missed his feral sneer before? Or that glint in his eyes, the same glint you had seen when you faced the wolf.
"My, what big eyes you have," he slinked toward you slowly, as if he were ready to pounce at any moment. "But there's no need for you to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you."
You played along. "Mr. Crowley, sir, you have deceived us all."
He sighed. "That is true. Sadly, my kind cannot walk freely. We must keep our secret or fear the huntsmen of the villages we inhabit."
"Is it true that you are responsible for the deaths of all the missing people?" you asked bravely, knowing that you had nothing to lose at this point anyway.
"Deaths? Oh, no. They are not dead, my dear. In fact, I am taking good care of them." Crowley narrowed his eyes, as if challenging you to disagree. "Would you like to see?" He held his hand out to you.
Inwardly cringing, you did your best to smile as you placed your hand in his.
"Yes, I would."
Crowley began walking, leading you deeper into the woods. His hand over yours was too warm, and it caused the hair on the back of your neck to stand on edge. What if he had actually killed the others? What if he was just leading you towards your own death?
As if on cue, or as though he had been reading your mind, Crowley let out a low chuckle. "No need to worry, my dear. They are very much alive."
The sound of his voice made you feel sick, as did the smug look on his face when he turned to look back at you with deep brown eyes. The sound of the wind rustled through the high trees and a shiver ran down your spine. As the woods grew darker and denser, your overwhelming fear and panic grew with each step you took. You had run away from Dean, but now you prayed that he would find you, that he would capture Crowley and save your grandmother and Charlie...that he'd forgive you for acting so impulsively earlier.
Crowley stopped in front of a large rock formation. He squeezed your hand tighter and began pulling you towards a small opening at the far end. You tried to pull back, to gain some semblance of power or control over the situation, but his hand just gripped tighter. It felt almost like claws digging into your skin.
You gasped at the pain. "Crowley," you begged, "please let me go. I'll follow you."
"No," he snarled, his shoulders tensing from behind, "they all say that." He walked into the small cave and practically threw you in front of him. The cavern was dark and narrow, but he pushed you from behind until you stumbled forward. "Walk." You tripped over your cloak, bracing yourself on the wall and gasping in pain when a jagged rock pushed into your palm. You continued to walk, but looked down at your palm as your eyes tried to adjust to the light. You brushed your thumb over it, wincing as you felt the warm wetness that you knew to be your blood.
Finally you saw a faint flicker of light further into the passageway and you walked faster, ignoring the loud breathing of Crowley behind you.
Just at the end, the passage opened into a larger area, a large fire in the center of the room. Your eyes followed the smoke upward, and saw that there was a small hole above, almost as if Crowley had made it himself to sustain fire in the area. Finally, your eyes caught sight of Charlie slumped against the wall. Her eyes were wide as she tried to talk over her gag. You felt your own tears fall as as she cried out for you, shaking her head and screaming a muffled 'no.' You quickly scanned the room and saw your grandmother passed out against the far wall, her grey hair wild as her head slumped down on her chest. You immediately ran over to her and knelt beside her.
"Grandmother?" You lifted her head and shook her slightly. After a few minutes her eyes opened slowly and she gave you a small smile.
"Y/N...what are you..." Her smile faltered as she looked above you, her eyes widening with fear. "Y/N! Why did you come here? This was his plan..."
Crowley was suddenly there. He quickly pushed you out of the way and pulled up the cloth he had previously used to gag her, shoving it back into her mouth. She glanced between the two of you in fear as Crowley rose to his full height and brushed his hands together.
"Well, isn't she a little chatty?" He turned to you, his smile smug as the fire lit up his face. "Now, you see that they are safe. So, are you willing to have a little talk with me and make a deal? A deal for their safety?"
"You've made a huge mistake, Crowley!" you spat at him as you knelt protectively over your grandmother. You looked up at him and gave him the best smile you could muster. "Dean Winchester was with me ,and I was sure to leave him clues along the trail. He'll be here in no time at all! IF he doesn't kill you immediately, he'll bring you to the village where you'll answer for your crimes!" It was a lie, and you both knew it. Dean had no idea where to begin looking for you. Crowley didn't look frightened at all. In fact, he looked amused and fell into a loud fit of laughter.
His laughter faded into something more like a menacing growl. "You have no idea what I'm capable of, my dear. But your Dean will know." Crowley snarled.
Before your eyes, his body began to change. He was suddenly morphing into something larger, his face contorting into a wolf like manner. His eyes turned a bright yellow, feral and scary, and you shrunk against the wall, your arms pulling your grandmother close. He let out a loud growl before he finally looked back to you.
In a deeper, distorted voice he spoke. "I'll just have to go find Dean Winchester and then...then you'll have no choice. You will say yes to me." Crowley turned and began running out of the cave, ending up on all fours by the time he reached the entrance to the passageway.
You stared after him for a few stunned seconds, then turned back to your grandmother and ripped the gag out of her mouth.
"Go check on Charlie and move quick! He's so fast, he'll be back here in no time!" she breathed out, her chest heaving as she tried fidgeting against her ties.
You quickly stood and ran over to Charlie, giving her a smile before ripping the gag out.
"Y/N! Why did you come? He's going to kill you," she sobbed out as you grabbed your cloak to wipe the bleeding gash on her forehead.
"Shhh, it's okay Charlie, he's not going to hurt me...or any of us." You moved to the ties around her wrist. They were tight and unyielding, and you rose to try to find a rock or anything to cut them loose. Just as you knelt down beside her to try again you heard a muffled voice from the passageway.
"What was that?" Charlie looked over to the door with wide eyes. You tried to rip her ropes off faster but they wouldn't budge. Footsteps came closer, and you began to panic as Charlie let out a sob.
"Y/N! Are you okay?"
You whirled around and found yourself looking up into familiar, wonderfully human green eyes.
"Dean! How did you find me?"
"Later," he hissed, pulling a knife from his boot and cutting Charlie free. "We have to go, he won't be gone long. Can you walk?"
Charlie nodded and Dean immediately turned his attention to your grandmother. His blade sliced through her restraints easily. Handing you his knife first, he hoisted her into his arms as gently as he could, and nodded his head toward the entrance of the cave.
"Go. Quickly! Be careful."
You held he knife in front of you and hurried as best you could, Charlie leaning heavily into your side.
Luck was on your side, and you managed to make it out of the cave and onto the path without any obstacles. Your small group hurried along, your grandmother weakly giving Dean directions to her small cabin. You were certain that the woods were getting darker with every step you took, and you began to lean on Charlie just as much as she was leaning on you, though now it was mostly fear that affected you both.
Relief flooded through you when you reached your grandmother's cabin and locked yourselves inside. Grandmother was quickly put to bed, and you and Charlie tended to her minor wounds as Dean built a fire and made tea. The old woman soon fell asleep, and you began to rummage around for something to eat while Dean cleaned the cut on Charlie's forehead.
"We should stay here tonight and let the two of you gather your strength," you heard him say. "and we'll get you both to the village tomorrow. And I will come back and kill Crowley myself."
You shuddered at the violence in his voice. It was a tone you had never heard him use before, in all the years you'd lived in the village together. Crowley's voice rang through your head, "You have no idea what I'm capable of, but your Dean will know..." What did that mean?
Was Dean hiding something?
You stayed silent as the three of you ate a meager supper of bread and cheese, the only edible thing in your grandmother's cottage. Charlie pulled the rocking chair next to your grandmother's bed and propped her feet up next to the woman's, a small blanket draped over her. She was asleep in minutes.
You cleaned up the few dinner remains, then sat back down at the table with Dean. He was staring into the fire, and you did the same, trying to let its warmth soak into your body, but you still shivered. Eventually, you grew tired and laid down directly in front of the fire, wrapped tightly in your cloak.
As the chill slowly wore off, you finally gathered the courage to speak. "Dean?"
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you something and receive an honest answer?"
"Of course, Y/N."
"It's just...Crowley said something to me in the woods. He said that you...that you knew what he was capable of. And then he turned...he changed...I've seen magic before, but that was beyond anything I know. Do you know what he is?"
"Yes. I didn't at first, but I do now. I should have figured it out sooner."
Your heart threatened to beat out of your chest.
"Dean, what is going on?"
Dean sighed wearily and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll tell you everything, I promise. And you're safe with me." His eyes met yours, burning with something you couldn't figure out. "You believe that don't you?"
"Yes." Your answer was automatic and honest. You were safe with him. You had no doubt.
"Good. Then trust me when I tell you that everything is going to be okay, but it's much too complicated to explain tonight. All I can think about is getting the three of you back to the village. Once you are safe, Sam and I will take care of Crowley."
"You and Sam? What does your brother have to do with this?"
"Not tonight, Y/N."
Dean didn't sound angry, and you didn't believe he was trying to avoid your questions. He was clearly just in desperate need of some sleep, and some peace of mind about your safety. When this was all over, the two of you could sit and figure everything out.
You watched him for a moment as the light from the fire danced across his face. His eyelids began to droop, and you didn't think twice about softly calling his name and lifting your arm, spreading the cloak open and inviting him to sleep wrapped up with you.
Dean didn't hesitate. He slid from the chair to the floor and crawled the few feet to wear you lay, warm and comfortable in the thick, soft fabric. He nestled into your side and wrapped his arms around you, and the cloak settled around your bodies, effectively separating you from the rest of the world.
Suddenly, his arms tightened around him and you felt his lips on your forehead.
"You were gone," he whispered. "I came out of Rowena's cabin and you were just gone. I thought you were dead." His voice cracked on the last work and you felt his whole body tense and shudder at the thought.
"I'm so sorry." You pulled him closer to you, not caring how improper your situation was. "I thought...I thought it was the only way to find Grandmother and Charlie." The whole day came crashing down on you, too much for you to process, and you found yourself softly crying into his chest as he ran his fingers through your hair, comforting himself as much as you.
Neither of you spoke again that night, but Dean pressed soft kisses all over your face until he was too tired to move. Then, he simply rested his forehead against yours, noses touching, until you both fell asleep.
The four of you slept through the night. None of you heard the sound of the wolf, howling into the night.
