“Help,” Dean said as you answered the phone. Your first thought was he was in trouble. “I have no idea what I’m looking at,” he said as you chuckled.
“Dude, I wrote it down exactly for you so you wouldn’t have this problem,” you said. He sighed and mumbled.
“Well, I forget the paper at home. Just tell me what you need and quick,” he said a little nervously.
“It’s the feminine product aisle, Dean. Not a vamp’s nest,” you said.
“Rather be with the vamps,” he said under his breath. “Why is this aisle so damn big?”
“I need pads, I’m good on tampons,” you said, hearing Dean move in the aisle and say excuse me to someone.
“Well there’s only a gajillion different kinds and brands and I keep being in everyone’s way,” he said, with some panic. You told him exactly which brand, and had him tell you what the color the box was.
“Okay, you’re in the right area at least,” you said as you started to tell him exactly what you were looking for.
“What?” he said when you’d finished.
“You have to read the labels, Dean. The packaging all looks the same. It says just what I told you,” you said, sensing his frustration.
“Why is every box designed the same fuckin’ way,” he muttered.
“I believe in your ability to read four words and trust me, those women are not judging you. I swear I’m not trying to make this hard for you,” you said as he muttered to himself before you heard him gasp.
“Got it!” he said a little loud. “And people are staring at me and smiling like I’m an idiot and now I’m getting out of here,” he said, moving so quick you could hear his footsteps.
“Thank you, Dean,” you said. “I’ll make you a pie for your harrowing efforts.”
“Wait a minute now. How many more pies do I get if I go back and embarrass myself further?” asked Dean cockily.
“Y/N,” you heard Sam say as your eyes wandered away from the lore book in front of you and over to Dean. You flickered them back and Sam gave you a smirk. “Find anything?”
“No,” you said, forcing yourself to continue to research. But not two minutes later, you were staring at Dean again who seemed lost in his own thoughts.
“Maybe we should take a break,” said Dean, without turning around. “Someone’s a little distracted back there anyways.”
“Yeah, Sam,” you said, pretending to read as Dean spun around.
“Excuse me but I wasn’t the one checking out Dean’s backside for the past ten minutes, little miss innocent,” said Sam, crossing his arms.
“Pff, I was not. I was looking at the research on the wall,” you said as Dean raised his eyebrows.
“Research is up there, Y/N,” said Sam, pointing upwards on the wall. “Although it looks like you were doing some for your personal collection,” he said, pointing lower and lower.
“Y/N?” asked Dean with a devilish smile. “Were you checking me out?”
“No!” you said, staring at your book like it would somehow save you. “Maybe. Shut up,” you said as you blushed furiously. “I’m going to get some food.”
“I’ll join you,” said Dean, grabbing his coat as you took the lead, feeling his eyes glued to your backside just as yours had been on his. “You weren’t the only one getting distracted,” he whispered with a smile as you headed out the door, a groan from Sam falling over you before you were left alone.
“When we gonna tell him?” you asked as you walked over to Baby. Dean laughed.
“Pretty sure he’s already figured it out. But it’s kind of fun to sneak around,” said Dean as he climbed in.
“Sneaking around with you Dean Winchester, is one of my favorite things,” you said, giving Dean a quick kiss as his lips curled up into a smile.
Most of the time after hunts, the boys came home with a few bumps and scratches. Occasionally, they needed stitches. Rarely would they actually show any sign of pain. Never had Dean come home with a face beat to hell and no words to accompany him.
“Is he...Sam what happened?” you asked, Dean already walking to the bathroom to clean up. Sam didn’t look so great either but at least he’d said hi to you.
“He got his ass kicked. He’s not used to that,” said Sam. “Can you get him to talk? You’re good at that,” he said softly.
“I’ll check you out once I know he’s okay,” you said, giving Sam a smile that told him to rest while you were gone.
“You got it boss,” he said, taking slow steps forward. “I’ll be in my room.”
When you were sure he could make it there on his own, you quickly made your way to the bathroom you and Dean shared. He was struggling to get out of his over shirt, his shoulder looking like it had a nasty gash in it.
“Sit,” you said, dragging a stool over. Dean’s eyes said he could handle it but he wasn’t in the mood to fight and simply did as told. You used a pair of scissors to cut away the shirt, it was ruined anyways. You did the same to Dean’s tee until he was sitting there in just his jeans. “Baby...”
His back was covered in bruises, his chest the same, a few cuts, some large, others small scattered around. His arms were scratched up, his knuckles split open. His cheeks were swollen, cuts around his eyes. He had dried blood in the back of his hair, had dried blood everywhere, hiding even more welts you were sure.
You got him out of his pants, sighing as you saw a deep and jagged cut along his thigh.
“You stay right here and I’ll be right back,” you said, trying to run your hand gently on top of his head, finding another bump there. Dean stayed quiet as you left, telling Sam to start getting himself cleaned up as Dean would take some time.
You’d cleaned up Dean before, just as he’d done for you. But never had he looked defeated, avoided your gaze. You did your best to wash him without causing pain, his sharp inhales of air the only indication that even that small act was tortuous for him. As you focused on the larger wounds first, you wished Cas was around, that he could heal your poor baby. But he wasn’t and Dean was looking to you to take care of him, even if he wasn’t saying it.
It took a long time, longer than you expected, to stitch, clean and bandage everything you could. You would have made some joke that he looked like a mummy if it weren’t so painfully true. Dean changed into loose pajamas as you helped him, carrying most of his weight as you got him into your room and sat on the edge of the bed.
“I’m going to check on Sam,” you said, dashing out of the room. Thankfully Sam wasn’t as bad as you feared and he was half-asleep by the time you got back to him. “Drink this baby,” you said, handing Dean a glass of water filled with crushed up pain-killers when you made the trip back.
He drank slowly, as if that hurt him too, but were glad when he had the whole glass and then some. But he was still looking at you with sad eyes and you didn’t understand why. From what Sam had said, you’d saved the victims.
“What’s the best way for you to lay down?” you asked, seeing Dean shift to want to lay on his back. You smiled as you helped him, pulling the covers over top so he wouldn’t have to move before you crawled in beside him. You rested a hand on the top of his pillow, only your fingers gracing the top of his head, the motion not appearing to cause any discomfort.
“I’m sorry,” he said with a scratchy voice.
“For what?” you asked.
“You told me to never come home like this. To not be stupid and don’t get in a fight I have no chance in hell of winning,” he said quietly, tilting his head so he could feel more of you against him.
“You came home, that’s all that matters,” you said, kissing the top of his forehead that had come out unscathed.
“Thanks,” he said, easing some, his breath slowing as the medicine started to kick in.
“Get some rest, Dean, I’ll be here when you wake up,” you said, giving him a soft smile he couldn’t see but instead felt. In a few minutes, he was passed out, the look of pain gone. “I got ya.”
Summary: The reader is trying to enjoy her vacation in the rainy forest in her cozy cabin when an unexpected heat comes on. But things turn dangerous fast and she needs the help of a local forest ranger to get out of it. But she wasn't expecting his help to include claiming her and being her true mate. Because something isn't right and her Alpha is keeping something from her...
Masterlist
Pairing: Alpha!Dean x Omega!reader
Word Count: 5,300ish
Warnings: language, life threatening medical situation, angst
A/N: Please enjoy this first part!
_______
This was not an ideal situation. You’d finally done it and taken that solo vacation in the mountains. A cozy cabin in a retreat from the world. The trees had turned already and were bare but the damp, cloudy rainy day would have been perfect to curl up by the wood fireplace and get through that stack of books you’d been meaning to.
Except your heat, your heat that’d always been on schedule since you’d started having them, was three fucking weeks early. You didn’t have any medicine besides a few pain killers meant for headaches, not dangerous cramps, and the cabin only had basics meant for allergies or a cold. You needed heat suppressants soon if you didn’t want to go into a full heat.
Which again, wasn’t an ideal situation since you didn’t have a flippin’ mate.
You could have tried to trek back to civilization through the winding dirt road but it’d taken two hours on the way in. Two hours of intense cramps? No way were you making that drive.
“Shit,” you said, walking slowly to the service room on the lower floor of the cabin where a radio at a table sat. Because of course you wanted to vacation somewhere without people, that meant no cell service either.
A rumble of cramps passed through you, warmth flaring your insides. You gritted your teeth and grabbed the radio, turning the frequency to the ranger station listed on the sheet on the table for emergencies.
“Hello, uh, forest service? I need help,” you said, closing your eyes as pain radiated up your spine. You frowned for a moment, the radio crackling. “Hello? I-”
“This is station 327, Ranger Winchester. What’s the emergency?” asked a strong, serious voice. You bit your bottom lip as you imagined he was an Alpha, your core quivering at the idea of getting a knot. “Mam? Please respond.”
“M-My heat’s early. It’s real bad and I have no medication. I-I’m in the Vrbo cabin off route 37, Mount Dusk I think it was called. I-”
“This line is for true emergencies. Your heat being a few days early and you being an unprepared Omega is not-”
“Listen asshole,” you snarled, gasping when your stomach threatened to curl in on itself. “It’s three fucking weeks early which everyone knows isn’t normal. I need a fucking heat kit, a strong one, or a fucking knot now and since I’m out here alone, all I got is your ass. So get me my shit and-FUCK!”
You dropped the radio as you bent over, falling to your knees. Something was wrong. Heat’s didn’t come on this fast, not even when you scented your true mate.
You could hear noise through the radio but your head was thrumming, your body grateful for the cold wood floor below you. It wasn’t possible to die from a heat, was it? If you let the fever go you supposed but it took days and days for that to happen and you’d only felt crappy for an hour. Yeah, you’d be just fine. This guy would bring you medicine and you’d be fine.
Right?
You blinked open your eyes when you heard glass break. Crap, you’d passed out for who knew how long. The overwhelming scent of Alpha hit you and despite the pain, you shot upright, staring at the man in the wet raincoat as he reached his hand through the broken pane and undid the lock. He froze when he saw you, his own scent shifting subtly. A hint of fear under the surface.
“Jesus,” he mumbled, raking his eyes over your sweat drenched body. He took off his backpack, pulling out a white box and a bottle of water, cautiously setting them on the ground and sliding them over to you.
“I look that bad, huh?” you said, ripping open the box and finding the medicine you needed, knocking it back with a swig of water.
“You’re in heat and I don’t want to be accused of doing shit I didn’t,” he said. You narrowed your eyes, hand fisting in your own shirt over your stomach. That shouldn’t have been happening still. Heat medication worked instantly. “What’s-”
You fell over again, clutching your abdomen, head spinning, body going haywire at his scent.
“Please,” you whispered, finding his hard eyes. “I’ll give you whatever you want. I-I need you to-”
“I can’t.” A wracked sob slipped past your lips as something in your broke, pain flooding every single cell. You just needed a knot and it would be bearable. He muttered to himself and quickly you were in strong arms, your own wrapping around him shakily. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“I’ll pay you,” you whispered, hating how that sounded but he simply carried you out in the pouring rain, the cold air helping your skin not feel so hot.
“I’m on Novi-Alpha. If I knotted you,, you’d fucking die so I’m sorry but I can’t help you like that even if I wanted to.”
“I’m gonna die from this fucking fever anyways!” you shouted as he opened the backdoor of a rugged looking jeep.
“One’s a chance, one’s a guarantee,” he said, setting you down, your arms still clinging to him. He eyed you, forcibly grabbing your wrists and pulling them away. “You will not die, understand me? Now let me get you to a hospital.”
You reached for him but he moved away too quickly, closing the door. He ducked into the cabin to retrieve his bag before he was behind the wheel.
“Honey Dusk Hospital is aware you’re in a dangerous heat,” he said, turning the jeep around and driving down the dirt road, way faster than you had.
“Don’t kill me in a fucking car accident on the way,” you groaned, squeezing your eyes shut.
“This vehicle is meant for these roads, unlike your car. We’ll be on route 37 in thirty minutes, at the hospital in forty five.” You threw your head back, his musky scent filling the small space.
“Distract me,” you breathed out. “Fuck you smell so good. If you weren’t on Novi-Alpha, I’d climb you like a fucking tree.”
“Whoa lady. Calm down-”
“Don’t lady me. We’re like the same fucking age.”
“You say fucking a lot, you realize.”
“You have your insides tearing apart and tell me you wouldn’t be cursing-” You shouted, bracing yourself against the door panel, feeling him step on the gas harder. “What the fuck is happening to me?”
“...I have an idea,” he said quietly. You flashed open your eyes, looking at his incredible scruff covered jawline, his gaze focused on the bumpy, wet road ahead.
“What? Are you a doctor? Are-”
“No. I only know my basic medical training.” He frowned, rounding a tight corner. “It’s probably not a heat and you’re just sick.”
“I know what a heat feels like thank you very much.” You shivered violently, the ranger sighing. “What’s your name?”
“Dean Winchester. Try to rest. We’ll be there soon.”
The ranger’s suggestion to rest had, shockingly, not worked. By the time you were speeding down this small town’s streets, you were shaking so hard you literally couldn’t stop. Dean had reached back more than once as he drove with a handheld thermometer, muttering a few f-bombs to himself.
At least he wasn’t the one with a hundred and five temperature. A hundred and five and a half to be exact. You were pretty sure your heat was about to boil the fuck out of you and kill you within the next hour.
Dean said something but you didn’t hear him over your screaming. The next thing you knew he was ripping open the door and running inside a hospital with you in his arms, nearly tripping into a stretcher where a team was waiting.
“She’s fucking dying,” he said as he set you down, the team of doctors and nurses rushing you into a side room.
“You said this heat came on suddenly?” he asked Dean, someone sticking a thermometer in your ear.
“106. She’s too hot,” called out the nurse, the doctor near Dean rushing over, the team suddenly pushing you out of the room and down the hall. You were shoved through a pair of double doors into a bathroom, a silver high walled tub in the corner.
“I got her,” said Dean, lifting you up and plunging you into an icy cold bath. You screamed as it burned your fiery skin, his hands on your shoulders forcing you to stay inside. “Look at me. Look at me.”
You couldn’t get the words out, taking in his green emerald eyes for the first time. His scent was still all around you, pine trees and vanilla beans, a cozy campfire and aged whiskey, fresh tobacco and soft linen. Your brain went fuzzy, blood pumping in your ears, thrumming in time with your heart. Was it getting slower? Your eyes were getting heavier, that was for sure.
But he smelled so pretty, so…homey. Rugged. Yours.
“We’re losing her!” someone shouted, just as one last image of his concerned face crossed your mind.
You felt strangely…blissed out when you woke. Satisfied, like you were after being on the receiving end of a knot but also relaxed and floaty, like when you finished a heat. It wasn’t exactly a problem your heat had passed but you remembered a whole lot of pain and a high fever which wasn’t normal.
So what the fuck had happened?
You stretched in bed and sat up, a doctor in a white coat stepping into the room with a smile.
“Y/N! Glad to see you awake. It’s been a few hours. How are you feeling?” he asked, gently taking your wrist and checking your pulse.
“Uh, pretty good actually. I take it my heat’s gone?” He hummed, raising your arm up, feeling under your armpit.
“Yes. There’s not many cases a year but some Omegas do unfortunately have a negative reaction.” The doctor put two fingers to your bonding gland on your neck, your eyes narrowing. Why would he be feeling that?
“What are you doing?” you asked as he pulled them back, glancing at a monitor.
“Just checking your bond is healing.” You stared at him, the doctor glancing down with a sigh. “You don’t remember, do you? What happened before you passed out in the tub?”
“I remember being dumped in ice cold water and a whole lot of people shouting but that’s it.”
“You didn’t pass out immediately. We determined while you were on the way here that your heat was triggered by the fact you came into contact with your true mate. Ordinarily, you would have picked up on this yourselves but your Alpha is on medication that has strong side effects. Namely, he was only vaguely aware of who you were through scent but there was no desire to mate as would be the norm. For you, unfortunately there is no recognition on a level that you’re aware of. You understandably would not know you went into heat early because of your true mate.”
You reached a hand up to your bonding gland, wide eyed when you felt…something. You flew out of bed, the doctor trying to stop you but you were quickly in the small bathroom, staring in the mirror.
“What the fuck is that!” you shouted. On your neck was a fresh, pink, bite mark. Someone had fucking claimed you. You angrily spun around, the doctor holding up his hands. “What kind of hospital is this! I’m suing the fuck out of you and this whole place!”
You caught a whiff of something…delectable, an Alpha’s scent somewhere close by. It calmed you, ever so briefly, the doctor sighing.
“The man that brought you in-”
“The ranger guy.”
“Yes he…well he…there’s no easy way to say this. He is your true mate. Ordinarily we would have used medication to mimic your true mate’s scent but seeing as he was there…when he was told he would be able to claim…” he said as you stalked out, eye twitching. “We were losing you and receiving a claim bite from your true mate was the fastest way to bring your fever down. In emergency situations, true mates are allowed to make medical choice for you if you’re unable-”
“He wasn’t my mate then,” you growled.
“Physically, no but on a metaphysical level, yes. Frankly, the health of my patient, you, is all I care about. We’d like to observe you a few more hours before discharging.” You crossed your arms, narrowing your eyes.
“So my heat is magically gone and some random dude hanging out in the hall is now my Alpha?”
“That’s the more blunt way of putting it. We’ll send home medication to suppress your urges to mate physically. Your Alpha will be unable to knot you until he has completed his Novi-Alpha prescription.”
“And when will that be?” you asked, tilting your head. The doctor frowned. “When?”
“...You don’t know what Novi-Alpha is prescribed for, do you. That is a discussion for you and your Alpha.” You wanted to argue but he lifted his chin. “Please let me finish my examination and determine if your heat had any consequences.”
Three hours later they finally let you leave, a white baggie in hand that held a bottle of pills you were to take once a week for the foreseeable future. There were well over a hundred inside which made you more than queasy.
What the fuck was Novi-Alpha and why did a guy that looked more than healthy need to be on it?
You frowned when you stepped outside under the covered front entrance, the ranger standing from where he sat on a bench.
“Hey,” he said quietly. “How are you feeling?”
“I didn’t give you permission to claim me.” His scent shifted, an edge to it you didn’t like. He narrowed his eyes, a frown growing on his otherwise handsome face. “Oh, don’t you start on that we’re true mates shit. You didn’t ask for my consent.”
“Excuse me but you were the one begging for it,” he quipped back. He took a few steps away like he was heading for the sidewalk, suddenly turning on a dime and getting in your face. He breathed heavily, clenching his jaw. “You don’t feel…this and I get that it’s my fault. I barely feel it myself. And I frankly don’t care about your consent. My mate was five minutes away from death.”
“Oh, I did not sign up for some toxic asshole,” you said, shaking your head. You took a step, Dean grabbing your wrist. He looked ready to snarl, lip curling up.
“True mates are never, ever bad mates. Stop hating me for saving you.”
“I don’t even fucking know you. This whole situation is your damn fault in the first place.” He twitched his eye, yanking on your arm so you stepped forward. “Get off, ass-”
“I am your Alpha and I’m taking you home,” he said, tugging you along after him, your feet cold on the wet ground, socks already soaked through.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” you growled. Dean whipped around and in a second, you were tossed over his shoulder. “Dean! Put me down!”
“You’ll wear yourself out if you don’t calm down.” You growled, punching his back twice. You raised your fist again but felt dizzy, your hands instead gripping him tightly. “Did you listen to the doctors at all? You need to take it easy.”
“Just take me to my cabin,” you grumbled. He didn’t speak again, only grunted once when he opened the passenger door of his truck to slide you inside. You were too tired to deal with this crap. You’d go back to the cabin, sleep for a solid twelve hours and figure out this mate crap tomorrow.
The roads were unfamiliar as Dean drove in silence, winding and twisting as he drove away from town and off a small road. It was a gravel road unlike the one to your cabin but you perked up when you saw a cabin in a small clearing after only a few minutes.
“Uh, that’s not my cabin,” you said. Dean put the truck in park, turning it off. “I was out on Mount-”
“This is my house…our house,” he mumbled the last part. You shook your head at him, Dean rolling his eyes. “You need rest, not to sit in a car for hours. I’ll get your shit from that rental and bring it here. We’ll figure out the rest of your crap from wherever you’re from later.”
“Excuse me? We’re mates, as much as that appalls me. We make decisions like where to live together. I have a job, a life-”
“We live here. End of discussion,” he growled. His scent was raw, twitchy. There was no room for arguing. You were ready to fight back but you forced yourself to calm down. He was your true mate and as much as you hated to admit it, he had a point. True mates were never bad to one another. He wouldn’t harm you but good god was this guy protective.
You frowned when he held up a finger to you and got out. He threw up his hood, rain coming down harder. In a flash he was at your door, picking you up bridal style and rushing you over to a covered porch. He set you down to unlock the door, flipping a light switch before he stepped back. You walked past him, surprised to find the cabin quite spacious and modern.
He disappeared behind you, returning with your white paper bag, now wet. His boots were removed and you peeled off your soaked through socks, following him slowly as he went to the open kitchen area on the right. The bag was set down, Dean moving to his fridge and taking a few things out.
It was open concept, kitchen on the right, living room on the left, a dining table in the front by the windows. There was a hallway in the back and one off the kitchen, probably leading to bedrooms and a garage. A large fireplace was nestled in the corner of the living room and you saw Dean cross into your vision, going to it to toss in a few logs.
Honestly, it was nicer than your rental had been.
Once he had a fire going, he turned back to where you stood on the front rug, water dripping off of you. His lips pressed into a thin line, looking you up and down not like an Alpha would his Omega. No, he was being very clear.
You were the stray that’d followed him home he hadn’t wanted.
“I don’t have to be here,” you said when he approached, staring up at his dark eyes. “This isn’t normal. We’re supposed to be all over each other and clearly we’re not. We-”
“There’s a stew going on the stove. It’ll be ready in an hour. Just leave it alone.” He put a hand on the small of your back, walking you down to the back hall, motioning you to the last door on the left. He flipped on a light, cascading you into a cozy bedroom with soft white bedding and a dark green flannel blanket on top.
He cleared his throat and went to a closet, pulling out a few pieces including a t shirt, hoodie, sweatpants and pair of boxer briefs.
“You should warm up in the shower. Bathroom is right there. The laundry room is on the other side of the house, near the kitchen and garage. It’s coming down harder so it’ll take me a few hours to get to the rental and back here. You should-”
“Take it easy. Yeah, I got that.” He nodded, pausing at the bedroom door with his back to you.
“If it’s any consolation, I’m sorry this happened to you. You don’t deserve it.” You quirked your eyebrow up.
“You’re my Alpha. We’re soulmates. I guess this is supposed to happen.” He was still, the air thick. “I…listen I know I was…I wish I’d been aware of what I’d been saying but…”
He smelled tense, his hand in a tight fist by his side. What the fuck was up with this guy?
“Whether we like it or not, we’re mates,” you said gently. “When you get off that medicine, it’ll feel different-”
“I can never get off it and I can never knot you. You’ll never feel a damn thing for me.” Then he was gone, tearing down the hall and out the front door before you could even move.
An unpleasant shiver ran down your spine that he was right.
Your feet moved on autopilot to the bathroom, stripping out of the wet clothes and standing in front of the nicely tiled shower. In seconds you were under hot water, cascading down your back, through your hair. Fingers reached up to your neck, rubbing over your bond.
There were no sparks or flurry in your veins. You were supposed to be able to feel Dean, feel your connection, feel his soul.
But there was nothing. All you felt was empty.
You couldn’t feel the other part of your soul and he blamed himself.
“Fuck that,” you said, quickly finishing and getting dressed in the clothes aside from the sweatpants that were too long.
You found his computer in one of the spare bedrooms, stealing it along with a notepad and pen. Out in the kitchen, you settled into a seat at the island and drew a line down the middle of the pad. One side for information about Dean, the other Novi-Alpha.
With a quick stretch, you cracked open the laptop and got to work.
Three Hours Later
It was dark by the time headlights flashed through the front windows. The computer said it was just after six thirty and you knew you were about thirty seconds away from an argument. Ah, what a wonderful way to spend your first night with your Alpha.
Out of view you heard the door leading from the garage to the house crack open, wet boots against the tile in the mudroom.
“I’m back!” he called from around the corner. “We’ll unpack your stuff tomorrow. How was…”
Your eyes darted over to the hallway he exited from, his socked feet padding his footfalls on the woode floors that covered the rest of the house. He stared at where you had his laptop, a charger plugged into the side of the island, a stack of papers next to you, your notepad, pen, three different highlighters and a cup of coffee.
“Are…are you working?” He asked, face souring. “You should be resting. I thought you were here on vacation anyways.”
“I am and this isn’t work related.” He narrowed his eyes, not saying anything as he went to the sink on the other side of the island to wash up.
“Did you eat yet?” You shook your head, typing some more. A heavy sigh left him. He went to a cabinet, pulling out two large bowls. “You really should have eaten something. You nearly died this morning. Your school project can wait.”
“I’m not in college,” you said, jotting down a few more notes before you saved what you’d been working on and signed out of your account. You closed the screen, watching water trail down from his wet hair and soaking his shirt collar. “Why are you wet?”
“Because there’s a thunderstorm outside. It rains here most days,” he said dryly, giving you a side glare as he walked the two bowls of stew over to the kitchen table. You cocked your head at him as you got up, Dean quickly retrieving utensils. “What?”
“You parked in the garage just now and my cabin was far enough away that you’d be dry. Where’d you stop on the way back?” He slammed the drawer shut, eye twitching. “Strike a nerve?”
“I asked you to do one thing. One thing. Rest. And y-you’re writing a research paper or some crap? Sit down and eat your damn dinner.” You would have told him off but truth be told, you were starving a bit. You took your bowl and moved it to the seat across from his, Dean angrily setting down a spoon. A few moments later, a large glass of water was in front of you and he had a bottle of beer on his placemat. Dean sat with a loud thud, shoveling a large spoonful of food into his mouth.
“Why are you wet?” you asked again, crossing your arms.
“Why does it matter? Fucking eat.” You leaned back, Dean dropping his spoon in the bowl. “Really? This is how it’s gonna be? I’ve been nothing but nice-”
“If this is you nice then I’d hate to see you mean.” You raised your chin, picking up the spoon. “I’ve always heard alpha’s protective instincts are unmatched. You can barely feel whatever this bond is and you’re so worked up-”
“I almost watched you die today.” You closed your eyes and sighed. A small noise made you open your eyes, Dean sliding a small white box over to you. You frowned, lips parting when you saw the newest iPhone inside. “I got you a phone on the account your other one was in your pocket when you took your artic dip. I rushed to the store before they closed. That is why I’m wet. I’d never want you to feel like you’re trapped here, especially when you can’t feel our ‘whatever bond.’”
“Thank you,” you said quietly. You ate in silence, the only sounds coming from the rain on the roof, the clanking of spoons and the quiet thrum of a soft rock station in the living room.
He seemed…stressed. Maybe you should wait for the morning to bring up what you’d found.
But you didn’t get the chance when he picked up and glanced at your notepad. Green eyes scanned over the pages before he gathered up everything you’d been working on.
And tossed it straight into the fireplace.
“Hey!” you shouted, rushing over as he stopped you in your tracks. He leered down, eyes dark. “That was-”
“You will delete everything you saved on that computer. Now.”
“You can’t-” He gripped your arm tight, so hard he was shaking it.
“Do it or I will make your life hell.” He released you, spinning you around towards the computer. You didn’t believe he’d hurt you. True mates were incapable of it. But you didn’t want to tempt him anymore than you already had.
Ten minutes later, your backup was gone and after a through examination by Dean, he took the computer and tossed it into the fireplace as well.
“I know you have questions,” he said quietly, back to you as the flames danced around the melting device. “I never should have gone hiking this morning. You caught my scent in the wind and-”
“Why would you go hiking in the pouring rain? It was raining this morning too. I had my coffee under the covered porch but it was coming down like bullets. No one would be out there willingly.” He turned and faced you, eyes roaming over your body, stuck on how his boxer briefs molded to your legs.
“In another life, we could have been happy. I would have given you everything you asked for. But not this one. I will keep you safe but that is all we are. We don’t get our happy ever after until we’re both dead.”
You swallowed, stepping into the living room, stopping a few feet away. “You hurt my arm just now.”
“I know,” he said, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again as long as you don’t do stupid things.”
You were getting angry again, Dean holding up his hands. “Stupid shit like try to know my new Alpha who just left me all alone? Sorry for trying to look up your damn social media. Asshole.”
Dean dropped his hands and went back to the fireplace, poking the computer with a poker, shaking his head.
“The more in the dark you are-”
“I’m a corporate forensic analyst, Dean,” you said, Dean’s shoulders stiffening. “Those notes on the computer? In that pad? Those articles? You can burn them all but it’s in my head. I don’t need the internet anymore to figure out what’s going on.”
“And what does your analysis tell you?” he grit out.
“Novi-Alpha is a cancer medication specifically for Alphas. But you don’t have it and never have. So why would an otherwise healthy Alpha take it? Well, it apparently has other uses that the public doesn’t know about…if you’re willing to live with the side effects. Side effects like knotting becoming a deadly activity to the person on the receiving end. The inability to feel your mate. Scent changes. And my personal favorite, if taken without the binding agent that’s given for cancer treatment, it changes your DNA coding without changing your DNA. Apparently law enforcement doesn’t want that news to get out there because it’s a bitch to catch people if they find out they can change their DNA on tests.”
You grabbed his arm and made him face you, a loud crack of thunder echoing in the room. Dean breathed calmly, eyes finding yours.
“Why are you taking medicine to change your DNA?”
“Because I did something bad, Y/N.” He got closer, pressing his chest to yours, forcing you to tilt your head. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
Fingers brushed over your cheek, thumb swiping over the curve of it slowly. “Because your true mate is a monster. And once you know the truth, you’ll want to run away…and I don’t think I’m strong enough to let you go.”
The air was thick with his scent, dark yet pleasant. Painful even. You leaned into his touch, Dean’s green eyes widening ever so slightly.
“Novi-Alpha prevents Omegas from feeling their true mate. But I know you feel me.” You closed your eyes, breathing him in. “You have to tell me the truth eventually.”
“No I don’t,” he whispered.
“You’ll tell me,” you said, opening your eyes, Dean’s hand sliding down to your mark. “Because I’m in danger if you don’t.”
He shook his head, pulling away from you. “Don’t pull that crap, Y/N. You’re safer not knowing.”
“Right. That’s why you burned everything just now.” He looked up, like someone else would magically tell him what to do. “You need to protect me. It’s your job. So you have to tell me the truth, Alpha. You have to.”
He laughed quietly, running a hand through his damp hair. “Using my title to get what you want. Manipulative. Maybe you were meant for me.”
“Dean-”
“The Ranger.” You raised your eyebrows at him, Dean wandering to the dark window.
“Uh, what? This is because you’re a forest ranger?” He laughed again, crossing his arms.
“No. I do that because…it’s a pretty isolated job. Small town work.” He looked to his right, a sad smile on his face. “The Ranger. That was my name when I had a different job.”
“That’s not a name…” you said, Dean shrugging. “What’d you do when you were The Ranger?”
He smirked, meeting your curious gaze. “Have you ever killed anyone?”
He slowly stalked back to you, tilting his head. He leaned in close, glancing at your lips. “N-No, can’t say I have.”
“Ever kill an animal?”
“I hit a squirrel with my car once. I cried all night for that.” Dean rested his forehead against yours, his scent rolling off of him in powerful waves. “D-Do you hunt animals?”
“No.” He brushed his lips to the shell of your ear, his pulse strangely calm. “Now people, that’s a different story.”
A/N: Wrote this 7 years ago and forgot about it. Whoops
_______
“Y/N, where are you sweetheart?” you heard Dean taunt from somewhere in the bunker. Of course you had to be alone, Sam and Cas just had to go out together to get some more blood. You were going to kill Sam if you ever saw him again, forgetting the last bag you’d needed to turn Dean all the way back...he should be praying you didn’t get a hold of him.
A door slamming shut nearby made you shudder. Dean was getting closer to your hiding spot and you knew beating him when he wasn’t some super strong version of himself was difficult enough.
“I just want to talk to my, Y/N. I know you’ve missed me,” he said, voice only a hall away. You could risk running from the closet you were in, try to conceal yourself in some dark corner. It’d be pointless though, Dean was too good right now and he’d hear.
You titled your head up, holding in a groan as you heard Dean find your hall. Your eyes widened as you got an idea. You wasted no time, not caring about the noise you were making as Dean chuckled and you saw the light under the door be blocked out.
“Found you,” he sang, trying the handle at first but finding it locked. You nearly fell as you felt Dean ram his shoulder once and then twice into the door as it flung open. “Now where...” he trailed off as he didn’t see you in the small space.
“Up here,” you said, staring down from where you’d managed to pull yourself up into the air vent. It was gross and dark but for the first time since Dean escaped, you felt safe. He’d never fit, no matter what traces of demon he had left in him.
“Just when I thought we were done playing,” he said darkly. “Smart, I’ll give you that. But I’ll see you in a few minutes sweetheart,” you heard him say as he disappeared with a wink. You crawled further into the vents, toward the other side of the bunker, aiming for the garage when you started to feel warm, very warm.
“Did he...” you trailed off as you pushed on towards the garage, ignoring the heat. When you got there, you found the vent blocked, a heavy tool chest in front of it that you’d never move. And so it went, every vent you tried, Dean had put something in front of it or bolted right over it, all the while the heat got so bad the metal was beginning to hurt your hands. He’d turned the furnace to the max, the air barely breathable as you made your way back to the vent you came up in.
You hid out of view as long as you could stand it, until your lungs burned for cool air and your skin was begging for any kind of relief. You debated staying there but knew Sam and Cas would be home soon. You could handle Demon Dean for fifteen minutes. You had to.
Ungracefully, you slipped out of the vent, falling back to the closet floor, knees smacking hard as you let out a whine, the cold floor a nice reprieve. Until you saw a pair of boots step into view.
“Hi, Y/N,” said Dean, a hand in the back of your shirt pulling you up. “You’re coming with me.”
Warnings: explicit language, video game violence (Grand Theft Auto), Mark of Cain, fluff
A/N: Enjoy!
_____
"Son of a fucking bitch! Get back here you little prick." Dean growled at the television screen, gripping the Xbox controller in his hand so tightly you thought he might snap it in half, his thumbs working overtime on the joysticks.
"Dean, it's just a video game, chill out. It's probably a little kid." You said, plopping down on the couch next to him in the Dean Cave.
"Hence, why I don't have my headset on." He motioned to his hair that was still fluffy after his shower.
He always got too carried away when it came to video games especially when he'd spent the better half of two hours building a virtual car to resemble his beloved Impala nearly to a tee. Just for it to be destroyed by this random player online who continuously harassed him afterwards. It was actually pretty hilarious to watch since Dean sucked royally at video games.
"Hence?" You teased and laughed. "Look, just do your own thing, he'll leave you alone when he gets bored."
"No, no. No! This kid has dented my Baby for the last fucking time." Dean declared, firing off a few shots before the guy easily took him out again.
"Ugh, boys..." you rolled your eyes and shook your head.
"What? I was just building my car and- MOTHERFUC-"
"Dean!" You gasped, half laughing, half outraged.
He always had a dirty mouth, but this game definitely brought out the worst in him. You'd only gotten him the new Grand Theft Auto thinking it would provide him with an outlet for his anger and the Mark, but it just seemed to do the opposite.
"What? He did it again, Y/N!" Dean fumed, about to throw the controller across the room.
"Just give me the controller, De."
It took you a matter of thirty seconds to locate the player and obliterate him and his fancy rocket car. Handing Dean the controller back and helping him pick his jaw up off the floor.
"How'd you do that? And you made it look so easy." He breathed, rubbing the Mark on his forearm as his anger started to defuse. You shrugged and shifted closer to him, Dean wrapping you up in his arms so you could sit in his lap with his legs around you. "Thank you," he pressed a kiss to your cheek and went back to customizing his car; the only reason he seemed to enjoy the game in the first place.
"Anytime, baby." You snuggled back into his chest, letting him cuddle you as long as he needed.
