Seventeen
Sam had been in the library all morning, books and papers scattered across the table. He'd woken up around sunrise, determined to get a head-start on the day's search for the summoning ritual. So far, it was a quarter past eleven and he'd come up with absolutely nothing useful. With an exasperated sigh, he closed his laptop as he dragged a palm across his face. The sound of faint gurgling reached his ears, and just like that Sam was reminded he'd neglected to feed himself.
"Sounds like someone skipped out on breakfast."
He lifted his gaze from the table to find Alaine sauntering toward him, balancing a plate of sandwhiches in her hand. He smiled, watching as she approached.
"You heard that?"
"How couldn't I? It sounds like your stomach's trying to digest itself."
Sam chuckled. "Yeah, feels like it too."
"Lucky for you, I come bearing gifts. A couple of turkey and cheese sandwhiches on whole wheat."
Alaine set the plate down in front of him, smiling as he nodded his thanks. She moved to the other side of the table and sat across from him.
"So, what have you been up to?" she asked. "Any leads yet on the spear?"
Hungrily, Sam picked up a sandwich from the plate and took a generous bite, chewing slowly. "Mm, nothing yet on the spear. I did find us a case though."
"Really? What's the lowdown?"
"Three disappearances, all males in their late twenties. Happened a few days ago on a camping ground in Russellville, Arkansas."
"So, they just upped and vanished?"
"Seems like it. There was no sign of a struggle at the campsite; all their belongings were still there when the cops showed."
Alaine's brow furrowed slightly in thought. She leaned back in her chair, her thumb tracing the outline of her bottom lip as the gears in her brain turned. "Sounds like it could be a wendigo."
"I thought so too, but there would've been signs of a struggle."
"What are you thinking, Sammy?"
The younger Winchester took another bite of his sandwich and shrugged. "Don't know really. It could be a number of things, but I think we should check it out."
"Check what out?"
Both hunter's gazes flickered over to Dean as he casually strolled into the room. He came up beside Alaine, stopping to drop a tender kiss to her lips. She in turn lifted her face toward his and hummed softly in content at the bristle of his facial hair against her chin.
"Mornin', baby."
"Good morning," she smiled as she stroked the side of his jaw. "Sammy's found as a case today. Sounds pretty promising."
Interest sparked in the man's eyes. He pulled away to cast a glance at his brother sitting across the table. "Alright, talk to me, man. Whatcha got?"
Opening up his laptop, Sam motioned Dean over. The elder Winchester left his post at Alaine's side and wandered over to Sam. He hovered behind him, watching as his fingers flew across the keyboard. A moment later, a police report came up on the screen. Dean leaned forward, his hand settling over the backrest of Sam's chair.
"What am I looking at?"
"Missing persons case in Russellville, Arkansas. Three victims were on a camping trip together when they disappeared. Relatives hadn't heard from them in days and called for the police. They were due to go back home last week."
"When did the cops show?"
"Three days ago. There were no sings of foul play, and all of their stuff was left behind."
The wrinkles on Dean's forehead deepened as a frown settled over his brow. "That's weird."
"No kidding. I decided to do some historical digging on the area. I thought maybe the woods could've been home to some ancient burial ground, but turns out that back in the 1600's, the area used to be a camp for European slave trade. The people living in poverty were put to work and bartered for goods. I don't know, we could be looking at some sort of vengeful spirit activity, or it could be something entirely different. I mean, the disappearances have been happening for over centuries. The townsfolk have even reported seeing something lurking around the lake at night."
"Could be some wild animal or something."
"I don't know, man. It wouldn't hurt to take a trip out there and check things out for ourselves."
Dean cast a glance over at Alaine. "What do you think, babe?"
"I'm with Sam. This sounds like something right up our alley."
He nodded and checked his wristwatch before drawing back from the table. "Alright, let's get a move on. Arizona's an eight hour drive and I'd like to get there before sundown."
* * *
Much to Dean's discontent, they trio arrived at their destination half past nine o'clock. They checked into a roadside motel and dropped their belongings off into their rooms before heading back out to grab a bite to eat. Inside the local mom-and-pop diner, Sam and Dean discussed the circumstances surrounding their case while Alaine sat quietly beside the elder brother, her attention on nothing in particular. As she stared out of the window at the empty road, she listened to the Winchesters talk.
"I just can't wrap my mind around what we're dealing with," said Sam from the other side of the booth. "I mean, this isn't usual wendigo territory, unless they've chosen to migrate in the last few years."
"Could be a werewolf," Dean thought.
"I doubt it. Those reports from over time all seem describe the same thing, and from my knowledge, wendigos and werewolfs don't have glowing green eyes."
"What if they evolved, you know, into some hybrid crossbreed or something?"
Sam fixed Dean his signature pointed look. "When have we ever heard of that happening?"
"Listen, right now your guess is as good as mine. We're just gonna have to put all our heads together on this one. How about first thing tomorrow, we go pay the sheriff's department a visit? See what else we can dig up."
"And while we're at it, we can go see the victims' families. We might be able to find out more about those weird sightings around the woods."
"Sounds good. Babe, what do you think?"
Alaine turned her face toward the brothers. She looked between the two men, considering their game plan before giving an indifferent shrug and replying a simple, "sure." She then cast her gaze back over to the window and resumed to stare out of it in silence.
The elder Winchester watched her for a moment, observing as she propped an elbow up onto the table to rest her face against her palm. She looked pensive, her thin brows drawn together almost in deep thought. He took note of this and moved closer to her, his arm curling around her back to pull her into his side.
"You okay, princess?"
Engulfed by the steady warmth of his body, and the lingering smell of his aquatic body wash, Alaine nuzzled against him and sighed her content. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."
"What's on your mind?"
"Nothing really."
"By the looks of it I'd say it's important. You can talk to me, babe. Is something bothering you?"
Alaine shook her head softly before letting it rest against his chest. "No. I was just remembering this old tale from when I was kid. One my mom told me."
At the mention of her mother, Dean sensed her body go rigid in his hold. He glanced over at Sam, returning the knowing look his brother cast him as he curled his arm tighter around her.
The brothers were no strangers to the details of Alaine's past. It was something she never liked to really talk about, and they definitely didn't go around bringing it up. Yet, there were moments like these where they'd find themselves listening to her stories, and Dean would do his best to comfort her.
Feeling her small arms wrap around his waist, the elder Winchester pressed his lips to the crown of her head and kissed her hair. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"I know, but I think it's something you guys should know."
"Okay, baby. Whenever you're ready."
Alaine closed her eyes briefly. She took a moment to breathe Dean in, to let his scent fill her senses and ease the thundering of her heart before she spoke next. "Back when I was a kid, before my mom abandoned us, she told me of a story once. A story about her days as a young girl in Armenia. Her grandmother used to tell her tales of a water nymph that would take the lives of men and children. It would lure its prey into bodies of water with its hypnotic singing to then drown them. She said the nymph was a creature of great mystery and beauty, but dangerous because it was born from death."
"Born from death?" echoed Sam curiously.
"From the drowning of an innocent pregnant woman," she explained. "I know this is pretty morbid, but you mentioned the woods once being a ground for slave trade. Those people were European immigrants, and these disappearances, all involving men, have been happening for hundreds of years. I don't know, I just thought there might be a connection."
"Well, I think you might be on to something. Hell, it'll be our first lead on this case. I say we look into this creature and see what we can find."
"I agree," said Dean. "Let's get our food to go. The quicker we figure this out, the quicker I'll get to put a bullet in it and go home."
Nodding, Alaine nuzzled deeper into the hunter. "Okay."
* * *
The Winchesters and Alaine all gathered into Sam's motel room. With their meals bought from the diner, the hunters sat around the small table, laptops and tablets placed in front them as they ate in comfortable silence. Dean sat at his brother's right hand, his attention shifting from his burger to the lit up screen of his iPad. He'd shoved the last of his fries into his mouth when Sam suddenly looked up from his computer screen and turned to both him and Alaine.
"I found it."
Lifting her gaze up from her chicken salad, she glanced over at Sam. She set her plastic fork down and pushed her food aside, leaning forward in her seat.
"Thank God," she exclaimed in relief. "What do you got, Sammy?"
The younger Winchester, proud of his accomplishment, cast her a smile. "Right, so get this: Legend has it, back in Slavic lore, a creature known as a rusalka was considered to be a 'spirit-like being that took delight in killing men and children.' It would lure its victims to their deaths with its singing, drowning their bodies in rivers or lakes to never be heard from again. It's been said they were known for being either beautiful or 'horrendously hideous,' but had glowing green eyes all the same."
"Son of a bitch." Scoffing in disbelief, Dean set his tablet down. "Looks like your mom's story had some truth to it after all. Alright, Sam. What else did you find?"
"They're pretty much compared to vampires for the same reason they're undead, but unlike vampires, they don't drink blood. They spend mostly the fall and winter dwelling in the water, and spring and summer walking on land. The way to distinguish a rusalka is by the sole fact that their hair will never be dry or else theyll die."
"How do we kill it? Alaine asked.
Sam glanced back down at his computer to further read from the web page. "Uh...it says here we can repel it with salt or iron. To kill it..." The hunter paused, his brows furrowing tightly.
"Come on, Sam," urged Dean from beside him. "Now's not the time to keep us in suspense."
"Sorry. For us to stop it, we're gonna have to eliminate the object of its revenge."
"In other words, we're gonna have to kill someone," Alaine clarified for him.
Sam nodded. "Pretty much."
The elder Winchester quickly objected against this. "Okay, we're not killing anyone. You gotta give us somethin' better than that."
"That's all I've got, Dean. From what I'm seeing, there's no other way."
"No, there is. There's always another way."
"Yeah, and so far I'm not seeing it."
"That just means you ain't lookin' hard enough," Dean countered. Pushing his chair back, the hunter rose from his seat at the table. He collected the remnants of his dinner, moving across the room to toss it into the wastebasket. "I'm callin' it a night. Babe, you comin'?"
Alaine hesitated, her eyes drifting away from her moody boyfriend to the half-eaten salad in front of her. She gave it a longing look, then glanced back over at Dean who stood impatiently by the door. Deciding fast, she gathered the plastic bowl into her hands along with her bottled water and bid Sam a quick goodbye before following Dean outside.
Upon walking into their shared motel room, the hunter made a beeline for his duffel bag. Alaine turned toward the mini fridge to store away her unfinished dinner as Dean gathered a small change of clothes and headed into the bathroom. Quietly, Alaine chose to undress. One by one she took her clothes off, the pile at the edge of the bed growing until there was nothing left for her to remove. She then dumped those same clothes into an empty compartment in her gym bag, and trailed into the bathroom.
Inside, Dean was already in the shower. She sauntered across the room, her hand reaching for the edge of the curtain as she moved to pull it aside. At the sudden rush of air hitting his back, the hunter whipped his head around to find Alaine clambering into the tub behind him. Their eyes met, and he cast her a warm smile, turning so that he faced her.
"And to what do I owe this surprise?"
She edged forward as his large palms settled over her hips. Fixing him a smile of her own, Alaine brushed her fingertips over his chest, spreading the soap and foam across the broad expanse of muscle. "I just thought I'd help save some water by coming in here to shower with you.
"Mm, that so?"
A small shudder rolled down her spine as Dean's hands snaked over to her ass. She sucked in a deep breath, filling her senses with the envigorating aroma of citrus and sandalwood that filled the shower. It was calming and arousing all in the same, and she stifled a soft moan of excitement as Dean's hands caressed her body. She felt his strong fingers creep along her back, massaging its way across her skin. They traveled up her spine to her shoulders, gently kneading, and skimmed down her arms. His tender touch brought forth a second moan from the depths of her throat. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes in efforts of silencing it.
Slowly, Dean's fingers continued their descent. They stroked the back of her hands, and trailed along her flat tummy as his head dipped and his mouth caught hers. He heard the small gasp she let slip as his arousal nudged against her body. Smirking, Dean's hands dove for the junction between her thighs, finding her point of pleasure and stroking languidly.
"You've no idea how long I've waited for this," he purred against her lips. In an instant, Alaine was reduced to a whimpering mess before him, small pleas and breathy moans leaving her in shuddering exhales. With both his middle and ring fingers, Dean dipped inside her entrance to gather some of her arousal. She gasped again, this time her hands clawing at his chest.
"Dean!"
Deliberately, he eased in and out of her. Coating his fingers in her essence, he spread it all over her throbbing sex, massaging her little bundle of nerves. He then pulled his lips away from hers, his tongue moving to encircle her earlobe.
"I've dreamt about this. Fucking you in the shower, filling you with my cock. Imagine what it'd sound like, what it'd feel like to have me inside you right now."
His voice was a sensuous rumble that caressed Alaine in ways she didn't know were possible. Heat flared inside of her, and her legs turned to gelatin as his expert touch left her so suddenly. She forced her eyes open just as his hand curled around the base of his shaft. She watched him give his massive length one full stroke, and almost fainted when he moaned against her ear.
"Dean, oh my God..."
"Open up for me, baby. Let me feel how wet you are."
All Alaine could do was sigh and dig her nails into his shoulders as one large hand gripped the back of her thigh and hiked her leg up to his waist. Suddenly, the wet ceramic floor of the tub disappeared beneath her as Dean lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her limbs around him, her mouth diving for his the moment he eased her down onto his erection. The abrupt penetration pushed the air from her lungs as he ground his hips up into her. Crying out in bliss, she held onto Dean for dear life, and soon enough found herself climaxing harder than she'd ever had with Dean trailing not too far behind her.
It wasn't until a little while later that the couple finally settled for bed. They'd stretched themselves across the mattress, naked and fully sated in the comfort of each other's arms. In the dark, they listened to one another's breathing, the soothing sound lulling them into a state of relaxation. Alaine had nuzzled further into Dean's body, her face burrowing into the hollow of his throat as his fingers combed through her damp locks. When he spoke, his voice had been soft, his breath a gentle whisper against her temple.
"Baby, what the hell are you doing to me?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" she asked, her lips brushing softly across his skin. She splayed a palm over his chest, feeling the subtle rise and fall of Dean sighing.
"Everything just feels so intense, like...I don't know. I ain't so good at this."
"It's okay, just say what you feel."
Dean paused. Say what you feel...Was it really that simple?
"You're all I think about, all the time," he then murmured as the hand in her hair came to a rest at the base of her skull. Angling back, he tilted her face up to his. "I remember sorta feelin' this way back when we were kids. Day and night, you were all I had runnin' through my mind; made me feel like I was losing it. The only difference now is...I guess the way my heart feels like it's about to burst out my chest whenever I'm around you. Before, I used to get those—what do you call 'em—butterflies, and now it's like a whole nother feeling. I don't know if I'm making any sense."
"You are." Smiling, she offered an encouraging nod, urging him to continue.
Relief quickly replaced the small flutter of unease in his stomach. He pressed on. "I know we haven't been at this long, but what I feel for you, I've been holdin' onto for years. You...you're everything that's good in this jacked-up world, everything I need. Just...whatever it is you've been doin' to make me feel this way, don't you ever stop."
As Dean's mouth descended onto hers, Alaine felt her body react to the effect of his words. She welcomed the new kind of warmth filling her heart with tenderness. It was at this moment she realized she was in love with Dean and would do anything to keep him with her forever.
Wrapping herself around the nakedness of his body, Alaine pulled him close and whispered lovingly against his lips, "I won't. I promise to promise."