"No, Sam, everything's fine here," I answered sharply. "You don't need to check up on us."
"It's been three weeks and they're still not gone, Y/N," he responded curtly, clearly frustrated by my refusal. "Dean and I are getting worried."
"Dean almost just died like three times. He got electrocuted for God's sake. I should be headed to wherever you idiots are to check up on you!"
"Absolutely not. Dean and I are fine, stay with your pack and we'll come to you."
"Jesus Christ, Samuel, you are not coming here and involving yourself with my pack and a couple monsters who don't know you," I hissed out. The mammoth on the other end of the line was finally silent for once.
"Y/N?" I jumped at the voice.
"Dean? Did Sam hand you the phone?" I asked, voice squeaking softly at the sudden intrusion. He chuckled at the obvious question.
"Yeah he did, got fed up with you I suppose," I could practically picture his smirk. "Listen, if you don't want us coming out to make sure if you're alright, I'm fine with that," I sighed in relief. "BUT-" and at this, I groaned. "- at least come on a hunt with us. It's been almost a month since we've seen you. A hunt can't hurt, right?"
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Dean-"
"And bring the dumb blond one with you while you're at it. I'd like to meet him, maybe set him straight."
"I'm not bringing Marcus with me," at this, I turned to said dumb blond, who was lounging on the couch and watching as I paced around the kitchen. Dean was right, it had been nearly a month. Caeden was good to go at this point, but the two newest mutts continued to stay in the bunkhouse, although at the opposite end from the others. Caeden remained silent and wary, following Marcus around like a shadow. The latter was cheery, making an effort to get along with the others.
The facade hadn't dropped yet, but Marcus was making his uneasiness and lack of confidence more known. But, despite his worries, he seemed content to stay for the time being. It took some convincing to ease some of the tension from Caeden, although not nearly enough to relax the quiet man.
I glared at Marcus and he smirked back, delighted by my reaction. He wasn't a bad wolf, in all honesty. Cocky as all shit, but a good fighter and willing to help around the house. Perhaps that's why I let him stay, despite him not having said a word about potentially joining the pack.
Caeden, on the other hand, was a different story. He was moody, but not unlikeable - in fact, he got along rather well with Sasha and Andrew, although Booth was still rather cold to them both. But Caeden's allegiance fell with Marcus, and I had to admit it made my fur stand on end to think there was a mutt running around my pack that wasn't one of mine.
It surprised me how quickly my mind changed from wanting nothing to do with others of my kind to feeling threatened by the presence of another around my family.
"Y/N? You there?"
"Yeah, Dean, I'm here," I answered as I propped the phone up on my shoulder again and continued marching around the kitchen with a bowl of cookie dough in my arms. "Sorry, I'm helping Andrew with something."
"Andrew's the kid, right? The chef?"
I smiled, "Yeah, and he's a damn good one too."
"Well bring him on the hunt then," Dean replied light-heartedly. "From what I've seen of him, I feel like he could use a good fight." My face fell at this.
"If anyone's going to teach Andrew how to fight, it's going to be me or Booth."
"You could teach him all about the teeth and claws side of it, but I could teach him the old one-two," he laughed and I heard a swish from the other end of the phone, almost like he had done the moves himself.
I chuckled. "I think I can handle that too, Dean, but thank you for the offer." He hummed in response and I heard a loud plop, almost as if he had dropped onto a hard cushion - likely a motel bed. "Where are you now, Winchester?"
"Saginaw, Michigan," his voice sounded clipped, as though he was unsure of himself. "Sammy had another vision." My eyes widened at this and I put the mixing bowl on one of the countertops, straightening the phone and holding it against my ear.
"What'd he see this time?"
"Weird stuff going on in this house. He saw a garage first, smoke in it, one of the family members dead. We scoped out the house and didn't see anything-" I heard a clatter from behind me and saw Marcus leaning against the edge of the counter, holding the spoon I had been using on the cookie dough to his mouth, a smirk resting on his lips. I growled at him and motioned for him to put the spoon. "- Sammy had another vision later of one of the other family members getting his head chopped by a window."
"A window? You've got to be kidding me."
"Nope," he answered, popping the 'P'. I turned back to Marcus and frowned, seeing him lick the batter off the spoon. He smiled guiltily.
I pulled the phone away from my ear and covered the mic. "If you don't put the spoon down right now, I'm going to shove it up your scrawny ass," I hissed. Marcus tilted his head a bit and grinned.
"Never expected you to be the kinky one."
I scoffed and returned the phone to my ear.
"Listen to this, Y/N," Dean continued, "There's no sign of anything paranormal in that house. No graveyards to native rituals, no curses or murders. Nothing. Zilch."
"Poltergeist maybe?" I heard another loud clatter behind me and turned to see Andrew tossing the now 'clean' spoon into the sink, a sheepish-looking Marcus looking back at him. Andrew looked furious, and Marcus was quickly learning not to mess with the younger man's food, much to my amusement.
"Don't think so. But, we wouldn't mind the help, if you could come down - or I guess drive up - and help us out."
"I think you've got this one covered, Dean," Andrew's ears pricked at the mention of the eldest Winchester. He seemed rather excited to meet him again and was very curious about the brothers. "But so help me God, Dean Winchester, if you get hurt I will tear you limb from limb."
He hummed in response. "Sorry sweetheart, I've heard that threat loads of times. Pretty much used to it by now."
"In that case, maybe I'll just turn you into my own personal chew toy. Or even better, keep you here and let the pack snack on you from time to time."
"Getting to see you every day doesn't sound too awful to me."
My face flushed and I took a few moments to recollect myself, jaw going slack. I shook my head to clear my thoughts before speaking. "Let me know when you guys are done with this hunt. Maybe I'll see you on the next one."
"Noted. I'll catch you later, fido."
"Stay safe, Winchester." I hung up and put my phone back in my pocket. I whirled around with my hands on my hips to face the two troublemakers, only to find more than two sets of eyes staring back at me. "When the hell did you all get here?" I asked, eyes widening in surprise.
"When you started blushing," responded Marcus. "It was pretty cute you know. What'd your boyfriend say now to get you so worked up? Something sexy?"
"Shut up, Marcus," countered Sasha. Although small, she was turning out to be a little ball of wrath. "That's her business."
"You're just saying that cause she's your alpha," Caeden said dryly for the first time that day, backing up his partner.
"No, I'm saying that because she's my friend," she snapped back, head held high in defiance. Sasha, for all her loving personality, did not tolerate disrespect or even a hunt thereof. He scowled up at the two much taller men, dark eyes reminding them of their temporary place within the pack. An involuntary shiver ran up Marcus' spine, which he quickly covered by ruffling his hair, the movement distracting from his uneasiness.
"Thank you, Sasha. I appreciate it, but it was really nothing." I looked pointedly toward Marcus. "He's not my boyfriend, and he just said something that caught me off guard."
The blond shrugged. "If you say so." He suddenly clapped his hands together rather suddenly, making even Booth jump. "You know what we should do tonight? We should all go hunting!"
"Sounds like a fine idea to me," agreed Booth, rolling his shoulders. "I wouldn't mind going for a hunt."
"We went hunting only a few days ago. We don't need any more food," added Andrew, looking rather confused by the sudden change of subject.
"Then how about a chase?" suggested Marcus, a wide grin spanning his face.
"A chase?" I asked, cocking a brow.
"Yes, a chase! We split into teams and chase each other. It's like... what is it humans call it, capture the flag? Your teammates can get captured and you have to rescue them while still defending your territory."
"We could use deer hides as our flags," offered Andrew, giving me a hopeful look. I looked among each of my pack members, searching for any sign of opposition to this. Finally, seeing none I turned back to Marcus.
"Why are you offering up a game so suddenly?"
His smile widened if that was at all possible, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. He chose his words carefully, mulling them over before they slipped easily off his irritating tongue. "Can't I have some fun with my pack?"
Caeden stiffened.
—
The teams were set, with Booth, Andrew, and myself on one team and Sasha, Caeden, and Marcus on the other. Sasha didn't seem all that excited to be partnered with the two newbies, but she promised to do her best and try to have fun.
The game was taking place in the woods around the glade. Sasha's team's skin had been placed somewhere to the west, whereas ours was to the east. We were given a limited range, to run in, sort of like boundaries for the game. If a player was captured, they had to go back to the glade and wait to be rescued.
The sun was setting down, its pink rays dappling the horizon and golden clouds resting over the treetops. It would be dark soon, a time when skinwalkers did their best work.
"What's the plan here, boss?" chirped Andrew, practically skipping along beside you.
"I think we should have Booth stay around the skin," I answered coolly. Booth whipped around to look at me in confusion. "You're better at running short distances quickly, and you fight more defensively. I've seen you take down a deer, Booth, you're not built for long-distance." He quirked an almost challenging eyebrow at this, but nodded.
"Then what should you and I do?" Andrew chimed again. His eyes were lit with an almost childish joy. Sometimes I would forget that he was only barely an adult, but moments like this made me remember.
"You are built for speed, unlike Booth," I said with a teasing look over my shoulder at the silvering man. Booth scoffed and crossed his arms. "So I think you should help me herd them. Push them towards me, and I'll catch them. We can press forward into their territory and hopefully get their skin without too much trouble."
"What if one of us gets caught?" Booth questioned.
"Then Andrew will go rescue them. He's the fastest, and he's not likely to get caught - but if he does, then I'll go."
"And what if you both get captured?"
I turned to him, a wide grin on my face. "Then you'd better fight like hell."
I turned sharply, hearing a loud howl to the west, signaling that the game was starting. I yipped in response, saluted my beta, and took off into the woods at a dead sprint, Andrew hot on my heels.
I gestured to the left and made a motion for Andrew to shift. He nodded back and jumped into his russet form and took off towards the left, while I veered to the right. I slowed my pace and eventually walked slowly through the woods, still having yet to shift. It could be a while until someone made a move, so I stood and waited.
—
I shook my dark, furred head, the brown undertones receding with the waning light of the sun. It was twilight now, and it was steadily getting too dark to see in my human form. I paced through the woods and listened for an inkling of movement, hearing none. Not even a mouse burrowing beneath the fallen leaves.
I heard a crash to my rear, and before I could fully turn to face it I was knocked to the ground with a paw on my throat and a pair of jaws near my ear, snarling at me. I snapped and twisted, kicking my back legs up with enough force to roll over and pin my attacker beneath me. I snarled and was met with an equally vicious growl.
Caeden swiped up at me, with a brown, wiry furred paw, connecting with the side of my jaw and pushing my head away. I hissed and smacked my right paw against his cheek, causing him to yelp and throw his hind legs up, pushing against my sternum. His legs shook under my weight, as my furred form was much larger than his. I snapped at his throat, struggling to connect my jaws with his neck.
In a whirlwind of teeth and claws, I was tossed to the side, a small scrape running down my shoulder and Caeden rushing towards me. I lept, meeting his chest with mine and pushing him over backward. He fell onto his back with a whine and rolled onto his stomach. I stood over him and sunk my teeth lightly into his scruff, pulling the loose skin gently. He growled in response, but didn't resist. He had been captured.
The two of us shifted back and I got off of him, allowing him to stand. "Sorry, Caed. Maybe Marcus'll rescue you."
"Doubt it," he said, running a hand through his short locks. His eyes had returned from their vibrant blue to a dull brown that neatly matched his skin tone, his short, wiry hair sticking up at odd angles. "He's probably too busy getting your skin from Booth." He smirked and briskly walked away from me, headed towards the capture zone. "That was a good fight, L/N. Looking forward to a rematch at some point."
"I think that's the nicest you've ever been to me!" I called after him, unable to hide the smile blossoming on my face. He stiffened at my words.
"Don't get used to it," he growled out over his shoulder before disappearing into the woods. In the distance, I heard his howl signaling to his team that he had been captured.
—
The game finally ended, after what felt like hours of playing. In the end, Marcus had been caught trying to rescue Caeden, leaving only Sasha guarding their skin. Andrew, to my surprise, had been caught as well before I encountered Caeden. He had apparently run right into Marcus, who had reacted quickly with jaws around Andrew's neck. The boy was fast, apparently too fast for his own good.
We had all returned to the main house now, faces flushed from running, but still excited by the night's events. Andrew had pulled some homemade ice cream from the freezer, and it was surprisingly delicious. Together, we sat on the couch laughing with each other and enjoying our ice cream.
"He came out of nowhere!" Marcus exclaimed cheerfully, laughing his head off and his wavy straw-colored hair bouncing wildly. "I just heard this weird thumping and then suddenly BOOM! There was Andrew, flying towards me! Not sure how I reacted, but the next thing I knew I had my teeth around his throat."
Andrew laughed at this and held his bowl in the air, like a small salute. "I didn't even see you there. I just knew I had hit something and then all of a sudden I was on my back!"
The group laughed heartily, Marcus playfully bumping the younger skinwalker with his shoulder. "Andrew, you think running into Marcus was scary, imagine Booth and Y/N charging you out of nowhere! God, it looked like she was almost flying, I swear, her paws weren't even touching the ground!"
I chuckled at this and brushed a lock of hair out of my face. "It felt like I was flying, honestly. I was so set on winning at that point."
"I could hardly see you, let alone keep up with you," Booth praised. "It was so dark that I thought I was going to lose you in the woods. My legs still ache from keeping up."
I laughed heartily and grinned at him. "You needed the workout, old man, I teased, bumping his shoulder affectionately. "You're getting soft in your old age."
He growled playfully. "I bet you wouldn't say that if you and I took a turn in the ring." I chuckled.
"Try me, I bet I could knock you on your ass any day." The group erupted into laughter once more at this declaration. I pointed to Caeden from across the group, narrowing my eyes in jest. "You and I need a rematch before you two head out – that fight was far too short for my liking."
Caeden nodded slowly, not meeting my gaze – a common occurrence with him. Before he had a chance to answer, Marcus spoke up. "Who said anything about 'heading out'?" he questioned and flashed a cocky smirk. My eyes widened at his declaration, heart thumping loudly for just a moment.
"You mean you two are planning to stay?" Andrew asked gleefully, having taken a shine to the two men.
"If you'll have us," Caeden remarked somberly, his tone low, almost as if he was still unsure of it. Marcus lightly placed a reassuring hand over his partner. "I'm still not one-hundred percent. It's always been just Marcus and I."
"We had discussed in the past never joining a pack," Marcus added, suddenly all seriousness. I frowned at his words, watching his mind slowly turn as he thought up an answer. The groups fell silent, waiting for him to continue. "We've both had a few rough experiences. But..." he fell silent for just a moment and gave Caeden's hand an affectionate squeeze. "I've always wanted a family – both of us had. This is the closest we're going to get, and, unfortunately-" he green eyes lifted to meet mine in a sturdy, accepting gaze, "- I trust you."
My heart hammered at that as my jaw went slack. These two rogues trusted me? My stomach flipped. Perhaps Missouri was right – maybe I was doing something correct. I couldn't help the soft, gleeful smile that spread on my cheeks. They trusted me.
"If you'll have us," Caeden tacked on curtly, staring down at the ground. His jaw was tight, his shoulders squared. He seemed content in his decision, but the pains of the past would always weigh on him. He was unsure, lacking confidence. I set my jaw, knowing it would take time to prove my worth to him.
The six of us sat in silence, my three original companions open-mouthed with surprise. I inhaled sharply and brought an excited grin on my face, in spite of the nerves that wracked my body. "Of course, you two are welcome here!" I exclaimed.
In a flurry of motion I was suddenly dragged into a hug, the six of us crowded so tightly there was hardly space to move. A bubbly laugh escaped me as I pulled them closer, heart thudding with a sense of joy and relief. My family had just grown again, and I couldn't have been more excited.
3401 words.
Who's your favorite pack member, so far?
Edited 04/27/22.