Chapter 4



Sam continued to follow the scent for what seemed like hours. It had led him to a nearby city that was situated just forty minutes north from Bobby's house. He walked along the sidewalk, glancing down every alleyway in sight, and watched unfazed as every person who passed him gave him weird looks. He could only imagine what he looked like to them. He would either look psychotic or monstrous.

Sam smirked when he noticed that the dead scent was getting stronger. It was almost too easy to follow. Maybe it was a trap? No. He decided quickly, Kate probably hadn't anticipated his change to be so unique, so she laid down her scent for him to follow so he could join their nest when he was ready. Sam scoffed at the thought. Over his dead body! Or maybe now undead body.

The large buildings were beginning to thin out into old worn down apartment buildings. Some as big as seven stores high, with their antique pillars and old crooked windows. Sam realized then that he must be leaving the city. Going into the less populated, less high tech wilderness. Where was he?

Sam stopped dead in his tracks and held his nose in the air questioningly. Something wasn't right. A familiar scent wafted to his nostrils and his eyes widened with terror. It was Dean, and Bobby. They had come this way, and were now following the dead scent too. He almost didn't detect it because
obviously they had taken the Impala, so there scent was masked by the horrible scent of the car. Which come to think of it must seriously be wreaking havoc on the o-zone layer. That car emitted poison for 6 cars!

Sam quickened his pace as he followed the three scents grudgingly. The whole time he was considering what he was going to do with Kate when he got there. In his rage, he hadn't thought to bring a weapon, no machete, no Dead Man's Blood, nothing. A smile crept across this face as he thought about ripping her head off slowly with his bare hands. That would show her just how powerful he really was. The smile suddenly vanished from his face and he shook his head vigorously at the thought. What was he thinking? Seriously, where had that thought come from? His conscious fought against that thought as hard as he could, but it sat so well with his stomach. It felt like it was just the normal thing to do.

Again, Sam quickened his steps and then made a right turn to be faced with an old warehouse. It was brown, and the roofs' shingles looked like they were barely hanging on. The front door was gone completely and the windows were all broken in. It resembled a classic black and white horror movie setting. This place definitely wouldn't survive the next storm.

This was the place, he was sure of it. His keener vision saw that the Impala was parked nicely up the block, and knew that Dean and Bobby were inside the warehouse. If Kate and her nest knew they were in there, well he really wasn't too sure of that yet.

Sam jogged up to the front door and entered. As he stood in the threshold, he noticed that the place looked a lot bigger on the inside. There were cages that contained twelve napping humans and there even was a second level. But from what Sam could see the vampires had been waiting for him. From the shadows of the back beams came five of Kate's nest. Each stood before him with a cocky stance and all of them looked at him with smug smiles plastered on their faces. Three of them were bulky male figures. They weren't as tall as Sam, but definitely more muscular. And two women also stood among them. One of them was Kate, the site of her made the hairs on the back of Sam's neck stand up, and the other female was a petite blond in denim shorts and a tan tank-top.

"Figured you'd find your way here." Kate said with a dreadful smile on her face. Even though Sam hated her with every fiber of his being, he also couldn't shake his respect for her. Why he respected her he had no idea. He figured it was vampire instinct setting in; he wanted to be a part of this nest, this family. But Winchester reason stopped him from giving in. He wasn't like them, not in the least. And he hated Kate, hated her so much it burned his insides.

"Ready to come home, baby?" Kate purred as she slowly stepped closer to Sam. When she stood only a few inches from him, she ran a hand down his cheek, and Sam couldn't help but shudder at the sudden contact. It was cold like a vampires' skin was, but it was also…dare he think it, loving. Like a love a mother had for her child. Sam couldn't help but lean in to her soft touch. Wanting to seek comfort in it. What am I thinking! He thought to himself angrily. Nows my chance! I can kill her now! Rip her head off! Scream, do something! He couldn't bring himself to do it. It felt like it was almost impossible for him to kill her. To her left a hand to her.

Kate pulled her hand away from Sam's face, and then backed away from him slowly. Not once taking her eyes from his. Her stare still held that love in them, but also a small hint of confusion. She cocked her head to the side as she examined Sam. "He's different." She said softly.

Every head in the room snapped in her direction. "What do you mean?" The petite blond asked cautiously. Kate shrugged and then began to circle Sam slowly, as if to examine him further. "He can withstand the hunger, and he's only a fledgling." One of the men shrugged, "So what does that mean?" Kate squinted her eyes in confusion as she came back into Sam's line of site and halted. "I don't know. But I don't like it."

Again, Kate approached him with her eyes locked on his. "It threw me when your brother and your friend walked in here entirely unharmed…I thought maybe when they realized what happened to you they might have killed you." Her voice sounded hurt, broken…worried. This was too weird for him, and yet a chill ran up his spine in approval. He closed his eyes and forced out, "W-where are they?" His voice sounded broken too, not angry or assertive like he wanted. He feared he was losing his mind.

A tiny smile appeared on Kate's face as she ran her fingers through Sam's hair. "All in good time, but I can assure you that they're very much alive. For now." Sam's eyelids squeezed tighter at the contact. What was she doing to him? Why couldn't he fight back like he wanted too?

"You're probably so confused right now, Sammy." Kate whispered into his ear softly. "I'm sure you're just aching to kill me right now…To slit my throat with your pinky finger" she continued with a hint of hurt in her voice, "but your instinct is stronger, isn't it? That much about you isn't different from us at all."

Sam opened his eyes to look at Kate. She was right. It pained him to admit it to himself, but it seemed the instinct was stronger than him. Kate then continued, "Soon…your brother, and your friend won't matter to you at all. All you'll care about is us…your new family. I'm sure it doesn't feel like that now baby, but that's how it is for everyone. And I gotta tell you…you're already my most prized child." One of the bulkier men huffed with annoyance, but no one paid him any mind. All eyes were locked on Kate and Sam in an awed fascination.

"Just come home. Stay with us. Stay with me." Kate whispered as she pulled away from Sam. Sam
squeezed his eyes shut and begged his insides for one sliver of defiance, please just find Dean and Bobby and get the hell out of there! He would even let Dean kill her, as long as he had his own mind. But his body again defied his thoughts as he nodded slowly. Obediently.

Kate nodded in approval and then grabbed his hand gently. "Now we feed." She announced to everyone. The entire nest seemed to chuckle with glee at the statement, all except Sam. He was still in a fight with himself. Kate noticed his lack of reaction and looked at him to be met with a blank stare. She feared that his ever present human emotions would get in the way. So she wrapped her arms around Sam's waist and leaned into his right ear. "Don't fight it, just let go. Feel the darkness in you release." She whispered almost pleadingly. She then lowered her head, and let her fangs slide out. To Sam's surprise, she bit him right in the crook of his neck, causing him to moan with either disgust or pleasure he wasn't really sure. She drank his blood in small sips, not that blood loss would kill him, but it was a way to try to get his humanity to abandon him. To push him over the edge that he was already swaying on.

Sam then gently pushed her off and looked into her eyes with a glint of understanding. His eyes flashed unnaturally, as his fangs slid over his teeth. He growled a little as he lowered himself into her jugular and bit down as hard as he could. Sam stared to drink her blood, and then pulled away suddenly, his face contorted in disgust as his fangs slid back into his gums.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked worriedly. Sam only shook his head. How could he tell her that he couldn't stand the taste of her blood? Or human blood? Or even animal blood? Kate gave him a half smile and then grabbed his hand gently, and led him up the stairs with the other three vampires following suit.

When they arrived at the top step Kate opened the door that seemed to lead to an attic-like room. The door slammed open, and the vampires entered the large room, Sam saw that there were six large hammocks hanging from the rafters. One he assumed was his now. His eyes widened when he saw a tied and gagged, Dean and Bobby laying in the hammock closest to them.

The two bulky vampires walked past the women and Sam to drag Dean and Bobby over to Kate. They dropped the humans to their knees in front of her and she looked down on them with a superior glint in her eyes. She turned and faced Sam slowly. "They're your only ties to humanity. I want you to at least take one of them for yourself." Sam cocked his head in confusion. He didn't trust his voice to ask her what she meant. "I want you to pick one, and feed off him. I do not want you to turn them…I want you to kill them." Sam's insides constricted with fear. Kill his brother? Kill Uncle Bobby? How could he do that? Not only would he not be able to live with himself, but he'd practically have to choke their blood down.

Kate smiled at Sam pleadingly, and then turned her attention to Dean who was kneeling on the floor at her feet, looking up at his brother. She sent a kick to Dean's jaw and smiled with excitement as his head smacked against the ground. She knelt down to get eye to eye with him. "Dean Winchester…you have no idea how I've been waiting for this moment."

Dean rolled his eyes and then looked back up to her with a defiant look in his eyes. "I turned little Sammy here so he could kill you, a lot more slowly than your daddy killed Luther. You remember that don't you?" Kate teased as she grabbed Dean by the collar of his shirt and pulled the gag from his mouth. Dean coughed for a moment, and then chuckled, "Sammy isn't gonna kill me." He said simply.

"Oh?" She questioned halfheartedly. "Sam, why don't you tell her what's up?" Dean dared with a light chuckle. Sam couldn't bring himself to talk. His eyes were fixed on Dean who had a small stream of blood streaming down his chin from the corner of his mouth. How Sam wished he could kill Kate right now. "Sammy isn't like you mooks." Dean said simply, "Vampire, sure…but a vampire who only drinks demon blood." Kate snickered with disbelief, "Oh really?" She asked jokingly. Dean only nodded. "Yup, and last time I checked, I'm not a demon, sweetheart."

"Alright, enough of this. Come on Sam…" Kate said with the last of her laughing fit coming to an end. She looked up with annoyance when Sam didn't make a move. He only stood there looking at Dean and Bobby with pity in his eyes. "Sam!" Kate said angrily. His head snapped up to look at the vampire who had just looked at him with so much love now look at him with anger and impatience. "Feed on them, now!" When Sam still made no move, Kate growled with annoyance and her fangs retracted yet again. "Let me get you started then!" She yelled as she lunged for Dean's neck and bit down. Dean replied with a surprised yelp of pain.

Sam suddenly snapped at seeing Kate feed off his brother. The rage inside him welled into something more blinding. All instinct seemed to have been pushed to the farthest reaches of his mind. He held his hand out, and let the familiar and welcome surge of electricity flow beneath the skin of his arm "Let him go!" Sam demanded venomously. Kate only shook her head and chuckled, "This is for your own good Sammy." Kate said softly as she plunged into Dean's neck again. Sam was again frozen to the spot as instinct slammed back into his brain. He wanted Dean to be a vampire, to be a member of his new family. What am I thinking? Sam grasped desperately. No, I don't want Dean to live like this! What the hell! All Sam could do was watch blankly as Kate fed from Dean. And Dean looked into Sam's eyes with a silent plea to help him.

Sam watched horror stricken, as Dean's eyes began to flutter shut from lightheadedness as he lost blood at a rapid pace.