A/N—Thank you for the patience and awesome reviews everyone. I will inform you that this is the next to last chapter. Yes, only one more chapter left and I think it will answer some questions…and open a LOT more for discussion. BUT I have decided that I am going to write a sequel. The title of that story will be 'Redemption's War' and will take place in the last few episodes of season five, and yes it will have Allie and our beloved wolfy, Traiden in it. With the boys as well of course. (How could they NOT be in it.) I have actually started working on it but it may be a while before I post it because I would like to make sure I have my plot and everything situated. Just bare with me people, I'm a little new to fic writing and I need to adjust. In the mean time please enjoy this chapter! Reviews are always appreciated. ;)

Chapter 6

"Wake up, precious. Time to wake my sweet."

Sam's voice penetrated the black fog in my head, but I instinctively knew something was wrong. One side of my head throbbed from being hit and a strong copper taste coated my tongue. I was sitting in a wooden chair with my hands tied behind the back of it. Also, Sam never called me 'honey.' I opened my eyes to see Sam's smiling face leaning down over me…and an unconscious Sam and Dean tied in chairs behind him. I drew in a deep breath to fight off the chill racing up my spine.

"You're not Sam." I stated quietly.

The pseudo Sam pursed his lips. "No, I am not," he smiled and flexed his arm, "but I'm really starting to like this form. He's so strong and tall…not to mention that this shape is pleasing to you. I thought you might like it, considering your infatuation with this male of your species. You may even call me Sam if you like."

"How about I just call you devil? Maybe Shadow?" I didn't know if being sarcastic right now was a good thing but coming up with something snarky was making me think clearly. I glanced at Sam and Dean and saw their chests rising and falling. Feeling a shot of relief that they were alive, I shifted and felt ropes dig into my wrists. Shadow had chosen the weaker chair to sit me in but I knew I wouldn't be able to break the thing even if I wanted to. Just as I was thinking that he had to have disarmed me, I felt something hard dig into my arm as I bent it. My forearm knives.

Shadow gave me a wicked smile and leaned in even closer. "I used to adore that name the local savages used to call me by. But it just doesn't seem right coming from your lips." He leaned in closer and threaded a lock of my hair through his fingers, bringing it to his nose. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep draught of air. "Such a sweet smell."

Well, that wasn't unnerving at all. I was as stiff as a board as he leaned away and I couldn't help the trickle of disgust that leaked out of my eyes. He saw it and smiled.

"You'll get used to me, I know. After you spend enough time with me I'll make sure you'll adore me."

I stopped trying to asses the situation and looked up into the Shadow's face. "And why would I spend enough time with you to get used to you?"

A wide grin spread across his face until it was almost disjointed and I glimpsed rows of needle like teeth. "Well, you are my mate after all. We're going to be spending so much time together that you'll love me before to long."

I felt myself ice over and I doubted even Hell would unthaw me. I looked past the Shadow to Sam and Dean, trying to focus my mind on something less horrifying. "What did you do to them?"

The devil looked at me in surprise. He turned and looked at the brothers with an air of disinterest. "Oh, nothing really. They'll wake up with a headache but not much else. I find that the traditional way of putting a person to sleep can be much more satisfying at times then my own way."

Meaning you hit them over the head. Anger filled me at the thought of one of them hurt because of me, of the thought of this creature violating my home. I opened my mouth to let the thing have it when an unearthly noise came from outside. I stopped and looked at the front door as something huge rammed into it. What the freaking crap. I looked over at Shadow and was surprised to see mild annoyance cross his face. It sighed and looked at me crossly.

"Your little wolf isn't very happy with me. I believe he's out for blood."

I looked at him and wondered if I had gotten stuck with a crazy monster. It had seemed pretty lucid beforehand, if a little delusional, but there was no way that that could be Traiden outside.

A low keening sound filled the night and made pure adrenaline crash through me and I jumped as the thing slammed into the door again. A ripping snarl followed with the thud of large padded feet running around the house.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I said, letting out a snarl of my own. "What's the purpose of doing this?"

In a blur of motion, the shapeshifter had a hold of my chin in a painful grip that wouldn't let me loose. An angry gleam appeared in his eyes, Sam's eyes. "The purpose of this is that I've been waiting for over five millennia for you. Year after year I have searched for a suitable mate but all that I have chosen have been wrong, weak and unfitting to even be called a companion. Then, twenty-seven years ago your parents brought you home and I knew that you were the one. You were not but a babe wrapped in cloth, but I knew. And a babe of wedded hunters."

My eyes grew wide in disbelief. He smiled at me viciously. "Oh, yes, I forgot you didn't know your family's little secret. Even your big brother kept it from you. I don't suppose there's any harm in telling you now.

"Your father and mother were renowned hunters. If a hunter didn't know them personally they made sure to know their names and deeds. Josiah and Naomi Roe were a deadly force to be reckoned with, and you can imagine the hunter world rejoicing when they announced they had brought a son into the world. Your older brother, Aaron Roe, was taught how to use all weaponry at age four and was taught several styles of martial arts by the age of seven. He killed his first monster when he was just six years old. Nine years old and he became the youngest active hunter in the world. He helped his parents with everything.

"And then you came along. You were a surprise, Allie. They weren't expecting another child but sometimes things just happen that way. Something changed when you were born, their way of thinking and hunting slowly began to transform. They started thinking of their precious little girl's welfare, and they decided to retire from hunting. Surprisingly, it was your older brother that first mentioned and enforced it. So they moved out here to the country intent on raising this child different, better.

"But that ingrained training wouldn't go away overnight. With a father that had a military background and a mother who was a jujitsu and martial arts master, there was no way that you wouldn't be trained to some degree. They made the excuse that it was self defense for you, something that every young woman should learn. True to the Roe legacy you learned quickly and were soon a master at hand to hand combat, at most weaponry, and martial arts. Your parent's were proud of you and, to a degree, so was I. You grew into an amazing woman."

Suddenly, Shadow's grip on my chin tightened painfully and he leaned in close and hissed. "And then you left me! You left for a college to the north, hundreds of miles away from me! You cannot imagine the rage I felt, but I controlled it, thinking you would be back after you finished. Six years went past with only a brief visit for your brother's funeral and I still held onto that hope. Until one day I overheard a conversation with your mother. You had found a job. You weren't coming home."

His grip constricted painfully so that my eyes pricked with tears. But I was dead inside and didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing emotion on my face. My parents…were hunters. Suddenly, so many things made sense. Why I went through training that would make the Navy Seal's Hell week look like a walk through candy lane, why dad had had strange visitors in the middle of the night asking for his advice on strange problems…why I had had a brother who would forbid me from watching anything supernatural. Mom had always said during martial arts that it never hurt to be prepared to fight anything. I didn't realize then that she truly meant anything.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sam and Dean stiffen and noticed their arms were moving slowly. They were awake and trying to get loose.

And they could hear.

"The rage I contained for six years spilled out," Shadow continued, "and it was just bad luck that your parents decided to go for a hike that afternoon. I just couldn't help myself. I honestly don't quite remember everything but I do remember their screams. It was just so much more satisfying when you came home to help search for them. You had the most training in tracking so you were the first one there to find them and so you were horrified at the scene you came upon. But you stayed home after the funeral and I knew I had done the right thing."

At each word he spoke I felt a slow, black fury spreading through me, reaching down into a place I didn't even know I had. "You killed my parents?" I asked flatly, as I used my fingers to smoothly slip one of the knives out of its sheath and started cutting the ropes.

"Oh, yes. It was amazingly easy. I killed your mother first, letting your father watch as I ripped her apart. Your father I killed slowly, peeling his skin away from muscle and muscle from bone." He closed his eyes and let out a satisfied breath. "That was a wonderful day." Sam lifted his head a fraction and I could see the same black fury that was in me on his face. Dean was letting his untied rope drop silently to the floor as Sam finished his. I felt a satisfying snap of my rope as something rammed against the door again, quieting the noise of the soft snip. I slipped a second knife into my other hand and suddenly wished that the creature outside would join the fun.

I looked up at the creature's face with pure hate. "You made the fatal mistake of telling me this. I will not stop until you are dead by my hand. I'll make sure you understand what true pain is. You will never have any peace for as long as you live and you will forever look over your shoulder in fear. I promise you that."

Hatred spread through Shadow's face and out of his hands long, black claws formed from his fingertips. He drew his hand back as if to strike me when the door suddenly cleaved open. Traiden stalked through and I gave up the pretense of being tied up any longer as I stood and backed away several paces. Traiden was huge. I had no possible notion as to how it happened but he had grown in size. His back looked as if it were at my shoulders. But it was his eyes that made me back away from Shadow and I noticed that Sam and Dean were doing the same. The molten gold color was startling enough, but the unlimited intelligence shining from them unnerved me even more. And they were locked straight on the shapeshifter.

I glanced back at Shadow and stopped to stare at its flickering form. He was facing towards Traiden, his face twisted in hate and…fear? It hissed at Traiden and took a few steps back, steps that Traiden matched. I saw an opening when the Shadow paused for a fraction of an inch, indecision twisting its features. I let fly my first knife and it hit home in its chest.

An unearthly screech filled the house and made me cover my ears. Traiden positioned himself to where he was closer to me then to Sam and Dean, a move that I was sure of was to protect me. I wouldn't have that.

"Traiden," the wolf's eyes never left Shadow, but one of his ears flicked back to me. "Protect Sam and Dean." Both ears were strained to me now and I had the strong impression of disapproval coming off him, but he obeyed. He shifted his weight and somehow was across the room before I could blink. I looked back at the Shadow, ignoring the looks on Sam and Dean's faces, expecting to see Sam's figure.

I was wrong.

The creature had transformed into its true form and I couldn't help but take another step back. The humanoid shape was long and wiry, over seven feet tall, and reminded me greatly of the aliens on Signs. The only difference was that this monster was covered in dark brown scales, like a snake and thin reptilian eyes gleamed balefully at me. Its mouth opened and I saw rows of black needle like teeth.

"You think this is over!" It hissed, "It has only just begun! I will have you and you live in agony with me for eterni—" It choked off at a gurgle as a knife protruded from its throat.

My face was like a stone slab, and my eyes were even harder. "I don't think so." I looked at Traiden and said a command that I never trained him in, never uttered, but I knew he would know it.

"Traiden. Kill."

The wolf didn't hesitate as he swiveled on his heels and launched himself at the monster. They collided and grisly sounds screamed through the room. I spun suddenly as something struck my shoulder and I realized the creature was trying to get at me as Traiden was trying to kill it. Another blow and I felt skin rip and blood flowing down my arm.

"Allie!" Sam shouted but I was too busy dodging swipes to look at him. Somehow the creature was managing to hold off Traiden and advance at me at the same time. Hateful determination solidified in its eyes. Claws ripped through my side as I was to slow to move. Traiden let out a ripping snarl in frustration and I heard Sam yell again, with Dean adding his voice.

Emptiness seemed to enfold me until I heard nothing, saw nothing but what was in front of me. My only thoughts, were left, left, right, duck head, move left arm, dodge right blow. It felt like an eternity before it all just stopped. I stood, gasping, staring at the mangled form of the monster on the floor. Its neck was twisted at an odd angle and its face was warped in dying hatred. Did I do that? Did I break its neck? My mind raced but the memory escaped me.

Traiden stood over the body, barely breathing hard, with dark slashes of blood against his white fur. I then looked up to see Sam standing next to Traiden, blood covering his forearm, reaching out as if to steady me. My eyebrows drew together in confusion. I had held my own against a creature who could obviously move faster than any normal human, was definitely stronger than any normal being…so I should be dead instead of standing in the middle of my mangled living room.

"Sam…?" I whispered quietly, reaching out for him, but at my first step my knees buckled and I fell to the floor. Sam let out a cry and caught me before my face made impact with the corner of the coffee table.

"Allie, you hang in there." Sam rushed, "It's over now, its dead." My head felt light and I could feel the bruise from where the creature hit me throbbing. I blinked a few times, trying to stay awake at Sam's insistence, especially when Dean loomed over me threatening that if I didn't stay awake he was going to wreck the piece of junk I called a truck.

But then, from blood loss, exhaustion, and who knows what else, I let my eyes slip close and not even Sam shaking my shoulders could convince me to do otherwise.

oOo

The stench of burning flesh smelled. Even after the smoke had cleared it lingered. It clung to my clothes, my hair…my skin.

I stared out the kitchen window and watched Dean throw his duffel bag into the Impala's trunk. Early morning light filtered through the window and a cloud wasn't in sight. An ironic mockery from what I was feeling inside. I winced as I shrugged my shoulders and shifted my weight.

After I had passed out I somehow managed to bring myself back to life and talked an insistent Sam and Dean not to take me to the hospital. After the bleeding stopped, they reluctantly agreed that the wounds would just need bandaging. I had claw marks running from my left shoulder, down my breast, and across my stomach, along with a few deeper marks on my right side. It had been highly embarrassing—and slightly amusing—when I found I could not bandage myself and that I needed help. Sam had volunteered and he had blushed blood red the whole time—(I had had to take my shirt and bra off.) Luckily I came up with the solution of him sitting behind me and just handing him the roll and him passing it back to me. He was pretty quick to leave when we were done.

As Sam was helping me patch up, Dean had taken the monster's corpse and set it on fire in the large burn pile outside. Months of collected old twigs and limbs had made an excellent pyre. The only thing wrong with that was the sickening smell of burning flesh. I had gone no where near the flames and yet the cursed smoke had followed me, clinging to everything it passed. The only consolation was that Sam and Dean smelled just as bad as me.

My hand strayed down to my side and it connected with soft fur. Traiden had—thankfully—returned to his normal size shortly after the fight. I knew I should be feeling edgy around the animal that I had thought I had known for the past thirteen years. But…I wasn't. I felt completely comfortable around Traiden, completely safe. The only difference in the wolf was his eyes. Although they had gone back to their normal color, the deep, human like intelligence hadn't left them.

"Allie?"

I started out of my thoughts and turned to Sam. He was standing right behind me, his duffel slung over his shoulder. He set it down and stepped a little closer to me.

Concern radiated from his eyes. "How are you holding up?"

I pursed my lips. "Well considering I just found out that I come from a family of hunters, my dog has something wrong with him, my house is in ruins, and I smell like a burnt rat," I gave him a rueful smile, "I think I'm doing alright." I paused. "I think. It's kind of hard to process…and kind of not hard too. It actually clears some stuff up about my parents anyway, some of their more unusual habits and such. Aaron too, I guess." I patted Traiden's head and he leaned into my hand. "This guy is still a mystery though."

Sam's brows drew together in thought. "Allie, who gave you the dog?"

I sighed in frustration. "That's just it Sam. I got Traiden when I was fourteen, at a grocery store from a man that I don't even remember what his face looks like, let alone know his name. It was kind of like, 'you look like a sweet girl, here, have this puppy. He's part wolf, part German Sheppard, and he's all yours.' And then he walked away. Mom even tried to find him before we left because she didn't want Traiden. I think I started crying or something when she started talking about the pound, and Dad and Aaron sided with me. So here he is now, thirteen years later…and he doesn't even look over three." I sighed again and ran my hand through Traiden's fur. He leaned into it almost like a cat but refrained from purring. I smiled at the thought.

Sam looked thoughtful for a moment. "That is a little strange. I guess you never noticed anything odd about Traiden before last night?"

"No, never."

"Well, considering the way he acted with you last night is proof he's not going to hurt you. I'd say he's a little overprotective."

"I'd say that too."

Awkward silence followed this. Sam shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat.

"Allie, I—"

"Sammy!" Dean bellowed as he came into the living room. "What's taking you so long? We gotta hit the road soon to meet up with Cas." He then sauntered over to me and spread his arms wide with a huge grin. "Allie, one more hug for the road?"

I rolled my eyes but smiled as I stepped into his embrace. He was surprisingly gentle so as not to hurt my shoulder. Just because I knew it would throw him off balance, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek. I was rewarded with a slight blush as he pulled away.

"Well, Allie, it's been a blast. You take care of yourself and make sure you don't let anymore homicidal monsters fall in love with you." He said this last with a wide grin.

"Gee, Dean, I'll sure try my best not to," I snarked in my best blonde cheerleader voice. "I mean, I was just trying so hard before." He laughed and then turned to Sam, slapping him on the shoulder.

"Make it quick, Sammy." He gave Sam a meaningful look before turning back to me. "Bye, Allie. Wish us luck." With that Dean walked out the door without even a backwards glance. I shook my head after him, wondering how Sam could have put up with him for so long. I turned and faced Sam and was about to comment on the matter when the words died in my throat at the look on his face.

"Allie I know I'm not what you would expect me to be and I understand why you're…nervous around me…"

Nervous? It hit me like a wrecking ball. Sam, my Sam, thought that my stupid jumpiness around him was fear, when in reality it was just a stupid reaction to my attraction for him. The fact he that he thought I was afraid of him made me angry at myself, and I would not let him leave here with those thoughts in his head.

Sam let out a quick breath. "Look, Allie, I'm sorry. That's not good enough I know and the things I've done deserve your disgust but—" He cut off as I reached for him and dragged him down so I could hug him around his neck. I held onto him tightly, one of my hands on the back of his head so he couldn't pull away. I put my lips to his ear and started to whisper.

"Don't you dare apologize to me," I whispered fiercely. "I do not blame you for anything, Sam. Do you hear me? Not anything. You never have to apologize to me about anything, ever. I don't ever want to hear about you apologizing for your past and I'll be damned if I can't jar some sense into you. And if I ever think you're gonna start apologizing then I won't hesitate to slap you to bring you back to reality. You're good, Sam. Wonderfully, extraordinary, amazingly good. Never forget that."

Sam was trembling slightly and had tensed at my touch, but then he slowly wrapped his arms around me in a death grip. He didn't say anything; he just held me. We stood like that for several minutes, but I knew Dean would come back soon to grab Sam…and I didn't want to have to explain the awkward situation to Dean of all people. I pulled back and Sam immediately released me, but before he could pull away completely my hands trapped his face and brought it down closer. I kissed his forehead and once on each cheek—resisting the urge to kiss his lips—before resting my forehead against his.

"Don't let Dean know, but you were always my favorite." I grinned at him ruefully.

Sam's answering smile was a bit tremulous but he didn't say anything to contradict my claim.

"Now," I said pulling away, "you better go. Dean can't save the world alone, y'know. No matter how much he thinks he can."

Sam smiled wider and grabbed his duffel, slinging it over his shoulder. I walked out onto the porch with him, Traiden trailing behind us. I didn't want to walk out to the car and Sam sensed it. He stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked up at me.

"Take care of yourself, Allie," he said, repeating Dean's earlier comment. "You may want to watch your back more often too. We've probably have more than one hunter looking for us. They may stop by here if they're tracking us."

"Then they'll have a big surprise." I gave Sam a tender smile and gently shoved his arm. "Get going now. I think Dean is about to start crying." We both looked to man in question and it was clear that he was about to emerge from the car to kill Sam for dragging his feet. It was fine with me though; I wanted Sam to drag.

Sam gave me one more smile. "Bye Allie." He walked to the car and threw his duffel in the trunk, slamming it a bit more forcefully than necessary. He opened his door and was about to slide in when I called his name.

"Sam!"

He immediately froze and jerked his head to look at me. I opened my mouth once, then closed it.

"Be careful. Both of you." I finally said. "Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Sam just smiled and nodded before slipping into the car. I watched as the black Impala went down the drive disappearing in a cloud of red clay dust. Dean would hate that.

I grinned at the thought as I leaned against the porch rail looking out at the grazing horses in the pasture. Brego was munching contentedly on green grass and Sojourn and Listener were happily giving each other back massages. Cats ran across the lawn and chickens clucked in the background. It was all very peaceful, very normal…and I wondered how long I would be able to stand it.

I felt an unusual urge to go pack up my things and follow Sam and Dean, but I knew that that would be stupid. I may have hunter blood in my veins—something I wasn't entirely sure was true—but I stood no chance against actual angels and demons.

I sighed and turned to go back into the house. There was one thing I could do though. I looked down at Traiden and ruffled his fur.

"C'mon, boy, lets go catch up on Supernatural. After all, they never forbid me from watching it and I need to see where this is all headed." I walked through the door and as I was latching the lock I had a strange thought cross my mind that made me wonder where in the world it had come from.

"Angels are watching on high."