DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction using characters from the Supernatural universe. I do not claim any ownership. This work is solely for entertainment purposes and is not considered film or tv canon (not by a long shot).
Dean looks around the group of twenty or so weres milling in the back parking lot of the sheriff's office. He sees members of small local packs along with Lucifer, Balthazar and a few others from the Novak pack. He and Castiel are representing his pack – Bobby and Sam are back at the house with Gabriel manning a sort of hub for all calls regarding the pups. Sheriff Jody Mills was relieved when Dean offered because she is one and a deputy so there is no extra staff to help. Bobby knows everyone in town so he can manage things.
Outside the group stand ten men wearing t shirts proclaiming them to be FBI. They are all human. Jody explained that they don't trust that weres won't take their own justice if they find the pups and whoever took them. Dean thinks they might be right about that. They are giving the weres odd looks because they are all standing in just shorts. Dean wonders if they've ever worked with weres before. Jody calls for attention and asks that very question.
"Ok, listen up! Humans – you worked with weres before?"
A man, obviously the leader, steps forward. "We've all had the training – none of us is wearing silver. We showered with unscented soap and did not apply aftershave or deodorant."
Jody nods. "Good … but what I asked is have you ever actually worked with weres? Shifted weres?"
The man's eyes narrow. "No, but we are all well-aware –"
"I'm sure your training covered the scent and silver speech just fine … did it mention the taboo on touching?" Jody asks, her expression unreadable.
The group of humans frown almost as one. "No touching?"
A rumble of chuckles flows through the were group including Dean. Jody is human but she grew up here and knows their ways almost as if she were a pack member herself.
"You'll be with shifted weres … do not touch them unless absolutely necessary. Human nature tends to make you want to pet – trust me, they won't take that kindly," Jody explains. "They will understand you perfectly so just talk like you would to another human standing next to you. As with all searches, you sing out if you have something. If they find something, they'll howl … Balthazar, give them a listen."
Balthazar shifts and gives a howl that would tell any wolf in the vicinity that something's been found – it's a loud piercing sound that carries. He shifts back and pulls his shorts back on. The FBI agents nod. Jody continues.
"They'll move faster than you by virtue of more legs and better senses … let them. Your groups will call a halt every so often to let you catch up – don't rush because of that. Conduct your search as if you were with humans." Jody turns and motions to Lucifer. "Lucifer is alpha of the pack that Claire belongs to – you do know what an alpha is?"
The head man gives her a pained look. "Yes, Sheriff Mills – is this all necessary? We are wasting time –"
Lucifer growls low in his throat and Jody lays a calming hand on his arm. "As I was saying … Lucifer is alpha to Claire's pack – if we find her by some miracle, you will let him accompany the team that retrieves her and you will keep him in the loop on anything you find."
"He's a civilian, Sheriff Mills," The agent says.
Jody sighs. "Save me from my own kind – I don't know who trains your teams in were-relations but they have a hell of a lot to learn. Weres are pack creatures – you hurt one, you hurt all – and when it comes to pups they don't differentiate between packs. For the purposes of this search? Lucifer is alpha over every were you see standing here – they'll follow his orders so if you want to be involved in this search, I suggest you recognize who you will be working with."
"Sheriff Mills you are very close to hampering a federal investigation," the agent says softly.
"I could give a fuck, honestly – I think you're wasting more time arguing with me than learning what you need to know to make this a productive search," Jody snarls at the agent.
"Sheriff!" A loud voice echoes across the parking lot and heads turn. "I'll handle it from here – Senior Special Agent Victor Henriksen. " He smiles as he shows her his badge. "And member of the Roman pack out of New York."
Henriksen looks at Lucifer. "They'll answer to me, alpha – I'll keep you in the loop, fair?" Lucifer nods. "Good – they know what they need to for now – let's get this show on the road."
Dean stands next to Castiel in the line laid out for their search grid. They space out by human arm length and then shift. The FBI agents in their group are in the middle. Dean isn't thrilled that the stubborn agent – Agent Calvin Reidy – is with them but so is Henriksen. He's decided the agents need a human face so he won't shift during the search unless he has to.
They all have Claire's scent memorized and wait impatiently to start. Dean hears Lucifer's howl pierce the air and immediately he begins to track. Dirt, rocks, insects … everything has a scent that is cataloged and pushed aside in Dean's mind. All that matters is finding the little girl – Dean would give anything to spare her what he and Castiel endured. He hopes they find her before it's too late.
The search doesn't end at night – they all rest for an hour before heading back out. Dean is stretching to limber back up before he shifts later. Agent Reidy looks curiously at Dean.
"Where the hell did you get all those scars?" he asks bluntly.
Dean snorts. "Wow, they really don't teach you guys much."
Agent Henriksen walks over before Reidy can be offended. "These two are the ones that survived Alastair and his followers before, Reidy. Those scars are from the silver knife he used on them – silver always scars."
Agent Reidy nods. To Dean's surprise, he apologizes. "Sorry about before … guess we do need better training."
"Maybe you'll be the guy to do that," Dean offers. He can scent the guy's sincerity so he knows he isn't being played.
Reidy shrugs. "Maybe – I think it's pretty cool the way you put everything aside for the kid."
"Any pup," Castiel supplies as he walks up. He hands Dean a small lunch box supplied by one of the local café's. Dean glances inside and smiles but then he looks up at Reidy.
"Uh, Agent Reidy … you might want to go see if they have burgers or something while we eat," Dean says, looking at Agent Henriksen.
"I've seen blood before, Dean, but thanks," Reidy says.
Henriksen shrugs and so does Dean. He pulls out the chunk of raw liver in the box and tears into it, blood running down his face and neck. Castiel is doing the same as are every other were on the search party. Reidy's face pales and he suddenly can't decide where to be. Henriksen takes pity and offers to show him the boxes set aside for the humans – who have all sequestered themselves behind one of the vans out of sight of the feeding weres. Dean and Castiel break out laughing when Reidy is out of earshot.
"His face!" Dean snorts, eyes tearing.
Balthazar walks over, working on his own piece of liver. "Having fun tormenting the villagers?"
"Hey, he said he could handle it," Dean snickers. The raw protein is easier to digest while in wolf form.
Balthazar smirks. "They all say that – Jody, bless her heart, is the only one eating with the rest of us. A salad, no less - " Balthazar sighs. "I think I could love that woman."
Castiel rolls his eyes. "I'll be sure to warn her, then."
Balthazar chuckles and playfully pushes his younger brother. Castiel pushes back and before long they've shifted and started wrestling on the ground. Dean shifts and jumps into the fray. The other weres are shoving food in their faces and joining in. Reidy and the other agents watch in near horror.
"Are they going to kill each other?" One of the agents asks with wide eyes.
Henriksen laughs. He has to admit, to an untrained human the sounds of weres at play sound pretty fierce. Tufts of fur are flying everywhere as scruffs are tugged and tails nipped.
"Nah … it's just a way to let off steam – they're just playing," Agent Henriksen explains. He wishes he could join in himself, honestly. It's been a long time since he was able to engage in just plain fun with his pack mates. Working with humans is restrictive that way.
Jody watches with a fond grin on her face. They might not speak to each other on the street tomorrow, but weres united in purpose form temporary packs and within that bond comes the usual camaraderie of pack-mates. It's something she's seen often enough. The pack lines will be redrawn after all is said and done, but perhaps rival packs will regard the other with a little less animosity.
"Ok, you lunatics, back to work!" Jody calls.
Lucifer breaks free first and gives a long undulating howl. The humans feel the hair on their arms rise when the fight stops mid-snap and growl and they all shift back to human form. No one says anything although the grins linger. A few of them walk by the stunned agents bearing bite marks and scratches on their bodies.
"God, doesn't that hurt?" Agent Reidy asks.
"Sure it does," Henriksen says. "But it'll heal before they're back on the grid - again, they were just having fun."
Henriksen manages to keep from laughing when he hears the whispers. "That's what they call fun?"
Dean walks hand-in-hand with Castiel, seeking the comfort of physical touch. They are both on edge with memories of huddling in small cages wondering if anyone was looking for them. They know how Claire must be feeling – he sighs and lifts Castiel's hand to kiss it. Castiel looks over and smiles sadly.
"We're doing all we can, Dean," Castiel soothes. "When we find her she'll know that no one stopped looking – you remember how much that meant?"
Dean nods. In the long aftermath of Hell, Dean had at least taken comfort in knowing that his dad had been a part of every search party he could join. Things had gone south not long after Dean's release from the hospital, but for that brief time, he'd known the entire pack had been looking for him.
Dean and the others take position again and the long night continues. By sunrise, the humans are wearing out and the weres aren't far behind. Dean is growing dejected by the lack of discovery. He puts his muzzle down and pauses – something isn't right and he sends up a yip of alarm. Every were freezes in place on their line, but Reidy continues forward a few more steps before Henriksen can stop him. Reidy screams in pain just as a wolf howl sounding the alarm fills the air. It's an animal trap – Reidy's leg is broken. Henriksen's radio squawks and one of the other FBI agents is yelling.
"Traps! All along the line!"
Castiel shivers because in the background he can hear a wolf whining in pain – Balthazar. Shifting back, Dean grabs a nearby branch and tosses it into the trap he would have walked into - it snaps shut viciously. Another one is in front of Castiel – they are cruel things with serrated edges. The other weres do the same while Henriksen tries to keep Reidy conscious and calm. Castiel notices something and curses fiercely.
"Henriksen – get on the radio – look at the traps –" Castiel hisses.
Dean pales. He'd smelled something off and not just the metal of the trap - something that reminded him of the room where he'd been tortured. He sees now what that was - the traps are coated in colloidal silver. Balthazar must be in agony – worse, it could get into his blood.
Henriksen is grabbing his radio. "For the wolves injured – you've got to flush the wounds – do it now!"
Acknowledgements echo back and the sound of wolves in pain come over the open channel. Castiel knows how to take the hinge pin out of the trap to release Reidy - he does so quickly but still sucks in a pained breath when his hands come in contact with the silver. Henrickson quickly uses his water canteen to rinse them but Castiel's skin is already red and blistering. Dean whines softly and presses a kiss against Castiel's temple while his mate holds his hands against himself. The traps were set to catch a werewolf and to leave them unable to remove the trap without further pain. Whoever has taken Claire, they are playing a deadly game. For now, however, the injured weres must be tended to - the searchers must now be rescued.