At the sound of the howl there was more rustling in the trees before Dean and a blonde woman they didn't recognize appeared, both wolfed out.
The pair looked confused for a moment, then looked to the werewolf Sam. It appeared as if they were having some type of silent conversation.
"Look," Sam spoke up, "I don't know if you can understand me, but if you can I can explain all of this."
The Winchesters of that universe looked to the woman standing between them. After a few moments they eased up and the woman nodded with her head for the human Sam to continue.
"We're them from another universe," Sam explained, "We were hunting this witch, we're hunters in our universe, which I'm guessing you're not, or at least you have a serious conflict of interest, anyway, she was expecting us, and she did this spell that sent us to a parallel universe and we've been repeating the spell, trying to get back to our universe, but we kept winding up in the wrong universe."
The werewolf Winchesters looked to the woman, who appeared to be mulling human Sam's explanation over. After a second her claws and fangs retracted, and her eyes changed to a light a blue. When she saw her Sam and Dean still wolfed out, she gave them an annoyed look, then they fallowed her example.
"Well, you keep them on a short leash, don't you," Human Dean commented, a bit unnerved at how their werewolf selves seem to defer to her.
"I'm Dean's mate, and Sam's Alpha." The woman offered in way of explanation.
"Alpha?" Dean asked, "In like, the first werewolf ever made?"
"It can be that, too," The woman replied, "Whoever came up with the packs ranking system should have probably taken that legend into consideration. However, in this case I mean the pack leader. Me and Dean married after he presented as one to avoid any conflict between us." Looking over at Dean rather fondly she added, "Of course the fact that we liked each other already didn't hurt."
"Well, ah, great for him," Dean said, "But, ah, how did he wind up co-leader of the pack, anyway?
Timber Falls, Minnesota
1988
"Alright," The then Alpha, a man named Elias Sawyer said, pointing to the map on the sturdy wooden table, "This is where the three rouges are hiding out."
Surrounding Elias completely focused on him were four other werewolves: His Beta and closest friend, Keith, the pack's two best hunters, Roger and Brandon, and Alana, Elias 19-uear-old daughter, the pack's future Alpha.
"Keith and Roger will approach from the side to make sure they're in there," Elias continued, "When they let us know they're in there, I'll lead point, and we'll catch them by surprise. Alana and Keith will take one, Roger and Brandon will take one, but their leader is mine."
For Elias this was personal. The leader was a lone wolf who had appeared out of nowhere a few months ago and attempted to usurp him as Alpha. When that went horribly wrong he had recruited two members from the pack, and started killing humans.
"What about the hunter?" Alana spoke up. A few days ago, their cleaners, members of the pack whose job it was to live among the humans and cover up any werewolf encounters, had reported an encounter with a M.B.I agent who they believed was more than what he seemed.
"The cleaners will make it look like the killings really were animal attacks," Elias explained, "If all goes to plan, he'll move on none the wiser. Now, any more questions?"
The room was silent.
"Alright, then," Elias said, "Let's move out."
He transformed and the others fallowed, and they ran out of the shed, Elias leading point.
They quickly made it to the large hallow where they believed the rouges to be hiding out and Keith and Roger crept through the heavy brush to make sure they were there.
After a few minutes Elias started to get worried so he reached out to his Beta and close friend, "Keith?" He asked, "What's wrong?"
"They're not here, Elias," Keith's voice said back, "But Roger thinks he found a trail."
"Stay there," Elias commanded, "We'll be with you shortly." He turned to the rest of the pack and telepathically communicated to them: "Okay, change in plans. The rouges aren't in the hollow, but Roger found a trail. We'll follow it, and recalculate our plan according to what we find."
The Alpha then proceeded to lead the group towards the hallow. When he caught site of Keith and Roger, he joined the hunter and the pair lead the pack as they fallowed the trail. As the trail lead them through a road that lead to town, they all began to feel uneasy. Were the rouges planning on another attack?
Their worst fears were confirmed when the trial lead them to a roadside motel, and one door was open and they could hear the sound of screams and crashing coming from the inside, and smell blood.
Elias ran in and found to his horror a human man in his mid-thirties laying on the ground covered in blood, his heart ripped out.
Nearby was a splash of blood, but it wasn't human. It was from one of three rouges. That and the decor of weapons and papers lead the pack to believe this was the hunter they had been warned about. If they had to guess it looked like the rouges had decided to get to the hunter before he got to them, caught him off guard, he managed to get a shot off and wounded one of his attackers, but he was still outnumbered, so in the end he lost the fight.
Before they could fully contemplate this, they head more screaming from the bathroom and the voice of a terrified-sounding boy begging, "Please wake up, Dean, please wake up..."
The ground rushed into the bathroom and saw the three rouges surrounding two teenage boys one about seventeen who was on the ground unconscious, bleeding from his chest area, the other about thirteen shaking him and begging him to wake up.
Roger was the first to react, leaping on the injured werewolf. The other two jumped on Roger. The rest of the group attacked the other two, managing to pull them off but by the time they had both Roger and the injured wolf were dead.
Alana let out a howl of anger then leapt at one of the two rouges before anyone could stop her. The pair rolled around until the larger werewolf had the smaller younger one pinned, and was about to go for the killing blow, when her father came at him knocking him off her but getting scratched for his troubles. The pair cornered the Alpha but Keith jumped on one, and the two began struggling for the upper hand. Eventually Keith got it, ripping the rouge werewolf's heart out.
Meanwhile the remaining rouge turned his attention back to the two children in the corner. He was about to attack again when Elias jumped in, sending the rouge to the ground. The rouge wined, pleading for mercy. For whatever reason, Elias backed up, and then the other werewolf pounced, slashing Elias' throat and ripping his heart out.
Alana roared again running towards her father. With his final breaths he pointed towards the boys again, as the rouge wolf was going back for them, but Brandon and Keith got in their way. Alana went to join to them and through their combined effort they killed him. Then she turned back to her father, and found him reverted to human form his eyes lifeless.
As it all hit her at once she could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but wiped them away. She was the Alpha now, and the Alpha didn't do that.
Retracting her claws and teeth she turned her attention to the two boys. The younger one was hysterically crying and the other one was still unconscious. For a moment she thought he was either dead or dying but she saw the wounds healing at rapid rate.
That when it dawned on her the boy had been turned. It was also then she saw what she thought were scratches on the younger one. She slowly leaned forward to inspect the wound further, but he cowered into the corner shouting, "No, go away, go away!"
"It's alright," Alana said, "I'm not gonna hurt you. I just saved you, didn't I?"
The boy's struggling eased, however, since terrified children are not exactly rational, he didn't stop struggling all together. However, Alana managed to grab a hold of his wrist and look at injury. Sure enough, in the mayhem, someone had bit him. It might not had even been the rouges. It could have been one of them.
Whatever the case, both boys were werewolves now.
"My name's Alana," She said, gently, "What's yours?"
The boy didn't respond, but just stared up at Alana, wide-eyed and clearly petrified.
"That's alright," Alana said, "We can talk about that later. Right now, let's just get you out of here." Instead of waiting for a response, she pulled the child to his feet. Perhaps he was in shock or maybe he was too afraid to move, but for whatever the reason, he offered no resistance. "Brandon," Alana said, "Carry the older one."
"Alana..."Keith spoke up.
"They've both been bitten." Alana snapped, "And even if they hadn't we can't just leave them here."
Solemnly Keith walked over and picked up the older boy.
Holding the child to her side and covering his face to ensure he couldn't see what was probably his father's body, Alana lead what remained of the group out of the room.
After contacting the cleaners the injured, exhausted, bloodied group made their ways through the woods back to the pack. Everything came to a standstill when they saw them.
"Things went wrong on the mission." Alana announced, trying to best to be stoic, or at the very least not break down in front of her people, "Our Alpha, my father, Elias Sawyer was killed, and one of our hunters Roger Hewitt."
A horrified cry that Alana recognized as belonging to Roger's mother came from the crowd.
Alana swallowed, then continued, "In addition to that, these two boys were bit."
Alana was quiet after that, not sure what to do next. Then Keith said the words she'd been dreading the whole journey back. "The old Alpha is dead. Long live the new Alpha."
"Long live the Alpha!" The pack repeated.
After that, Alana was finally able to get her newfound charges into her trailer. She took a deep breath, composed herself, then said, " We should probably get you too cleaned up. My bathroom's this way."
She lead the two boys into a small bath room and leaving them at the doorway. Then she opened up the cabinet on the wall and grabbed a handful of threadbare wash cloths. She wetted the towel and was about to whipped up the younger one, Sam, she learned his name was, face, when the older one, Dean spoke up, "I can do it." Then he took the rag from her and whipped off his brother's face. It was still red from crying, but it looked better.
"Why don't I go find you some clothes, then?" Alana offered. The ones they were currently wearing had been shredded beyond repair, especially the tops.
"Sure." Dean said in a hallow voice. Like Alana, he was barely keeping it together for the people who needed him.
Alana went over to her room and pulled opened a drawer, removing a white t-shirt. She held it out and realized it wouldn't be a big enough for either of them. In fact, nothing she owned would adequately cover either of them. Then she remembered that there were a few shirts in the top drawer that were her father, for when he crashed on her couch. She removed two, and in spite of herself, sniffed them. It smelled like him. She felt the tears coming again. She fought them back. She couldn't break down now. Not just because she was the pack's Alpha, but because the two boys in there had also lost their father, and they needed her. And would need her, for what was to come. She took a minute to compose herself then went back into the bathroom and helped them finished cleaning up.
Later on after she finally managed to get the boys to sleep, and then got back from conferring with the cleaners, Alana came home to a quiet house.
They were leaving tomorrow. Or at least they would begin to. The cleaners said it was the most logical move after what had happened. There was no way to completely cover it up. They would begin perpetrations tomorrow. They had to get everything together, map out where they were going, and top of that figure out what to do about Sam and Dean possibly going through their first change on the move, it was going to be a long day. She laid down on the couch, hopping maybe get a few hours sleep, then she saw it. It was an old photograph of her and her father. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and she looked to be about two. She didn't remember it being taken, so she had no clue who took it. Maybe it was Keith, maybe it was even her mother. Alana had just been six when she died. It had always just been her and her father. And now it was just her.
Before she could stop herself, the tears were streaming down her face. She covered her face, repeated over and over again, "Papa, Papa, Papa..."
Suddenly she felt a pair of arms around her. She opened her eyes and realized it was Dean. "W-what," Alana began, still crying, "What are you doing up?"
"I couldn't sleep," Dean answer, "Then I heard you out here, and...I couldn't leave you out here alone."
"I'm sorry." Alana said, wiping her eyes.
"You have nothing to be sorry for." Dean replied, "You just lost your dad, and from what I gathered, got thrown a heap of responsibility ."
"And you didn't?" Alana snapped back, "And on top of that both you and your brother are going to go through your first change in a few days! If anyone should be having a nervous breakdown right now, it should be you!"
"Tell you what," Dean suggested, "Since you already started, let's let you get it all out, then I'll have my turn, okay?"
Bear Woods Minnesota
Two Months Later
Alana watched from her trailer as group of children played in the center of the encampment, Sam among them. Under the circumstances he was adjusting well, and for that Alana was glad. She was a little worried about Dean, though.
Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around quickly and saw Keith.
"Oh," She said, "Hey, Keith."
"I was wondering if I could talk to you." Keith began, "Somewhere else."
"Sure." Alana said, suddenly uneasy about what this could be about. After a few minutes of walking she asked, "So, what is it you wanted to talk about?"
"As you know, the Assignment Ceremony is in another month," Keith began.
"And you're concerned about Dean," Alana cut him off, "Because under normal circumstances he'd be assigned his station in the pack, but this isn't exactly a normal situation?"
Like natural wolves, a werewolves station in the pack began obvious during their childhood. When they came of age a ceremony was held and they took up their post with other members of their station. However, almost-voting age Dean had only been a werewolf for a couple of months which meant there hadn't been much time to observe him.
"No big deal, we'll just hold him back a year." Alana reasoned, "It happens sometimes, when a station can't really be discerned yet. A lot of bite-ins don't even have an official ceremony"
"That's not the problem," Keith replied, "The problem is that we both know what his station is."
"What do you mean?" Alana asked, playing dumb.
"I think you know what I mean." Keith replied gravely.
Alana was silent for a minute. "Yeah," She admitted at last, "I know."
Dean always tried to take charge of a situation, take the leadership position, and did not back down. These were all sure signs of an Alpha.
"Again, no biggie." Alana said, "There can be two Alphas in one pack, I was an Alpha and my father was an Alpha."
"You were his heir." Keith reminded, "And there can be non-blood heirs if the Alpha has no children and/or no children who are Alphas. But Dean's only two years younger than you."
"Well, what do you suggest I do?" Alana challenged, "I can't throw him out there on his own. It's cruel and irresponsible since he's still new to being a werewolf, and the fact that he'd never willing leave his brother only makes things worse."
"There is another option." Keith said.
"Well, don't leave me in suspense." Alana replied.
"I've seen the way you look at him." Keith began, "And they way he looks at you. You clearly have feelings for each other, Hell, you might even love each other, so-"
"You can't be serious." Alana protested, "You can't be seriously suggesting that marry Dean. We've barely know each other, you can't seriously think-" Her voice trailed off, "Let me think about it, then I'll get back to you."
"Alright." Keith conceded, "But you better think fast."
Alana spent the rest of the afternoon walking throughout the encampment, thinking. Eventually she came to the conclusion of what she had to do.
She walked back to the center of the encampment, where Dean was leaning against a tree, watching the sparing game that was still going on. "Hey," She said, getting his attention.
Dean turned his head at the sound of her voice. "Oh." He said, smiling a little, "Hey, Alana."
"How's the sparing going?" She asked, not knowing how to start this conversation.
"Okay, I guess." Dean replied, "All these kids are pretty tough." He smirked after a minute, adding, "Sammy's kicking everyone's ass."
As if to make a point, Sam slammed a larger boy to the ground, pinning him.
Alana smiled. At least things were going well form one of them. She pulled herself away from the scene, turning her fool attention to Dean. "Dean, can I talk with you along for a minute?"
"Yeah." Dean said, walking away with her, "Sure."
Bear Woods Minnesota
Four Years Later
"Sam!" Dean called out, chasing his brother into the trailer's small kitchen, "You're making this harder than it has to be."
"I'm not the one chasing people around the house with scissors." Sam argued from his hiding spot behind the stained facchica table. He hopped that Dean wouldn't risk running with scissors in such a narrow area.
"Well, if you didn't look like a hobo I wouldn't have to do this." Dean countered, "Just because you're a werewolf doesn't mean you have to wear your hair saggy. Now, I just want to take a little off, so will you just sit down and me do that!"
"What is going on here?" Alana asked walking into the room, dressed in the ceremonial fur robes for the Assignment Ceremony, which did a somewhat decent job of hiding slight bump on her stomach.
"Dean's trying to attack me." Sam said matter-of-factly.
Alana looked to her mate expectantly, silently requesting his side of the story.
"I'm not." Dean replied, "I'm just trying to cut his hair. Do you want him standing up in front of the whole pack like that?"
"I'd rather him not have leaves in his hair." Alana said, looking at leaves tangled in his hair, "How did you get leaves in your hair anyway?"
"Fell in a bush." Sam replied not wanting to give anything more in way of explanation.
Normally she would have pressed for more information, but they were on deadline so she said, "Look, we have to get their early, so Dean, just let your brother go for now, Sam, go into the bathroom, clean up, get the leaves out of your hair, and I left your nice clothes on our bed."
"Thanks, Lana." Sam said taking the opportunity to run from his spot behind the table to the half-bath.
"Fell into a bush?" Dean asked, "You're really buying that?"
"No, but we don't have time to question it." Alana replied, "I wasn't kidding about us having to get here early. So, what actually did happen?"
"I don't know." Dean replied, "He came in and his hair was mess and one thing lead to another and then I started chasing him around the house with scissors. I didn't even see the leaves into you pointed them out."
"I can't leave you two alone for a minute can I?" Alana sighed, rolling her eyes and smoking a little, "Can you believe it's actually here?"
"Not really." Dean replied, "I mean, it's he was my snot-noised little brother five minutes ago, and now..."
"He's all grown up?" Alana finished for him.
"Yeah." Dean replied.
"And just think, in seventeen to eighteen more years we get to do this all over again." Alana said in mock enthusiasm, one hand on the bump.
Dean grinned and walked over to his mate, putting both hands on her slightly swollen stomach. "And I am looking forward to every minute of it."
Just then someone cleared their throat behind them. They turned around to see Sam dressed in a long sleeve white shirt and black slacks, his hair not only combed and leaf free but slicked back for the occasion. "So is everyone else ready?"
"Yes." Alana said, "Let's go."
When they got to the center of the encampment, the three broke off and went their separate ways, Sam joining the other inductees, Alana going off to do the final preparations for the ceremony, and Dean joining the crowd, near the other parents. There were several looks of recognition, the simpler, human-formed signs of respect and submission, given to an Alpha. When they didn't stop, he remembered, "At ease." Even after four years he still couldn't get use to that. In fact, on his worse days he was still a little uncomfortable with it.
The year's five inductees lined up in alabetical order by last name, putting Sam in the back. As they lined up he noticed that one of the other boys a few up from Sam appeared to be covering a black eye with cheap make-up. It was a boy Sam had been fighting with over a girl for the last couple of weeks. Suddenly, Dean got a pretty good idea of how Sam wound up with leaves in his hair.
Alana appeared standing in front of the line and the crowd, and the ceremony began with a speech. "We are gathered here as we do every year," Alana began, "To assign these five youth their official post within the pack. There are many working parts with in a pack, Alphas, Betas, the specialist, but without anyone of those parts the pack could potentally fall apart." Her eyes glanced to the inductees as she said, "Just know, whatever station you are assigned today, it is important to the life of the pack, and the safety of it and the humans we share the world with." She turned around and a pale-skinned girl with curly brown hair stepped up and kneeled before Alana. "Linda Boney," Alana began, "Today I assign you a specialist position, the station of Nanny."
That was no surprise to anyone. Linda's Grandmother and two of her aunts were Nannies, and Scottie herself was especially good with children.
"Do you solemnly swear to watch over the children of this pack, as if they were your own?" Alana asked.
"I do, Alpha." Linda said, then she transformed and fell down in a submissive stance.
"At ease, and a arise." Alana finished, then Linda rose up slowly transforming back into her human form.
The next three were went smoothly and each teenager made similar oaths based their exact assignments, two hunters and an Cleaner. At last it came for Sam to bow before his sister-in-law and Alpha, and receive his assignment.
"Samuel Winchester," Alana said, "I assign you the station of Beta."
This was also no surprise. Hurting someone he cared about with Sam anywhere in the general facility was a good way to get yourself killed.
"Do you swear to defend pack and enforce its laws, laying down your own life if necessary?" Alana asked.
Just because it was an obvious fit didn't mean Dean and Alana wouldn't have preferred something less potentially dangerous.
"I do, Alpha." Sam vowed.
The Border Of Bear Woods Minnesota
Present Day
"This had been a lovely chat." Alana said, "But we have some lives we need to try to save, so-"
"What does that mean?" Sam asked.
"There was a rouge that came through a couple of weeks ago." Werewolf Sam spoke up, "We dealt with it but it attracted of really persistent hunters. They manage to kidnap two pups, and we're trying to get them back before..."
Though his voice trailed off they got the point. "How can we help?" Human Dean offered.
