It's come to my attention that the previous chapter (chapter 12 - Hard Facts) was reposted. My sincerest apologies; these past few days have been a little anxious ridden and tense - I'm back home in Northern Ireland for a fortnight and for those who have travelled long haul - they aren't nice. Hopefully, the new, proper update will let you forgive me.
To the Guest that sent me that review, letting me know about the mistake, thank you so much and I hope you enjoy.
To those who have decided to follow my first foray into the Supernatural fanfic realm of possibility, welcome to the Pack. Hopefully, I don't fuck this up for you.
Enjoy,
K
MIAKODA
The van had disappeared when she headed to work the next day. Maybe it was just someone dropping off family or maybe it was just people that had been visiting family that were about to leave? Shaking her head, Miakoda decided to take the bike that day, it seemed like it would be alright weather.
As she drove to work, Miakoda went over several things that she needed to do that day, or rather that week. She had the lecture that next day mid-morning, a few tutorials that week – one that day, another one Wednesday and another on Thursday morning – and then she had office hours for other students who needed help for potential assignments and the necessary stuff.
Miakoda remembered back to the conversation she had with Dean the night before, as she pulled to an idle stop at a red light, foot resting on the ground to help stabilize the bike, how she'd felt when the Pack Bond had snapped. She had been helping the Humans as much as she could, had been called in for questioning a couple of times when they had found her fingerprints around the shop and upstairs in her living quarters but she hadn't been called back. The Bond had snapped less than a month after Evdokiya had vanished without a trace. Still, some days, Miakoda felt like she was operating on autopilot.
Soon, she found herself setting her slides up for the tutorial that week. She'd even treated herself to a triple-chocolate muffin from one of the cafes. She deserved it. Maybe it would make her feel better. She still couldn't shake off that gods damned van though.
One the way to grab lunch from one of the trucks, Miakoda was blindsided by Vincent. "Hey."
"Wha-oh, hey, Vince." Miakoda smiled, eyes darting across the quad. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up and her Wolf was prowling in her chest. The last time she felt like this, the Fire happened. Maybe it had just been residue stuff from her talk with Dean last night.
Vincent frowned. "You good, Doc?"
"Yeah." She grimaced, giving the truck server a tight smile as she took her chilli loaded fries before ushering him towards a good spot. "Just late night last night, that's all."
His dark eyes narrowed. "You sure? Cause you look a bit paranoid."
"Watched one of those documentaries on Netflix, you know the ones that make you think everything you do is being monitored by the government?" he nodded, "yeah, one of them. How was class?"
Taking a fry as she had put it in the middle of the table, Vincent cringed lightly. "Student services is wanting me to look at internships and stuff. So I couldn't tell you what class was like this morning."
"You've been looking into them for ages though," Miakoda pointed out, "so you know where you want to look into things; the Met, American Museum of National History, the Smithsonian, you have the credit and the resume for them, you just have to apply, Vince."
Miakoda let him take a minute as he stared over the quad, melancholy in his scent. "It's hard to believe I've nearly finished my degree."
Raising an eyebrow, she batted his hand away from a particularly loaded fry. "You've always said you weren't one for teaching, so you gotta spread your wings, kid, as cliché as that sounds."
"I'm gonna miss you-"
"No," she laughed, "We are not doing the goodbyes now, you still have another year, then your dissertation to construct, hand in and graduation to do before we get emotional."
Her quick yank back to Earth caused Vincent to laugh a little as he settled down. "So, what happened in the last session? You never told me."
He leant in, "Well, Matt fucking blind-sided us with these creepy Mind-Flayers after letting us make friends with one…"
Whilst her afternoon was calm, near lazy if she was honest, Miakoda couldn't help still feeling paranoid. She'd spotted the truck again. She had been making her way back home after finishing her office hours when she had spotted it in her left mirror when she was pulled up at a light a few blocks from her house.
Paranoia had her taking the most complicated way back to the house. She ended up covering the bike in the back garden until she could move it through the house that night. A 5'6 woman being able to deadlift a heavy motorbike would raise a few eyebrows, especially in her neighbourhood.
Her Wolf prowled agitatedly in her chest as she checked the doors and windows, even going as far to check for Mountain ash on the sills. Nothing. Miakoda found herself pacing back and forth for some way to release the agitated feeling. She couldn't – no, wouldn't – risk going for a run. Her Wolf snarled at the idea of leaving her territory with the idea of it being invaded.
Slipping upstairs, Miakoda checked the street from a higher vantage point. Had that van moved? It seemed closer to the house than it had when it had found her street. There was also something familiar about the timbre of the voices in it. They were muffled because whoever drove it had soundproofed the insides but she could hear that there were at least two different males and a female's heartbeats if she tried hard enough.
Miakoda looked at her phone on the desk, should she phone Dean?
A growl escaped her as Miakoda ran a hand through her hair. And say what, 'Hey Dean, nothing Supernatural but there's a creepy van that I keep seeing and I swear it's been following me to work? You cool with coming back here because this thing is creeping me out.' She couldn't. He had Lisa and Ben to worry about. Besides, he was busy with Sam being back and everything. Why should she drag him back in because she was fucking scared of a van?
The slide of the van door caused her head to snap back. The van had moved to behind her house. She wasn't being paranoid. These were Hunters and they knew what they were doing. Four men and a woman if their scents were anything to go by, heavily armed. Good, they shouldn't have underestimated her.
The sound of childish giggles from next door caused the Wolf to hesitate. Whilst she wanted, yearned to rip these guys limb from limb, she couldn't involve the Humans on her street. There were families, kids, in those houses that could be potentially caught in the cross-fire if a bullet went astray.
She had to go quietly. To an extent.
The doorbell went.
With a glance out the window, ice went down her back as Dave's car sat out the front. He was a Hunter? This whole time? Acting natural, Miakoda made her way down the stairs, her ears following the sounds of the hearts in the back garden as she went towards the door, heart thundering in her chest. They were going to try and box her in, Miakoda realised as someone went to pick the lock.
Opening the front door, she cocked her head at Dave. "Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you were going down to SoWa for inspiration?"
He reeked of bloodlust and silver. Her Wolf pressed against her ribcage, defensive. Dave bared his teeth towards her and subtly bared the knife on his hip from under his coat. "You know you're my Muse, M."
She wanted to gag at the idea of letting him into her territory but Mrs Wilkes opened her door and her grandsons ran out with a football in hand. She couldn't let them get hurt.
Miakoda gave him a tight smile and cocked her head towards the innards of the house. "Did you see anything that piqued your interest though? I've been meaning to get more prints for the walls."
Once the door was closed, Miakoda whirled on him. The knife skidded across the ground towards the stairs as she pinned him to the floor. She let the Wolf come through, eyes red and claws resting ever so teasingly ghosting across his carotid. "It takes five of you to take me down? That's pathetic."
She could hear the back door be opened and four sets of feet echoed throughout the house. With a glance into her hall mirror, there were three men and a brunette woman with either knives or pistols. Miakoda could smell the wolf's bane and silver on them. Joy.
A shot landed on her shoulders and Miakoda slid across the ground into the living room, claws gouging her nice, dark wooden floors. Her fangs slid down as she crouched in the entryway. Their hearts were racing; the spiky-haired male stank of sulphur. The bald man levelled a gun to her head. She bared her teeth in return, a warning vibrating through her chest.
"Really. You should know better than to try and trap an Alpha."
The demon grinned. "You're not fighting back."
"There are innocents in this street, you moron," she snarled, "Like I'd bring them into the cross-fire just to get your adrenalin pumping. What? Don't get enough a rush hunting squirrel?"
The demon that inhabited the man had a short fuse as he lunged at her with his silver knife. Disregarding the slice it got across her arm, Miakoda punched him in the stomach and then kicked him in the ribs. Seeing as he flew back into her stairs, she put too much power into it. That was probably the wrong thing to do as she had to duck three shots fired towards her. A snarl ripped from her as the woman decided to try and come at her with a knife. She could smell the wolf's bane on the blade, but it was different.
Miakoda dodged the swipe quickly and grabbed for her knife arm. The brunette yelled in pain as Miakoda put pressure into holding it immobile and there was an audible crack as the bones snapped under her grip. Oops, oh well. The knife fell and Miakoda quickly kicked it into the fireplace behind her and pushed the brunette to the floor. She quickly scurried back, cradling the limb.
Miakoda let her red eyes focus on the men in front of her. The demon had shaken off the shove she'd given him and Miakoda ducked another shot, bolting for the back door. If she could get out the back and into the trees, maybe she could lose them? A yelp escaped as someone got a shot into her side. The sudden burn of the silver plus whatever was in that wolf's bane made her stumble. The buckshot to the back of the knee had her falling to the ground.
Kicking out, she relished in the snap of Dave's leg as he fell to the floor. Her heart raced as the Wolf near managed to gain complete control. She wouldn't be going down without a fight now. Why wasn't she healing? Panic made the pain from the buckshot and shoulder wound intensify and it burned with every movement she made.
The demon stood over her. "See, this wolf's bane?" he wiggled the dart, bright pink tip swishing, "It's not just your typical stuff. It's chemically done to be more intense as the heart races to create more pain."
She snarled through blood-stained teeth. "You gonna kill me with that knife or bore me to death?"
Fire spread through her leg as a ploom echoed in the kitchen. The Humans and Demon started to move in place as whatever cocktail was in the dart. She gouged the dart out, claws going black with blood. Her Healing wasn't working. Why wasn't it working? Was she going to be taken here? By Hunters? She didn't think they took Full Shift Wolves into the fur trade.
The last things Miakoda remembered were the blow dart's bright pink tip, rolling across the floor and the sound of Dean's ringtone, Bad Moon Rising.
"Oh shit," one of them swore as black started to filter in, "she's got Dean's number?"
A pair of vicious dark eyes glared over her as the bald one took her head in a hand. "But I wonder if he knows what she is…"
With pain and panic rushing through her, aiding in the burning of the wolf's bane, Miakoda found unconsciousness.
Let me know what you all think!
