Chapter 12

Blood seeped into the soil and up on the long yellow blades of grass. There were clear signs of a fight marking the land with huge imprints of a body being slammed repeatedly into the ground. The familiar smell of gunpowder lingered in the air as Dean carefully tracked through the open field across from a condemned once red barn. A small silver and black colt laid in the dirt still warm from the rounds fired earlier. He picked up the small metal gun and tucked it behind his back. His boots scuffed up the dust of the dry dirt patches. His jeans were painted with wisps of red as his legs pushed their way through the long yellow grass that were drenched in blood. The more he walked the more his heart sank to reality that no one could survive with that much blood loss. For once he prayed silently. Actually, prayed that the blood belonged to the monster he was fighting and not her. His hand tightened on the ivory grips of his silver engraved colt pistol. The silver rounds waiting to be fired into the hunter that took her.

A moment later he found a body covered in black fur. The oversized wolf looked more like a bear as he circled around the creature to the front only to find that the head barely attached by ribbons of skin on the back of the neck. The wolf had been decapitated with its dim yellow eyes glazed over staring into nothingness. Dean gripped his gun with both hands taking aim at the beast before kicking its paw checking to see if it was truly dead. Nothing. The open flesh of its neck had lost nearly all its color as the blood pooled under its carcass and into the soil.

If the creature was dead, then she still had to be around somewhere. Dean turned in circles scanning any where a body could lay in this long grass. The wind blew past him and through the grass like someone running their fingers through their hair. There was a dip in the grass where nothing moved. He sprinted over to the indentation in the long yellow grass. The trail of blood thickened as he got closer. He skidded to a stop upon the sight of horror.

She laid in a puddle of her own blood curled into a ball holding her shredded body together. Her legs trembled, pants ripped revealing claw marks on her thighs and her arms clung to her abdomen paler than normal. Blood oozed from between her forearms. Her black and silver hair feathered out under her head, her chin dimpled, and her pale lip trembled holding back the cries of agony. Her icy blue eyes looked up at him. Tears flowed endlessly from her eyes over the cuts on her cheeks dusted with dirt.

After all the years of hunting and time spent in hell they did not prepare him for this. His abs tightened against stomach urging the nausea up into his throat and he ground his teeth holding back the urge to scream. When his eyes met hers, he felt his heart drop from his chest into a black hole of despair. His shaking hands loosened on his gun as his thumb instinctively clicked the safety back on. He tucked his gun in the front of his jeans and removed his coat laying it over her body. He was not sure if he did it to save her or save him from the sight of seeing her shredded body.

"Dean…" She whimpered her voice brittle and broken.

He brushed her hair out of her face her skin cold against his touch. "Dakota. It's going to be okay. Sam and Cas are on their way."

Her body began to tremble more as she went into shock. "I'm…I'm sorry. I tried to-"

"Shh." He rested his forehead against hers struggling to keep the tears back. He had to stay calm for her. "It's not your fault. I should have gotten to you sooner."

"If you did, you would have been killed and…and I need someone to take care of Laura."

"Don't. Don't you dare talk like that." Dean growled. "You will get through this."

Dakota began to cough violently. Her small frame shook in Dean's arms as she gasped for breath. Her muscles began to loosen from her curled grip on her abdomen. Her strength was fading quickly. Dean cursed inwardly at Sam and Cas. Damn it, where were they? Dean had seen many people die in his years as a hunter and he knew Dakota did not have long.

Dakota's hand brushed his cheek leaving a smear of her blood over his sharp cheek bone and scruffy chin as she looked into his green eyes. "Dean…I love you…"

Without thinking Dean kissed her hard. "I love you too." Carefully not to hurt her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, tucked her head in his chest, and he rested his chin on her shoulder blade closing his eyes praying.

Softly, her hand slid from his face and he felt it. He felt her body relax as her soul passed from her body. A sob escaped his lips.

"Dean!" Sam voice yelled across the field.

Dean clung to her body pulling her up into his lap as he cried knowing she was gone. He held onto her lifeless body as the world slowed around him. The only woman he truly loved.

"Dakota!" A female voice screamed across the field. Dean looked into the morning light to see Laura running over. She slowed down as she got closer. Her brown eyes took him in before dropping to her best friend limp in his arms. Laura shook her head as tears filled her eyes and she shrieked. "No!" Sam was quick and grabbed Laura's waist pulling her back. "No! Dakota! No!" She tried pulling from Sam's iron grip before turning on him and hitting him in the chest before falling to her knees crying in Sam's arms. "It's not fair!" She wept.

Cas solemnly came over to Dean and knelt in front of him. "There still might be some time." The angel knelt to Dakota's body and placed a hand on her forehead. With all his strength Cas focused his energy and powers to heal Dakota's body and call her back. Exhausted Cas' hand dropped from Dakota's face as he panted breathless. "That is as much as I could do for now." Dean's eyes dropped to her face. He could not tell if it was real or his imagination as he swore he saw her lip twitch. Then Dakota opened her mouth taking a breath in. She was breathing on her own her eyes still closed against the world, but her warmth slowly returned. "She will rest for a while. She will be alright." Cas explained. "Once I regain my strength I will focus on healing her."

"Thank you." Dean smiled holding on to his mate.

"Is she alright?" Sam asked with his arm wrapped around Laura's shoulder.

Dean let out a sign of relief. "She's alive. We had better get her and Cas to the house before something worse comes along." Dean effortlessly lifted Lakota's body bridal style and began to carry her back to the car. Laura stuck close to him as Sam and Cas watched their backs. Secretly Dean swore he would never let her out of his sight again as she nestled her head under his chin sleeping soundly.

Laura opened the door to the impala and the groan of the steel washed over Dean letting him relax knowing that this was over. He got in the back seat with Dakota and Laura shut the door getting in on the other side. Sam started the engine and sped away from the scene with Cas in the front seat.

They had returned to Dakota's house slowly pulling into the driveway. Sam helped the exhausted angel into the house and Laura assisted Dean in getting Dakota inside. Sam and Cas collapsed on the couch. Dean struggled to keep holding Dakota up and set her down on the window seat. Dean's cell phone rang and he picked it up before Dakota could be awakened. Laura busied herself tending to Dakota and Cas.

"Hello?"

"Dean!" A familiar feminine voice let out a sigh of relief over the phone. "I had a vision of you and your brother, but neither of would pick up your phone." Missouri spoke. "Are you boys alright?"

Dean looked at the people he cared about around him. They were exhausted, beaten up but alive nonetheless. "Yes, we are alright."

"And Dakota? Did she?"

"She's alive too thanks to Cas."

There was a pause over the phone. "Dean about that girl, you should know-"

"She's heaven's hunter? Yeah we found out last night."

"Did her mate show up?"

"What mate?"

"The one who turned her dear. In my vision he came to take her in the night and then he came back for boys. It was the worst vision I have ever seen. He did some evil things to you two."

"No, Missouri. Dakota killed the hunter. She saved us."

"Thank god. Well you boys be careful now and call me if you need anything."

"We will. Thanks Missouri."

"Bye-bye dear."

Dean hung up his phone and sat down next to Dakota's sleeping body.

"What did Missouri say?" Sam asked half laying on the couch next to Cas.

"She saw what would have happened to us if Dakota hadn't killed that hunter." Dean said quietly.

"What would he have done?" Sam sat himself up on the couch.

Dean didn't answer him, and Sam got the idea. It would have been horrific. Laura began cleaning Sam's face of the small cuts he received from bouncing off the ground when the hunter threw him. Sam grabbed her hand stopping her from working and pulled her into his lap. He buried his face in the crook of her neck cherishing the moment. Laura was tense for a moment before she relaxed into his touch.

Dakota rolled over facing the others before she stretched her body. She relaxed her muscles before her long lashes fluttered open.