Dean could feel all their eyes on him even before he saw them. He could hear their thoughts whirling around in their heads wondering whether or not what they had heard was true, why he had run off like that and what the hunters had to do with anything. How he wished he could just run back into that clearing and never have to face reality again. He was almost tempted to until his mate mentally reminded him of his responsibilities, he would never get used to the fact that Sam could hear his thoughts and feel exactly what emotions he was going through. He was so used to being guarded and suppressing everything that it felt strange for someone to see him as he was.

The tree line broke in front of them revealing the Winchester house, the doors and windows were all thrown wide in what appeared to be in attempt of extracting any lingering silver extract in the atmosphere. The pack was sitting around in a circle, their attention focused on John who was perched worriedly in his chair with Mary by his side. Blood stained the gravel and glass littered the window where the intruder had managed to break through, it seemed that no one decided to clean up in the couple of hours they had been gone. Which meant that it was now a crime scene…just great.

Dean drew in a deep breath, his hand entwining with Sam's as they took a step towards the house. Sam was naked as his clothes had been left behind at the manor before the change, he only had Dean's ruined top wrapped loosely around his waist to cover his modesty slightly. Dean however had managed to salvage his jeans but forgo the top. With every step they took the weres became more aware of their presence. Some openly gawked at them while others adverted their eyes, some even had tears running down their face like seeing Dean was like seeing their god for the first time. Ok he might have left in a hurry but he wasn't in that bad of a shape…was he?

Dean politely nodded at each wolf that met his eyes, pushing Sam to the side to guard him from some of the looks the females were making. He almost growled out a warning but he managed to supress it in time. He could see some shocked expressions and he presumed that they had noticed the bright red bite mark just below his jaw…why Sam had decided to mark him there he had no idea.

Slowly they made their way through the pack until they were standing at the head of the house where his parents sat. Mary smiled at him with watery eyes while John scrutinised his appearance, his eyes lingering on the mark for a few seconds.

"Son," John acknowledged his eyes not straying away from the bite making Dean feel even more uncomfortable. "You alright?" he asked his eyes finally looking up at the young Alpha's face and Dean could see a hint of a smile crossing his lips.

"Fine," Dean replied automatically.

"Sam?" John turned to face the omega who was standing strong at Dean's side though his cheeks were an adorable pink hue, clearly the thought of him being naked in front of Dean's parents had just hit him.

"Yes he's fine," Sam replied.

Dean rolled his eyes when would his parents ever take his word for anything he said. 'When your idea of fine isn't I'm not dead yet' Sam's voice echoed in his head. 'Ass' Dean replied. 'Only yours' was the instant response.

"Are you sure sweetie, there was a lot of blood…we couldn't tell…" Mary pitched in her words breaking off at the thought.

Dean smiled and walked over towards his mother who stood up. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her into his chest. Her soft tears fell onto his shoulder making him feel instantly guilty that he had run off. It was to protect them more than for his own sake, he didn't want them to know about the extent that he was not a wolf. He didn't want them to see him for the freak that could withstand things that were designed to kill them. He didn't want anyone else to know in case it put them in danger and that was the last thing he wanted. He wouldn't have any of their blood on his hands as long as he could help it. "It was just a shoulder shot," he soothed feeling her nod at his words. He held her for a few moments before she pulled apart so their eyes could meet. She smiled as he focused was brought to the bite mark, her hand reached up to trace the scar and instantly a shudder ran down Dean's spine, one that Sam seemed to mimic. "I err," he stammered feeling like the teenager who had been caught with his hands down his trousers.

"I'm happy for you," Mary replied kissing him on the cheek and pulling apart so she could hug Sam. That was all the confirmation Dean needed, his mate was now accepted as a Winchester and that thought made his heart soar. "I now have two sons," she added kissing Sam's cheek.

"Dean," John's voice called out to him bringing the young Alpha's attention back to his father. All around them the pack had started to cheer and call out their congratulations that he had finally mated. Dean wanted to reveal in their joy like Sam was doing however one look at John's face had his smile slipping. He peered over towards his mate who was busy chatting to Mary. Satisfied that he was distracted he nodded at the side of the house to his father who followed his lead.

When they were out of the way of the celebrations Dean let out a deep breath. "How bad is it?" he asked knowing that there was only one reason why his father would want to talk to him in private. There were some things only an Alpha should be burdened with.

"The hunter Walker is detained in the cells underneath the manor," John began his eyes starting to darken. "The other one…he didn't make it."

"It was only a shoulder shot I swear!" Dean exclaimed running a hand through his short hair feeling panic start to rise in the pit of his stomach.

"He lost too much blood."

"FUCK!" Dean shouted slamming his hand into the side of the building feeling it crack underneath his blow. Sam was calling to him in his head but he ignored his mate. How could he tell him that he had been responsible for taking a human life…not just any life…a hunters?

"Ace he was breaking into our home you did what any of us would have done to protect the pack."

"No," Dean shook his head taking a step back and watching his spilt knuckles begin to heal. "You would have been able to restrain him, one look at a wolf and they wouldn't have dared to come here…they were here because of me…they knew what I am."

John sighed scrubbing a hand through his beard. "I saw the pictures." Oh yeah the pictures that implicated Dean in that young woman who turned out to be a hunter's murder. "I have to be honest it doesn't look good."

"You know I didn't kill her?"

"I know but it's what they believe."

"How long before they get here?"

"They're already here and waiting to speak to you."

Dean groaned, if the were council had come all the way down here to speak to him then it meant nothing but trouble.

…

They were all lined up on one side of the table, their eyes narrowed towards him and their backs straight. Each one wore a tight expression and it was clear that they weren't going to give anything that they was thinking away. There were five of them in total, the whole council had bothered to make the trip to see them which was never a good sign. The one in the middle leaned forward slightly his hands cupped together on the table and his full attention was focused completely on Dean. His blue eyes were unwavering with his intense gaze making the young Alpha feel uncomfortable.

"We have a problem," the man declared after a couple of minutes of silence and staring. His bald head glistened in the early morning sunlight, Dean had to bite his tongue to stop a joke about head wax from coming out, wrong place and defiantly wrong people to appreciate that sort of thing. "We have two dead humans and one common denominator," he added his hands uncurling to slam down on the table. "You Dean," he growled his blue eyes flashing dangerously. "You seem to be leaving a bit of a body count and it has become a problem, you don't want to be my problem do you Winchester?"

"No…"

"No you don't," the man interrupted tilting his head towards his companions. "I don't like problems, we don't like problems. They make our lives difficult…"

"Zachariah…" John called out from his standing position behind Dean's chair. As per rules during a were meeting concerning rogue or unruly wolves the accused was allowed one character witness to stand by their side and vouch for their behaviour. Dean didn't so much as choose his father as his father barged his way into the meeting not taking no for an answer. "My son didn't kill the female."

Zachariah nodded leaning back in his chair and throwing his arms along the back of it. "Did he not?" he tutted. "Oh I guess this whole thing has been a mistake. I guess we were contacted by concerned and vengeful hunters during the full moon for no reason. I guess we raced all the way down here in our wolves form for nothing. You're free to go Winchester," he declared his hand pointing towards the sealed door.

Dean frowned turning to face his father whose expression had darkened considerably. Having more than one Alpha in a room at a time was considered dangerous under normal circumstances but having one take control and demand full respect was a lot to tolerate. He knew how hard this must be on his father but he also knew that they had to tread carefully. The were council was in control of the whole of their civilisation, they were the ones who held the power of life and death and the ones who created the rules they all lived by. "I didn't touch her," Dean pitched in. "I found her like that I swear."

"What do you swear on Dean? What do you believe in?" Zachariah replied his companions all leaning forward in unison like they were all the same person.

"I believe in my family," Dean replied instantly without a second thought, he might not have much faith in a higher power but he did in his family, in his pack and in his mate.

"Your family right," Zachariah shook his head while tutting. "Just because you have the name Winchester doesn't make you part of a family…you're not even a full wolf…how can you be part of this pack?"

"Dean's my son!" John declared growling with his eyes flashing dangerously. "He's mine and Mary's flesh and blood…"

"And that is why we are having this farce of a meeting!" Zachariah shouted. "Do you honestly think that his life is worth more to us then the treaty between the hunters? You have put everything into jeopardy boy. Killing humans we could overlook but two hunters…we have a treaty put in place for the safety of our species and we are not putting that at risk for a pretend wolf!" He pushed to his feet and gestured to the two wolves standing guard by the far door. The men stepped forward so that they were standing directly behind John. "We have seen the photographic evidence, we have found a bullet buried in the male hunter that matches the make and model of your gun, the one that was found on your person. Do you deny this?"

"I was protecting the pack!"

"Please, they were the elders they have lived long enough and we make enough young to replace them!" a man to Zachariah's right pitched in, he was a dark skinned man and he too was bald. "This is why we leave them behind each moon, why should we waste the resources protecting those who can't protect themselves. If you had any sense you ignorant maggot you would have let the hunter kill them and you!"

"Where is your sense of loyalty?" Dean shouted anger boiling through him at the man's words. "They are a part of the pack they are family or does that mean nothing to you?!" he pushed himself to his feet. "He broke into my home and I done what any decent person would have done! Family might not mean much to someone like you, they might not share the same surname but family don't end in blood!"

Zachariah laughed clapping his hands together as he straightened to his full height. "Very touching," he stopped clapping. "I see that fire inside of you Deano, was it this fire that the female saw before you mauled her? Was it this fire that made you shoot that man?" he turned his head towards his companions who Dean noticed was nodding along to every word the man said. "You have all the makings of a rogue and you of all people know what we do to them."

Dean growled feeling his wolf trying to push to the surface as his anger was beginning to spiral out of control. He drew in a deep breath and tried to claim him down, it wouldn't help his case to lose it with the head of the council no matter how much of a dick he was. "I didn't kill her. I killed the rogue that killed her."

"So where's the body?" the dark skinned man asked.

"Yeah Dean what happened to the body because when we investigated all we found was her."

"I don't know," Dean released the breath feeling tremors start to wrack his body. Silently he tried to negotiate with his wolf…he really didn't want to shift here and now…god…he needed to stay in control if he needed to argue his case. 'I'm right here,' Dean heard Sam's voice echo in his head. 'Alpha I'm right here waiting for you, I love you, stay strong' his beautiful omega whispered to him soothing his inner wolf. Sam continued to speak and within a few moments the beast seemed to settle down. He mentally whispered his thanks and his love to his mate, he was so glad that they had managed to mate before the shit had hit the fan. At least now he knew that his wolf listened to the omega, which was a start he supposed. "I don't know what happened to him," he reiterated hoping that none of them had sensed his inner turmoil.

"It's convenient don't you think to blame this mysterious rogue?"

"It's the truth."

"Whose truth? Yours or one your father told you to say? I don't think any of us could doubt how much you seem to mean to your parents, why they kept you around I have no idea."

"He's my son and my heir, you can't touch him without mine or the packs permission," John declared taking a step forward and placing his hands on Dean's shoulders. "Besides he's mated," he added forcing Dean's neck to the side so that the council could see the bite mark.

"Yes another convenience, so what you swan off into the woods, mate and then come back…" Zachariah tutted. "I think you done that because you knew we wouldn't be able to touch you without judging your omega first."

"You're not touching Sam!" Dean growled. "He has done nothing wrong!"

"And you have?!"

"No!"

"If he hasn't and you hasn't then who has?"

"The hunters! Gordon Walker."

"Gordon Walker the leader of the men of letters organisation that currently holds the updated version of our treaty with the hunters?" Dean froze the colour draining from his face. "Oh you didn't know, yeah Henry unfortunately met his untimely end and passed control to his dear friend Gordon and you kiddo…you just murdered his friend…it's not looking good for you Winchester."

The guards standing by John grabbed hold of each of his arms and forced him away from Dean. John growled and started to fight his way free for another two guards to help restrain him. Zachariah laughed as he walked around the table so that he was now standing directly in front of Dean, his smile stretching from ear to ear. "Our friend claimed he shot you with a silver bullet yet here you stand, not a scratch on you and you expect us to believe you. A wolf who is not a wolf. You are a disgrace to our kind and I won't tolerate it any longer. John you might want to find another heir," with those words he clicked his fingers and five more guards burst into the room and rounded on Dean.

Dean yelled as they pounced on him restraining him. "LET GO OF ME!" he yelled trying to kick free only to get punched in the face by the nearest wolf. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

"Save your breath you don't have much left. Dean Winchester I am retaining you on the grounds of murder and treason, you jeopardised the upstanding treaty we have in place by killing two hunters. On behalf of the were council and wolves everywhere we sentence you to trial by hunters."

"No!" John shouted as he was forced away from Dean.

All Dean could do was shout as a sharp punch to his temple sent him crashing into unconsciousness.

TBC (Oh I know I am so evil! How's our Dean going to get out of this? I hope you still continue to enjoy and thank you so much for all your reviews, it is lovely hearing from you so please keep them coming. See you all in Chapter Fifteen!)