CHAPTER 6

Pulling up to the abandoned warehouse was like stumbling onto a ghost town. When we got out of the car it was eerily quiet except for the wind causing a loose piece of aluminum sheeting to bang against the side of the building. The red police tape, sealing the door, was like a predictor of the bloody scene we were sure to find inside. Sam pulled his folding knife from his pocket, cut through the tape, and reached for the knob. I put a hand on his shoulder before he could push open the door.

"Sam?"

"Yeah", he said, turning his head to look at me over his shoulder.

"Before we go inside, I need to talk to you about something." Sam turned around completely and stared at me curiously. "I know it's gonna be a bloody scene in there and... and the smell... That Alpha's stench is gonna be everywhere!" I was already starting to bow up and pant through my nose. Just the thought of smelling that monster again had my Alpha enraged.

"It's OK, Dean", Sam whispered. He put his hand out like he wanted to touch my shoulder, then thought better of it and let it drop to his side. "I can go in alone if it's gonna be too..."

"NO!", I barked cutting him off. "I need to do this. I have to this. Just... keep a few feet between us and if it looks like I'm gonna lose it, get the Hell outta there."

"Ok, Dean." He turned to the door again, but I grabbed his arm.

"I'm not finished", I growled, spinning him around. "Your gun's loaded with silver rounds, right?"

"Yeah? You know it is." Sam looked at me with a confused expression. "What about it?"

"If you can't get out and I attack you, you know what to do." When he realized what I was telling him, Sam's expression morphed into one of shocked horror. He pulled his arm out of my grip and took a step back, running into the door.

"Are you crazy, Dean? I'm not shooting you! No way!" He had the nerve to look at me like I was insane! I snarled and lunged at him, pinning his shoulders to the door. His instincts for self-preservation kicked in and he started to struggle to get away. But since all this Alpha stuff happened, I was way stronger than he was and held him with not much effort. I grabbed his chin and pushed his head back to see the still healing gash on his neck just under his jawline.

"Do you think this was bad, Sam?!" I shook him, making sure he was paying attention. "That day I gave you this for laughing at Lydia's lame joke?!"

"DEAN...!"

"SHUT UP, SAM!" I was seething now. I had to make him understand. "THAT WAS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT I COULD DO TO YOU! DO YOU GET ME?!" Fear finally started to show in his hazel eyes and he nodded frantically while I continued to hold his chin in a bruising grip. "DO YOU?!" I grabbed his throat with my other hand and squeezed just hard enough to cut off about half of his air.

"Yes... Dean... I... I get you!", he wheezed, his voice shaking with fear. I released him and he slumped back against the door coughing and panting. He rubbed his chin and his throat, trying to get the blood flowing through his skin again. It was quiet for a long moment while we just glared at each other.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I just... I can't let something like that happen again. I just can't." I had to look away. The guilt of what I had just done was finally starting to catch up with me. When I looked up again, his eyes had softened with concern.

"I know, Dean. I understand", he said, finally looking away too. He didn't say that he was agreeing to shoot me. I knew that he wouldn't. That acknowledgement of my feelings would have to be enough.

He stood up and straightened his clothes before he turned and opened the door. From my spot behind my brother, the interior was dark and a cold rush of stale air came rushing out and hit me in the face. But that air was also carrying the smell of blood, sex, and Alpha werewolf so strong that I was nearly knocked over backwards. I had to consciously remember to breath through my mouth. It helped some, but the taste of blood and Alpha on my tongue was almost as bad as the smell. Sam pulled a flashlight out of his jacket and clicked it on. For a moment, all that I could see were the dust motes swirling around inside the beam of the light until my keen werewolf eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"Forget your flashlight, Dean?", Sam said with a grin as he turned and shined his light at my face. I growled and threw my hand up to shield my face.

"DUDE! I didn't need one until you just blinded me!"

"Whoa!"

"What?! What is it?!", I grunted turning around, thinking that there was something behind me that I hadn't noticed when I walked in.

"Did you know that your eyes shine like an animal's?" I turned back around to have the light in my face again. "That's wicked!"

"Thank you, David Attenborough! Now could you please point that damn flashlight somewhere else before I shove it up your ass?!"

"Oh! Right! Sorry, Dean", he whispered pointing his flashlight away from me and letting it sweep around the large open area of the warehouse. I had to blink away the spots floating around in my vision several times before I could see clearly again. But I could tell where the attack had happened even before my vision returned completely. I could smell it.

"To your left, Sammy. In that far corner." His light shown in the direction I had indicated and the beam froze on a large dark stain on the concrete. A pair of bloody bare footprints lead away from the spot and to an exit at the back. I stalked passed the large crimson stain and shoved open the back door. I could still smell him! His sent still lingered in the air and on the ground. If he went by foot, I bet I could follow his trail. The scent led to a dirt road off of the main highway and I was itching to follow it.

"Dean?", Sam shouted from the doorway. "What is it?" I reached into my pocket, grabbed the keys to Baby and tossed them to him.

"Bring Baby around, would ya?" He looked at me in confusion and then down at the keys in his hand. "I think I can track him." Sam nodded and disappeared back into the warehouse and out the front to retrieve Baby. When he pulled up next to me, I pointed down the dirt road that disappeared into the woods. He started to scoot over to let me behind the wheel when I stopped him.

"No, you drive, Sam. I need to be out here." I stared down the dark road. I could almost see the strong scent wafting through the air.

"You're gonna walk?"

"Nope! I'm gonna run!", I said with a smirk. "Just try and keep up." With that, I took off at a dead sprint, keeping the scent in front of me. It was the most exhilarating experience of my life. Flying as fast as my legs could carry me without even getting winded. Was that normal for a werewolf? Or just me? I had to let the thought go or I'd get off track. Had to keep my head in the game. The scent veered off of the dirt road and unto an almost hidden driveway that led to a small farmhouse, tucked back in the woods. Anyone else would have missed it for how thick the woods were here. Sam had to skid to a stop and back up, it was so well concealed.

I stood there staring at the house as Baby stopped in the dooryard. Sam got outta the car and stepped up next to me with a wide grin. "Nice leg there, Prefontaine!", Sam cheered, clapping me on the back.

"Who?", I asked, confused.

"Steve Prefontaine? The long distance runner?", He stated like I should know this. "The runner who from 1973 to 1975 set American records at every distance from..." I just stood there shaking my head. "...never mind."

"Nerd", I muttered under my breath as I moved toward the house. Sam followed as I crept quietly up the stairs.

"Is he here?", Sam whispered.

"I don't know", I whispered back. "His scent is all over this place, but I can't tell if he left. If he went by car, he could be long gone and I wouldn't know one way or the other."

"Great", Sam grumbled. At that moment I heard something faint but steady. A slow, rhythmic thump-thump sound that I recognized as a heartbeat. I heard it all the time now from the people around me. Usually I was able to block it out and ignore it, but this one wasn't coming from Sam. It was coming from farther away... from inside the house. I put a finger to my lips to shush him and pointed at the door.

"There's someone in there!", I mouthed to him. He looked at me, then at the door, and nodded. He pulled the gun out of the back of his pants and readied himself with a heavy sigh. It was so easy for Sam to fall back into hunter mode even after a year of sitting on the sidelines. Whereas I had been in perpetual kill mode, and my heart was hammering a mile-a-minute. I pulled a silver blade out of my boot and tried the doorknob. To my surprise, it was unlocked and I pushed the door open slowly, cringing at the loud squeak of the hinges.

"Alpha? Is that you?", a male voice shouted from somewhere inside. Having lost the element of surprise, I shoved the door open, letting it hit the wall with a loud bang. A rather petite man with dark hair came walking out of the kitchen and froze when he saw me.

"Well, I guess that depends on which Alpha you're referring to." The growl that poured out of me had him quivering with fear and he dropped to his hands and knees and stared at the floor. I walked up close and looked down at the trembling man who didn't look a day over 18. I sniffed the air around him and scrunched up my nose at the strong smells emanating from him. He was indeed a werewolf and I could smell the Alpha on him... or should I say, in him. Standing over him, I noticed something that I hadn't before. There was a wide strip of leather wrapped around the man's neck. A collar. I grabbed it and jerked him to his feet. "Where's your Alpha!", I snarled in his face.

"I... I d-dont know!", the man wheezed fearfully.

"I don't believe you!", I snapped, backhanding him in the face. I twisted the collar harshly, making him whimper. "See, I know what he does to you and I know that you know about his "extra-curricular activities", I growled, making air-quotes with my free hand. "NOW TELL ME WHERE HE IS?!"

"I don't kn-know...", he croaked. I roared at him and he lifted his arms to protect his face. "...B-but I over... overheard him t-talking on the... the phone to another member of our p-pack!"

"Talking? Talking about what?!", I seethed. I was starting to get aggravated by this sniveling weakling! The Alpha in me hated weaklings, but I had to push him down deep inside me. This werewolf was a victim like the ones in Purgatory. The ones Kate fought to protect from bigger, stronger werewolves. The battle between kill and protect was waging inside me and I knew that I was probably going to have to kill him after I got the info I needed. I just hoped he found Kate's pack when he got to where all monsters went when they died.

"He said he found her! His Omega!", the timid werewolf squeaked. "The one he was promised!"

"What?", I said, the shock of what he had just said making me lose my grip on the collar. He crumpled to the floor at my feet and tried to crawl away from me. I grabbed the back of his jeans and hauled him towards me and flipped him over onto his back. "WHAT OMEGA?! WHERE?!"

"S-some little p-podunk town in Wisconsin! B-but he said she has a mate! He had to do something to lure her mate away from her!" NO! It can't be! He can't be talking about her!

"Lydia!"