by Ruby Forrest
He sighed and swallowed, "If one last kill will end all of this, I'll do it, but if I don’t think it is the right ways, and I hate the idea anyway, then I'll find another way to go in, another way to deal with this and make them see reason."
Maria smiled and laid a hand on her arm, "And I will be right there to help, in any way that I can." She smiled at him and something in his features settled, became quiet and still.
"Thank you, Maria." His voice was quiet and intent, "Thank you for standing by me. I do not know of many people who would. I do not know of many people who would be willing to do what you have been doing for me." He smiled and it was as if the sun was shining, bright and unyielding and everything that she had ever dreamt of. He was everything that she had ever dreamt of and so much more.
Maria nodded again, "its okay, Jack- Dean." She sighed and shook her head, "I'm just sorry that I doubted you. You were just trying to protect me and I doubted you and made your job so much harder and, for that, I'm really sorry."
He shook his head, "No, I wasn’t clear with you about it all. That was on me."
They smiled at each other and Maria knew, beyond the sex and the common mission that they shared, they were going to be alright, they were not going to drift apart any time soon and it sent happiness leaping in Maria's heart.
"Let's go."
Jack- Dean pulled away the huge piece of wood that shielded the exit and made sure to blow out the lantern. Then he headed out and Maria followed suit. She did not know where the day had gone, but things already seemed dark, dark and quiet and not at all inviting. She swallowed but stayed firm. Jack- Dean knew what he was doing, and she had to believe that he would not lead them astray.
She smiled, feeling confidence return to her, feeling the burning in her heat flutter like the brightest light. She would help him fix this, no matter what it entailed.
"So, do you think getting this guy will fix things?"
Jack- Dean nodded lowly, "Maybe? He seemed to be the one causing all the uproar, leading the rogue faction. If we can get him to stop all of this, it shouldn’t be hard to sway his followers." He shook his head, "I do not know if that was him, or if that was a hired goon. Either way, following his trail will help. He's certainly not one of ours that much I know for sure."
Maria nodded, reassured by his words, "And if you can't reason with him..." She swallowed, "I'll help in any way that I can. This forest needs help, the shifters need help and so does every creature and person who lives here." She swallowed her feat, pushing it back deeply, "I want to help, Jack- Dean. I want to help in any way that I possibly can."
Jack- Dean glanced at her, surprise in his eyes, "Maria...Thank you." He smiled again, "But I do not want any blood on your hands. You're a researcher, you came here to help, you did not come here to kill and I cannot ask you to do that, not for me."
"It is not just for you, Jack- Dean It is for everyone. We need to make this right."
Maria swallowed, feeling the memories of before rush up inside of her. She remembered the dream that had filled her until now, the panic and the pain and the betrayal. She remembered the whispered words, the murmurs of reassurance, that he was not going to hurt her and that she just needed to trust him, that she just needed to give into the sensations and let him take control, just give in and make sure that she took his words for it, so that he could save her and keep her safe.
She had felt betrayed, felt like he didn’t care and wasn’t really who he said he was, wasn’t to be trusted. But now, now she had been proved wrong, so very wrong. Now, she had been proved that he was truly there for her, that he cared and that he would never hurt her. He was only trying to save her, only there to help her, and the forest and everyone in it. She was lucky. She was so lucky and she was so happy to be in his arms, to feel him against her skin, to know that he was here for her, that he wasn’t going anywhere. That he was the good guy, not a guy who was walking out on her and all his beliefs. That it would all be okay.
"I'm here to help. I mean it."
Chapter 8
Jack- Dean smiled and she knew that they were definitely going to be okay. They kept moving through the forest and Maria wondered how the heck Jack- Dean knew where he was going. Maria did not notice anything that spent tracks, and she didn’t know how he could see much anyway in the fading light. She chalked it up to something that she did not quite understand, something to do with the fact that he was a shifter, and that she did not necessarily understand that part of his life, that part of what made him who he was. Maybe he could track by smell, or maybe his eyesight was better. She could only assume that he kept some of the bearlike traits. Maria could imagine that that would be incredibly useful. She wondered, idly, as they moved through the bushes, if there were other animal shifters, if they enlisted in things like the military, to get an advantage. She wondered what else was out there in the world, that she knew nothing about, that she didn’t quite understand.
She wondered why she had been so blind all her life, stuck in her little bubble, never seeing the rest of the world for what it was. She shivered, feeling the ache move up her skin.
Then Jack- Dean stopped and she knew that it was the time to be very quiet. She watched him as he dipped down, checking the dirt, looking for something, or confirming something that he had already found.
He nodded to her and Maria swallowed, knowing what that meant. They were close. She bit her lip and tried not to let her fear seep out. She realized that if Jack- Dean was tracking by scent, then they were probably just as easy to track in return, just as easy to find and to attack, if they got too close. Jack- Dean leaned over and pushed something into her hand. She looked down and was surprised at the tazer. He shrugged.
She knew that a tazer could seriously hurt an animal if put to a high setting. She also knew that this was an important way to protect yourself, without actually killing the animal. Usually the sound and sparking electricity was enough to get one to back off.
She didn’t think that this would be the case now, but she appreciated it anyway. She did not feel half as bad about hurting a shifter, who might look all bear, but had the capacity to kill and hate and plot just like any other human. Especially this shifter, the one who was intentionally going after others of its kind with murderous intent. Who had tried to kill her just because she was a human, and no other reason? The thought made her sick. She had no problems hurting someone like that.
Jack- Dean took a step forward and she noticed that, while he had no weapons in his hands, everything about his body language had changed. He was focused, he was predatory and she did not doubt that he would change in a second, if he thought that he needed to, if he thought that that would help him, and help Maria, get out of this in one piece. He was ready to fight, ready to take anyone who was in his way down, and Maria was glad to have him on her side, instead of on the side of the enemy. She had a sneaky suspicion that he was one of the main reasons that his side was winning this thing, despite the body count.
He moved through the bushes, Maria keeping her distance. He had asked her to stay back and out of sight and she planned to keep to that. After all, the guy they were trying to find did not need a second target, did not need to try and hurt her and distract Jack- Dean. She needed to be focused and he needed to have no one else to attack other than Jack- Dean, if it came to that. Besides, that would give Maria the element of surprise if she needed it and she welcomed that without hesitation welcomed the idea of ending him if it came to it.
Jack- Dean took a step forward, emerging from the clearing. Then she heard it.
"Jack- Dean, great of you to join me. I was worried that you would not be coming."
Chapter 9
Maria felt her whole body tense up at the sound of the voice coming from in front. She crouched down, trying her best to hide herself. She did not know if it would work, or if he could smell her, but she was doing her best to stay hidden, just as they had agreed on. Anything that made it hard
er on him was a definite win. But Maria hadn't expect this, hadn't expected to hear those words leave his mouth.
She had expected a bear and she had gotten a man. Maria swallowed and stared through the leaves and the plants, feeling worry ache inside of her chest. Jack- Dean was just there, so close and she was fearful for his safety. She gripped the tazer hard and deep, taking it all in with eyes that focused through the gaps and cracks of nature.
Her eyes fell on him and her breath caught in her throat. He was a big man. As big as Jack- Dean or even more so. His hair was dark, salt and pepper painted on at the corners, with facial hair dusting across his jawline. He wore dark clothes and his arms were folded over his chest. He was sitting and there was something incredibly confident about him, incredibly sure of himself.
He knew that he was going to win, and he wasn’t afraid to play with his food first. Maria shivered, her eyes flicking to Jack- Dean. He looked just as calm as the man in front, and he lowered his arms, adopting a relaxed stance, a non-threatening one.
"I just want to talk."
The man smiled, "Yes, like you talked before."
Jack- Dean frowned, darkness in his eyes, "You were attacking a human."
"Yes. Not you. You should have stayed out of it." The way he said it was so confident, so matter of fact that Maria felt anger rise inside of her. He did not care. He felt like it was his right to attack humans, and that Jack- Dean was the one at fault. He was a monster.
She itched to move forward, but she bit her tongue and repeated the plan to herself.
"Jack- Dean, Jack- Dean, you just do not get it..." His done was mocking, dark and Maria felt herself bristle.
"Who are you anyway?" Jack- Dean asked, his voice cool.
"Troy." He answered, shortly, "The one who gives a damn about shifters, and wants them to take their rightful places instead of being used and abused and treated like crap by humans. Instead of having to hide and cower in fear, pretend we do not exist and go about living a life with no freedom." He laughed, "Not only that but humans, seriously?" He shook his head, "They're worthless. Nothing to them, nothing more than their sad lived and sadder bodies. What does it matter if a few get hurt while we reclaim what is rightfully ours? What does it matter, Jack- Dean?"
Jack- Dean seemed to be struggling to control himself. He twisted his hands into tight fists and shook his head, "You do not get it, Troy. There is so much more to humans, to the balance of the world, and you do not see it. We're not here to rule, to hunt and hurt innocents. We're here to help and protect and to keep to ourselves. We must all live in balance and with respect." He sighed, "I know many humans who do not understand this, many humans who, too, have plenty to learn." He shook his head, "But we are here to help teach and guide, and eventually, we will get what we are searching for. We will get peace and a world where we can live together. That time will come, Troy. But killing humans is not the way to get there. Killing fellow shifters who do not agree with you...that is not the way to go. Violence is not the way to go."
There was passion in Jack- Dean's voice, a focus that Maria had not hear before. He believed in what he was saying, truly believed in what he was saying and doing. He wanted to make a difference and Maria found that, suddenly, she could not be prouder of him. It could not be easy hiding and trying to help people at the same time.
Suddenly, she was angry at anyone who had ever said he was cold or distant or unapproachable. He was doing everything he could to help, everything he could to fix things and he deserved respect and patience and care for it.
Troy stood up slowly, rising to his feet. The smile was gone from his face, "Seems like there is no reasoning with you, Jack- Dean." He shook his head, "Pity. You could have been useful. You could have made a difference in this fight. You could have saved many shifters."
"Same goes for you." Jack- Dean shifted, "Last chance. We do not have to fight. We can both walk away from this."
Troy just smiled. He didn’t give Jack- Dean another moment to decide, another moment to say a word.
He leapt at him with a roar, an almighty sound that cut through the air like a knife that boomed through the ground like a cannon. Maria bit her lip and tried not to scream, tried not to make a sound. She shuddered as the sound echoed around her and she crouched down further, trying to stop him from seeing her.
Jack- Dean grunted as he was slammed to the ground. He braced himself, pushing against Troy and trying to regain his footing. Troy had not changed get, but she could see traces of it starting to show, the huge fangs that elongated from his mouth, the way his hands seemed like paws, clawing and gripping and ripping at Jack- Dean and his clothes. With an almighty shout, Jack- Dean pushed troy off him and sent him sprawling to the ground. He leapt up quickly, moving in a way that spoke of years of practice, years of fighting, even if it was just in a friendly way. It didn’t matter, did not matte, all the mattered was the fact that Alex was fighting and he was fighting well. He was hitting back and Maria bit back a cheer, bit back a sound of excitement. The fear and excitement were coursing through her, burning in her veins and making her dizzy from the feeling. Jack- Dean could do it, she knew that he could.
Troy hit back, as vicious as ever and she saw the transformation in him coming on quickly, fueled by anger. She did not get a chance to see it happen to Jack- Dean. Before she knew what she was looking at Jack- Dean had transformed and he was slamming into Troy, slamming him with every inch of his body weight, every towering moment of strength, ever intense second. He hit Troy with everything that he had and then some, hit him with everything that he possessed and more. It was breathtaking. Maria was trying not to scream at the force, as Troy and Jack- Dean hit the ground together in a tangle, as they slammed into the ground and made the whole damn forest shake, made the whole forest tremble with the force, shudder with the strength. It was incredible and it was frightening and it was everything in between.
This fight was so important, this fight meant so much to so many people.
Maria couldn't believe that it would all be decided here, here in the middle of the woods, with no one ever knowing what it took to end all of this, all of the death that was happening in this forest, all of the hate that was leaking out, that would hit everyone around with the same death and pain.
Jack- Dean was giving it his all and she knew that so much was resting on him succeeding, so much was resting on him getting it right. But Troy was not about to back down. He roared as he was slammed into the ground, pushing himself back up, bucking so that Jack- Dean was thrown to the ground. Then Troy turned and sank his teeth into Jack- Dean's arms, burning him with the vicious fangs that Maria had seen, sinking his fangs all the way in until they must have hit bone. Jack- Dean howled and Maria could hear the pain in his voice, rolling off him in waves. Troy must have sensed it too, because he used the time to slam Jack- Dean down into the ground with a powerful thud. Maria squeezed her eyes shut, gripping the tazer so tight, willing him to just get back up! He needed to get back up so that he could win this. He needed to get back up so that Troy wouldn't beat him, troy wouldn't win and send everything plunging into chaos. He needed to win this. Maria felt the ache of horror inside of her heart as Troy approached Jack- Dean, as he got closer and closer and closer. He was seconds away from him. Maria leapt up, gripping the tazer tightly, ready to charge in, and ready to do whatever it took. Then Jack- Dean pushed himself up, twisting so that he slammed Troy back into the ground. There was blood soaking his fur, dripping onto the ground, but Maria did not care. He was alive! They could deal with the rest later, as long as he was alive! She did not sit back down, tazer gripped tightly in her hand.
Maria hated violence and she hated killing, but she was deep in this now and if it meant keeping herself, the others and Jack- Dean safe, she would do what she needed to do, no hesitation, no reluctance. It was important and she was not about to let that slip away because of a moment of hesitation. No way. She was in this. She repeated it to herself over
and over, trying to reassure herself that she was okay, that she was doing the right thing by staying back.
She felt the tension in her body peak, felt the insanity rise inside of her at the fight, at the aching fight in front of her that seemed to be the impossible, He was fighting so hard and she was just sitting on the sidelines! She tried to repeat her mantra again, to remind herself that she really needed to stay back, really needed to not do a damn thing until Jack- Dean needed her to, but she didn’t know if she could be that strong.
Jack- Dean roared and kicked, claws flailing in a way that was terrifying and amazing all at the same time. Troy was fighting back just as hard and she knew that this had become what Jack- Dean had feared it would, a fight to the death, a fight until the end, a fight where only one person would walk out alive and Maria could only pray that it would be Jack- Dean. She what do whatever she had to make sure that it was Jack- Dean that he lived through this.
She had never thought that her simple research trip would have taken her here, what should have been a simple academic study had turned into a horror show, love and lust, betrayal and bloodshed all twisting to make for something she never thought she would live through, never, ever thought that she would have to witness, could have witnessed. It was exhausting and she was frightened, frightened for Jack- Dean.
A roar brought her attention back to the fight, back to the agony in front of her, back to what was happening. Jack- Dean was pinned this time, and she panicked at the sight of Troy’s teeth around his neck. He was going to bite Jack- Dean, going to sink his teeth in and finish him off. Maria couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen.
