Ares by Nikki Hall (best books to read all time TXT) 📕

turned away and started to unwound the chains, trying not to look up. I knew that goodbye was coming, and for some weird reason, I didn't want that. My eyes stayed on the ground as I handed the chain to Dean and turned to walk away. Sam touched my shoulder, and it felt like a hot, sliver iron was being pressed into my skin. "Wait," he said. His voice was soft, and I almost let a tear escape my eyes. I couldn't let that happen. Not here.
"Maybe you could help us from here on?" he suggested.
"I'm sorry, Sam," I sighed. "I'm not a team person. I hunt alone." I knew then that he looked over at Dean. We all knew that I was lying through my teeth, trying to make an excuse not to be around the man that hated what I was. I knew that neither of them had ever seen a good

Skinwalker before.
"Then, maybe we could stay in touch?" he asked. "We could use your input on hunts, I think."
"Sam, just drop it!" I yelled, wheeling around to face him. My golden eyes flashed and a snarl almost escaped me. "I don't think you want help from me

of all people!" I left then, moving to my Harley. It was my solace, my safe haven.
I heard footsteps coming up behind me, and I clenched my fists at my sides. "Sam, I said drop it!" I said.
"I'm not Sam," Dean said. I turned and saw him standing about two feet from me, his hands in his jacket pockets. His green eyes found my gold ones, and his were full of remorse for the things he had said. That didn't change my mind about him. I could feel the hatred coming off of him. I wasn't sure if it was hatred for me or for the things he had said, and I didn't think I cared either.
"I just wanted to apologize for being an ass," he said quietly. He knew that, even though Sam may not be able to hear him, I could. I could hear his steady heartbeat from two feet away.
"Dean, it's not your fault," I said. "You were raised to hunt my kind. It's only natural that you want me gone." I let a little bitterness seep into your voice. "I know how you Hunters work. You kill off "monsters" without thinking how their families will feel. Your father's mentor, Elkins, killed my mom and sister!"
"What?"
"You heard me. I'm done here."
"Sam likes you, and that's saying a lot. The demon we've been after for years killed our mother. He also killed Sammy's girlfriend recently." I let that sink in. Is that one of the reasons that Sam was attaching himself to me? I turned my face away from Dean. I forced the tears to stay in my eyes. "I'm sorry," I said. "I had no idea."
"I'm not saying you have to stay with us," he said again. "Just help us out for a while. I'm sure Sam would appreciate it." I nodded. He was right, of course. Sam took up for me, he had given me something that no other human had: Trust. That was something I couldn't walk away from, no matter how hard I had let my heart become.
"OK. I'll stay for a while," I said. Dean smiled, and I had to admit, he looked much more pleasant with a smile on his face. He almost looked like a normal guy, talking to his brother's angry girlfriend. I stopped my thought. Was that how I saw myself? As Sam's girlfriend? I barely knew the guy!
"Sam will appreciate that, you know," Dean said.
"I know. I'm only doing this for him. He, at least, trusts me."

Chapter Five

I walked back into the warehouse. I threw my leather jacket on the table. "OK," said. "What's our next case?" Sam's eyes lit up. He gave a smile, and looked at Dean. "What did you tell her?" he asked.
"Just that I'd hate to let a good Hunter slip away." He smiled at his brother, and I almost felt like a part of their family.
"Well, this was our only case for the moment. We need to wait til something comes up," Sam said. I nodded. "Well," I said. "Maybe Bobby has something we could look into? I'm just getting stir-crazy."
"We can go by his place," Dean said. "You want to ride with us or on you Harley?" I thought about that for a moment. I loved my Harley, but riding with them would be an easier option. Then, the other thought: What would I do

with it until later?
"I'll ride with you," I said finally. "Let me make a phone call so I can take care of where to send it." They nodded and I went into another room to make a call to the Skinwalker that made me. He picked up on the third ring.
"Ares, it's been a while," David said.
"Look, I need a favor."
"About Marcus? Or is this something else?
"I've found a couple Hunters that I'm going to be working with. John's boys. I need you to take care of the Harley while I'm with them. I figure it'll be easier for me to ride in the Impala with them for now."
He let out a sigh. "I'll get it taken care of, love," he said. "You just take care of yourself, you hear?"
"Of course, David. You too." I ended the call and walked back in the main room with Dean and Sam. "It's taken care of," I said. "So, when do we leave?"
"We can leave now. Everything's been taken care of here, right?" Sam said. I nodded. He smiled. "Good, then let's go."

When we finally reached Bobby's, his huge Mastiff met me at the car. "Hey, Rumsfeld," I said, scratching him behind the ears. He wagged his stumpy tail, and then he proceeded to follow me to the door.
"What's up with that?" Sam asked.
"I used to share food with him," I said with a shrug. "He's liked me since." Their bewildered looks followed me into the house. I wanted to laugh. They knew nothing

about me, obviously.
I entered the house, Sam at my side and Dean behind us. It was strangely comforting to have Sam there, and I had no idea why.
Bobby, when I entered the room he was in, smiled and gave me a huge hug. "If it isn't everyone's favorite Skinwalker," he said. I laughed. Bobby was one of the few people that knew the whole story and wasn't afraid of me or hated me.
"How've you been, Bobby?" I asked. "You've been laying off the whiskey?"
"Mostly. What brings you here? And how'd you meet those two idjits?"
"We're not idjits, Bobby," Dean said.
"Right. And I'm a damned unicorn," Bobby said. He went over to the desk in the middle of the room. He picked up a newspaper and handed it to Sam. "I was just about to call the two of you anyway," he said. Sam was engrossed in the article, and I couldn't help but to read over his shoulder. "This sounds like something for animal control, not us," Sam said.
"Keep reading, son, you'll see." Bobby was dead serious. I had seen that there were reports of "big black dogs" following the two victims, but Animal Control hadn't seen them. That was what caught my attention. "Could they be what I think they are?" I asked Bobby. He shook his head. "I've checked records of Skinwalkers. There aren't any packs in that particular area," he said. " I frowned. I wasn't sure what this "big black dog" was, and most of the time, Death Omens were based on either Skinwalkers or Werewolves.
"So," Sam said. "Looks like we're heading to Mississippi." Dean groaned. Bobby, however, turned to me. "You still haven't told me how you

of all people hooked up with these two."
"I was hunting a Werewolf in Waco, and they were hunting a demon," I said. "We took down the wolf together, and Sam here convinced me that we'd make a good team. I figured that I could go along for the ride." Bobby shook his head. I barely heard him mutter "Raging hormones is what it is."
"That's not it, Bobby. And you know it." He simply laughed and looked at Dean and Sam. "You two better take care of her," he said. "If you don't, you've got me to worry about."

Chapter Six

I blushed. "Bobby, quit treating me like a kid!" I said.
"Sorry, it's habit," he replied. Sam nodded and I followed them outside to the Impala. I took the newspaper article and began to re-read it. I knew there was something I was missing. I just couldn't tell what it was that I was missing.
"Why so quiet?" Dean asked. He was making an effort to be nice to me, that much was obvious. Maybe it was because Bobby trusted me. Maybe he just saw that he didn't have to hate me so much anymore.
"I'm missing something here," I said. "I just know I am. I just can't figure out what it is that I'm not getting."