Heart of a Hunter

16: Shattered Pieces

                                            Blair's POV:

I stood in the middle of the motel room, still clutching Sam's hand, feeling like the ground had just crumbled beneath me. The world outside had gone quiet—too quiet. The rain had stopped, leaving behind a damp stillness that pressed down on me, heavy and suffocating.

The letter sat on the table, its edges curling slightly from where my fingers had gripped it too tightly. My name was written at the top, clear as day, along with those impossible words: You were never meant to be found. That sentence kept repeating in my head, over and over, until it felt like the walls were closing in around me.

I wasn't supposed to be found. My family died because of me.

It didn't make any sense, but at the same time, it was all starting to make too much sense. I could feel the pieces of my life shifting, falling into place in a way that terrified me.

"Blair," Sam whispered beside me, his voice pulling me out of the storm in my head. His hand was warm in mine, grounding me, but it wasn't enough to push away the fear gnawing at my insides.

I turned to face him, my eyes locking onto his, searching for something—anything—that could make this nightmare feel less real. But all I saw in his eyes was worry. Concern. And beneath that, the same uncertainty I felt.

"What if it's true?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "What if my family died because of me? Because I'm part of something... something bigger, like he said?"

Sam shook his head, stepping closer and pulling me into his arms. His touch was gentle, but firm, like he was trying to hold me together even as I felt myself breaking apart. "We don't know that," he said softly, his breath warm against my hair. "We don't know anything for sure yet."

"But what if he's right?" I asked, my voice trembling. "What if there's something about me—something I don't even know—that made my family a target?"

Sam pulled back slightly, his eyes scanning my face as if searching for the right words. "Even if there is, none of this is your fault. Your family... they didn't die because of you."

I wanted to believe him. God, I needed to believe him. But the words on that letter, the man's cold, certain voice, it all echoed in my head like a warning I couldn't escape. I wasn't just some random victim. I was part of this. And the worst part was, I didn't even know why.

I let out a shaky breath, trying to push the panic back down, but it was like a tidal wave crashing over me, threatening to drown me. "I don't know who I am anymore," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "I thought I knew, but now... now it feels like everything I thought I understood about my life is just... gone."

Sam's arms tightened around me, pulling me closer, like he could physically hold me together while my world fell apart. "Blair," he said softly, his voice steady but full of emotion. "You're still you. No matter what we find out—no matter what that letter says—you're still the same person. That hasn't changed."

I wanted to argue, to tell him that he didn't understand, but the truth was, Sam had been through his own version of hell. He'd lost people too—Jess, his dad, people I didn't even know about yet. He knew what it felt like to have your life ripped apart, to question everything you thought you knew.

But knowing that didn't make it any easier to deal with.

I stepped out of his embrace, pacing to the other side of the room, my arms wrapped around myself as if I could physically hold the pieces of me together. "I feel like I'm falling apart," I admitted, my voice breaking as I spoke. "I thought I was starting to heal. I thought... I thought being with you and Dean was helping, but now..."

Sam was quiet for a moment, and when I glanced back at him, his expression was softer, more vulnerable than I'd ever seen it. "You are healing," he said quietly, taking a step toward me. "But healing isn't a straight line. It's messy. It's painful. And sometimes things happen that make it feel like you're going backward. But that doesn't mean you're not making progress."

His words hung in the air between us, and for a second, I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that I could come out of this stronger, that I wasn't completely broken. But how could I heal when I didn't even know what was really going on?

"What if this changes everything?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "What if I'm not who I thought I was? What if I'm..."

Sam took another step toward me, his hand reaching out to gently grasp mine. "No matter what we find out, you're still Blair. You're still the woman I care about. This doesn't change that."

His words sent a rush of warmth through me, but it wasn't enough to chase away the cold knot of fear in my chest. I wanted to lean into him, to let his steady presence ground me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was looming just out of sight—something that was going to tear me apart all over again.

"Blair," Sam said softly, his voice pulling me back to the present. "I'm not going anywhere. Whatever this is, we'll face it together and we will get through it together. That's what Dean and I are here for."

I looked up at him, my chest tightening at the sincerity in his eyes. He meant it. He wasn't just saying it to make me feel better. He was here, and he wasn't going to let me face this alone.

I swallowed hard, my voice shaky as I spoke. "I'm scared, Sam."

He didn't hesitate. He stepped closer, pulling me into his arms again, holding me tight like he could physically protect me from the storm that was coming. "I know," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."

I let myself sink into him, my head resting against his chest as his heartbeat pounded steady and sure beneath my ear. For a moment, the weight of everything lifted, just enough for me to breathe.

But in the back of my mind, the fear still lingered. The questions I couldn't answer, the truth I didn't understand, it all hung there like a shadow, waiting to consume me.

No matter what Sam said, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.

And I wasn't sure if either of us were ready for what was coming next.