Heart of a Hunter

23. Between Love and War

(Trying something new with this chapter and inputting Dean's POV! Hope y'all enjoy. If it works out I might add more of his POV later.)

Dean's POV:

There's nothing quite like waking up in the backseat of the Impala to the sight of my little brother and his girl acting all lovey-dovey in the front. I mean, I've seen a lot of strange things in my life—hell, I've hunted things most people can't even imagine—but seeing Sam all wrapped up in someone like that? That's a new one.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for the guy. Blair's good for him. I can see it in the way he looks at her, the way he smiles more when she's around. But watching them now, holding hands like they're starring in some cheesy romance movie, it's enough to make me gag.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. "Man, you two are worse than a Hallmark movie," I muttered, shifting in my seat and stretching my legs. "Seriously, I'm gonna get cavities from all this sweetness."

Sam shot me a look in the rearview mirror, the kind of look that says, really, Dean? But Blair just laughed, leaning into him like they were the only two people in the world. She doesn't seem to care much about my teasing, which is probably a good thing. Takes some guts to be with a Winchester, and even more to put up with the crap that comes with it.

"Get used to it, Dean," Blair said, her voice light and teasing. "Because I don't plan on letting him go."

I snorted, leaning back against the seat. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't make out while I'm back here trying to sleep. Some of us need to rest before the next apocalypse."

Sam rolled his eyes, but I could see the faint smile tugging at his lips. He might not admit it, but he's happier than I've seen him in a long time. Maybe even since Jess. He deserves that, after everything we've been through, after everything he's been through. But there's a part of me that can't help but wonder if it's too good to be true. Like maybe this thing with Blair is just setting him up for another heartbreak.

And God knows, Sam's had more than his share of those.

I shifted, trying to get comfortable in the backseat, but my mind was already racing, thinking about what we're headed into. Nebraska. This old hunter, Lucas, who apparently had a run-in with the Arcani. There's something about this whole thing that's rubbing me the wrong way, like there's a piece of the puzzle we're missing, something we're not seeing.

The Arcani. I've only ever heard stories about them, and none of them are good. They're not your average supernatural bad guys. They're worse. More dangerous. More calculated. The kind of enemy that doesn't just come at you with brute force—they play the long game, manipulating events from behind the scenes. And now, they're after Blair.

I don't know why she's so important to them, but I do know one thing: if they're coming for her, they're going to have to get through me and Sam first.

I glance back at them—Blair leaning her head on Sam's shoulder, her hand resting in his. Sam's got that look on his face, the one where he's trying not to let himself feel too much because he knows how dangerous it is to care this much in our line of work. But it's too late for that. He's already in deep.

And that's what worries me.

Because no matter how strong Sam is, no matter how much he loves her, love has a way of tearing you apart in this life. I've seen it happen. Hell, I've felt it happen. I remember the look on Sam's face when we lost Jess, when the life he thought he could have was ripped away from him. I never want to see him like that again. But this thing with Blair... it's real, and it's already too far gone for him to walk away.

"You okay back there, Dean?" Blair asks suddenly, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts.

I blink, realizing I've been staring at them for a little too long. "Yeah, I'm fine," I say, my tone casual as I lean back against the seat. "Just thinking about the fun we're about to have with this Lucas guy."

Sam glances at me in the mirror, his brow furrowing. "You think he'll have the answers we need?"

I shrug, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling in my gut. "I hope so. But something about this whole thing feels... off. Like we're walking into a trap we don't see coming."

Blair's face goes a little pale, and Sam's grip on the steering wheel tightens. I didn't mean to spook them, but they need to know the risks. This isn't a regular hunt. The Arcani play on a different level, and if we're not careful, we're going to end up being their pawns.

"We've faced worse," Sam says, his voice steady but his eyes filled with that quiet determination I've seen a million times before. He's always ready to charge into battle, no matter how bad the odds are. It's one of the things I respect most about him.

But it's also one of the things that scares the hell out of me.

I catch Blair's gaze for a moment, and for the first time, I see just how much she's holding inside. She's scared, even if she doesn't want to admit it, and who could blame her? Her whole life's been turned upside down, and now she's got two hunters dragging her across the country to face some ancient, secretive group that might've killed her family.

"You're not worried, are you, sweetheart?" I ask, keeping my tone light as I smirk at her in the rearview.

She meets my eyes, her expression serious but calm. "Of course I'm worried. But I trust you and Sam. I know you won't let anything happen to me."

Her words are simple, but they hit harder than I expect. She trusts us. After everything she's been through, everything she's facing, she's still willing to trust that we'll keep her safe. That's a lot to carry, especially when I'm not even sure we can.

"Damn right we won't," I say, giving her a grin that I hope looks more confident than I feel. "The Arcani don't know what they've gotten themselves into. We'll take care of it."

Blair gives me a small, grateful smile before resting her head against Sam again. And as much as I want to believe what I just said, the knot in my gut isn't going away.

I've always been able to protect Sam. Always been able to figure out how to keep him safe, no matter what we were up against. But this? This feels different. This feels like a fight we might not be able to win.

And if we can't... I don't know what that's going to do to him. To either of them.

I glance out the window, watching the highway stretch out ahead of us, mile after mile of uncertainty waiting for us in Nebraska. We've faced a lot of things in our lives—monsters, demons, the literal apocalypse—but there's something about this hunt that feels heavier. More dangerous. More personal.

And as much as I hate to admit it, I can't shake the feeling that we're not ready for what's coming.

But one thing's for sure: whatever happens, I'll be right there with them. I'll fight tooth and nail to protect Sam and Blair. Because that's what we do. We fight. We don't back down. We don't lose.

Not this time.