Born To Hunt (Book 1)

Playthings

"This place is too creepy. How'd they stay in business this long?" I asked as I glanced around the room. Dean shrugs, and Sam just shakes his head at me. 
    "All right. Victim number one: Joan Edison, forty three years old, a realtor handling the sale of the hotel; and victim number two was Larry Williams, moving some stuff out to Goodwill." Sam goes over the case, scrolling through the information on his laptop. 
   "Well there's a connection," Dean points out, "they're both tied up in shutting the place down." 
    "So someone connected to this place doesn't want to leave and they're using hoodoo magic to fight back?" I ask and Sam nods. 
    "So, you think our witch doctor is that Susan lady from the lobby?" Dean asks.
    "Doesn't seem likely, she's the one selling this place." Sam points out and I sigh. 
    "So Sherwin?" I ask, bouncing my leg up and down.
    "I don't know." Sam admits and I shake my head. Dean sits down on the bed and shakes his head for a minute. 
    "Of course, the most troubling question is why do these people assume we're gay?" Dean asks Sam, a troubled look on his face. I burst into laughter again, barely able to stop the tears.
    "Well you are kinda butch. Probably think you're overcompensating." Sam says, causing me to laugh again. I open my mouth to tease Dean when my phone starts to ring. Furrowing my eyebrows together, I pull it out of my pocket and scoff at the caller ID. 
    "What do you want, Stiles?" I ask as I answer. It's silent for so long, I start to think I'd lost him until he responds. 
    "Are you mad at me?" Stiles asks, his voice quiet. I sigh and nod, before I realize that the can't see me. 
    "Yes, Stiles. I'm mad at you, and I'm kind of frustrated that it's taken you this long to realize it." I reply, walking into the bathroom so that Sam and Dean can't eavesdrop. 
    "Why? What did I do?" Stiles asks, still oblivious.
    "Allison is my best friend, and my whole job in Beacon is to protect her and make sure that she doesn't find out about the supernatural. The whole thing at the school almost broke all of that. I don't want to have to leave, believe it or not I enjoy being at Beacon High, but if my job becomes meaningless, I have to leave." I explain, trying hard to keep an even tone.
    "I didn't plan on any of what happened at the school. It was all a freak accident." Stiles exclaims, and I can imagine his arms flapping around. 
    "I know Stiles, but I'm still upset. Look, I'm kind of busy right now. I'll call you later." I say before hanging up without waiting for a reply. I walk out of the bathroom, surprised to see the room empty. I shake my head and take a deep breath to calm myself before I leave. The second I open the door, I bump into Sam and Dean. 
    "Tori, we have to do some research. You can either look up some of the history of the hotel with Sammy, or you can come help me dig up information on the grandma." Dean says.
    "I'll help you Dean, digging up dirt on old people is the best." I reply, my head not into the research at all.

****

I shut the curtains on the window and flop down onto my bed. Another guy was dead and we were no closer to figuring out how to stop the person, or creature, behind it. I jump when a loud knock rings throughout the room. I groan and open it, glaring slightly at Dean. 
    "What?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at my oldest (and most annoying) brother. 
    "There's been another one. The guy hung himself in his room. We've gotta figure this out, so come on." Dean orders before turning around and walking across the hall to his room. I shake my head and follow him into his room.
    "Apparently some guy just hung himself in his room." I say, crossing my arms. 
    "Yeah. I saw." Sam replies darkly.
    "Well we've gotta figure this out, and fast. What'd you find out about Granny?" Dean asks, getting to the point of the case. 
    "You're bossy." Sam replies. I raise an eyebrow at him and turn to Dean who just shrugs.
    "What?" Dean asks, looking slightly surprised. 
    "You're bossy. And short. Tori's shorter though. And sometimes bossier." Sam laughs, but it's not his usual laugh. It's his 'I'm drunk off my ass' laugh. 
    "Samuel John Winchester are you drunk?" I accuse, putting my hands on my hips as I glare at my brother.
    "Yeah. So?" Sam asks, glaring at the bottle in his hand. I start to look closer at their room and notice several empty bottles. I roll my eyes at him and start to clean up the bottles, ignoring their conversation as I throw away the empty bottles and dump the leftover liquid from several down the sink. I jump as something gets slammed down in the bedroom. I rush out of the bathroom and look between the boys. 
    "Dean, you don't understand all right? The more people I save, the more I can change." Sam explains, pain covering his face. I take a small step towards him. 
    "Change what Sammy?" I ask, careful to still give him distance. 
    "My destiny Tori." Sam says, leaning forward with his hands against his chest. I raise an eyebrow and turn to Dean, trying to get his help in fixing the situation.
    "All right. Time for bed. Come on Sasquatch." Dean instructs, pulling Sam up by his shoulders.
    "I need you to watch out for me." Sam says, his voice barely a slur. 
    "I always do." Dean replies, continuing to attempt to get the drunk to bed. 
    "No! No, no, no. You have to watch out for me, all right? And if I ever turn into something that I'm not," Sam pauses, "you have to kill me." I gasp and shake my head, turning to Dean to try and get him to talk some sense into Sam. 
    "Sam-" Dean sighs and Sam grabs Dean and turns him around. 
    "Dean! Dad told you to do it, you have to." Sam insists, getting in Dean's face. 
    "Yeah well, Dad's an ass." Dean says, and Sam frowns. "He never should have said anything. I mean, you don't do that, you don't, you don't lay that kind of crap on your kids."
    "No. He was right to say it! Who knows what I might become? Even now, everyone around me dies." Sam insists. I feel the tears start to roll down my face. This is the first I've heard about any of this crap. And I don't care what dad said, I'm not giving up on what little family I have left. 
    "Yeah well, I'm not dying, okay? And neither is Tori. And neither are you. Come on Sam." Dean tries again to get Sam into bed, but Sam clutches onto Dean's jacket. 
    "No, please! Dean, you're the only one who can do it. Promise." Sam begs Dean. 
    "Don't ask that of me." Dean says softly. 
    "Dean, please you have to promise me." Sam begs again. I turn away from them and lean up against the wall, trying hard not to sob aloud.     "I promise." Dean says, and I feel my heart break. I choke back a sob and leave the room, slamming the door shut as I go. I rush back into my room and sit up against the door. Why the hell would Dad tell Dean something like that? There is absolutely nothing wrong with Sam and there is no reason that Dean should ever have to hurt Sammy.