Imprint.

Twenty One

Dean's room stunk. Even after cleaning it for him, it still had a gross smell to it that I hadn't noticed until now.

Carter and Dean were standing near the door when I woke up. They were talking quietly to one another but I could hear what they were saying. About me.

"So she got bit. Big deal." Dean said, shrugging.

"That wasn't just any wolf, Dean. It was an alpha. If that pack is anything like that wolf was, she won't make it."

"Cut her some slack. She's tougher than she looks."

Carter sighed. "I'm going to go check on Gage. Don't let her out of your sight."

Gage? Was something wrong with him? I needed answers and I needed them now.

When the door was closed and it was just Dean and I, I opened my eyes and sat up. My shoulder didn't hurt anymore but I was hot and sweating and the blankets clung to my legs from the sweat dripping off me.

Dean met my gaze and he offered a sad smile. "Hey."

"Is Gage okay?"

"No 'hey' back?"

I glared at him.

He sighed and sat down on the bed. "He's healing. He's just not perfectly okay right now."

I kicked the covers off me and stood up. Dean stood up, too, moving to block the door. "I need to see him."

"That's not a good idea, V."

"He's my boyfriend, Dean."

"You made it official?"

I walked up to him and glared at him. I was tall enough that I was at eye level with his eyes. I hadn't been before...

"Let me out, Dean."

"Carter told me not to let you-"

"I don't care what he says." Carter wasn't the boss of me. Maybe he bossed the guys around but I wasn'g going to let him do that to me, too. I could make my own decisions. Especially when they regarded Gage.

Dean grabbed my arms and pushed me back. "What if you go in there and hurt him?"

"I'm not going to hurt him-"

"Maybe not intentionally but you don't have control over your anger yet."

"Dean, this is ridiculous. I'm not going to hurt him."

"You can't see him, Victoria." He said sternly, shoving onto the bed.

A growl came from deep in my chest and I lunged at him. I tackled him to the ground and bared my teeth.

"Carter, a little help in here!" Dean yelled, reaching for my hands to pin them down.

"No, n-n-n-n-no. We're fine!" I yelled, trying to level out my voice and not sound so... animalistic.

Dean rolled us so he was on top of me and pinned my arms by my head. "V, you're not thinking straight."

The door opened but Dean didn't notice Carter standing in the doorway. So I acted. "Dean, what are you doing? Get off of me."

Carter shoved Dean off me, anger on his face. "Dude, what the hell? I leave for five minutes and you attack my sister?"

"You told me to watch her and - look, she's trying to leave."

They both turned to look at me as I ran out of the room. I was almost at the door when Carter grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back into Dean's room.

"Let me go!" I screamed, struggling to pry his arms away from me.

Carter pushed me back into the room and shut the door. "You're not leaving this room until you've calmed down."

I laughed at him though my hands were shaking. "I'm fine. I just want to see Gage."

"That's not happening today, Victoria."

This time, I lunged at Carter. Only he moved out of the way and I missed him. I fell to the ground and a cry escaped my lips. An animal cry.