Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mt. Hood Village, Oregon

It was a warm end-of-summer night, the sky was clear allowing for a perfect view of the thousands of tiny little stars that twinkled above, and a chorus of grasshoppers filled the forest with an enchanting song. The full moon filled the sky with a reddish tint, typical for this time of year. This was exactly what Kelsey wanted it to be like. She had finally talked her boyfriend into a camping trip up on the mountain, and although he vetoed a tent, they had found a cute little log cabin to occupy for a few nights complete with a front porch and a view of the night sky. She sat in a rocker looking out into the forest, it was dark, but she was enthralled by all the little fireflies that lit up the tree line intermittently. This was something she had wanted to do for a long time. Her work schedule was always so crazy and sometimes she just wanted to get away from it all, work, technology, everything. Being up in the mountains resting and relaxing, no cell phone reception; it was like heaven. And being here with Chris, well it was romantic too.

Her boyfriend called from inside the cabin, asking her to get more wood for the fire he was building. Why he would want to build a fire on a warm summer night was beyond her, but she guessed it was sweet. Maybe he was finally getting into the spirit. She called back an “Okay” and then stepped off the porch to walk around the side of the cabin where the wood was kept. When she turned the corner she could hear something rummaging around near the woodpile. Luckily she had her car keys in her jeans pocket with a key ring flashlight that she kept for emergency purse rummaging. She was always loosing things in her bag.

Pressing down the button on the mini-flashlight, she aimed it in the direction of the woodpile. The rummaging noise stopped, and she walked closer to it slowly. She couldn’t see anything, which was good because it probably meant it wasn’t a bear or some other large animal. They did have mountain lions around here and she didn’t want to run into one! As she got closer to the firewood she heard the sound of ragged breathing coming from behind the large stack. The thin beam of her flashlight hit a set of white, milky eyes and Kelsey let out a terrified scream.

Chris heard her from inside the cabin and rushed out onto the porch. Kelsey was standing at the corner looking at him.

“Are you okay, babe?” he questioned, “What were you screaming about?”

Kelsey looked at him for a minute before responding, “It was nothing, just a raccoon or something. It ran away.”

Chris was relieved and called her over to him, wrapping her in a warm embrace, “You scared me. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m better than alright, “she replied, and kissed him long and hard.

He smiled against her lips and then he broke the kiss, “I guess so. Screw the fire, let’s go inside.”

She smiled up at him wickedly and let him take her by the hand into the cabin. A few minutes later, Chris’s guttural screams echoed through the forest, before gurgling out to silence.

Dean was driving down I-84 with Sammy asleep in the passenger seat. He was wondering if letting Kate escape was a good idea. She seemed to have her predatory nature under control, and she did what she had to do when it came down to killing her sister, but she was still a werewolf. If she ended up falling off the wagon and killing someone, it would be on him. He hoped that they didn’t have to meet again, because he knew what he would have to do if they did. Only time would tell.

It was a little after three o’clock in the morning and Dean was getting tired of driving, but he didn’t want to wake Sam up, so he decided to pull off the highway at the next exit he saw with a motel. Within a few minutes he saw a sign for exit 285 showing lodging and decided to pull off. Right off the ramp was a little mom and pop called The Powder Motel and Café and he pulled the Impala into the entrance, bringing her gently to a stop in front of the office. Sam stirred awake.

“Where are we?” Sam asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“I’m tired, I’m gonna get us a room so we can rest up. We have a long ride ahead of us.”

Sam nodded in agreement and leaned his head back up on the windowsill while Dean headed inside to register. The office was small and dimly lit and there was no one behind the front desk, but he could hear the sound of a television coming from an open doorway beyond. Dean tapped the bell twice to get someone’s attention, and a tired looking, heavyset man shuffled through the door.

“Good evening, or morning I guess,” The man said, “what can I do you for?”

“A room please, two beds,” Dean said.

“Alrighty, let me see what I got for ya.”

As the clerk turned to look at his key cubby for an empty room that fit the bill, Dean’s phone rang in his pocket. Riley’s number lit up the screen. Dean excused himself for a moment and moved away from the front desk, not that it guaranteed him any privacy in the tiny little office. He hadn’t heard from her since she left without saying goodbye at the bunker a week ago. It was either an emergency or a late night booty call, and honestly, he knew it wasn’t the latter.

“Riley, everything all right?” he answered quickly.

“Dean,” she replied, the connection crackly and fading in and out, “I need your help here.”

“What?” Dean said, not getting the full sentence, “You’re breaking up. What do you need?”

“Help! I...case…make sense,” her words kept dropping out over the line, “Shit! It’s co…Dean!”

Dean’s adrenaline started pumping at the sound of gunshots and her screaming his name, “Where are you, Riley?”

He heard her distant screams through the static; she was no longer with her phone.

“Hold on, Riley!” he said in a panic, running out the entrance of the motel office and back to the Impala, “I’m tracing the call. I’ll find you.”

The clerk called after him, room key in hand and a confused face, as Dean climbed into the Impala, slamming the door shut behind him.

Sam woke with a start, “What’s going on?”

“Riley’s in trouble,” he said and threw the phone at his brother, “tell me which direction to turn when that finishes.

“Go west on the highway,” Sam said when the tracer blinked back the location.

Without a word, Dean spun out of the parking lot, running through the red light on the road in front of the motel and speeding up the entrance ramp to the highway, heading back in the direction they came from. Sam mapped out the route on his GPS and announced that it was a four and a half hour drive.

“We’ll be there in three,” Dean said, a look of determination on his face as he pressed his foot down hard on the gas pedal.

Chapter Text

It was 6:30 AM by the time the Impala pulled into the parking lot for the ski resort nearby. Judging by the coordinates of Riley’s phone, they were going to have to hike into the mountain via the trail head behind the lodge. Sam was concerned that the trail was marked challenging and he and Dean didn’t have the proper clothing or equipment for an early morning hike up a mountain. Not to mention Dean hadn’t slept a wink in twenty-four hours, and he had gotten very little sleep himself. Even though it was still summer, the temperatures up on the mountain were colder than you would think. He knew Dean was anxious about finding Riley, and locating her phone was going to be the best place to start, but Dean was going to have to keep a level head if they were going to be of any help to her.

“Ready?” Dean asked, starting up the trail without waiting for a response.

Sam puffed out a sigh, “Dean, maybe we should wait until we’ve asked around town for her. Maybe someone’s seen her.”

Dean turned around, anger clouding his face, “Sammy I’m not letting her down. I’m gonna find her and kill whatever son of a bitch attacked her. Now are you coming or not?”

Reluctantly, Sam agreed, and followed his brother up the path.

It took about an hour climbing up and down rugged terrain before they finally found her phone. The screen was slightly cracked, probably from falling to the ground. There were a handful of empty shell casings nearby, which could be attributed to the gunshots he heard over the phone. Dean looked around and noticed a long track to his left leading to the woods. It looked like whatever it was that got her dragged her off. He followed the markings into the trees, but the tracks stopped about ten feet in. There was nothing around in any direction, just tree upon tree, the only noise were the birds chirping themselves awake. Suddenly, the skies opened up and rain poured down in buckets around them.

“Let’s go, Sammy,” he said, as he started back down the trail towards the parking lot.

The path was getting thick with mud and the rain was soaking through their clothes. It was going to take them longer to get back in this weather. Where the hell did it come from so abruptly? The rain was only going to add to Dean’s bad mood.

When they got back, Sam had gotten Dean to agree to getting some breakfast and getting a paper. The fastest way to find Riley was going to be working the case. They had to get caught up on what it was she was hunting out there. Before they got back in the car to go find someplace to eat, they each got a change of clothes from their bags and changed out of their rain-soaked garments in a restroom at the ski lodge.

The Whistle Stop Bar and Grill was just a few minutes down the road, and it was practically full when they pulled up. They lucked out and got the last table, a booth at the far end of the front wall. Dean started rifling through the newspaper he grabbed as they walked in to look for anything out of the ordinary. When the waitress came to take their order, he didn’t even notice. Sam ordered him a coffee and the special, and then ordered himself a western omelet with hash browns and an orange juice. He could tell the waitress was disappointed that Dean didn’t even look her way.

“Anything?” Sam asked.

Dean finished reading something before he responded, “A couple of hikers went missing a few days ago and they found the bodies torn to shreds in the woods, organs missing.”

“Any hearts?”

“It doesn’t go into detail,” Dean said, his face paled, “Sam, we were only one state over when Kate gave us the slip. You don’t think she…?”

Sam shook his head, “No, she said she was gonna keep her nose clean.”

“But, she said she wasn’t making any promises.”

“We don’t even know it’s a werewolf, Dean,” Sam said a bit too loudly. He looked around to make sure no one heard.

Dean went back to the paper to see if there were any more clues, and a few minutes later their food came. They both took a few bites before Dean found a smaller story inset. A young woman was arrested a few days ago for killing her boyfriend in a rental cabin up on the mountain. When the police arrived at the scene they found the body had been flayed and the woman was incoherently rambling that something made her do it. They never found his skin. Dean put down the paper and his fork.

Pulling his wallet out of his back pocket, he threw down a twenty and a ten and got up to leave, telling Sammy to “C’mon”.

Sam looked down at his omelet forlornly, took one last sip of his juice and followed his brother out to the car. He was just as worried about Riley as his brother, so he didn’t give him any guff about not finishing his breakfast.

After changing into their FBI suits, the two headed to the local police department to see if they could talk to the murder suspect. Maybe she was telling the truth about not being in control of herself at the time. They’ve certainly come across many instances where that was the case. Hell, both of them had been in that situation themselves. The officer in charge led them to a small interrogation room where they waited for the suspect to be brought in. When she entered she looked scared and fragile, not the sort of person who would skin someone. She must have been in her early twenties, short brown hair cut at her chin. Her eyes were sad and remorseful. When she sat in the chair the chains around her arms and ankles rattled.

“Kelsey, these are agents Michaels and DeVille. They’re here to talk to you about what happened.”

Sam and Dean nodded at the officer who then left the room, closing the door behind him.

“Hi Kelsey,” Sam began, “why don’t you tell us what happened that night in the woods?”

The girl’s eyes teared up and she wiped them away with the back of her hand before beginning. “We had finally gotten a chance to get away for awhile. We both had been working so hard, you know? We just wanted to spend a nice quiet weekend together. You have to understand, I would never have done anything to hurt him.”

Dean scoffed, “You skinned him alive!”

“No, I didn’t!” she exclaimed, “I mean, I- I slit his throat first. He wasn’t alive for that other…”

“Humph, well that’s better.”

“Agent Michaels,” Sam said with a warning before addressing her again, “Kelsey, you told the officers that you saw something outside the cabin, right before it happened. What did you see?” She looked down at her lap, “You won’t believe me.”

“Try us,” Sam said with his best puppy dog eyes.

“Chris…well he was getting a fire going for us and he asked me to get him some more wood. So I went around to the side of the cabin where the kindling was. There was something rummaging around over there. I thought it was an animal or something, but when I saw it…” she swallowed the lump in her throat and hesitated.

Sam reassured her, “Go on, Kelsey. What did you see?”

“Her eyes,” she said, her mind back replaying the sight, “her awful eyes. They were cloudy, you know white like cataracts, but they were terrifying! She was old and gnarled and so thin, her bones showed through her skin!”

“What happened after that,” Sam implored.

“It was like flashes then,” she continued, “I could sort of sense what I was doing, but I wasn’t in control. I remember feeling…aroused…that’s embarrassing to admit, but I just wanted Chris. And then…”

“You killed him,” Dean finished her sentence.

She looked up at both of them pleadingly, “I swear I didn’t know what I was doing! There was so much blood!”

Dean cleared his throat, “And his skin? The police say they didn’t find it.”

Kelsey brought her had up to her mouth, a horrified expression on her face, and then she answered him, “The old woman took it.”

“She took it where?” Sam asked.

“Into the woods, she disappeared into the woods.”

The brothers thanked her for the information and left the police station more baffled than when they entered. They discussed the case as they drove over to a nearby hotel. This wasn’t going to be as easily solved as they wished, but the fact that there was at least one survivor made Dean hopeful that Riley might still be alive.

The Red Fox Motel was a bit off the main road, but all the other hotels in the area were a bit too pricey for Dean’s liking. It wasn’t like they got paid to do their jobs. Luckily most of the tourists that were in town to enjoy the nearby lakes weren’t on the same wavelength so there were plenty of rooms available. After checking in to a Two Queen, Sammy got right to work with the research, but they both had to admit it wasn’t much to go on.

“Well, it’s not a werewolf, we know that much,” Dean said.

Sam agreed, “Maybe some kind of witch or crone? But there is so much lore it’s going to be hard to narrow it down."

Dean took a breath, “Okay, so we have a decent description, we know it can somehow control its victims. It apparently has a skin fetish. What else?”

“Apparently it doesn’t kill all its victims,” Sam added, “So there’s that.”

Dean nodded his head. He knew what Sam meant. He was just as relieved at the possibility that Riley was alive. Right now that’s all that was keeping Dean going.

Sam kept at the research for a few hours, while Dean mostly paced around the room. He stepped out for a few minutes to get him and Sammy some lunch, but he was chomping at the bit to get out there and save her from whatever this old hag was. Just when he didn’t think he could take it anymore, Sam piped up.

“Baba Yaga,” Sam said.

“Baba Booey?”

“Baba Yaga,” Sam repeated, “She’s a witch from an old Russian folktale. She lives in a hut in the forest and eats human flesh, hence the skin she took from the crime scene. It says here she also controls nature.”

“Like the weather?” Dean asked, “That freak rainstorm this morning?”

Sam nodded, “She uses it to defend her home. We were probably pretty close.”

“Alright then, let’s go,” Dean said grabbing his keys off the table and heading to the door.

“Dean, wait,” Sam said with a look of confusion, “some of the lore says she’s not always a villain. Sometimes she bestows gifts upon those ‘pure of heart’. She protects those with heroic intent.”

“So is she good or bad?” Dean inquired.

Sam shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know, maybe a little of both?”

“Well she took Riley, and she made that poor girl flay her boyfriend. Sounds like one of the bad guys to me.” Dean argued, “How do we kill it?”

“Says here that iron will wound her, but in order to kill her, you have to extinguish the fire in her magical lantern.”

“Well, we’ve got plenty of iron in the trunk,” Dean replied, “let’s hunt this bitch.”

Chapter Text

With the knowledge that they were going to have to hike at least an hour to where they found Riley’s phone earlier, they parked the Impala out of sight behind the ski lodge and loaded up on weapons to place in their bags. They made sure they had plenty of iron instruments as well as the demon knife, just in case that would work. After a final check of all their supplies, they closed the trunk and headed back up the footpath they traversed that morning. The ground had dried enough from Baba Yaga’s defensive rainstorm and it was easier to navigate up the mountain.

They reached the spot they had found earlier and although the markings on the ground that Dean saw were washed out, he remembered the general direction they pointed to. He led the way, Sam right behind him as they traipsed through the woods. It was just about dusk, and a few owls had started to hoot up in the trees above them. It was almost as if they were signaling each other in some sort of pattern. It was definitely spooky. After they walked a few more feet, they came upon an empty clearing.

“Great, now which way do we go?” Dean asked, bewildered.

Sam looked around, his face awash with disorientation, “Dean, look around. Does this not look exactly like where we started?”

Dean surveyed the area noting the entrance to the small path they used to climb up the mountain. He looked around again, trying to figure out how they ended up back here.

“We were going West right? The whole time?” He asked Sammy.

Sam shook his head in confirmation, “As far as I know. She is a witch though, maybe she turned us around?”

“Well that’s just wonderful! How are we going to find Riley, if she’s using magic to keep us away?”

Dean ran his hands through his hair in frustration. This case was really starting to be a royal pain in his ass. He hated witches; they were always mucking things up with their damn magic. How were they supposed to get anything done if this thing could change the reality around them? It seemed like an impossible task, but they had to find a way. He was either leaving here with Riley or he was going to die trying! He headed off in the direction they originally tried but Sam called back to him.

“Dean, we can’t just walk around the woods all night if we’re just going to end up back here again.”

“Well what do you suggest then?” Dean smarted off.

Like a diabolical answer to a prayer, the forest started to move around them. The wind screamed through the trees and the earth rumbled beneath their feet. Debris started to fly everywhere, leaves, dirt, even small rocks were hurled every which way, some narrowly missing the boys. Then came the most God awful screeching sound causing them to hunch down and cover their ears. The only thing that Dean could compare it to was the sound the angels made when they talked without their vessels, but it was much darker, more sinister sounding.

In all of the commotion Sam didn’t notice the long vines slithering towards his feet until they had already curled around his ankles. They tightened their grip and yanked, sending him face first into the dirt. Dean called out to him but the wind was so violent now that he could barely hear his own voice. He pushed against it trying to get to his brother who was struggling to fight off more of the encroaching vines, but before he could reach him he was knocked out by a rock that flew into the back of his skull.

Sam was now completely entangled in the weeds, hands and feet hog-tied together by the snake like vines. He lifted his head and noticed Dean on the dirt as well, a bit of blood trickling down his wind-blown hair. Calling out to his brother, he struggled against his restraints managing to break one hand free, the vine screeching in pain from being torn apart. Sam managed to reach his knife and began slashing at the plant with his free hand, severing several snares in his attempt to free himself. The wind began to slow and the screeching died away, but it was replaced with the sound of crows cawing all around. When he lifted his head again to see what was happening, three giant black birds swooped down extending their legs and grabbing onto Dean with their large talons. These crows were monstrous and deformed, well out of their normal proportions. Sam watched helpless, still trying to fight off the vines, as Dean was lifted up into the air and carried off into the trees, still unconscious.

“Dean!” he shouted in vain as he disappeared into the dark, dense forest.

Blinking his eyes open, Dean found himself chained up in the corner of a tiny little hut, his wrists and ankles shackled to the ceiling and floorboards. He was reminded vaguely of the rack he was lashed to in Hell, but that had been far worse. At least he didn’t have hooks in his flesh this time. This he could deal with. His head turned at the sound of his name.

“Dean, look at me.”

It was Riley, she was okay. He took a deep breath in relief, as she walked over to him quietly. She held his face in her hand.

“I’m here to rescue you,” he said still a little muddled from being knocked unconscious.

Riley smiled at him, “I’m gonna patch you up okay? You’re still bleeding a little.”

He watched her as she walked freely around the cabin; she seemed to know where everything was. Pulling a couple of clean rags out from the cabinet under the sink, she rinsed it with water, squeezing out the excess, and grabbed gauze and antiseptic from a nearby cabinet. She was shorter than Dean, so she had to use a step stool to gain leverage over his taller physique. With gentle pressure she began washing the dried blood out of his hair and dabbing at the open wound with the wet washrag. He flinched for a moment when she pulled a small piece of gravel out of the lesion.

“Where are we, Riley?” he asked to keep his mind off the minor pain.

“I couldn’t tell you that,” she said as she blotted the antiseptic on his head, “I don’t really know.”

“You’re not chained up like me. Why didn’t you leave?”

She put some clean gauze against the wound and pressed it to stem the bleeding.

“I can’t, Dean. She has some sort of spell on me. Even though I know it, I can’t do anything to break it. I can only do what she tells me to do.”

“Well, she’s not here now,” Dean responded, “Unchain me and let’s get out of here together.”

Riley stepped off the stool and stood in front of him, looking up into his eyes, “She told me to take care of you. That’s all I can do.”

Dean was confused. If the witch wanted him cared for, why attack him in the first place? The sound of Dean’s ringtone hummed in his pocket. Riley turned from the sink where she was putting away her first aid supplies.

“It’s probably Sam,” he said, motioning with his chin to his right front pocket, “tell him what’s happening. He’ll find us.”

Without a word, Riley walked over to him and slid her hand into his pocket, pulling out the still ringing phone.

“Answer it,” Dean prodded.

Instead, she threw the phone to the wood floor and began stomping on it, breaking it to pieces.

“What the hell did you do that for?” Dean yelled.

She looked up, blank-faced and said “I don’t know,” before slowly walking to the table to sit down, hands folded in her lap.

It was like this spell turned her into some kind of zombie, only she didn’t eat brains (he hoped), she was just mindlessly doing the witches bidding. Just like the girl at the police station. Dean thought about the precarious position he was in. He had been skinned alive once down in the pit, and he did not want to go through that again. He needed to keep her talking. If she couldn’t do anything to help get them out of there, maybe he could at least get some information about why the witch wanted him there in the first place.

“Riley,” he called to her, “why would the witch want you to take care of me? Why not just let me bleed?

“Because,” she said matter-of-factly, “She doesn’t want her food contaminated.”

Chapter Text

Sam had finally managed to get himself untangled from the Baba Yaga’s pet vines. He spent the next hour searching the woods for his brother, but he always ended up back where he was. He needed help. Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, he dialed Castiel.

“Sam? Is everything alright?” he answered.

“No. Cas, we’re on a case and Dean’s been taken. The witch we’re hunting is using some kind of magic to cloak herself. I keep ending up in the place I started. I think I need some angelic assistance here.”

“Yes of course, where are you?” Cas replied.

Sam texted him the coordinates and in a flash, Castiel was there by his side, although he was slightly worse for wear. His borrowed grace didn’t allow him all the power and privilege his own could afford, but it would have to do. He stumbled slightly and Sam caught him before he could fall.

Sam sighed, “Cas, I’m sorry. I know you aren’t back to your full strength yet. I shouldn’t have called.”

“No, you were right to call. We just got Dean back; we don’t want to lose him again.”

Castiel looked around at the forest surrounding them, “Take me as far as you can go before ending back here.”

Sam led Cas into the woods paying close attention to the trees to make sure he didn’t go too far.

“I think it’s about here,” he said, while Cas looked around again.

“There’s definitely some kind of warding magic here,” Castiel announced.

Sam asked, “Can you break it?”

“Possibly, “ he responded, “although it might take me a few minutes.”

Sam nodded and watched as Cas felt around the magic barrier, testing for any weak spots. He was hoping wherever Dean was he was okay.

Dean struggled against his shackles, but it was no use. He wasn’t leaving anytime soon. He looked over at Riley who was just sitting patiently at the table in the middle of the room. She was waiting for the Baba Yaga to return, and he was hoping he could somehow break her out of her hypnosis before she got there.

“Riley,” he pleaded, “can you hear me?”

She turned towards him and smiled, “Of course I can hear you.”

“You need to get us out of here before she comes back.”

“I can’t, Dean. She won’t allow that.”

He could see signs of struggle behind her eyes; he just needed to chip away at it.

“Come here, Riley,” he continued, “Please, these shackles are too tight. They’re going to leave marks and she doesn’t want me to be hurt right?”

Riley stood and walked over to him, stopping to look up at his face. Dean’s eyes searched hers and for an instant he could see sadness in them. She stood up on her toes and kissed him sweetly on the lips and then reached up to loosen the metal around his left wrist, but just as her fingers touched the cold metal, the wind outside howled and the hut shook with rage. Dean braced himself as the shack rocked from corner to corner, feeling as if it had lifted up off the ground and bobbled around until it again hit the dirt with a thud. Riley had tumbled backward with the movement and was on the floor as the front door opened and the Baba Yaga came in with a chorus of screeches and screams behind her. It was as if the forest was crying out in pain.

Dean eyed the hag as she moved over to the old stove and placed several pieces of kindling inside. Her eyes were glazed over, milky white and her skin sagged around her bony frame. Her arms seemed to stretch and recoil with her movements in an unnatural way and she hummed an unfamiliar tune as she set to work building a fire. Riley stood up from where she had fallen and took her seat in the chair at the table. The witch turned and placed a shiny green pear in front of her, and Riley bit into it ravenously as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

“Hey, Witch-Bitch!” Dean called to the old hag, “If you hurt her so help me God I will pull your intestines out and feed them to you!”

Both Riley and the Baba Yaga turned to look at him. Riley’s face was a vacant expression but the witch smiled, exposing her twisted, yellowed teeth. He balked at the ghastly sight as she scuttled across the floor towards his bound body.

“A hero,” she said in a shrill voice, “come to save his princess?”

Dean just looked at her with a stony stare, and she turned to examine her puppet. Riley blinked back, he could tell she was trying to say something, but the spell she was under wouldn’t allow it.

“Is he your true love?” Baba Yaga screeched at Riley as she waved her hand to undo the magical gag that was in place.

Riley, finding her voice, looked at Dean and then back at the hag, “I do care for him.”

“Well,” the witch began, a sinister smile on her sagging face, “let’s see how much.”

Baba Yaga began to chant in a foreign tongue, Russian, Dean guessed considering the lore, and Riley slumped to the floor clutching herself in pain.

“Stop!” Dean yelled, as he pulled with all his might at the chains that bound him.

The witch continued her chant as the wind outside whirled around the house once again, the piercing sound hurting Dean’s ears and Riley spasmed on the floor as a cloud of red swirled around her prone form. The hag finished her spell and the wind calmed leaving only the sound of wolves baying in the distance. Dean called her name and Riley’s eyes had turned a fierce yellow, like the wolves that were howling outside. She looked at him breathing heavy and snarling. The witch cackled and sent shivers up Dean’s spine. He gulped as Riley walked over to him, her movements slow and calculated. She circled him and sniffed at his clothing, getting his primal scent in her nostrils.

“Riley,” Dean tried to connect with her, “please, look at me. You can break free of this.”

She did look up at him then, her yellowed eyes burning into him, and she ran her hands over his chest pulling at his jacket and flannel, shredding them in a frenzy and tearing the pieces off his body leaving only his tee-shirt exposed. Her mouth contorted into a snarl as she lifted the cotton up and knelt down to lick at the skin above his navel, the light sheen of sweat that had formed was salty on her tongue. Dean thought it would have been sexy if he weren’t so afraid of her right now.

He pleaded with her to stop whatever she was doing, but she continued to lick up his stomach to his chest, her fingernails digging into his skin and drawing blood. She then lapped at the red liquid, tasting his coppery essence, feeding the beast inside her. Dean thought he heard her growl and tried in vain to pull free from his bondage, but Riley was now standing upright against his body, her mouth stained with his blood. Her tongue slid up his chin to his supple lips and she kissed him hungrily, sharing the metallic taste with him. He tried to turn his head, but her hand grasped him by the chin and held him in place as she nipped his bottom lip, sucking the blood that dripped out. She was feasting on his body.

The witch continued to cackle in the background as Riley tore through his shirt exposing his entire chest which she continued to maul with her nails and tongue. Her nose sniffed at his breast, smelling the organ that pumped underneath and she began to salivate at the thought of tearing into him and sinking her teeth into his heart. She wanted to consume him. His flesh was the only thing in her way, and she dug her nails in deep tearing at him savagely. Dean cried out her name in pain, desperate to stop her, but she continued shredding his skin and licking at the gore that came off.

The door suddenly flew open and Castiel and Sam entered, sending the witch into a fury. Her arms stretched across the hut and her jaw dropped open stretching her flaccid skin to unmanageable proportions, her mouth a gaping maw that reached to the floor. The house itself reared and spun, shaking all but the witch off their balance. Riley regained her footing and made to attack again, but Cas had reached her and was about to strike a fatal blow with his angel blade.

“No! Cas!” Dean screamed, “She’s not herself!”

Castiel heard him in time and touched his fingers to her forehead, rendering her unconscious. Sam, meanwhile, had been striking at the Baba Yaga with an iron poker. Her skin sizzled where it connected, and she screeched and shrunk away with each blow. Dean called for Cas to unchain him and when he was free he ran over to help Sammy with the witch. She had made it personal and he was going to make good on his promise of ripping out her insides and feeding them to her.

The Baba Yaga had retreated to a small corner and Dean and Sam made to attack. She started to laugh again and she raised her hand and sent them flying across the room into the far wall, pinning them there. Castiel tried to approach her, but she was strong and he too flew into the wall at the boy’s feet. She chanted something again and a murder of crows descended into the little hut filling the ceiling with their black shiny bodies. They cawed and screeched until she gave the word, then they flew at the three of them, pecking into their flesh. A few had landed in Castiel’s grasp and burst with angelic light and Sam was only mildly punctured through the layers of clothing he was wearing, but Dean was exposed and was already injured. The crows struck and jabbed at his flesh making him bellow out in misery.

Riley woke, the spell lifted, and she watched in horror as they struggled against the onslaught of birds that fiercely struck at them. She had to do something. Looking around for a weapon, she found the fireplace poker that Sam had brought in and picked it up, striking the witch across the back. Baba Yaga averted her attention and the crows followed, bearing down on Riley now. She swung the iron, smashing into some of the birds, sending feathers flying.

Sam tried to move but he was still held by the witch’s magic. He looked over at Dean who was limp and bloodied from the crow’s attack, but still pinned to the wall. The Baba Yaga was lurching over Riley, watching as her birds preyed upon her, and Sam looked around for anything that might help her. In the corner by the sink there was a skull with flickering light coming from it. Could that be her lantern? He thought. It was worth a try.

“Riley!” Sam called out, “The skull!”

His shout distracted the witch for a moment and the birds lost their focus on Riley. She pulled herself up on the corner of the table and looked to Sam who nodded in the direction of the lantern. Without hesitation, she ran over to the sink and lifted the iron over her head, bringing it down swiftly into the skull. The bone cracked as she continued to swing at it, and the Baba Yaga screamed and sputtered as Riley’s final blow extinguished the fire within it. The witches flesh began to bubble and melt away from her bones, until she was just a puddle of mush on the floor. The crows flew out the door in one fell swoop, and Sam and Dean fell to the floor next to Castiel, free from their magical restraints.

She ran over to where Sam was already trying to help his brother, and grabbed Dean’s face. He was conscious, but badly hurt. He looked into her eyes, which were their normal blue color, and smiled as best he could.

“We have to get him to a hospital,” Riley said.

“No need,” Sam replied, “We’ve got something better.”

Cas stood and leaned over Dean, placing two fingers on his head and healing him instantly. Riley stepped back in disbelief.

“It’s okay,” Sam assured her, “he’s an angel.”

Riley looked from Sam to Castiel and back to Dean who was now completely free of the marks she left on him earlier. Her eyes were wide and she looked at him cautiously. Dean asked Sam for his flannel, and covered himself up with it, before walking over to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and then pulled her into an embrace. Relief washed over both of them, knowing they had each made it through the ordeal.

“Guess I saved your ass this time,” Riley smiled up at him.

Dean smirked, “Beginner’s luck.”

She pushed him teasingly and the four of walked out of the cabin and headed back to the Impala.

Chapter Text

Riley had finished packing up all of her stuff from her hotel room and Dean carried out her bag for her. They decided she would ride back to the bunker with them in the Impala, and Cas would follow in her car. Dean didn’t want her out of his sight for the next century. The boys had already checked out of their digs and everyone was ready to go. Sam was shocked when Dean threw him the keys to his Baby, but understood when his brother climbed into the back seat with Riley. He really wasn’t going to leave her side.

The Impala pulled out onto the road and they drove several hours until night hit. They stopped halfway in Rock Springs, Wyoming and checked into the Springs Motel for the night. Cas got his own room, and Riley stayed with the boys. When it was time to hit the hay, she curled up next to Dean and fell fast asleep in his arms. Sam smiled at the sight. It was about time his brother found someone who wasn’t just a one-night-stand.

When morning came, they all got back into the car and back on the road. Dean and Riley cuddled in the back seat the entire time. He even let Sammy play whatever music he wanted. Dean wasn’t even listening. When Sam pulled over for gas, Dean and Riley stayed in the car. They had some things to talk about now that the initial shock had subsided.

“Dean, I’m sorry about what I did to you back there,” she apologized.

“Don’t sweat it,” he said, “you weren’t in control.”

Riley blanched, “I tried to kill you. I was going to eat your heart out of your chest.”

“It was the spell,” Dean reassured her.

“It wasn’t just the spell,” Riley confessed, “I needed you. I needed to feel your skin, to touch you, to taste you. The blood part was the spell, the lust was my own.”

Dean’s fingers gently coaxed her chin up, looking into her eyes. He brought his face to hers and kissed her, gently at first but then more urgently. He felt the same lusty pull that she did. He spent time exploring her mouth with his tongue as hers danced around it. Riley’s hands tucked themselves into his flannel, feeling the warmth through his tee-shirt. His muscles rippled underneath. Forgetting where they were, Dean eased her down on the back seat and climbed over her, his mouth continuing to caress her lips and her neck. Sam’s hand beating down on the roof of the car brought them out of their trance, and Dean sat back up pulling Riley with him.

“You’re going to stay with us at the bunker for a while right?” he asked, hopeful.

She nodded her head, and Sam got back into the driver seat.

“I’m glad you guys are happy, but can you hold off on the PDA until we get back?” he chided.

Riley giggled, “Sorry, Sam.”

Dean just smirked and wrapped his arm around her.

Night had fallen again when they arrived back in Kansas. Castiel pulled Riley’s car into the garage at the Men of Letter’s bunker and then said his goodbyes before disappearing. It was going to take some time for her to get used to that. She had heard about the angels, but this was the first time she had ever encountered one. Cas seemed nice enough.

“I’m gonna get something to eat and then go hole up in my room,” Sam announced.

“You don’t want to hang with us,” Riley asked.

“I think you two need some alone time,” he responded and then walked out of the garage.

Dean pulled her into him, “Sounds like a good idea to me.”

Riley smiled back at him, “I bet it does, but I’m starving. Can we get something to eat first?”

Dean had to agree; his stomach had been growling for the past two hours. Leading her into the kitchen, they joined Sam briefly while they ate, and then separated to go to their rooms. Riley headed for the guest room she stayed in last time, but Dean pulled at her arm.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he said sardonically.

Riley smiled at him again, “I thought it might be nice to sleep in my own bed tonight.”

Dean frowned, disappointed with her decision.

“I’m just kidding,” she comforted him, “I can’t believe you fell for that!”

Dean growled and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder. Riley squirmed as he carried her to his room, and he slapped her ass playfully. He placed her gently on the bed and then went to shut the door before stripping down to his boxer-briefs. She undressed as well, and they snuggled up together under the covers, their lips locking together. They kissed for a few minutes and then she turned her head and covered her mouth as she let out a yawn.

“Am I boring you?” Dean teased.

She chuckled, “No, of course not. I’m just tired. It’s been a long, brutal couple of days.”

“Come here,” he said, embracing her tightly and leaning his chin on the top of her head.

Riley burrowed into his warmth and closed her eyes. She never wanted to leave this man again.