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“Heh. He really said ‘welcome to the pack’?”
“He did. Right after he marked me.”
“Awesome.” Dean smirks, pleased with Sam’s reaction. Apparently, Dick had run into him somewhere near (Or in? Dick had been a bit vague.) the office. Sam works nearby so maybe it was bound to happen? Either way, Dean appreciates Sam’s instant welcome. “Fuck. You done soon? You keep that up I’m gonna get horny,” Dean grouses with strained voice. It’s a lie. He’s already hard and trying to pretend he isn’t, is laughable.
Which is why Dick sniggers, of course. “You’re always horny. It’s your default, Dean. It’s funny because both Lucifer and Michael think we’re fucking,” he says and licks up the secretion running from Dean’s ear gland down his throat, then leans his sweaty forehead against Dean's temple while making the telltale grunting noise of siphoning. He’s hot like a friggin furnace and Dean worries Dick might be running a fever.
“Hey, here's an idea for ya, how about making them right?” Dean suggests, closing his eyes and leaning back against the kitchen wall in Dick’s apartment, forcing Dick to take a step forward to keep their position.
Dick’s only answer is a pleasant chuckle. Dean’s really starting to like Dick. At work, the guy is smooth and pleasant, slick in every way. In private… well… not so much. Sure, being smooth and pleasant is part of who he is. But he’s also fucking badass. Guy’s fucking made of steel and it’s a wonder he doesn’t have black oil leaking out of every orifice with how hardass he can be. Yeah. Dean likes him.
Currently he also kinda really wants to fuck him.
“Come on. How is this not making you horny? When Sam does this it takes minutes before he’s ready to flip over and present.”
“I’m monogamously mated, Dean,” Dick reminds him and licks up more secretion from the ear gland, repeating the siphoning procedure.
“Yeah, no, you ain’t. If you were, I’d smell it, and your scent tells me you’re mine. Your Crowley will have to fucking prove himself worthy if he wants you back.” Dean makes a grimace. “Sorry. I… I don’t mean that. Fuck. Of course you’re free to do whatever you want. It’s the pack bond thing that does it. But I mean, seriously. Just feel how―” Dean grabs Dick by the hips and pulls him in the last inches between them so Dick can feel how hard Dean is. Only, when he does that he’s met by an equally hard erection and a hiss. It jars him enough for his eyes to snap open to stare at Dick in horror. “Oh no. You poor thing,” he says and wraps his arms around Dick, burrowing his nose in the crook of his neck, making a soothing rumble in his breastbone tract like he would comfort a wounded pack member. Dick, supposedly, isn’t part of the pack. Supposedly, they’re running a scam so Dick can get two things he’s been wanting - a raise and a bigger office. The problem is that when you force instinct to bend to your will, (just like dad fooled nature with Cas) that instinct, well, does just that. As such, because Dick smells like a pack member every fibre in Dean screams its instinctual wish to treat Dick like one.
Dick goes rigid. “...Dean? What are you doing?”
“You’re hard. You can’t be hard without leaking slick like I am, but I can’t smell your slick.” Dean answers without pausing his soothing rumble and lifts a hand to card through Dick’s hair.
“So?”
“So neither can anyone else. Which means that not only can you not attract a mate with your scent, but you can’t rile up Alphas for a little roll in the hay when you’re horny. I kinda assumed I’d still be able to smell your slick at least.”
Dick chuckles and relaxes. “How delightful that the thought of not getting knotted distresses you that much.”
“I’m serious, Dick.”
Another snigger and Dick resumes his activity siphoning Dean, leaning more into the comforting hold, slowly turning to goo. When he speaks the next time he sounds a bit drowsy. “Mmh. If that’s the case, I wonder how much it’ll upset you to know I’m currently in Heat.”
Dean makes a wounded noise and Dick laughs.
Dean scowls. “It’s not fucking funny!” But is sure as hell explains why Dick’s skin is so hot and sweaty.
Dick laughs harder. “It’s hilarious. And don’t worry, Dean. I’ve been taking care of myself since I was ten. I’m perfectly fine.”
Dean doesn’t believe him. “At least let me siphon you back.”
“Why would you want to?” Dick shakes his head and steps away from Dean. “Nevermind. I’m done. We need to get going or we’ll be late. You did bring Sam’s photo, didn’t you?”
“Yup.”
“Good. Hand it over. The guard shift is in two hours. We’ll need to be done by then because they’ll be making a round just after the shift. I bought you scent blocker but don’t put it on yet. It’s pretty useless and you’ll have about 15 to 20 minutes before it fades.”
Dean doesn’t ask where he got the highly illegal blockers. Dick’s a sagacious man who doesn’t mind cutting a few corners. As many corners as it takes. Dean hands the photo over to Dick who takes it to a file on the kitchen table. He opens the file to reveal a college application that already has a big red stamp reading ‘Approved’ on it, and fastens the photo of Sam to it with a paperclip. Now all they have to do is break into the university expedition, open the large envelope where the other approved full scholarships lie ready to be sent to the financial administration, take one application out and replace it with Sam’s, then close the envelope again. Then get out unseen. Piece of cake. Right? Right.
But Dean trusts Dick in this. Especially now when the guy’s dressed in jeans, a simple tee, and an army green canvas jacket that has seen better days - just like Dean’s own jacket. This is the guy who was born to a homeless couple in the slums, who survived when his family―parents and siblings alike―one by one died from sickness or starvation. Orphaned at ten he’d not only survived, but climbed his way out of the gutter and to the top of the food chain. Dick had taken him on an excursion to the area he grew up in (possibly to test Dean out before deciding to do a job like this with him) and the change in Dick’s demeanor when he entered the bad parts of the city was nothing short of astounding. He didn’t move gracefully and pleasantly like he usually does, he moved like a stalking predator, his eyes sharp and hard, everything about him told the people around to watch it really fucking carefully. So Dean trusts him to know his stuff. And Sam’s gonna go to college and fill that giant brain of his with useless knowledge that’ll make his big nerd-heart happy.
Dean walks two steps behind Dick and deep-purrs as if he’s an Alpha. Their little breaking and entering had gone smoothly and they’re now walking back to Dick and Crowley’s apartment since Dean had promised to stay the night and mark it up in preparation for Crowley’s return. Dick’s not very forthcoming about his and Crowley’s relationship, nor how they ended up mated. Dean’s not happy with Crowley at the moment. If he goes on business trips and leaves his mate behind for one or two months at a time, knowing that their bond will fade within a week or two, he’s setting his mate up for suffering whatever Dick claims. It’s true that when an Omega is unhappy enough in a relationship for the wanderlust to kick in, a bond might spontaneously start to dissipate or would only bring relief when the Omega lost it. But a bond that dissipated involuntarily, brought heartache. So Crowley’s on Dean’s shitlist and Dick needs to be properly courted by an Alpha. There’s no Alpha around to do the job, hence Dean stepping up to do it.
“Come on, pretty Omega, show me that beautiful flare of yours,” Dean coaxes, his own mint green eyes glowing brightly in the darkness.
He sees Dick’s shoulders jump as if he’s laughing silently. Dick throws an amused look over his shoulder and keeps walking. Dean goes back to deep-purring, dropping his fangs and leers to add to the overall effect. They pass a group of people coming out from a bar. Dean hears them talking. One of them says “Why’s that guy doing that?” And another answers “There’s clearly something that’s gone wrong with an Omega if he thinks he’s an Alpha.”
Dean turns around and walks backwards so he can face the group without stopping. “Hey! When nature produced me it did everything right! I’m the prime example of what an Omega should be like. Watch and learn, gentlemen, watch and learn,” he yells at them with a smirk, then turns back to face Dick’s direction.
Dick chuckles. “Not many have your confidence, Dean. I commend you for not putting those oufs down. What with how they reeked of pain, sickness, and had a lazy eye, respectively.”
“Pffhah. If you need to stomp people down to look big you’re not very big, to begin with. Hold on. Can we go into that 24/7 convenience store? I need to buy something.”
“Sure.”
15 minutes later they come out and Dean’s loaded with groceries. He stubbornly refuses to let Dick help him carry since it would beat the purpose of the shopping. They talk while they walk and in every lull in the conversation Dean makes the enticing Alpha deep-purr, never once letting up his flare and keeping his canines teethed to points. “Oh, hey! Thanks for helping me find that phone number, by the way,” Dean says suddenly.
“To the oil rig? You’re welcome. Did you get a hold of Benny?”
“Yeah. I was starting to worry because he’s been gone for longer than he should have been. Turns out he’s met someone. An Omega that lives in the closest port. He’s seriously considering mating with her, but he isn’t sure how well a new bond would hold up under prolonged separation while he’s away working. And, um…” Dean side-eyes Dick. “He, uh, fears they’d both be hit hard by depression if it fades before he can get home. He felt it would be cruel to put a mate through that…”
Dick chuckles. “Their bond will be fine unless she shares my handicap. Are you afraid I’d feel bad about hearing this?”
“Well, yeah… Look, at this point, the only thing Crowley got going for himself in my book, is the way he smells.”
“He smells good, doesn’t he?”
“That, he does,” Dean agrees. By tomorrow every trace of Crowley’s smell would be gone from the apartment. Dean would do his best to see to that.
By the time they get to the apartment Dean’s relentless impersonation of an Alpha has paid off enough for Dick to be flaring, the corners of his lips hooked in amusement. While he unlocks the door Dean presses close, rubbing his nose back and forth over the shirt-covered neck gland. Dick stills for a moment and lets Dean do it, a shiver running down his spine. Dean drops the grocery bags and puts his hands on the door, boxing Dick in. He moves to rub his nose on Dick’s ear gland, making it secret and goosebumps form on Dick’s neck. Dean opens his mouth to bite the neck softly, darting his tongue out to lick up the secretion. It barely tastes of anything. He dearly wants to siphon it but hasn’t gotten a clear yes allowing him to do that yet. Dick full-body shivers and chuckles breathlessly. “Dean,” he says in a tone of voice that makes Dean take a step back and pick up the bags again.
“If I hear a stop or fuck off, I’ll stop. You know that, right?”
Dick gives him a bright look over his shoulder full of amusement, but very pointedly doesn’t tell Dean to stop. Instead, he unlocks to let them in. “You can put the wares in the fridge so they don’t spoil. But I must say, it wasn’t very smart of you to do your shopping tonight. It would have been better to do them on your way home tomorrow.”
“Oh no, you misunderstand. It’s not for me. It’s for you,” Dean says and unloads what he’s bought on the kitchen counter, casually rubbing his temple gland against the overhead cupboard while he unpacks. “I’m gonna cook for ya. Gotta prove I’m worthy to mount you,” he says and throws Dick a wink. An Omega in Heat doesn’t eat and drink properly unless prompted to do so.
“Shit, Dean. One might think you were raised to be an Alpha,” Dick says shaking his head in bewilderment.
“I was raised to be both, same as Sam. You don’t know how your kit’s gonna present, right? So dad raised us to be both and didn’t start angling his lessons until after we presented.” Dean moves around in the kitchen sniffing out what he needs to make a meal. Knife, chopping board, pan. “Then when I presented he drilled me relentlessly in how to be a Main. Sam says I don’t know how to be a normal Omega. He says I think and react like a Main to everything. He might be right, I dunno. I don’t really know the difference, to be honest.”
Dick sits down at the table and watches Dean prepare a meal. “What does a Main do?”
“Didn’t you read about Packrunners in college?”
“I did, but to my knowledge, I’ve never met a non-hostile Main in real life before. All knowledge is better straight from the horse’s mouth.”
“Non-hostile?”
“There are plenty of packs in the slums. Most are small family units. But there is one big pack, the Hale pack. They must be 50 to 70 of them, and they basically rule the slums.”
“Really? Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“Because they’re ruthless criminals and I don’t want to see you end up with them. Besides, however you twist and turn it, no matter how powerful they are in the slums, they’re still living in the slums. They have a rather dubious agreement with the ruling pack on this side of the food chain that allows them to go on uncheckered, more or less.”
“There’s another big pack on our side of the track?”
“I said the ruling, not the big. And I repeat the question, what does a Main do?”
“Oh, right. Yeah, okay. A Main is a leader just like the Patriarch is, and they don’t necessarily have to be mated. The Main takes care of the pack, sees to that everyone is well and has their needs met. In a pack, everyone helps out, right? But an ordinary member doesn’t have to think quite as communally as the Main and the Patriarch. Like, it’s different in different packs. Some have real fucking strict hierarchies, and some are more fluid or equal. But the Main always stands a step above. I have to think, how many can I provide and care for? Sam doesn’t have to think that way. And right now with the resources available to me, I could have two or three more Omegas in my pack, depending on if they have the ability to chip in at all or not.” Dean talks while efficiently chopping fruits and greens, cutting chicken and heating butter in a pan. “My uncle Bobby’s in a wheelchair, so I know that if I had someone in a wheelchair in my pack I could only care for one more Omega. Even if they, just like Bobby, are able to work, I’d still have to move us somewhere accessible to them. I’d have to make sure they could shower or take baths, get help with getting dressed and stuff like that. That takes a lot of time that instantly limits what I can do and how I have to think. Sam would help out and he’d fold to any decision I vetoed if it impacts the pack, but he doesn’t have to bear the responsibility.”
“I see. Two or three more Omegas, not Alphas? Are Alphas more high maintenance?” Dick asks dubiously.
Dean laughs. “Fuck no! But pregnant Omegas and kits are. And it’s easy to say that I don’t want kits yet and we’ll wait and yadda yadda. But when you have a mate and your Heat and Rut aligns, and you’re firmly locked onto his knot and high on all things Alpha. You ain’t all that keen on waiting years to bareback with him, if you feel me? And that multiplies with every Alpha in your pack.”
“You ever been pregnant?”
Dean’s knife on the chopping board stutters for a beat. “Um… yeah, actually. But my mate was very sick, and I was too young. I’d barely begun to smell pregnant before I lost it. I’d gone two or three weeks, perhaps? Not long enough to get depressed by it. Besides, I’d just presented and was in the middle of a growth spurt. In a year I went from a young juvie to all this splendor.” He makes a sweeping gesture over his body and grins at Dick. “I think a pregnancy back then woulda killed me. And dad reeked of fear when he smelled the change on me. I don’t blame him, with how our mom died an’ all. I do want kits in the future, though. How ‘bout you? You ever been pregnant?”
“Three times. Lost it early twice, just like you. But one time I was five months in…”
“Fucking hell.”
“Mhm,” Dick agrees with a pleasant little smile. Dean thinks that that smile is a shield. “I don’t particularly want kits. But when you’re that far gone it’s… I confess, it hit me hard.”
“No shit, Sherlock.” The thought of losing your kit that far into it makes Dean’s blood run cold. It’s generally said that you’re pretty safe if you don’t lose it within the first three months since the body is self-cleansing, rejecting pregnancies that happen when it’s not prepared to deal with one. Like in Dean’s case. It’d take something significant for it to happen after that. Like sickness... Or losing a mating bond. Yep, Dick’s made of steel to still be alive today. Dean thinks he’s full of shit when he says he’s ‘fine’. But because few people have been depressed enough to lose their scent and live to talk about it, it makes sense that they’d believe Dick when he tells them he’s okay. But Dean's been on the other side. “You want to talk about it?”
“Not particularly, no.”
“Fair enough. Here. Eat this. A starter salad while I finish making the main course.” Dean walks over with a plate and a fork, deep-purring like an Alpha to remind Dick he’s being courted.
Dick chuckles and inclines his head in thanks.
Turns out not even Dick has that much self-discipline when relentlessly courted. Just like any other Omega in Heat, his resolve crumbles under the onslaught of Dean’s charm. It’s different to play the part of an Alpha when having sex with another Omega. Dean has to remember to act rougher, more possessive, growl instead of keen his purrs. But Dean gets really into it. And it’s pretty rad to have someone usually so composed fall apart in complete debauchery, keening helpless purrs under his ministrations. Dean’s licking slick as if he needs it to survive, (But in reality, Dick might be the one who needs it the most.) doing his best to remember all the things an Alpha has done to him to drive him out of his mind. Dick’s scentless, sure, but he isn’t completely without a taste. It’s this weird feeling akin putting a piece of food encapsulated by plastic in your mouth. You know the food is there, you just can’t access it. But if you swallow it the capsule dissolves and you get the nutrition inside. That’s what it’s like licking Dick’s slick and secretion. Dean’s body still reacts to the hormonal stimulants in it. He wonders what would happen if he siphoned it but Dick hasn’t said yes to let him do that. He hasn’t said no. But it’s too big a thing to just do without a clear yes. They have a deal―Dick gets to siphon him to ‘borrow’ his scent to manipulate their bosses into giving him what he wants, in return, Sam gets to go to college without the Winchesters having to spend a dime. Dean reminds himself that just because he smells like a packmember doesn’t mean he is one, and if Dean siphons him he’ll tie Dick’s scent into the pack. He’ll be thoroughly claimed. There is only one valid reason to claim someone into a pack without their consent, and that’s to save a life. Dad had hammered that into them since they were kits.
Yeah, sure, Dick’s scentless and all - but he isn’t completely without a scent. He has an Omega marker and the bland traces of skin and hair. But even so, Dean’s convinced that under that there would be a personal scent and it might alter Dean’s scent if he siphons it. Hell, if that happens, it might even be possible to get Dick to start smelling of himself. If Dean’s scent alters for a bond with him, and he siphons Dean, theoretically his scent would alter to take on a filtered version of his own normally hidden scent, right?
“Fuck sake! Please!” Dick’s desperate plea breaks Dean out of his musings. He stops licking and crawls over Dick’s back to suck on the neck gland. Dick makes a sound as if he’s near tears.
“Want my knot, Omega? Want me to knot you up good?” Dean purrs. Dick lets out a pained laugh. “Sorry. Too much method acting?”
“No. Keep that up,” Dick pants. “Just…” He reaches out to pull the nightstand drawer open and fumbles inside of it.
“Hey, now. We don’t need condoms. I’m shooting blanks, remember?”
“That’s not…” Dick pulls something out of the drawer and drops it on the bed. “Put that on your dick,” he says and indicates one of the two items. It’s a soft rubber ring. The other thing beside it is a small remote.
“What is it?”
“An inflatable knot. Crowley’s knot is tiny. He’d sell his soul for a bigger one, but unless a demon suddenly should appear with an offer, this does the trick. I control it with the remote fob.”
“Awesome.” Curiously Dean takes it and rolls it onto his erection until it’s lodged firmly at the base.
“Come on, hurry,” Dick urges, eyes feverish.
Dean obliges and pushes in with a growl. Dick’s so wet and open that he can start fucking hard and fast straight away, thrilling at Dick’s high-pitched keen. Dick fumbles for the fob, and suddenly the ring around Dean’s dick starts to grow, squeezing fucking amazingly and catching on Dick’s rim until it’s no longer possible for Dean to pull out. Dean comes with a roar, somehow miraculously managing to hold onto his Alpha persona.
Afterwards they lie panting locked together for… well, as long as Dick decides to, supposedly, since he has the remote. Dean nuzzles him and licks the freely running secretion from Dick’s ear gland. “Can I siphon you?”
“Why would you want to?” Dick counters drowsily like he always does.
“Why wouldn’t I? Come on, man. Yes or no?”
“Mmh. Okay…”
Dean finally gets to push the ‘scent’ into the sensitive receptors. He gets a taste, rather than a scent, and is hit with one hell of a siphon high almost immediately. The drowsy, narcotizing feeling causes him to purr contentedly. “You know… My mate and I… Cas… we never did this…” he muses without letting up his purr.
“What…? Knot?”
Dean chuckles. “No… siphoning. I’d never done it until Sam presented and came to live with me.” He keeps licking and siphoning Dick when he doesn’t talk, getting the same urge―need―for more as he does with Sam.
“Then how’d you mate…?” Dick mumbles confusedly.
“We were tightly bonded long before I presented. The bond spontaneously changed the first time he knotted me.”
“Hmm. Oh dear… I'd forgotten that was possible. Was that when you got pregnant?” Dick wiggles under Dean, trying to turn around. Dean pushes himself up and they awkwardly shift position with great difficulty (since Dick doesn’t release the knot) until they settle lying face to face.
“No. That happened one or two months later… don’t remember exactly… but we were mated when he knocked me up…”
“They should teach that in college… ‘ts important knowledge…” Dick’s eyes remain closed, everything about him is relaxed and fulfilled. He licks at Dean’s ear gland and starts siphoning too, letting out a breastbone purr that syncs with Dean’s. The secretion from his glands switches colour from clear to milky white where it runs freely. Different pheromones coming into play, signifying Omega bonding instead of Heat sex.
“I thought that was how it was done. Sam’s the one to tell me one has to siphon to bond properly. I’d say science is full of shit, tryna to stereotype, ignoring bits that don’t fit into their preconceived ideas…”
“Mmh…” Dick absentmindedly agrees. But the siphon-high is taking over, making it harder to keep up a conversation. It’s hypnotic. Soon both are lost in it. Tranquil and trance-like, making limbs heavy and the mind lethargic. Dean can no longer differentiate between his own scent and Dick’s supposed lack of one. There’s no lack, there’s an unfamiliar element to their shared scent, something new and pleasant woven into it. Absentmindedly Dean realises that he was right―that’s Dick. He rubs his temple against Dick where he can reach, marking him. Just like the first time with Sam Dick’s mouth slowly seeks Dean’s, tongue wanting to taste tongue. Dick drops fangs incrementally slow, Dean can feel it with his tongue. First, the canines just get sharp and pointy, then they start elongate and grow. Their shared purr seems to vibrate the air around them. They alternate kissing, gland suckling, marking each other until they're all oiled in. Dick's getting eager, no longer sedated, but flaring with full fangs dropped, whining instead of purring. Releasing the knot with the push of a button he pulls and grabs at Dean, trying to get him closer, trying to get him to move.
Once Dean begins fucking him, pushing in and out he starts leaving the sedate state of mind, entering a much more feral zone. There’s a sense of pressure in his jaws, fingers, and the skin on his face. He fucks into Dick aggressively and gives into the pressure in his jaws. Not even the pain shooting through his skull at dropping full fangs can bring him out of the hypnotic state he’s in. He growls biting loosely, licking and kissing Dick wherever he can reach, Dick’s keening purr spurring him on.
Dean orgasms quickly, every muscle turning to jelly, the content drowsiness returning tenfold. He collapses over Dick, caught in the zone between sleep and wakefulness, purring a pleased low-frequency rumble. Dick rolls them over and Dean feels him press in, but is too lax to give much reaction except purring. Dick never turns feral. He ruts slowly in Dean, still with a keening purr, and suckles at Dean’s ear gland. It doesn’t take him long to come either, collapsing on top of Dean, adding his own content low-frequency purr to Dean’s.
They lie like that, half-asleep for a long while before either one of them speaks. It’s the smell of Heat that shakes Dean out of it. “Okay, you need to get off me now and get some food in you. It’s no good fucking like this without food and drink when you’re in Heat.”
Dick rolls off him with a discontent rumble and Dean gets up to fetch something for Dick from the kitchen. He comes back with juice and the remaining fruit salad he’d made as a dessert to find Dick staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. “You okay there, champ?” he says when he hands Dick the provisions.
“Mh. Possibly. What just happened?”
“You never had Omega bonding sex before?”
Dick shakes his head, a slight hint of distress tinting his scent.
“Relax. That’s all natural,” Dean assures him, starting up a soothing, low rumble in the breastbone tract. The faint stink of distress dissipates. “‘M afraid you’re every inch part of my pack now, scent-wise. Wasn’t sure that’d happen. Sorry ‘bout that.”
“That’s okay, I suppose,” Dick answers dubiously and drinks the juice bottle dry before starting in on the fruit salad.
“Dude, I gotta ask, where did you get this thing?” Dean sits down on the bed and indicates the rubber ring still around his dick. “It’s fucking awesome. Sam and me could definitely make use of one of these if we don’t have an Alpha to help us out during our Heats.”
“There’s a store that sells sex toys in the business district. I’ll show you.”
“Great. So Crowley has a small knot, huh? And you, what? Have a size kink?”
Dick shrugs noncommittally and shovels fruit salad into his mouth. “You know who has a huge knot? Lucifer Williams,” he says, covering his mouth with a hand since he answers with his mouth full.
“Nice. Does he feel good inside?” Dean asks wistfully.
“Wouldn’t know,” Dick answers with an annoyed frown and a sting of discontent in his scent.
“Heh. Then we gotta get you knotted by him,” Dean declares with a grin and a wink, getting an amused snort and a flat look of scepticism. “You know what?” Dean goes on. “You two would get the prettiest kits. Red eyes all around.”
Dick scoffs and throws a pillow at him. “Fuck off. That’ll never happen. Besides, none of the Williamses ever gives me the time of day unless someone they’re interested in has marked me up,” he grouses, the tint of discontent getting strong enough to almost overtake the scent of Heat in the air.
Dean smirks. “Something tells me that’s about to change…”