**Chapter 1: Blood and Betrayal**

The scent of damp earth and decaying leaves filled my lungs as I trudged through the dense forest, my boots heavy with the weight of wet soil. The darkness seemed to swallow us whole, the only sound the soft rustling of leaves beneath our feet. I'd been hunting with the Winchester brothers for about five years now, but I'd been on my own for years before that. I'd learned to rely on my instincts, to trust my gut, and to never back down from a fight. But tonight, I might have made a mistake. Dean's voice cut through the silence, his words laced with a frustration I'd never heard before. "Abby, I told you to stay back! I told you it was a setup!" His eyes blazed with anger, his face twisted in a scowl. I could see the worry etched on his face, the concern for my safety that I'd grown accustomed to over the years. I winced, trying to put pressure on the wound in my side. It was a stupid mistake, one I'd made because I'd let my confidence get the better of me. I'd seen the signs, the whispers in the wind, the faint scent of sulfur, but I'd ignored them, convinced that I knew better. And now, I was paying the price. Sam's face was pale, his eyes wide with worry as he rushed to my side. "Abby, we need to get you to a hospital. Now." His voice was laced with a calmness that I knew was forced, a calmness that came from years of dealing with situations like this. But I knew that wasn't an option. We were in the middle of nowhere, and hospitals were few and far between in this part of the country. Besides, I knew that whatever had attacked me was still out there, watching us, waiting for its chance to strike again. Dean's anger was palpable, his fists clenched at his sides. "This is all your fault, Abby," he spat, his voice venomous. "If you'd just listened to me, this wouldn't have happened." I could see the hurt in his eyes, the worry that I'd gotten hurt because of his failure to protect me. I'd worked with Dean and Sam for years, and I'd grown to rely on them, to trust them with my life. But tonight, something had gone wrong. Tonight, I'd let my ego get the better of me, and now I was paying the price. I tried to push myself up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, and I fell back against the tree. "Just...give me a minute," I gasped, trying to catch my breath. I could feel the warmth of my blood spreading down my side, the sticky texture of it making me feel queasy. Dean's face twisted in a snarl. "A minute? You've got us in the middle of nowhere, bleeding out, and you want to take a minute? You're lucky I'm not leaving you here to rot." His words cut deep, and I knew that he was hurt, hurt that I'd disobeyed him, hurt that I'd gotten hurt. Sam placed a hand on Dean's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Dean, come on. We need to get her help." His voice was soft, a gentle reminder that we were in this together. But Dean wasn't having it. He turned on me, his eyes blazing with anger. "You're not listening, Abby. You're not listening, and you're going to get yourself killed one of these days." His words were a harsh reminder of the risks we took every day, the risks that came with hunting. I felt a surge of defensiveness, but I knew I was in no position to argue. I was hurt, and I needed their help to survive. So I bit back my retort, and instead, I focused on taking slow, shallow breaths, trying to stay conscious. The forest around us was quiet, the only sound the distant hooting of an owl, the only movement the soft rustling of leaves in the wind. It was a silence that was oppressive, a silence that seemed to weigh heavily on all of us. And then, without another word, Dean scooped me up in his arms, and we set off into the darkness, the only sound the soft crunch of leaves beneath his feet. I knew that this wasn't over, not by a long shot. The fight was far from finished, and I had a feeling that tonight was just the beginning. As we walked, I couldn't help but think about how we'd ended up here, how we'd become a team. I'd met Dean and Sam five years ago, when I'd stumbled into one of their hunts. They'd been tracking a particularly nasty demon, and I'd been tracking it too, for my own reasons. We'd clashed, initially, but we'd eventually teamed up, and it had been a partnership that had worked well. Until tonight. The memory of how we'd started, of how we'd become a team, was bittersweet. I'd grown to rely on them, to trust them with my life. And now, I wasn't sure if that trust was broken. As we walked, the silence between us grew thicker, a heavy blanket that seemed to suffocate me. I knew that we had a long night ahead of us, a night that would determine the course of our partnership, and maybe even our lives.