Supernatural: Length of Chain (11/22)
Author Name: Patriciatepes (Patricia de Lioncourt @ fanfiction.net )
Fandom: Supernatural
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Jo, Castiel, Crowley, with an assortment of others in minor roles
Pairing: Castiel/Jo/Crowley triangle; with Jo/Crowley not being remotely romantic
Chapter Links: Prev | Next
Warnings: (For complete, whole story) Torture, swearing, blood play, knife play, sex, noncon, dubcon, fighting, monster death, character death
Summary: SPN Season 6. Jo Harvelle remembered dying, a hellhound at the cause. Imagine her surprise when she wakes up, a cursed necklace about her neck that binds her to the service of the current King of Hell, Crowley. When Castiel appears, she's sure that she's saved… only to learn the truth. Now, bound by a beautiful, cursed antique, Jo must do as Crowley orders, hunting for the answers to accessing Purgatory… or else.
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any related characters. They belong to Kripke. No money made here. Art by the awesome casper_san.
Author's Notes: Written for the spn_hardcore_bb. And also for the hc_bingo wild card square, using torture. OMG, I so didn't expect this story to be as long as it turned out to be. Just a quick note on the rating: yes, there are some scenes that definitely require that rating. Granted, there are also several scenes that are of a much softer nature. A nice balance I would say. Also, huge thanks to my awesome friend and beta Kimmi! And to twisted_slinky for cheering me on as I outlined and helping bounce the many issues I encountered off her. Also, that thanks extends to my artist, casper_san, who was just super awesome. I know she was just as busy as I was trying to do other challenges while doing my art, so yes, huge thanks! Drop by her art masterpost and give it some love! Hope you enjoy!
Link to Story Masterpost | Link to Art Masterpost
Chapter Eleven
Jo had lost count on what number car this was. Crowley did allow her to go, when the distance was great enough or the job required it, with a car. And, for some reason, Jo never found herself making the drive back to the manor. And she always ended up in a different car the next time it was necessary. Five, she thought finally, her arm touching the rolled up window of the driver's side. This had to be car number five. They were never really expensive, the cars, usually just economy class, used ones. After all, Crowley didn't like the idea of losing a lot of expensive things. He was a very materialistic demon, which figured, the longer Jo spent staring out of the car window thinking about it.
She was on the outskirts of some rural town in Montana, staring at an aluminum built storage house-a large one. Jo would almost dare to call it a warehouse, just for its size. She was parked just down around the corner from the building, the lack of tall foliage still giving her a clear view of the place. And, of course, it helped that the couple of lights on the outside of the warehouse were well-maintained and bright white. She watched as three men headed toward the small, red door of the warehouse, one man-slightly taller than the other two-clearly in the lead. These were the only three arrivals Jo had seen in the past while, and that's what she had banked on. She had spent the better part of the last two weeks hunting down breadcrumbs that Crowley handed her that might, just maybe, lead to the Alpha Shapeshifter. She had made a slow travel over to this side of the United States, following incident after incident that had Crowley-and even Jo-sure that this had to be the wake of the oldest shifter. And now, her eyes trained on the man in the lead, Jo knew that this was it. He was changed so that he had dark hair-black even in the light over the door-and a black goatee that completely covered his chin. He was dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt whose long sleeves were neatly rolled to his elbows. He opened the door for the two other men, allowing them to enter first.
Jo pressed her back against the cold, faux leather of the driver's seat. She was alone on this hunt, and she desperately wondered why. She had already experienced an alpha, when she had gone after the Alpha Ghoul, Mordiggian. She knew them to be stronger, faster, fiercer than the rest of their kind. But Crowley had told her, for this run-the one in which the both agreed that they had finally caught up with the alpha-to go it alone. No demons. Jo's fingers, slightly chilled, and paler than usual she thought, slipped up to the pendant that kept her chained to the service of the King of Hell. She glanced down, her brow furrowing as she took in her own body. Surely, Crowley had lost his mind.
She was dressed in the classic, "little black dress." It came just above her knees when standing-it had ridden up a little bit now, to mid thigh-and had a plunging V-neck. And the back draped low, just at the lower region where her back started to become her buttocks. Crowley had come to her hotel only hours earlier, leaving the dress with the instructions that this was what she had to wear tonight. She had her hair pulled up and swept back into a very basic formal fashion, two antique gold earrings-hearts, to match her necklace-and three-inch black strappy heels. This was not what she had been expecting on this hunt.
She fiddled with the pendant, moving the heart back and forth along the length of chain that fell just before her chest. Her eyes were peeled to the Alpha Shifter as he watched the last of the lesser shifters enter the warehouse. He moved to follow, but paused. His head turned, and he stuck his nose into the air. Jo's eyes widened, and she reached for the keys of the car-still hanging from the ignition, and still turned slightly on so that the radio played. Even from this distance, Jo could see the alpha smile… and his eyes sweep, just briefly, in her direction. He could smell her. But, without a second glance, he entered the warehouse, shutting the door behind him. Clearly, he wasn't concerned with her.
Jo sighed, and shook her head. Of course he could smell her. She probably reeked with the stench of uncertainty, her mind replaying the events of her fight with Mordiggian. After all, if the Alpha Ghoul had tossed her around like a rag doll, what could the alpha shifter do? Jo sucked in a deep breath, making her hand drop from the necklace to her lap. She was suddenly aware of the song was playing on the radio. She had forgotten to pay attention. She had left the key turned just enough to let the music play-to try and relax her as she prepared for a hunt in this ridiculous dress. Now, some recent hit by a band called Florence and the Machine was playing. It had a nice beat, a drumming that matched the way her head felt at the moment. Jo leaned back against the raised headrest, closing her eyes as she tried to gather her thoughts-and try to fathom what Crowley was wanting from her, other than the clear capture of the alpha. She let the song wash over her, hearing more of the drumming than the lyrics, and feeling like her heart was beginning to match the beat as well. It was oddly relaxing, just as she had intended. But then, the music ended. And neither another song, nor a DJ, followed. Jo's eyes opened.
Crowley sat beside her now, his hand just retracting from turning off the radio. She groaned, shaking her head.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Well, you didn't think I'd let you go it alone, now did you?" he said.
When Jo's only reply was a raise of a brow, he smiled.
"True," he conceded. "However, we all know how much more powerful the alphas are than the rest of their species. So I thought I'd bring the big guns to help."
Jo crossed her arms low across her chest. "Does that mean you, or just more lackeys?"
Crowley's grin narrowed to a wicked length. "Me, of course, darling. With a few other lackeys."
Jo pursed her lips as Crowley shrugged. She sighed, resting her forehead in her hand.
"Shit. Fine. But I just want you to remember our agreement, Crowley. No matter what ridiculous requests you've made, this is my hunt. Understand? I'm in charge."
Crowley smirked, chuckling. "Ooh, I usually don't go for that sort of thing, but that does sound like fun. Can I call you mistress? Will you spank me if I'm bad?"
Jo rolled her eyes, grabbing the steering wheel with both hands and pressing her back into her seat as hard as possible. Finally, when it seemed that Crowley had gotten all the amusement he wanted out of that little joke, he sighed.
"So," he asked, "what is your planned approach to this, sweetheart?"
"You mean, prior to you wanting me to wear this damn dress? I was going to go in there, fight, and bag the alpha."
Crowley laughed, shaking his head.
"Oh, dear, you don't stand a chance that way, dress or no. You know as well as I, and we've already covered it, the alphas are stronger. Much stronger. If you had tried that, you'd have been ripped to shreds, especially considering that you usually only have Malcolm and Nell with you. And that there are two other shifters in there to contend with."
Jo threw her hands into the air. "Then what do you propose?"
"Remember that little ruse you used to get my demons to open the gates to my manor? You know, before you died? Do something like that. You're a nice, innocent young woman who has had the misfortune to have your vehicle break down here in the middle of nowhere."
Jo narrowed her eyes at the demon. "And how's that supposed to work? I mean, it might get me in, but-"
"No, dearest, it will get you in. The Alpha Shifter, like all the other alphas, has been all about breeding recently. Trying to raise their numbers. A nice, plump young thing like you? He'll welcome you inside with open arms."
"And then what? Wait for you?"
Crowley shrugged. "Yeah. That's about the gist of it."
Jo shook her head. "I don't trust you, Crowley."
He waved his hand, like batting away a gnat. "That's a given. However, you should trust in the fact that I want this alpha."
Jo stared at him a moment, mulling that over. She bit the inside of her lip, lightly, as Crowley continued to grin at her in a way that had her picturing a cartoon halo over his head. She nodded, reaching for the door handle.
"All right. But you better be right behind," she said.
She didn't even wait for his retort. She was out of the car, her heels clicking on the cracked pavement, as she crossed the corner and into the graveled lot of the warehouse. She paused just outside the red door, made of the same aluminum as the rest of the building, taking in the surroundings. Honestly, there was nothing. Just her car behind her-which she could no longer see the outline of Crowley in-and this warehouse containing two shapeshifters and their alpha. She put on a soft smile, one that was somewhere between congeniality and worry, and rapped a couple of times on the door. It didn't take long for an answer.
It was the alpha himself that came to the door, opening it wide enough so that Jo had to step back, leaning heavily on the inside, bolted on handle.
"Can I help you?" he asked, a smile of his own in place.
His, unlike Jo's, looked more like every drawing of the Big, Bad Wolf that the huntress had ever seen. She huffed out a small laugh, wrapping her left arm about her stomach as she jerked her free hand in the vague direction of her car.
"My car broke down, and my cell is completely dead. I'm so, so sorry to trouble you, but do you maybe have a phone I could use in there?"
The alpha turned, and Jo watched as the other two shifters-standing almost at attention a handful of feet back from their leader-shared in the wolf's grin. The alpha turned back, stepping aside with a sweeping gesture of his arm.
"Of course, Miss. No need for a young woman such as yourself waiting outside all alone in the dark. Max will show you the phone," he said, pointing the blond shifter, who was waving Jo closer.
Jo stepped over the little rise in the door, nodding as she fully entered the building. She turned, her eyes scanning her car one last time. No sign of Crowley-or any other demon. The alpha shut the door behind him as he gently moved her farther into the building. The three shifters were closing in on her, and if she wasn't mistaken, they even looked like they were sniffing at her. Jo let out a nervous laugh.
"Well," she said, "this is just so nice of you."
The alpha's hands were on her shoulders, and they were cold. Jo shrugged out of the hold, turning so that the other shifters were now at her back. The alpha's eyes were bright blue, and they vaguely reminded Jo of Castiel's eyes. But Cas wasn't her back up here. Crowley was, and he was taking his sweet, damn time showing up. Jo backed up a few steps, bumping into both of the lesser shifters behind her.
"Now, now," the alpha almost purred at her. "Just relax."
Jo's hand slipped down, and she felt leather strap she had around her right thigh, which held the silver knife that she always tried to keep on her. Especially since a hunter-or a girl, for that matter-never knows when she's going to need a knife. Two hands, each from a different monster, was on either of Jo's shoulders. She shook her head. She was gonna give this ruse one more go.
"Look," she said, trying her best to sound like a helpless, lost little girl, "I just need a phone. I-I don't want any trouble."
The alpha smiled, opening his arms wide. "See? That's just what I was thinking. We just want to, you know, entertain you why you wait. We have no intention of hurting you."
Both hands slid down her arms, like a caress. And Crowley was still nowhere to be seen. Time was up. If she didn't act now, then these shifters were going to… well, Jo didn't want to think about what they were going to do.
She flash them a coy smile, like she was ready and willing for what they were suggesting, and she turned to the two shifters behind her.
"Well, then, boys," she said, running a hand down her inner thigh, and slowly up the underside of her dress, "let's have some fun."
The both grinned, stupidly, at her until she finally pulled the silver, serrated knife free. In a flash, she plunged it into the heart of the shifter on her right, kicking out behind her to land a heel right in the gut of the alpha as she threw a semi-effective left-handed punch into the face of the other lesser shifter. She freed the knife with one mighty yank, threw a better, stronger, right-hook into the face of the shifter on her left. It knocked him off balance just enough for her to plunge the blade directly into his heart. As she held tight to it, letting the momentum of the dying, falling shifter free it, she heard a deep chuckle behind her. She whirled.
"Well, they were a little pathetic, weren't they?" the alpha asked.
Jo held her knife at the ready, blade out to do as much damage as possible until she could get in a decent shot at the heart. If Crowley still wanted this alpha alive, then he needed to show his ass up. The two stared at each other for the longest time, a standoff. Finally, Jo lunged, and he ducked her swings, gripping her shoulders and sliding her back. Both heels broke, and Jo felt back onto the hard, cold cement floor. She slid the blade of the knife down, cutting the straps and freeing her feet before the Alpha Shifter could advance too far. Back up several steps, and he continued to smile at her.
"Hunter, if you just drop that knife, I can make this a pleasant experience," he said.
Jo's brow furrowed, and she threw a few punches. He dodged most of them, but she landed a few right on his jaw. He threw one of his own, and she ducked it, coming up with the knife to slice him clear down his left arm. He barely even flinched. She backed up a few paces again.
"I was telling the truth, you know. You see, we monsters seemed to have caught the attention of the new King of Hell, so we have to raise our numbers-as he's joined the hunters in killing us. Pretty, strong girl like yourself? You'd make a wonderful mate."
Jo scoffed. "Yeah, sorry. Not really planning on motherhood."
"Really? Some girls your age, that's all they can think about. But no matter. As soon as the baby was born, I'd come for it. Just nine, ten months of your time."
"Go to Hell," Jo snapped.
The alpha sighed, shrugging. "Have it your way."
He growled, diving for her, and Jo whirled out of the way. He turned, lightning fast, and threw a punch. She dodged it, lifting her leg to kick him square in the chest. He barely moved. She swung her knife out, catching his other arm briefly, and again, the shifter only continued to snarl at her. She moved to punch him with her knife-hand, and he caught her by the wrist. He squeezed, and the shock of pain caused her to drop the knife. It landed at her toe with a loud, echoing clatter. She swung at the alpha with her other fist, and he shoved her away. She hit the floor with an "oomph," her hands slapping the pavement just in time to stop her face from colliding. She twisted herself to look up at the Alpha Shifter as he loomed over her. His grin widened, knowing that he had won. He took a single step forward and grunted. His blue eyes widened, and he grunted at least three more times before he fell to his knees. His eyes slid closed as his face hit the floor just beside Jo's feet. Jo pushed herself into a sitting position, looking up to see Crowley, flanked by Malcolm and Nell-the latter two both holding tranquilizer guns-standing just behind where the alpha had been. Jo sighed, leaning her head back as Malcolm and Nell moved forward to grab the alpha from under his arms. By the time Jo had righted her head, they were gone, taking him with them. Crowley stepped forward, extending a hand. Jo took it reluctantly, letting the demon pull her to her feet. She yanked her hand free as soon as she was fully erect.
"You know," Crowley said, gazing down at her shoeless feet, "those heels were rather expensive. Designer, you know."
Jo's eyes scanned the rather empty warehouse, ignoring the King of Hell for the moment. Finally, she whirled on him.
"What the hell was that about?" she yelled. "Where are the rest of the lackeys you mentioned?"
"I said 'a few' lackeys," Crowley said, finger in the air. "Never specified a number."
Jo placed her hands on her hips. "Well, in most of the world, 'a few' means at least three. You only had Malcolm and Nell with you."
"Well, I am a third in that arrival team."
"Yes, and I noticed that you did oh-so much."
Crowley laughed, putting his hands in the pockets of his coat. "Oh, Joanna. I knew that if I told you what my plan really was, I would've had to fight you tooth-and-nail to get you in here. But you did great. Really, you make lovely bait. Went off without a hitch. You even finished off the two other shifters like I bet Malcolm that you would. Honestly, hats off."
He performed a mock little bow while Jo seethed.
"You… mother… fucker," she spat.
He shrugged. "Why does everyone keep forgetting? Demon."
Jo wrapped her arms about herself, her jaw tight from the anger she was trying desperately to keep inside, lest she get a few minutes with the necklace. Crowley crossed the small distance between the two of them, and reached down, grabbing the hem of her dress. He tugged it down, bringing it from its crumpled state to its proper length, before Jo leapt out of reach. He raised his hands in the universal sign of backing off.
"Thought you wouldn't mind," he said, innocence dripping from every word. "After all, it looked very indecent of you."
His eyes were cruel, teasing. Jo wondered if those pair of serpent greens knew any other way to be. He chuckled softly, holding out his hand for her to take. She looked at it as if it was the most disdainful object in the world.
"Well? Come on," he said.
"Why would I ever take your hand?" she asked.
"You mean, other than just a few moments ago? To go home, of course. I mean, you've done such a splendid job tonight, that I figured you deserved that movie night."
"I'd rather just drive."
He strode forward, grasping her right hand tightly in his. "I'm sure there's plenty that you'd rather do. But, as it is, I'm the boss."
In the same, speed-of-light blink, she was back in her room in Crowley's manor, alone. She drew in a deep breath, her eyes landing on her wide, perfectly made bed. She did a little run, landing on the bed face-down. She might hate Crowley and everything that he made her do… but she couldn't deny that sleeping was a lot more enticing at the moment than an hours-long drive.