Still cowering in the small kennel, you watched the exchange, freezing when all eyes turned to you. The Angel's question hung in the air, swirling through everyone's minds. Rowena couldn't see you, but Sam and Dean could, and their eyes widened in confusion at a Hell Hound cowering in the corner. Most Hell Hounds would be snapping at the bars, trying to kill everyone in sight. It was how all of you had been trained.

"Cas, if it's not a Hell Hound, what the hell is it?" Dean asked.

Sam took a step towards you, crouching down to get a good look at your matted black fur, your sharp teeth, and blood-red eyes. "It certainly looks like a hell hound."

"I don't know," Cas muttered, turning towards Rowena. "Any ideas?"

She shrugged her shoulders, her silky royal blue dress shimmering with the movement. She was small in stature, but you could feel the power rolling off of her. She was a powerful witch, you could easily tell. Maybe finally you had found the person that would help you with your....little problem.

"I would need to get closer to the little dog here to search for myself, but I do agree. Something doesn't seem right. My spell should have worked."

Holding her hand over your cage, you whispered, the word sounding ancient as they drifted over you. The words calmed you, easing the trembling that had taken over your body. Your long legs curled in on themselves as you sank to the bottom of the kneel, letting the words lull you to sleep. The last thing you saw was a pair of emerald eyes peering down at you.

"Boys, you can come back now," The familiar Scottish Witch said as you slowly woke up. You were no longer in the cramped kennel. Heavy iron chains were shackled to your legs, along with a heavy collar around your neck. Your body was heavy, and you could have drifted back to sleep but you wanted to hear what was going on around you.

The two men and Angel shuffled their way into the room, eyeing you warily, but you made no effort to move. Whatever spell the witch had completed still had most of your energy zapped. "Did you figure anything out?" The Angel asked in his gruff voice. "Why wouldn't your spell work?"

"Easy Angel," Rowena purred, her hand resting on your back hip. The touch was foreign but warm. It was the first contact you had received in...you couldn't remember. You whimpered but made no movement.

She sighed. "This poor dear isn't a Hell Hound at all," she spoke slowly. "She looks like one, is one essentially. But her soul. It has been something else. Something that seems...human. At least I think so, but she has been a Hell Hound for so long that it's been contaminated."

"What?" Both Sam and Dean exclaimed at the same time, while you breathed a sigh of relief. It had been your secret for such a long time. A hope that someone would come along and help you out of this situation. But as years passed you had given up on that hope. And now you could feel it blooming in your chest once again. Almost painful, but it was there. And maybe this unique group of hunters, an Angel, and a Witch would be able to help you.

"That's what I felt!" Cas exclaimed, moving his hand beside the witch's, gently hovering above your matted, wiry black fur. "But how?"

Rowena sucked in a breath, moving her hand to come crouch down in front of you. Her eyes gazed into yours, trusting that you wouldn't jump and snap at her. You hoped she could see the trust, and the hope in your eyes. "She was spelled. A very powerful, very old spell. One that I have only heard of."

Dean plopped down in the chair in front of you, his hands resting on his knees. "You're telling me that this pour soul has been turned into a Hell Hound? For who knows how long?"

"We need to save her," Sam spoke softly. "She needs our help."

Dean groaned, running his hand through his hair. "Who says that we can? Or if she's been a Hound for so long there is no trace of humanity left in her?"

Your hopes slightly dashed, you lifted your paw as far as the shackles would let you, pawing towards Rowena as you let out a pitiful whine. "I can sense ti. She's still in there," Rowena insisted.

"I agree," Cas moved his hand over you. "She still has her Human soul, and we need to give her the chance."

"Rowena? Do you think you can do something?" Dean asked her.

She hummed as she stood back up, her dress still shimmering as she moved. "I can try. I'll search through my books, but something needs to be done."

She left along with Cas and Sam, leaving you alone with Dean. He sat in the chair, watching you closely without saying a word, studying you. "What did you do to piss off a witch for them to turn you into a Hell Hound?"

You yipped softly, wishing you could talk to him. You were drawn to Dean, more than any of the others. He hadn't given you special attention, but there was something about him that made him seem like the one you could get close to. If only...

"You can still understand us?"

You yipped again and rubbed his chin as he thought. "I'll talk to the others, but I don't know if we can trust you enough to release you."

He stood up, coming to stand in front of you. "I don't know if we can, but we'll do our best to help you. I can at least promise that."