Arranged Marriage || destiel (alpha!dean &a omega!cas)

Chapter Forty-One - The Underworld

He couldn't be dead. This was all just a bad dream. Everything that had happened from his so called death was all a blur now. But the last thing he remembered was fighting off the hands around Deans neck and having then clamp around his own.

He had a lot of time to wonder what had happened as the boat slowly drifted towards the underworld, towards the place he didn't belong. Castiel had always known that after death he would be with Pan, not drifting in a boat to a screaming and burning city.

Castiel had refused to look down in the water since putting his wedding ring in it but this time he couldn't help himself. Horrors untold were happening below him, miles upon miles of torment. Then he had remembered that this is probably where Crowley would be now after his death, but he shuddered at the thought of it. What if it wasn't Hades at all who had tried to kill his husband... what if it had been Crowley!

That thought stuck with him until he passed through a pair of marble black gates into the portal of the underworld.

***

Dean was in mourning. It had been two days since his husband had been found dead on the bedroom floor. He didn't understand what had happened. One moment he was being choked to death by unseen hands and the next he had woken up in his bed to find Castiel lying there like stone, eyes wide open and afraid.

He could remember sounding the alarm and when it was certain that his husband was dead, the morning bells tolled. And what a dreadful sound they had made. Dean could almost still hear the ringing inside of his ears every waking moment. And that had been the last 48 hours. Dean couldn't sleep. Not anymore. He refused to lie in bed without his husband by his side. So instead he sat by the fire, staring into the flames.

He didn't notice the hussle and bustle around him, the maids clearing the room as if nothing had happened, Sam coming in to talk to him but he could not even hear a word that was said because of the bells inside of his head. It took a good hour before Sam had finally decided to give up for the day and leave him in peace.

Only when Lycan came to see him did he lift his eyes away from the dancing flames and look at his son whose eyes were bloodshot and face was red and blotchy.

"What happened papa?" Lycan choked out, touching his father's hand. "How could this have happened?"

Dean licked his dry lips and went to speak but the words got caught in his dry mouth. It was then that it had dawned on him that be had not eaten or drunk anything since he had found his husband.

Lycan quickly rose and poured a drink of water from the but on the stand beside them and brought it to Dean. Dean nodded his thanks and took four long gulps out of his, almost finishing the glass in one. He coughed as the last part went down and looked at his son again whose lip was trembling.

"I think your father was murdered." Dean croaked out, his throat still sore from not speaking in 48 hours.

"Murdered?" Lycan whispered, his eyes wide in fear. "But how, no one could get past the guards. Not even the world's best assassin."

Dean shook his head.

"He was murdered by somebody already gone from this world. I have a few guesses but there is no way to be one hundred percent sure." Dean sighed and shook his head. "We've lost him son, you're father didn't deserve to die so young."

"Don't say that papa." Lycan demanded. "There must be a way to bring him back."

"You don't mess with the dead boy. You leave them at peace if you know what's good for you." He warned and looked at Lycan sternly before his eyes filled with sorrow once more. "I'm sorry Lycan, I know that I have to be there for you but you're old enough to know now that I need some time alone. Leave me in peace, son." Dean turned away from his son and went back to staring at the flames, empty glass of water still in hand. Lycan stared at his father for a while before determination made him rise from his spot and leave the room.