Poisk Istiny [Finding Truth] - Chapter Three B
South Street Diner
178 Kneeland Street
Boston, Massachusetts
“I found her, Dean!”
Dean was woken up way too early for someone who spent most of the night tossing and turning, refusing to touch himself even after listening to Castiel get himself off in the other room. He’d been plagued with visions of throwing back the covers and marching into the guest bathroom and bending Castiel over in the shower and taking him right there. It had been hours after the house was silent that Dean finally fell asleep and then his phone was blaring in his ear.
Dean had taken just two steps into the diner when Sam was on him, grabbing his arm and yanking him into a back booth. His excitement was tangible, almost contagious, except Dean hadn’t had his coffee yet.
He must have said as much, or maybe Sammy just knew him that well, because before he could even open his mouth to ask where their waitress was, a hot cup was placed before him. Dean lifted the mug to his lips, taking a deep sip, and then met his brother’s wide eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he pulled out a menu from the condiment rack and opened it in front of him “Who did you find?” Across the table, Sam huffed impatiently.
“Her, Dean! I found the one!”
Dean blinked, confused, until realization dawned on him.
“Sam,” Dean’s mouth lifted in an almost smirk before he stopped himself, “Please tell me you didn’t just mate someone…”
“Come on, Dean. You know me better than that!” Sam didn’t feel an ounce of guilt as he rolled his eyes in frustration. “Of course I didn’t just mate ‘someone’!” He grinned shyly, looking down at the table. “We want it to be special,” Sam whispered the last part. Dean almost laughed at the tone of his brother’s voice -- sappy, love sick. Then he realized Sam was being serious. “She’s my mate, Dean. My true mate.”
“Sam…” Dean trailed off, not knowing what to say.
True mates were things of fairy tales, few and far between. It was rare for anyone to find their true mate, not without joining a service or searching for them, and it was even rarer to find them during fertile years. Although it was true that everyone had a true mate, a person they were perfectly matched with, most were too impatient to wait for that and mated to someone they were compatible with, happy with, long before their true mate came along. Hell, Dean’s own parents hadn’t even been true mates. He wasn't sure he'd ever met someone who’d been free to settle down if their true mate did come along, and a friendship with a true mate wasn't possible -- too painful.
Dean twisted the napkin wrapped silverware in his hand and cleared his throat. “How, uh, how did you know?”
“Dean… I can’t even tell you how amazing it feels…” Sam sighed, happily, and reached for his own cup of coffee. “I started seeing her a few weeks back, before we went to New York. We had fun together, but she hadn’t been sure she was ready for a relationship, especially with someone like me.” Sam gave a small smile and shrugged his shoulders. “Which, I totally respected. It’s not easy being with one of us, you know?”
Dean nodded and sipped his coffee, waiting for his brother to continue.
“Well, I took her out the night we got back from New York and she told me that we could try dating.” He grinned happily, fiddling with the edge of his menu. “She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about me since we last saw one another. She smells like summertime rain and I could still smell her hours after we parted.”
“Yeah, but, c’mon,true mates? Sam you know-”
“I know, I know. Let me finish.” Sam held up a hand, cutting his brother off quickly. “Last night I took her down to the market and we were just walking around, when I smelled it. I had smelled it off and on, but never that strong, and I’d never been able to recognize it before. Grass, Dean… fresh cut grass.”
Dean raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, grabbing his brother’s wrist and yanking his arm across the table. Every Alpha had a wood scent, strong and dominating, a Beta was neutral, calming and pure, and Omegas were floral, refreshing and alluring. But a secondary scent, a single scent that tied two partners together… He pressed his nose against Sam’s wrist, his brother’s Alpha pine scent was strong with a fainter, but distinguishable Beta scent of summer rain. And there, he got it, a new underlying scent of fresh cut grass
“Jesus Sam! You did find your true mate,” Dean whispered, dropping his brother’s wrist, his eyes darting up quickly to meet Sam’s. His brother beamed at him, almost bouncing in the diner booth.
“I know, Dean. I know! I want you to meet her. She’s just, God! She’s so amazing.”
“Does this mate of yours have a name?” Dean asked and smirked at the blush that spread across Sam’s face. “And when are you planning on mating? Are we going to have a ceremony?”
“Jessica, Jessica Moore. And yes, we want to wait, get to know each other a little better first, but she’s moving into the house with me,” Sam answered quickly and Dean nodded, smiling back at his younger brother. They ordered their food and Dean got comfortable, picking at his waffles as he listened to his brother tell him everything and anything he knew about Jessica.
As Sam went on, barely touching his own meal as he poured his heart out, Dean found his own thoughts trailing. He had entertained the idea of having a mate, maybe even a family of his own one day. But although he dated here and there, he never found anyone he would actually want to settle down with and definitely no one that had turned him into a gushing school girl like Sammy was now.
Dean shoved the last bite of his waffle into his mouth, chewing slowly as Sam finally started to eat his eggs. He found himself thinking about Castiel waiting for him back at his house. Out of all of the Omegas he’d ever been intimate with, or hell, even been around, Castiel had the best scent of them all. Dean drained the last of his coffee as he thought about the warm scent he could usually smell around Castiel and for a moment, he allowed himself to think that maybe, maybe it meant something more.
Sam’s voice pulled him back and Dean pushed those thoughts away. It was dangerous to think that way. It wouldn’t matter if he and Castiel were compatible, wouldn’t matter if Castiel smelled like every perfect wet dream Dean had ever had. Castiel was the Pakhan of a powerful New York City Bratva, and would deny his true gender until the day he died, so Dean could never truly be with him.
“What?” Dean looked up, giving Sam a sheepish smile as his brother rolled his eyes.
“I said, are you getting yourself any pie to go?”
Dean glanced over and saw the waitress standing at the end of their table, waiting for his answer.
“Oh, uh yeah.” Dean nodded and pulled the dessert slip from the back of the table. “Umm, how about a slice of pecan? Better add an apple, too.”
Across from him Sam rolled his eyes and the waitress left to get his order.
“Well, Sammy,” Dean smiled at his brother, “I’m happy for you, really. When am I going to meet her?”
“I was thinking Sunday dinner at Bobby’s? Thought I would let her settle in the house first before showing her off to all of you guys.” Sam beamed and Dean smiled back at him.
“Yeah, yeah. You just want to break her into every room and surface of the house. I know your game, Sammy.”
Sam flushed red again but didn’t deny it. The waitress returned with a bag containing the two pie slices and their check, wishing them a good day before she went to another one of her tables.
Sam threw down a fifty dollar bill on the slip and then pushed out of the booth, stretching the moment he stood. They said their goodbyes, Dean hugging his brother extra tight and telling him to give that mate of his a hug from him when he got home, before he slipped into the Impala and started towards home.
Dean Winchester’s House
12 Hutchinson Lane
Quincy, Massachusetts
Dean pulled in front of the house, finding himself exiting the Impala quickly and almost running to the stairs with the bag of pie. As he unlocked the front door, he had a brief panicked thought that maybe Castiel would’ve already left, would’ve decided that after last night he didn’t want to be around Dean in any way, shape or form. As soon as he stepped into the foyer, he was hit with the unaltered scent of orange blossoms and it almost brought him to his knees.
Nope, Castiel was still there alright. And, from the sound of it, had made himself extremely comfortable.
Dean kicked off his shoes at the door and hung up his jacket before making his way through the kitchen to serve up two plates of pie. He grabbed a canister of whipped cream from the fridge and piled it high on both slices. Then he went to find Castiel who was sitting in his pajama bottoms, his feet folded by his side on the couch, and nothing else.
From the doorway, Dean stood for a second, admiring the view. Castiel laughed at something on the TV, muttering to himself in Russian, and then looked up, his eyes meeting Dean’s in surprise.
“Oh, I just got back,” Dean said quickly as he moved into action, crossing the living room and sinking down on the other end of the couch. “I,” he held out the two plates, “brought you some pie. Apple or pecan?”
Castiel smiled at the Alpha and straightened up on the couch making more room for Dean. “Either is fine, I’m not picky.”
“Here.” Dean offered Castiel the slice of apple pie, handing him a fork when he took the plate. “This diner has some of the best pie in the city. Sammy and I frequent it quite often.”
Castiel cut a small piece of the pie with his fork and slid the sticky treat past his lips, moaning as he bit into a tart apple.
“This is really good, Dean.”
He darted out his tongue and ran it across his lips removing the whipped cream that clung to them, and Dean could tell he was fighting hard not to smirk as he tracked the movement.
Dean tore his eyes away, taking a bite of his own pie and mimicking the moan that Castiel had given over his first bite. When Dean looked over, Castiel was staring at him, his plate balanced on his knee. Dean glanced down, then reached over with his fork, taking a bite of Castiel’s apple pie.
“Hey!” Castiel protested but Dean had already shoved the bite into his mouth and chewed happily, his eyes never leaving Castiel’s who was glaring at him.
“Alright, alright, here,” Dean scooped up a bit of whipped cream on his fork and then a piece of his pecan pie before putting his plate on the table. He held a hand beneath his fork, just in case anything fell, and leaned forward to offer the bite to Castiel. Slowly, the Omega opened his mouth, their eyes locked, and when his lips wrapped around the fork, Dean dropped his hand to rest gently on his knee.
Silence followed as Castiel chewed slowly, nodding his head after he swallowed the bite. Dean smiled back at him, taking a deep breath and reveling in Castiel’s unadulterated scent.
“Like I said,” Dean whispered, squeezing his fingers on Castiel’s knee before he pulled back and grabbed his plate. “Best pie ever.”
Castiel swallowed and licked his lips. “I think you may be right, it is the best pie ever.”
Dean nodded and returned to eating his pie, leaning back into the couch and looking at the television to see what Castiel had been watching. Beside him, Dean felt Castiel watching him carefully, finally returning to eating his own slice of pie when Dean started laughing at one of the answers on Family Feud.
They ate the rest of their pie, watching the show together, and Dean found himself shifting even closer to Castiel on the touch. By the time the program was over, Dean had his thigh pressed against the length of Castiel’s and his body was turned into the Omega’s.
He looked over, meeting Castiel’s wary gaze, and suddenly Dean’s focus was on Castiel’s lips. “I…” Dean started, clearing his throat as he remembered how it felt to have their lips pressed together the night before. He exhaled slowly before he inhaled deeply, the scent of Castiel making him dizzy. He could get high off the Omega’s scent.
“Dean…” Castiel said slowly, his voice soft, shaking, and it made Dean shiver. “What are you doing?”
Dean opened his mouth, starting to answer, but swallowed the words on his tongue. What was he doing? Castiel was still, holding his breath, waiting for Dean to answer. He let his eyes trail down the Omega’s chest, muscled and tanned, all the way down to his low hanging pants. Dean let his eyes trail up, stopping at Castiel’s throat, and he was suddenly hit with an urge to strong to mark him, mate him.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Dean centered himself. It was obvious they were attracted to one another, but was that it? Twice now Castiel had provided Dean with the opportunity to take him, and twice Dean had let him down and struggled to sleep with the scent of Cas on his skin. No one had ever gotten underneath his skin the way the Pakhan had.And everyone else had been more easily attainable. So what did that mean?
Opening his eyes again, he and saw Castiel shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. The ball was in his court. Dean could laugh and push back, return to his side of the couch and end this moment before it even started. Or he could act, could press himself against Castiel’s lips and he knew the Omega would open up for him, would accept the advance without hesitation. But where would that leave them? They were in a business relationship, not a personal one, and as a man who was denying his true identity for his entire life, would Castiel really even know what he was getting himself into?
Dean was asking for it -- he was definitely asking for trouble. Castiel would never be able to give him what he wanted deep inside, would never be able to commit and be a mate. And yet…
“Fuck it,” Dean breathed out, surging forward and pressing Castiel back against the couch. The Omega let out a surprised breath but shifted, letting his legs fall open, and Dean settled immediately into the space. Dean let himself melt against Castiel’s body, his thigh pressed tightly against the Pakhan’s center, his arms pressed down into the couch on either side of Castiel’s chest. “Just, fuck it. This is wrong, Cas, this is wrong. But I want you.”
Castiel opened his mouth to answer but Dean cut him off with his mouth. He swallowed the pleased groan, pressing harder into Castiel’s body as Dean felt Cas open up to him. He kissed him hard, pouring every concern, every desire into the kiss and felt Castiel respond in the same way. When he broke away, the Pakhan was breathing hard beneath him, his eyes wide and pupils blown. Dean swallowed hard, waiting for Castiel to say something, to say anything.
“What,” Castiel started, taking a deep breath, “did I say about you calling me ‘Cas’?”
The Omega smirked, his tongue darting out to taste the last traces of Dean off his lower lip, and Dean surged forward again.
“You can shoot me later,” Dean whispered against his mouth before he licked his way in, tasting the apple pie and sweet cream with the underlying scent of Cas himself, and Dean couldn’t help the way his body responded. Dean rolled his hips, feeling Castiel was just as revved up as he was, and broke away from his mouth to press his lips to the side of Cas’ throat.
“Eager, Puppy?” Castiel asked, but his voice was shot, no hint of malice in his words.
Dean groaned against the side of his throat as he bit down, sucking the soft skin into his mouth. He made his way down Castiel’s neck, down his chest, the scent of Castiel’s arousal growing stronger, so thick in the air that Dean could almost taste it. Dean groaned as he buried his nose at the top of Cas’s sleep pants, breathing in deeply.
“Fuck, Cas…” Dean tucked his fingers in the waistband, eyes flicking up to meet Castiel’s for any sign of discomfort, of him wanting Dean to stop.
“I’ll fucking kill you, Dean Winchester. If you stop again, I will put a bullet in you and I swear no one will find your body,” Castiel warned, and that was all the motivation Dean needed to slide the pants down Castiel’s thighs, pushing up to his own knees to free the fabric from each leg.
The Omega laid before him, his ass glistening in the lamp light, skin covered in slick. Dean trailed his hands up Castiel’s thighs, pushing his legs open wider, and groaning as he was hit with the delicious scent. Dean licked his lower lip, dipping closer to press a kiss against Cas’ hip.
“I want to taste you,” he whispered against his skin, feeling Castiel’s cock twitch in anticipation against his cheek, a low moan leaving his throat. “Can I taste you, Cas?”
“Fuck, fuck yes. Dean, come on… do something!” Castiel breathed out and Dean smirked against his skin, kissing him again. He dragged his hands up, his fingers trailing through the slick and he pulled back slightly, sucking one of his fingers into his mouth. The taste of Castiel exploded across his tongue, citrus and spice, and Dean greedily sucked a second finger into his mouth. There was something about the taste, something Dean couldn’t pin point.
Just as he was about to dip down, to taste Castiel for real, there was a loud knock on the front door.
“Vy chertovski shutish'!” Castiel swore, his entire body tensing beneath Dean.
“They’ll go away if it’s not important,” Dean muttered, letting his head rest against Castiel’s hip, the Omega’s cock twitching gently against his cheek. He exhaled, annoyed when the knocking started up again, louder this time.
“Dean! I know you’re in there! I see the Impala!” Sam’s voice was loud, accentuated by more knocking, and Dean cursed, pushing back on his knees.
“Sam only comes here unannounced if there’s a problem…” Disappointment flooded Dean’s entire body as he stared down at Castiel, naked and gorgeous, just waiting for Dean to take him. “Fuck, Cas…”
“Dean,” Castiel whispered, his eyes wide, “Sam can’t know.” He untangled himself from Dean’s body, reaching over to grab his slick soaked pants. “He can’t know -- and this entire place reeks of me!”
Dean could see the rising panic and he reached forward, grabbing Castiel’s arm. “He won’t.” He forced the Omega to turn and face him. “Look at me, Cas.”
Castiel had been scanning the room, searching for some sort of escape, and Dean shook him gently. “Go upstairs and clean up, put on that God awful spray, and come back down here. Sam won’t know, I promise. I’ll… I’ll make something up.”
He watched as Castiel swallowed hard, unsure, still battling with just running from the place and Dean broke through his internal struggle once more.
“Do you trust me?”
“I trust you as much as I can for someone not Bratva,” Cas answered and Dean nodded.
“Then go, let me handle this.”
Castiel nodded, then tore from the room to the stairs. Dean waited for the sound of Castiel’s door to shut before he went to answer the front door, adjusting his pants before he yanked it open.
“I heard you, Jesus, Sammy! Are you trying to break down my door?”
Dean pulled the door back, letting his brother storm into his house. The look on his face had Dean instantly on alert and without saying a word, the two of them made their way into the kitchen to sit at the breakfast table.
“Cole is dead,” Sam started as soon as Dean sank down in the chair across from him. “Rufus is injured, and so is Ben Braden. I haven’t gotten confirmation but Ed Zeddmore, Harry Spangler, and Garth Fitzgerald are dead, too.”
Dean blinked, all traces left of arousal immediately gone.
“What happened?” he demanded, fists clenching on his thighs. “What do you mean they’re dead? What the fuck happened, Sam!?”
“Firefight in the middle of downtown Brooklyn. It was a bloodbath, Dean.” Sam shook his head, looking around and scenting the air. He turned to Dean, confused. “Where’s Castiel?”
“Upstairs. He’ll be down in a minute,” Dean answered, watching as his brother nodded, contemplating.
“Why… why does it smell like an Omega in here?”
“Because Castiel was a bored Alpha? Jesus, Sam, can we stick to what’s important?” Dean snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. Sam turned to him, eyebrow raised.
“I think this is a conversation that both of you should hear. Castiel lost men too.” Sam paused. “Did you have a threesome with the Pakhan, Dean? Because you reek of the Omega too.”
Dean rolled his eyes, shrugging his shoulders. “Okay, so we’re both bored Alphas.”
Sam nodded and Dean knew his brother well enough to know that Sam didn’t believe him for a second. Dean was ready to embellish the story, but thankfully Sam dropped it and got up from the table. He opened the fridge and helped himself to a seltzer water and by the time he re-took his seat, Castiel was standing at the doorway.
“Hello, Sam,” he said, announcing his presence and Sam looked up, giving Castiel a quick smile before motioning to the chair beside Dean.
“I have some bad news,” Sam said, apologetically. “You’re going to want to sit for it.”
Dean watched from the corner of his eye as Cas sat down beside him, immediately crossing his legs and Dean knew he was probably worried that Sam could still scent him, even through the cloyingly antiseptic cologne he was now doused in. Dean wondered why it was that he could still smell the underlying hints of orange, why he could tell the cologne was as fake as fake could be…
“There was a firefight, in the center of Brooklyn,” Sam repeated himself, pulling Dean’s thoughts back to the matter at hand. He felt Castiel stiffen beside him. “I got a quick report from Gordon, and he said that Michael was contacting Gabriel as we were speaking. He was heading to the hospital with Rufus and couldn’t get me much information.”
“Why the fuck was I not contacted as soon as this happened?” Castiel interrupted, his fist clenched on the tabletop. “It happened in my city and I am the Pakhan of the Bratva! I should have been the first to know!” His voice grew increasingly louder with each word.
Sam cleared his throat, sinking back slightly in his chair like he would if Dean had raised his voice. He raised an eyebrow but kept silent, waiting for his brother to answer.
“Well, Pakhan Krushnic, will all due respect,” Sam continued carefully, “it was mostly our men that were injured or killed. Although,” he frowned, “there were some casualties on your side as well.” He glanced at his brother and with a nod from him continued, “One of our men directly reported the incident to me. I am not sure why your brothers have not tried to contact you, but I felt it was my responsibility to come here and inform both you and Dean of what has been going on. I cannot speak for the rest of your Bratva.”
Castiel clenched his jaw and nodded. “I appreciate you coming to inform us.” He removed his cell phone from his pocket glancing down to check, Dean assumed, if he had any missed calls. “Especially seeing as how no one in the Bratva has seen fit to notify me.”
Dean could smell the anger rolling off of the Omega and he knew that this transgression would not go unpunished.
Dean cleared his throat and met his brother’s gaze. “What happened, Sam?”
Sam blew out a long breath and then looked between the two leaders shaking his head.
“Well, according to what I got from Rufus,” he scrubbed his hand over his chin, “They were ambushed. Gabriel had Cole, Rufus, and Gordon on different areas of the city to scout out some intell.” He looked from his brother to Castiel. “When Bobby and Gabriel spoke, they agreed that since Bellomo probably would recognize most of the Bratva, using our soldiers would make more sense to try and gain some solid information.” He gave Dean a nod as he continued, “We would be harder to recognize, easier to blend in, especially in the Italian run parts of Brooklyn.
“Gabriel assigned each of our Capos to follow different Capos in the 116th to look out for and let them assign their own soldiers. Well,” Sam drew out the word as he looked at the two bosses, “according to Rufus, they found something big. Ben Braden actually was the one who got in good.” he locked his eyes on Dean knowing how he felt about the kid, “Someone working for Bellomo fucked up, thought that maybe Ben was a recruit-- he looks young enough-- and they let him get close.” Sam stopped, biting on his lower lip and Dean recognized it as a sign that his brother was stressed, knew that whatever he was going to say next, either he or Castiel were not going to like what was being said.
Dean shifted, eyes darting over to Castiel who was staring Sam down. The expression on his face made Dean shiver and he was grateful he wasn’t on the receiving end, despite how hot it made the Omega look.
“Go on, Sam,” Dean encouraged and steeling himself for what was coming.
“Ben was able to overhear Peter DiChiara, Bellomo’s underboss, talking on the phone. He was making plans about one of our shipments and seemed to know exactly when it was coming into New York.” He glanced over at his brother. “He laughed, asking if we were stupid enough to think they wouldn't realize we were still working with the Russians, and the man on the other line told him exactly what pier and when the shipment would be coming in and who to talk to for access.” Sam ignored the whispered curse that came from his brother and plowed on, “After he ended the call, Braden heard him laugh about how the Russians and the Patriarca family were too stupid to recognize what was going on. Castiel,” he looked directly at the Pakhan, “he was talking to a member of your Bratva.”
Dean felt Castiel’s anger and didn’t need to turn to see the expression on his face. Castiel’s fists slammed on the table as he stood and Sam jumped, but held the other man’s gaze steady, cutting him off before he could even speak. “Just… Wait. Let me finish.”
Dean felt his eyes widen, surprised that his brother thought giving the Pakhan an order, especially after the information he just gave, was a good idea. But Castiel surprised him by slowly sinking down into his chair. Sam swallowed hard and glanced at his brother before pressing forward.
“Ben came back to the location they’d set up for housing, reported what he heard to Rufus. Gordon was there and told them that he would go and report it immediately to Michael so that something could be done, looked into. As soon as he left, the building lit up.”
“Vy chertovski shutish’!” Sam’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Keep going!” Castiel demanded.
At Dean’s nod, Sam continued, “Rufus said they were outnumbered two to one by Bellomo’s men. They’d been hiding in the hallways, in some of the rooms,” Sam’s fist clenched on the table,“I don’t know how they got in or who let them in…”
“What do you mean let them in? What are you saying?” Castiel growled and Sam shook his head.
“I mean,” he continued carefully as he kept his eyes on the Pakhan,“that the only people who knew where our Capos and soldiers were stationed were the Capos, soldiers, Bobby and Gabriel.”
“If you are trying to say that my brother, that Gabriel was responsible,” Castiel pushed out of his chair and crossed the length of the table, his fist gripped the front of Sam’s shirt, before either Winchester brother could react, “that he is the leak! You,” he loomed over Sam inches from his face, “are accusing my family of having a mole! I sincerely hope for your sake, Sam Winchester,” his voice became more menacing, “that you have some goddamn fucking proof to back that up!”
“Pakhan!” Dean shouted at Castiel.
“No,” Sam whispered, waving Dean off as Dean stood to go to his brother’s aid. “I am not accusing Gabriel of anything. Castiel...” He cleared his throat, controlled his breathing, “Gabriel is missing. It…it doesn't look like he went anywhere willingly…”
Castiel dropped Sam, stepping back in shock and Sam’s eyes darted over to Dean’s. “I think we have a leak, too, Dean.”
Silence fell over the table and Dean’s eyes immediately flew over to Castiel. “How… How did you find out about Gabriel?” Dean asked, mostly for Cas, and Sam gave him a small nod.
“Chuck Shurley was with Gordon and he reported it to me.” Sam smoothed his shirt down. ”He overheard a conversation Gordon was having with someone over the phone. A conversation I’m sure he wasn’t meant to hear. I think... I think Gordon is our traitor, Dean.”
“He was Dad’s best sold-”
“He is a Beta with an Alpha complex,” Sam hissed, “and he’s fought you every fucking step of your leadership, Dean!” The brothers stared at each other, silence stretching between them again.
Castiel looked from Sam to Dean before he broke the silence. “I have to go, I have to go now. I need to get back to New York, I have to find my brother. And I have to find out if I have a traitor in the Bratva.”
“Okay.” Dean nodded his head and stood from the table. “Go get your stuff ready, I’ll have someone bring your car around.”
Castiel gave Dean a grateful look and then nodded at Sam before leaving the room again. Dean made a quick call to get Castiel’s car and then turned his attention back to his brother.
“What is going on between you two?” Sam asked and Dean rolled his eyes.
“Nothing. What the hell are you talking about?” Dean watched as Sam shrugged, his eyes never leaving Dean’s face. “Other things to worry about Sammy.” He looked his brother over. “You okay?”
Sam nodded and took his seat again, watching as Dean paced around the island, thinking. If they had a leak… had they always had it? If Gordon was supplying Bellomo with intell -- which, if the information Sam was given was correct, could be entirely plausible -- how long had he been doing it? Dean gazed out the window as he thought back to the last time he had actually had a conversation with Gordon.
“I’m not an errand bitch, Winchester! I did years to prove my place at your father’s side, years of loyalty and hard work, and you still want your kid brother to be your Underboss? You think he knows more about the inner workings of this city than I do?”
“I would be careful of your tone, Gordon,” Dean warned, glaring at the older man from across the table. When Gordon told him he wanted to talk about their family, Dean hadn’t expected this.
“Years, Dean. I’ve waited years for you to recognize my worth in this family. You took over for your father and I expected changes, I expected to have to prove myself to the new boss, but to watch as you take Sam’s side over mine, Benny, even Bobby’s side! He’s a child, Don, and not one with-”
“Enough! Do you question my ability to run this family, Gordon? Because that sure as hell is what it sounds like to me.” Dean glared and watched as Gordon visibly swallowed and bit back a retort. “I think that you’re the one who needs to learn his place. Maybe some time back on the streets as a Soldier will make you grateful for a position as Capo. I need a man who is invested, Gordon, who can man my soldiers, and your jealousy for Sam has blinded you.”
Gordon schooled his features, sitting back in the chair he was on and letting his shoulders fall in defeat. “I forgot myself, Don Winchester. I apologize.”
“Get out of my sight,” Dean ordered, turning away from Gordon and leaving him sitting in the office. He heard the other man shuffling around, taking his sweet time leaving, and when he was finally gone, Dean felt himself relax. He didn’t know what his father saw in that man. But having him closer to a position of power made Dean cringe internally. Hopefully, some time back on the streets would give the man a reality check, make him realize how damn lucky he was to even be a part of the Patriarca family.
Somehow, Dean doubted it.
“Bellomo started to get his hands on our supplies after Gordon expressed his disgust with his current position,” Dean said suddenly, turning to look at his brother.
“I have no doubt in my mind, Dean,” Sam answered, shaking his head. “Gordon was in charge of shipping and receiving for almost all of those shipments.” He thought for a moment, “Giving enough to Benny and Cole, leaving enough of his untouched so that we wouldn’t realize or notice.”
“Get Bobby here.” There was only one person Dean knew could take on Gordon, one that the older man wouldn't question, and Bobby was it. “I want Gordon back here alive.”
Sam nodded, his phone in his hand the moment he stood, and he let himself out the back sliding door to make the phone call. Dean sighed, rubbing a hand down his face and felt himself jump slightly when a voice was cleared from behind him.
Castiel was standing back in the doorway, his bag at his feet. He looked just as stressed as Dean felt and he knew that on the ride back to New York, that his exterior would morph into the cold, hard killer he needed to be.
“Ready?”
“Yes, did you make the call to have my car brought here?” Castiel queried. Dean could still smell slight distress coming off the Omega, no doubt worried about the well-being of his brother; the one he was closest to, the one he trusted as much as Dean trusted Sam. Dean shuddered at the thought of being given the information Castiel received. The thought of Sam being taken made his blood run cold. Dean wanted nothing more than to take Castiel in his arms and soothe the Omega, tell him it would be alright. But he couldn’t, not with Sam being right there.
“Yes, they should be here soon.” Dean gave Castiel a small smile. “I will help you find Gabriel. We will get him back.”
Castiel nodded. “Gabriel is a tough sukin syn.” He noted Dean’s confusion, “He’s a tough sonovabitch,” he explained. “He doesn’t look it, but he is. He will be fine.” He leaned against the doorway as Dean came toward him. “And thank you. Bellomo must pay for this Dean, he’s making both of us look like fools.”
“He will,” Dean’s voice held all the conviction Castiel wanted to hear. “We need to strike back. No more eye for an eye, no more defense. We need to hit him and hit him hard.” Dean clenched his teeth, angry that things had even gotten as far as they had. He should’ve seen, should’ve realized, he shook those thoughts from his head. “I’ll have Benny look into some things. You need to focus on finding Gabriel and I will get us our revenge, I swear it, Castiel.”
“Finding Gabriel is definitely my main focus upon my return. And don’t think for one second,” he straightened up, “Don Winchester that you will be getting revenge without my participation. I want a piece of Bellomo.” Castiel cleared his throat and met Dean’s eyes. “So will you be coming to New York when things are in set into motion?”
“Yes,” Dean agreed. “I will come as soon as I get Gordon back to Boston.”
Castiel nodded and Dean shifted his weight, looking over his shoulder at the sliding door Sam had disappeared through.
“I want you to be careful,” he whispered, stepping closer to Cas.
Castiel furrowed his brows. “Just because I’m an Omega, De--”
The rest of the words Castiel was going to speak were swallowed up by Dean’s lips on his. Dean felt Castiel sigh and relax so he deepened the kiss, letting his hands fall to Cas’s hips to draw him in closer.
“It’s not because I think being an Omega makes you incapable,” he grinned. “Actually, quite the opposite. I know you can handle anything thrown at you. I just -- I care, Cas. I care, okay?”
Castiel nodded slowly, for once unable to come up with anything to say back, and Dean smiled sadly as he heard the beeping of a horn from out front.
“Go. Go find your brother. I’ll be in touch.”
Castiel picked up his suitcase and gave Dean a small smile. “You be careful too, Dean, I care too… just so you know.” Castiel turned and walked out the door.
Dean stood there for a moment until a louder than necessary slam of the screen door made him turn around.
“Bobby on his way,” he asked Sam, who nodded and pocketed his phone. “Good. We’ve got work to do.”
Previous || Master Post || Next || Glossary
178 Kneeland Street
Boston, Massachusetts
“I found her, Dean!”
Dean was woken up way too early for someone who spent most of the night tossing and turning, refusing to touch himself even after listening to Castiel get himself off in the other room. He’d been plagued with visions of throwing back the covers and marching into the guest bathroom and bending Castiel over in the shower and taking him right there. It had been hours after the house was silent that Dean finally fell asleep and then his phone was blaring in his ear.
Dean had taken just two steps into the diner when Sam was on him, grabbing his arm and yanking him into a back booth. His excitement was tangible, almost contagious, except Dean hadn’t had his coffee yet.
He must have said as much, or maybe Sammy just knew him that well, because before he could even open his mouth to ask where their waitress was, a hot cup was placed before him. Dean lifted the mug to his lips, taking a deep sip, and then met his brother’s wide eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he pulled out a menu from the condiment rack and opened it in front of him “Who did you find?” Across the table, Sam huffed impatiently.
“Her, Dean! I found the one!”
Dean blinked, confused, until realization dawned on him.
“Sam,” Dean’s mouth lifted in an almost smirk before he stopped himself, “Please tell me you didn’t just mate someone…”
“Come on, Dean. You know me better than that!” Sam didn’t feel an ounce of guilt as he rolled his eyes in frustration. “Of course I didn’t just mate ‘someone’!” He grinned shyly, looking down at the table. “We want it to be special,” Sam whispered the last part. Dean almost laughed at the tone of his brother’s voice -- sappy, love sick. Then he realized Sam was being serious. “She’s my mate, Dean. My true mate.”
“Sam…” Dean trailed off, not knowing what to say.
True mates were things of fairy tales, few and far between. It was rare for anyone to find their true mate, not without joining a service or searching for them, and it was even rarer to find them during fertile years. Although it was true that everyone had a true mate, a person they were perfectly matched with, most were too impatient to wait for that and mated to someone they were compatible with, happy with, long before their true mate came along. Hell, Dean’s own parents hadn’t even been true mates. He wasn't sure he'd ever met someone who’d been free to settle down if their true mate did come along, and a friendship with a true mate wasn't possible -- too painful.
Dean twisted the napkin wrapped silverware in his hand and cleared his throat. “How, uh, how did you know?”
“Dean… I can’t even tell you how amazing it feels…” Sam sighed, happily, and reached for his own cup of coffee. “I started seeing her a few weeks back, before we went to New York. We had fun together, but she hadn’t been sure she was ready for a relationship, especially with someone like me.” Sam gave a small smile and shrugged his shoulders. “Which, I totally respected. It’s not easy being with one of us, you know?”
Dean nodded and sipped his coffee, waiting for his brother to continue.
“Well, I took her out the night we got back from New York and she told me that we could try dating.” He grinned happily, fiddling with the edge of his menu. “She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about me since we last saw one another. She smells like summertime rain and I could still smell her hours after we parted.”
“Yeah, but, c’mon,true mates? Sam you know-”
“I know, I know. Let me finish.” Sam held up a hand, cutting his brother off quickly. “Last night I took her down to the market and we were just walking around, when I smelled it. I had smelled it off and on, but never that strong, and I’d never been able to recognize it before. Grass, Dean… fresh cut grass.”
Dean raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, grabbing his brother’s wrist and yanking his arm across the table. Every Alpha had a wood scent, strong and dominating, a Beta was neutral, calming and pure, and Omegas were floral, refreshing and alluring. But a secondary scent, a single scent that tied two partners together… He pressed his nose against Sam’s wrist, his brother’s Alpha pine scent was strong with a fainter, but distinguishable Beta scent of summer rain. And there, he got it, a new underlying scent of fresh cut grass
“Jesus Sam! You did find your true mate,” Dean whispered, dropping his brother’s wrist, his eyes darting up quickly to meet Sam’s. His brother beamed at him, almost bouncing in the diner booth.
“I know, Dean. I know! I want you to meet her. She’s just, God! She’s so amazing.”
“Does this mate of yours have a name?” Dean asked and smirked at the blush that spread across Sam’s face. “And when are you planning on mating? Are we going to have a ceremony?”
“Jessica, Jessica Moore. And yes, we want to wait, get to know each other a little better first, but she’s moving into the house with me,” Sam answered quickly and Dean nodded, smiling back at his younger brother. They ordered their food and Dean got comfortable, picking at his waffles as he listened to his brother tell him everything and anything he knew about Jessica.
As Sam went on, barely touching his own meal as he poured his heart out, Dean found his own thoughts trailing. He had entertained the idea of having a mate, maybe even a family of his own one day. But although he dated here and there, he never found anyone he would actually want to settle down with and definitely no one that had turned him into a gushing school girl like Sammy was now.
Dean shoved the last bite of his waffle into his mouth, chewing slowly as Sam finally started to eat his eggs. He found himself thinking about Castiel waiting for him back at his house. Out of all of the Omegas he’d ever been intimate with, or hell, even been around, Castiel had the best scent of them all. Dean drained the last of his coffee as he thought about the warm scent he could usually smell around Castiel and for a moment, he allowed himself to think that maybe, maybe it meant something more.
Sam’s voice pulled him back and Dean pushed those thoughts away. It was dangerous to think that way. It wouldn’t matter if he and Castiel were compatible, wouldn’t matter if Castiel smelled like every perfect wet dream Dean had ever had. Castiel was the Pakhan of a powerful New York City Bratva, and would deny his true gender until the day he died, so Dean could never truly be with him.
“What?” Dean looked up, giving Sam a sheepish smile as his brother rolled his eyes.
“I said, are you getting yourself any pie to go?”
Dean glanced over and saw the waitress standing at the end of their table, waiting for his answer.
“Oh, uh yeah.” Dean nodded and pulled the dessert slip from the back of the table. “Umm, how about a slice of pecan? Better add an apple, too.”
Across from him Sam rolled his eyes and the waitress left to get his order.
“Well, Sammy,” Dean smiled at his brother, “I’m happy for you, really. When am I going to meet her?”
“I was thinking Sunday dinner at Bobby’s? Thought I would let her settle in the house first before showing her off to all of you guys.” Sam beamed and Dean smiled back at him.
“Yeah, yeah. You just want to break her into every room and surface of the house. I know your game, Sammy.”
Sam flushed red again but didn’t deny it. The waitress returned with a bag containing the two pie slices and their check, wishing them a good day before she went to another one of her tables.
Sam threw down a fifty dollar bill on the slip and then pushed out of the booth, stretching the moment he stood. They said their goodbyes, Dean hugging his brother extra tight and telling him to give that mate of his a hug from him when he got home, before he slipped into the Impala and started towards home.
Dean Winchester’s House
12 Hutchinson Lane
Quincy, Massachusetts
Dean pulled in front of the house, finding himself exiting the Impala quickly and almost running to the stairs with the bag of pie. As he unlocked the front door, he had a brief panicked thought that maybe Castiel would’ve already left, would’ve decided that after last night he didn’t want to be around Dean in any way, shape or form. As soon as he stepped into the foyer, he was hit with the unaltered scent of orange blossoms and it almost brought him to his knees.
Nope, Castiel was still there alright. And, from the sound of it, had made himself extremely comfortable.
Dean kicked off his shoes at the door and hung up his jacket before making his way through the kitchen to serve up two plates of pie. He grabbed a canister of whipped cream from the fridge and piled it high on both slices. Then he went to find Castiel who was sitting in his pajama bottoms, his feet folded by his side on the couch, and nothing else.
From the doorway, Dean stood for a second, admiring the view. Castiel laughed at something on the TV, muttering to himself in Russian, and then looked up, his eyes meeting Dean’s in surprise.
“Oh, I just got back,” Dean said quickly as he moved into action, crossing the living room and sinking down on the other end of the couch. “I,” he held out the two plates, “brought you some pie. Apple or pecan?”
Castiel smiled at the Alpha and straightened up on the couch making more room for Dean. “Either is fine, I’m not picky.”
“Here.” Dean offered Castiel the slice of apple pie, handing him a fork when he took the plate. “This diner has some of the best pie in the city. Sammy and I frequent it quite often.”
Castiel cut a small piece of the pie with his fork and slid the sticky treat past his lips, moaning as he bit into a tart apple.
“This is really good, Dean.”
He darted out his tongue and ran it across his lips removing the whipped cream that clung to them, and Dean could tell he was fighting hard not to smirk as he tracked the movement.
Dean tore his eyes away, taking a bite of his own pie and mimicking the moan that Castiel had given over his first bite. When Dean looked over, Castiel was staring at him, his plate balanced on his knee. Dean glanced down, then reached over with his fork, taking a bite of Castiel’s apple pie.
“Hey!” Castiel protested but Dean had already shoved the bite into his mouth and chewed happily, his eyes never leaving Castiel’s who was glaring at him.
“Alright, alright, here,” Dean scooped up a bit of whipped cream on his fork and then a piece of his pecan pie before putting his plate on the table. He held a hand beneath his fork, just in case anything fell, and leaned forward to offer the bite to Castiel. Slowly, the Omega opened his mouth, their eyes locked, and when his lips wrapped around the fork, Dean dropped his hand to rest gently on his knee.
Silence followed as Castiel chewed slowly, nodding his head after he swallowed the bite. Dean smiled back at him, taking a deep breath and reveling in Castiel’s unadulterated scent.
“Like I said,” Dean whispered, squeezing his fingers on Castiel’s knee before he pulled back and grabbed his plate. “Best pie ever.”
Castiel swallowed and licked his lips. “I think you may be right, it is the best pie ever.”
Dean nodded and returned to eating his pie, leaning back into the couch and looking at the television to see what Castiel had been watching. Beside him, Dean felt Castiel watching him carefully, finally returning to eating his own slice of pie when Dean started laughing at one of the answers on Family Feud.
They ate the rest of their pie, watching the show together, and Dean found himself shifting even closer to Castiel on the touch. By the time the program was over, Dean had his thigh pressed against the length of Castiel’s and his body was turned into the Omega’s.
He looked over, meeting Castiel’s wary gaze, and suddenly Dean’s focus was on Castiel’s lips. “I…” Dean started, clearing his throat as he remembered how it felt to have their lips pressed together the night before. He exhaled slowly before he inhaled deeply, the scent of Castiel making him dizzy. He could get high off the Omega’s scent.
“Dean…” Castiel said slowly, his voice soft, shaking, and it made Dean shiver. “What are you doing?”
Dean opened his mouth, starting to answer, but swallowed the words on his tongue. What was he doing? Castiel was still, holding his breath, waiting for Dean to answer. He let his eyes trail down the Omega’s chest, muscled and tanned, all the way down to his low hanging pants. Dean let his eyes trail up, stopping at Castiel’s throat, and he was suddenly hit with an urge to strong to mark him, mate him.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Dean centered himself. It was obvious they were attracted to one another, but was that it? Twice now Castiel had provided Dean with the opportunity to take him, and twice Dean had let him down and struggled to sleep with the scent of Cas on his skin. No one had ever gotten underneath his skin the way the Pakhan had.And everyone else had been more easily attainable. So what did that mean?
Opening his eyes again, he and saw Castiel shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. The ball was in his court. Dean could laugh and push back, return to his side of the couch and end this moment before it even started. Or he could act, could press himself against Castiel’s lips and he knew the Omega would open up for him, would accept the advance without hesitation. But where would that leave them? They were in a business relationship, not a personal one, and as a man who was denying his true identity for his entire life, would Castiel really even know what he was getting himself into?
Dean was asking for it -- he was definitely asking for trouble. Castiel would never be able to give him what he wanted deep inside, would never be able to commit and be a mate. And yet…
“Fuck it,” Dean breathed out, surging forward and pressing Castiel back against the couch. The Omega let out a surprised breath but shifted, letting his legs fall open, and Dean settled immediately into the space. Dean let himself melt against Castiel’s body, his thigh pressed tightly against the Pakhan’s center, his arms pressed down into the couch on either side of Castiel’s chest. “Just, fuck it. This is wrong, Cas, this is wrong. But I want you.”
Castiel opened his mouth to answer but Dean cut him off with his mouth. He swallowed the pleased groan, pressing harder into Castiel’s body as Dean felt Cas open up to him. He kissed him hard, pouring every concern, every desire into the kiss and felt Castiel respond in the same way. When he broke away, the Pakhan was breathing hard beneath him, his eyes wide and pupils blown. Dean swallowed hard, waiting for Castiel to say something, to say anything.
“What,” Castiel started, taking a deep breath, “did I say about you calling me ‘Cas’?”
The Omega smirked, his tongue darting out to taste the last traces of Dean off his lower lip, and Dean surged forward again.
“You can shoot me later,” Dean whispered against his mouth before he licked his way in, tasting the apple pie and sweet cream with the underlying scent of Cas himself, and Dean couldn’t help the way his body responded. Dean rolled his hips, feeling Castiel was just as revved up as he was, and broke away from his mouth to press his lips to the side of Cas’ throat.
“Eager, Puppy?” Castiel asked, but his voice was shot, no hint of malice in his words.
Dean groaned against the side of his throat as he bit down, sucking the soft skin into his mouth. He made his way down Castiel’s neck, down his chest, the scent of Castiel’s arousal growing stronger, so thick in the air that Dean could almost taste it. Dean groaned as he buried his nose at the top of Cas’s sleep pants, breathing in deeply.
“Fuck, Cas…” Dean tucked his fingers in the waistband, eyes flicking up to meet Castiel’s for any sign of discomfort, of him wanting Dean to stop.
“I’ll fucking kill you, Dean Winchester. If you stop again, I will put a bullet in you and I swear no one will find your body,” Castiel warned, and that was all the motivation Dean needed to slide the pants down Castiel’s thighs, pushing up to his own knees to free the fabric from each leg.
The Omega laid before him, his ass glistening in the lamp light, skin covered in slick. Dean trailed his hands up Castiel’s thighs, pushing his legs open wider, and groaning as he was hit with the delicious scent. Dean licked his lower lip, dipping closer to press a kiss against Cas’ hip.
“I want to taste you,” he whispered against his skin, feeling Castiel’s cock twitch in anticipation against his cheek, a low moan leaving his throat. “Can I taste you, Cas?”
“Fuck, fuck yes. Dean, come on… do something!” Castiel breathed out and Dean smirked against his skin, kissing him again. He dragged his hands up, his fingers trailing through the slick and he pulled back slightly, sucking one of his fingers into his mouth. The taste of Castiel exploded across his tongue, citrus and spice, and Dean greedily sucked a second finger into his mouth. There was something about the taste, something Dean couldn’t pin point.
Just as he was about to dip down, to taste Castiel for real, there was a loud knock on the front door.
“Vy chertovski shutish'!” Castiel swore, his entire body tensing beneath Dean.
“They’ll go away if it’s not important,” Dean muttered, letting his head rest against Castiel’s hip, the Omega’s cock twitching gently against his cheek. He exhaled, annoyed when the knocking started up again, louder this time.
“Dean! I know you’re in there! I see the Impala!” Sam’s voice was loud, accentuated by more knocking, and Dean cursed, pushing back on his knees.
“Sam only comes here unannounced if there’s a problem…” Disappointment flooded Dean’s entire body as he stared down at Castiel, naked and gorgeous, just waiting for Dean to take him. “Fuck, Cas…”
“Dean,” Castiel whispered, his eyes wide, “Sam can’t know.” He untangled himself from Dean’s body, reaching over to grab his slick soaked pants. “He can’t know -- and this entire place reeks of me!”
Dean could see the rising panic and he reached forward, grabbing Castiel’s arm. “He won’t.” He forced the Omega to turn and face him. “Look at me, Cas.”
Castiel had been scanning the room, searching for some sort of escape, and Dean shook him gently. “Go upstairs and clean up, put on that God awful spray, and come back down here. Sam won’t know, I promise. I’ll… I’ll make something up.”
He watched as Castiel swallowed hard, unsure, still battling with just running from the place and Dean broke through his internal struggle once more.
“Do you trust me?”
“I trust you as much as I can for someone not Bratva,” Cas answered and Dean nodded.
“Then go, let me handle this.”
Castiel nodded, then tore from the room to the stairs. Dean waited for the sound of Castiel’s door to shut before he went to answer the front door, adjusting his pants before he yanked it open.
“I heard you, Jesus, Sammy! Are you trying to break down my door?”
Dean pulled the door back, letting his brother storm into his house. The look on his face had Dean instantly on alert and without saying a word, the two of them made their way into the kitchen to sit at the breakfast table.
“Cole is dead,” Sam started as soon as Dean sank down in the chair across from him. “Rufus is injured, and so is Ben Braden. I haven’t gotten confirmation but Ed Zeddmore, Harry Spangler, and Garth Fitzgerald are dead, too.”
Dean blinked, all traces left of arousal immediately gone.
“What happened?” he demanded, fists clenching on his thighs. “What do you mean they’re dead? What the fuck happened, Sam!?”
“Firefight in the middle of downtown Brooklyn. It was a bloodbath, Dean.” Sam shook his head, looking around and scenting the air. He turned to Dean, confused. “Where’s Castiel?”
“Upstairs. He’ll be down in a minute,” Dean answered, watching as his brother nodded, contemplating.
“Why… why does it smell like an Omega in here?”
“Because Castiel was a bored Alpha? Jesus, Sam, can we stick to what’s important?” Dean snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. Sam turned to him, eyebrow raised.
“I think this is a conversation that both of you should hear. Castiel lost men too.” Sam paused. “Did you have a threesome with the Pakhan, Dean? Because you reek of the Omega too.”
Dean rolled his eyes, shrugging his shoulders. “Okay, so we’re both bored Alphas.”
Sam nodded and Dean knew his brother well enough to know that Sam didn’t believe him for a second. Dean was ready to embellish the story, but thankfully Sam dropped it and got up from the table. He opened the fridge and helped himself to a seltzer water and by the time he re-took his seat, Castiel was standing at the doorway.
“Hello, Sam,” he said, announcing his presence and Sam looked up, giving Castiel a quick smile before motioning to the chair beside Dean.
“I have some bad news,” Sam said, apologetically. “You’re going to want to sit for it.”
Dean watched from the corner of his eye as Cas sat down beside him, immediately crossing his legs and Dean knew he was probably worried that Sam could still scent him, even through the cloyingly antiseptic cologne he was now doused in. Dean wondered why it was that he could still smell the underlying hints of orange, why he could tell the cologne was as fake as fake could be…
“There was a firefight, in the center of Brooklyn,” Sam repeated himself, pulling Dean’s thoughts back to the matter at hand. He felt Castiel stiffen beside him. “I got a quick report from Gordon, and he said that Michael was contacting Gabriel as we were speaking. He was heading to the hospital with Rufus and couldn’t get me much information.”
“Why the fuck was I not contacted as soon as this happened?” Castiel interrupted, his fist clenched on the tabletop. “It happened in my city and I am the Pakhan of the Bratva! I should have been the first to know!” His voice grew increasingly louder with each word.
Sam cleared his throat, sinking back slightly in his chair like he would if Dean had raised his voice. He raised an eyebrow but kept silent, waiting for his brother to answer.
“Well, Pakhan Krushnic, will all due respect,” Sam continued carefully, “it was mostly our men that were injured or killed. Although,” he frowned, “there were some casualties on your side as well.” He glanced at his brother and with a nod from him continued, “One of our men directly reported the incident to me. I am not sure why your brothers have not tried to contact you, but I felt it was my responsibility to come here and inform both you and Dean of what has been going on. I cannot speak for the rest of your Bratva.”
Castiel clenched his jaw and nodded. “I appreciate you coming to inform us.” He removed his cell phone from his pocket glancing down to check, Dean assumed, if he had any missed calls. “Especially seeing as how no one in the Bratva has seen fit to notify me.”
Dean could smell the anger rolling off of the Omega and he knew that this transgression would not go unpunished.
Dean cleared his throat and met his brother’s gaze. “What happened, Sam?”
Sam blew out a long breath and then looked between the two leaders shaking his head.
“Well, according to what I got from Rufus,” he scrubbed his hand over his chin, “They were ambushed. Gabriel had Cole, Rufus, and Gordon on different areas of the city to scout out some intell.” He looked from his brother to Castiel. “When Bobby and Gabriel spoke, they agreed that since Bellomo probably would recognize most of the Bratva, using our soldiers would make more sense to try and gain some solid information.” He gave Dean a nod as he continued, “We would be harder to recognize, easier to blend in, especially in the Italian run parts of Brooklyn.
“Gabriel assigned each of our Capos to follow different Capos in the 116th to look out for and let them assign their own soldiers. Well,” Sam drew out the word as he looked at the two bosses, “according to Rufus, they found something big. Ben Braden actually was the one who got in good.” he locked his eyes on Dean knowing how he felt about the kid, “Someone working for Bellomo fucked up, thought that maybe Ben was a recruit-- he looks young enough-- and they let him get close.” Sam stopped, biting on his lower lip and Dean recognized it as a sign that his brother was stressed, knew that whatever he was going to say next, either he or Castiel were not going to like what was being said.
Dean shifted, eyes darting over to Castiel who was staring Sam down. The expression on his face made Dean shiver and he was grateful he wasn’t on the receiving end, despite how hot it made the Omega look.
“Go on, Sam,” Dean encouraged and steeling himself for what was coming.
“Ben was able to overhear Peter DiChiara, Bellomo’s underboss, talking on the phone. He was making plans about one of our shipments and seemed to know exactly when it was coming into New York.” He glanced over at his brother. “He laughed, asking if we were stupid enough to think they wouldn't realize we were still working with the Russians, and the man on the other line told him exactly what pier and when the shipment would be coming in and who to talk to for access.” Sam ignored the whispered curse that came from his brother and plowed on, “After he ended the call, Braden heard him laugh about how the Russians and the Patriarca family were too stupid to recognize what was going on. Castiel,” he looked directly at the Pakhan, “he was talking to a member of your Bratva.”
Dean felt Castiel’s anger and didn’t need to turn to see the expression on his face. Castiel’s fists slammed on the table as he stood and Sam jumped, but held the other man’s gaze steady, cutting him off before he could even speak. “Just… Wait. Let me finish.”
Dean felt his eyes widen, surprised that his brother thought giving the Pakhan an order, especially after the information he just gave, was a good idea. But Castiel surprised him by slowly sinking down into his chair. Sam swallowed hard and glanced at his brother before pressing forward.
“Ben came back to the location they’d set up for housing, reported what he heard to Rufus. Gordon was there and told them that he would go and report it immediately to Michael so that something could be done, looked into. As soon as he left, the building lit up.”
“Vy chertovski shutish’!” Sam’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Keep going!” Castiel demanded.
At Dean’s nod, Sam continued, “Rufus said they were outnumbered two to one by Bellomo’s men. They’d been hiding in the hallways, in some of the rooms,” Sam’s fist clenched on the table,“I don’t know how they got in or who let them in…”
“What do you mean let them in? What are you saying?” Castiel growled and Sam shook his head.
“I mean,” he continued carefully as he kept his eyes on the Pakhan,“that the only people who knew where our Capos and soldiers were stationed were the Capos, soldiers, Bobby and Gabriel.”
“If you are trying to say that my brother, that Gabriel was responsible,” Castiel pushed out of his chair and crossed the length of the table, his fist gripped the front of Sam’s shirt, before either Winchester brother could react, “that he is the leak! You,” he loomed over Sam inches from his face, “are accusing my family of having a mole! I sincerely hope for your sake, Sam Winchester,” his voice became more menacing, “that you have some goddamn fucking proof to back that up!”
“Pakhan!” Dean shouted at Castiel.
“No,” Sam whispered, waving Dean off as Dean stood to go to his brother’s aid. “I am not accusing Gabriel of anything. Castiel...” He cleared his throat, controlled his breathing, “Gabriel is missing. It…it doesn't look like he went anywhere willingly…”
Castiel dropped Sam, stepping back in shock and Sam’s eyes darted over to Dean’s. “I think we have a leak, too, Dean.”
Silence fell over the table and Dean’s eyes immediately flew over to Castiel. “How… How did you find out about Gabriel?” Dean asked, mostly for Cas, and Sam gave him a small nod.
“Chuck Shurley was with Gordon and he reported it to me.” Sam smoothed his shirt down. ”He overheard a conversation Gordon was having with someone over the phone. A conversation I’m sure he wasn’t meant to hear. I think... I think Gordon is our traitor, Dean.”
“He was Dad’s best sold-”
“He is a Beta with an Alpha complex,” Sam hissed, “and he’s fought you every fucking step of your leadership, Dean!” The brothers stared at each other, silence stretching between them again.
Castiel looked from Sam to Dean before he broke the silence. “I have to go, I have to go now. I need to get back to New York, I have to find my brother. And I have to find out if I have a traitor in the Bratva.”
“Okay.” Dean nodded his head and stood from the table. “Go get your stuff ready, I’ll have someone bring your car around.”
Castiel gave Dean a grateful look and then nodded at Sam before leaving the room again. Dean made a quick call to get Castiel’s car and then turned his attention back to his brother.
“What is going on between you two?” Sam asked and Dean rolled his eyes.
“Nothing. What the hell are you talking about?” Dean watched as Sam shrugged, his eyes never leaving Dean’s face. “Other things to worry about Sammy.” He looked his brother over. “You okay?”
Sam nodded and took his seat again, watching as Dean paced around the island, thinking. If they had a leak… had they always had it? If Gordon was supplying Bellomo with intell -- which, if the information Sam was given was correct, could be entirely plausible -- how long had he been doing it? Dean gazed out the window as he thought back to the last time he had actually had a conversation with Gordon.
“I’m not an errand bitch, Winchester! I did years to prove my place at your father’s side, years of loyalty and hard work, and you still want your kid brother to be your Underboss? You think he knows more about the inner workings of this city than I do?”
“I would be careful of your tone, Gordon,” Dean warned, glaring at the older man from across the table. When Gordon told him he wanted to talk about their family, Dean hadn’t expected this.
“Years, Dean. I’ve waited years for you to recognize my worth in this family. You took over for your father and I expected changes, I expected to have to prove myself to the new boss, but to watch as you take Sam’s side over mine, Benny, even Bobby’s side! He’s a child, Don, and not one with-”
“Enough! Do you question my ability to run this family, Gordon? Because that sure as hell is what it sounds like to me.” Dean glared and watched as Gordon visibly swallowed and bit back a retort. “I think that you’re the one who needs to learn his place. Maybe some time back on the streets as a Soldier will make you grateful for a position as Capo. I need a man who is invested, Gordon, who can man my soldiers, and your jealousy for Sam has blinded you.”
Gordon schooled his features, sitting back in the chair he was on and letting his shoulders fall in defeat. “I forgot myself, Don Winchester. I apologize.”
“Get out of my sight,” Dean ordered, turning away from Gordon and leaving him sitting in the office. He heard the other man shuffling around, taking his sweet time leaving, and when he was finally gone, Dean felt himself relax. He didn’t know what his father saw in that man. But having him closer to a position of power made Dean cringe internally. Hopefully, some time back on the streets would give the man a reality check, make him realize how damn lucky he was to even be a part of the Patriarca family.
Somehow, Dean doubted it.
“Bellomo started to get his hands on our supplies after Gordon expressed his disgust with his current position,” Dean said suddenly, turning to look at his brother.
“I have no doubt in my mind, Dean,” Sam answered, shaking his head. “Gordon was in charge of shipping and receiving for almost all of those shipments.” He thought for a moment, “Giving enough to Benny and Cole, leaving enough of his untouched so that we wouldn’t realize or notice.”
“Get Bobby here.” There was only one person Dean knew could take on Gordon, one that the older man wouldn't question, and Bobby was it. “I want Gordon back here alive.”
Sam nodded, his phone in his hand the moment he stood, and he let himself out the back sliding door to make the phone call. Dean sighed, rubbing a hand down his face and felt himself jump slightly when a voice was cleared from behind him.
Castiel was standing back in the doorway, his bag at his feet. He looked just as stressed as Dean felt and he knew that on the ride back to New York, that his exterior would morph into the cold, hard killer he needed to be.
“Ready?”
“Yes, did you make the call to have my car brought here?” Castiel queried. Dean could still smell slight distress coming off the Omega, no doubt worried about the well-being of his brother; the one he was closest to, the one he trusted as much as Dean trusted Sam. Dean shuddered at the thought of being given the information Castiel received. The thought of Sam being taken made his blood run cold. Dean wanted nothing more than to take Castiel in his arms and soothe the Omega, tell him it would be alright. But he couldn’t, not with Sam being right there.
“Yes, they should be here soon.” Dean gave Castiel a small smile. “I will help you find Gabriel. We will get him back.”
Castiel nodded. “Gabriel is a tough sukin syn.” He noted Dean’s confusion, “He’s a tough sonovabitch,” he explained. “He doesn’t look it, but he is. He will be fine.” He leaned against the doorway as Dean came toward him. “And thank you. Bellomo must pay for this Dean, he’s making both of us look like fools.”
“He will,” Dean’s voice held all the conviction Castiel wanted to hear. “We need to strike back. No more eye for an eye, no more defense. We need to hit him and hit him hard.” Dean clenched his teeth, angry that things had even gotten as far as they had. He should’ve seen, should’ve realized, he shook those thoughts from his head. “I’ll have Benny look into some things. You need to focus on finding Gabriel and I will get us our revenge, I swear it, Castiel.”
“Finding Gabriel is definitely my main focus upon my return. And don’t think for one second,” he straightened up, “Don Winchester that you will be getting revenge without my participation. I want a piece of Bellomo.” Castiel cleared his throat and met Dean’s eyes. “So will you be coming to New York when things are in set into motion?”
“Yes,” Dean agreed. “I will come as soon as I get Gordon back to Boston.”
Castiel nodded and Dean shifted his weight, looking over his shoulder at the sliding door Sam had disappeared through.
“I want you to be careful,” he whispered, stepping closer to Cas.
Castiel furrowed his brows. “Just because I’m an Omega, De--”
The rest of the words Castiel was going to speak were swallowed up by Dean’s lips on his. Dean felt Castiel sigh and relax so he deepened the kiss, letting his hands fall to Cas’s hips to draw him in closer.
“It’s not because I think being an Omega makes you incapable,” he grinned. “Actually, quite the opposite. I know you can handle anything thrown at you. I just -- I care, Cas. I care, okay?”
Castiel nodded slowly, for once unable to come up with anything to say back, and Dean smiled sadly as he heard the beeping of a horn from out front.
“Go. Go find your brother. I’ll be in touch.”
Castiel picked up his suitcase and gave Dean a small smile. “You be careful too, Dean, I care too… just so you know.” Castiel turned and walked out the door.
Dean stood there for a moment until a louder than necessary slam of the screen door made him turn around.
“Bobby on his way,” he asked Sam, who nodded and pocketed his phone. “Good. We’ve got work to do.”
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