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The only thing Gawain knew in that moment was that his mate was doubting him. Not that he could exactly blame Koen. Gawain had never realized how different he was forced to act around Decimus. Everything about him was cold and indifferent, yet Gawain didn’t hold a candle to the freezing temperatures that radiated off of Decimus.
One could get frostbite if they got too close. That would be considered lucky if that was all that happened, since Decimus tended to kill anyone who was near him.
“I thought we could take him back to the castle. Film his torture, then mail him back to his brethren one piece at a time.” The fact that he had to say it made Gawain want to throw up. Holding back his revulsion at the idea was one of the most challenging things he’d ever done, but necessary if he had any hope of getting them out of this alive.
There was a glint in Decimus’s coal black eyes that made Gawain’s skin crawl. “I like how you think, Gawain.” That gleam turned hard as stone as he gestured for his men to pick up Koen. “But what makes you think I trust you enough to allow you to live?”
That was exactly what he’d been afraid Decimus would say. “I brought one of the arrogant pigs who thought they could kick us off the Council, didn’t I?” Lame? Yep. Then again, he found when it came to Decimus, simple was best. Get things too complicated and the less he believed Gawain was telling the truth.
Decimus trailed his finger and thumb along his jaw line a few times, before giving Gawain a slight nod. “That you did. But I think it’s best if I keep you under lock and key, too.”
The few men who still followed Decimus swooped in and handcuffed Gawain alongside Koen. Neither of them spoke. Gawain didn’t because he didn’t want to blow whatever cover Decimus might be buying. But he feared, based on Koen’s glare, that his mate lost whatever trust they’d managed to build with Gawain’s performance.
As much as he wanted to reassure his mate that he wasn’t this person, Gawain didn’t dare. Even the smallest of reassuring touches would be seen by Decimus’s all too observant gaze and blow any hope of getting the man to trust him enough to set him free, so Gawain could kill him.
So, he ignored the man he’d fallen in love with and walked with his head held high and his shoulders back. The few times Koen had tripped, he’d laugh and made fun of him instead of doing what his instincts screamed for him to do, which was catch him and stop him from falling to the ground.
By the time they got to the castle, Koen was dirty and scraped up. The amount of cuts and bruises on him made Koen appear as if he’d gone several rounds in a fight. Tears were threatening to fill Gawain’s eyes. Only the knowledge that Koen would die for sure if he did, stopped them from coming.
How and why did he allow his world to come to this? No matter how he looked at it, Gawain couldn’t understand where he’d gone wrong. Oh sure, in hindsight he should have known there was no pleasing his father, but was it really wrong to want that?
In his case, it ended up not only being wrong, but criminal. He may not have fully understood what taking the position on the Council would mean, but once he did, Gawain only had himself to blame for turning a blind eye.
In the beginning, he’d tried to justify it by still wanting to do as his father wished, but that reality had waned quickly when he finally began to understand how evil the Council was. By then, he was both terrified of dying in the nearly dozen ways he’d seen Decimus kill those who went against him, and had committed his own sins by allowing so many to die in the first place, that he hadn’t seen a way out.
If the challenges hadn’t of been issued nearly a year ago, he still would be sitting on the Council agreeing to mass murder. The moment he’d walked away from Decimus, a perspective he hadn’t permitted himself to see had become crystal clear.
Gawain had let his soul be tainted. He had his reasons, but ultimately it had been his choice. Now, even though it meant turning against his mate, he must once more play the same role he’d been playing for the past fifty years. The only difference being, that he’d stop Decimus instead of letting the sadistic man kill anyone else.
He hoped.
But all hope died the moment they entered the crumbling remains of the castle. For without a word, Decimus turned on Gawain and shot him in the arm. It wasn’t a killing shot, but he damn well knew it was still lethal. All of Decimus’s bullets were laced with poison. He would be dead within the hour.
All thoughts of his own life fled. His only concern now, was to get Koen out of there and kill Decimus. “You son of a bitch,” he screamed hoping to be able to cause enough of a distraction that he could pull off a miracle. “Why would you kill me?”
Decimus smirked at him as if the whole thing were nothing but a joke. “Because we both know that you were lying back there. That you thought you could pull the wool over my eyes was actually insulting. Everyone knows you’re too weak to kill anyone. There was no way you would have brought this piece of garbage to me.”
That was pretty hard to deny since it was all true. “My father is going to make you pay for this.” As threats go, it was pretty damn weak, but Gawain just needed time to come up with a plan.
Decimus shrugged. “Since he was the one who told me to kill you when you left several days ago, I doubt that.” Then those cold soulless eyes turned to Koen and Gawain was sure his heart was beating so hard it might jump out of his body. “As for you,” A smile that could only be called evil spread across his face. “You, I plan to have a lot of fun with.”
Koen laughed, causing Decimus to frown. But when he didn’t stop, Decimus became so enraged that he lashed out and punched Koen in the jaw. Koen went flying into the wall behind him. Just as it had when Decimus had done the same thing to Gawain several days ago, chunks of stone tumbled down.
And when Koen next smirked and had the audacity to stand as if it had been nothing but a slight tap, Decimus let out a roar. He charged after Koen, picking him up and throwing him across the room.
Thankfully, Gawain didn’t see the impact. Because when Koen had hit the wall the first time, he’d glanced Gawain’s way, sending him a silent message before standing. They may not have been together for more than a few days but Gawain understood, as if Koen had spelled it out for him in big neon letters.
His stupid mate was going to distract Decimus, probably getting himself killed in the process, so Gawain could find a weapon. The least Gawain could do was find a way to kill Decimus.
He turned to the wall where he knew several throwing knives were on display, but with his hands still handcuffed behind his back, there was no way for him to reach them. Frantically he looked around, while trying not to attract attention, as there were two guards at the door. Currently, they were being entertained by Decimus throwing Koen around the room, but there was no telling when they might turn his way.
“I have to say,” Koen said, as if he were bored. “I expected more from you, Decimus. The stories people tell suggest you’re a sadistic fuck who doesn’t know the word mercy, but other than causing the walls to crumble further, I’m not seeing it.”
For the briefest of moments Gawain shut his eyes, wishing to God his mate would shut the hell up. Distraction was one thing, but did he have to enrage the man? If Gawain didn’t find a way to kill Decimus soon, they’d both be chopped into little pieces. Or, Gawain gulped at the next thought, ripped apart with Decimus’s bare hands.
But when he opened his eyes again, the room spun wildly. Gawain stumbled even though he hadn’t actually moved. He reached out, trying to keep himself from falling to the ground but his right leg wouldn’t hold him any longer. The next thing he knew he was on both knees, willing himself to fall the whole way.
He couldn’t go down. There was no way he’d be able to get back up, then where would they be? He struggled to lift himself upright, but his legs just wouldn’t hold him. A crash sounded in his ears.
When he realized his eyes had closed again, he forced them open, to find the table he’d been holding had toppled over and he was lying on the ground. A cry of alarm rang out from Koen.
“Looks like I was right to poison you, Gawain.” Decimus chuckled. “Now, I think it’s time to teach this piece of shit a lesson. With any luck, you’ll still be alive when I tear him apart a piece at time.”
That fucking laugh sent chills down Gawain’s spine. Not just because of Decimus’s threat to his mate, but because Gawain knew he’d failed. His goal of making his mate proud of him for doing at least one good thing in his life would die with him.
Tears formed in his eyes, blurring his vision, which was probably for the best. As much as he wanted his last sight to be of his mate, Gawain didn’t think he could handle watching Decimus kill him. This way, he could remember Koen as he looked when he was hovering over him while thrusting deep within his body.
It was the most amazing moment of his life. One that he would take into the afterlife and cherish.
