Chapter 2

MADELINE

I’ve just finished my dinner and, thank goodness, my shackles and chains are ~finally~ off. My ankles are free and I’m ready to take flight!

My mates have already transformed into mist and now I stand beneath the opening in the cave ceiling. It’s the only way in or out. I watch as a tail, shimmering emerald green, spirals down and curls, offering me a seat as Hael lifts me from my chamber.

Once I’m out of the confined space, I can finally appreciate the beauty of the sky. Hael sets me down on my feet and exchanges a glance with Lochness, silently discussing our upcoming adventure.

I simply observe the Twin Dragon Lords, their smiles wide in their transformed states. “Oh, boy…” I squint as I watch Hael launch off the mountain and disappear into the low-lying clouds.

Lochness turns to me, lowering his wing and head, his emerald eye blazing. I notice he’s angled his wing even lower, saving me the struggle of a steep climb.

“I’m only showing a little. I’m still agile!” I remind Nessy.

He doesn’t respond, just watches me as I gather up my skirts and run up the rest of the length of his wing to sit on his spine. “All right, I’m ready, let’s go!” I grin, throwing my arms up in anticipation.

Lochness takes off and I scream with pure joy, laughing—only to abruptly stop my cheering when his small dive levels off with the clouds and we fly gently. “Nessy! Faster! Pleeease!”

Lochness chuckles in my mind, but instead of speeding up, he releases a ball of flame from his fangs that lights up the surrounding clouds in a beautiful green hue. I open my mouth, almost about to say something silly. But for once, I bite my tongue and suppress my urge to annoy him.

Lochness eases down in the flight, deeper into the clouds. It is harder for him to read my thoughts while I am pregnant, some kind of protective instinct has enhanced my own ability to block him out if I really want. I haven’t been flaunting this fact, and he hasn’t been asking what is on my mind.

But then again, maybe he doesn’t care that much. However, if I don’t consciously maintain the block, he can still get in. So I naturally keep my guard up, mostly to frustrate the rogue and his brother.

My thoughts are momentarily distracted by the tree tops appearing below, along with the movement of Lochness as he veers off to the left and I can see more of the ground.

~We have a special place to share with you. If you’re grateful for it, maybe you’ll get to sleep out in the warm air—our territory is heavily patrolled tonight; you can even wander if you like,~ Hael speaks in my mind, a rumble of assurance and generosity for a master.

~One whole night and day of being imprisoned by her big bad mates,~ Nessy purrs. ~What a warrior she is.~

“One whole night and day of being imprisoned and you’ve both already mounted me ~twice~,” I yell. “In the morning, then again! Then you let me cry and be all alone ~all day.~”

~So you admit you missed us?~ Lochness asks, darkly curious.

“Y—~no~, ha, why would I miss either of you that much after a day? I’m just bored, and there’s no wars, there’s no trips to other Hordes or reasons to rebel since you’re both so perfectly in control… I’m even stressed out that it’s so boring now, okay? It’s been way too peaceful these last…these last…th…” ~three months~.

I shut my mouth as it dawns on me why the Requiem Horde isn’t engaging in expansive or territorially aggressive and violent behavior…no new slaves…no excessive punishments to the inferior mortals…because my mates are focusing entirely on me. I keep forgetting.

They are nesting too, but with their Twin Leading Breed instincts. I had a healer tell me this, I had many of my friends tell me, even Thea knew about it, but… I had blocked it out. I didn’t want to hear it.

~You’re disturbed by the wrong things, Madeline,~ Hael drawls in my head, clearly amused. ~My brother and I can sense your vulnerability and your shift in emotions. We will not be tormenting you in this period.~

~In this period…~ I actually smirk at that. ~You’re funny.~

~I’m serious…now close your eyes. We’re descending, mouse.~

They must have a surprise for me! “Okay,” I agree and I do as I’m told.

Lochness dips lower still, and I feel the shift in the air. He banks right and his wings must flare out wide, as the landing is as gentle as a Dragon Lord can manage with their gigantic size.

I stay seated with my eyes shut and my ears fill with the peaceful sound of crickets and frogs. I’m already crying ~just a little~ as I smile, not sobbing thank goodness—but just leaky tears down my cheeks at the sound of nature. And the fact they’ve done something so, so incredibly sweet.

I can’t even see it but I know it’ll be nice. I feel a tail wrap around my waist. I’m moved down and deposited onto soft furs.

“Open your eyes,” Hael speaks near me.

I do as he says, and I look up at the open-rotunda tent, held up with long sticks, dangling with at least ten oil lanterns. Below me are furs upon furs.

Around us is a dip into reeds and a pond, and all around are the trees of the forest, with a landing spot for one dragon at a time. It’s beyond private.

In front of me is a little wooden box. I open it up and I see chocolate. So rare. My favorite dessert!

“Oh yes!” I pick it up and start eating it immediately, looking around me as Hael checks on the integrity of the open tent while Lochness walks over and lies down on his side, watching me eat. “—ank ou,” ~thank you~. I tell him.

Lochness reaches out and grabs my toes while I giggle between mouthfuls, since his touch tickles.

“Why no thoughts of running?” Lochness drawls at me, raising a brow. “Not a single thought.”

I blush as he exposes me.

“Of escaping—since I offered to fly…how odd.”

“You were expecting that?” I ask, only to hear Hael snort and laugh robustly from the left.

“Madeline,” Hael turns toward me, “Have you been tamed in twenty-four hours~, little mouse?~”

“…So, I thought the point,” I say, pausing to lick the chocolate off my fingers, “of the cell”—I wipe my hands on my skirt, looking down at them—“is to keep me safe, right?”

Lochness freezes, his green eyes sparkling with a strange, intimidating amusement. What am I not getting here?

They’re playing games with me… I can feel it… I…

As I rise to my feet, brushing off my skirt and keeping my thoughts to myself, Hael moves closer, putting up a mental barrier.

“We believe it is crucial”—Hael gently places a hand around my waist—“to stop the games…” He shoots a glare at Lochness, and I see a challenge in the rogue’s eyes, if only for a moment. “…and to show you that submission isn’t just for our amusement.”

He takes my chin, tilting my face to the side and up, holding my gaze. “You enjoy it too, don’t you, mouse?”

What is he implying! “Don’t tell me what I think,” I snap.

“I’ve seen it,” Hael says, his tone brutally honest. “All I’m asking is for you to stop pretending to be a slave fighting for her freedom. You’re ours. Forever. It’s a fact. You know it, yet you continue to misbehave. It’s time for that to change, Madeline. Let your guard down.”

Never.

~Don’t get worked up,~ Lochness drawls in my mind.

“Why?” I whisper to them both before I let out a scream.

“Everything changes now.” Hael’s eyes flicker to my belly and back to my face, his hand still gently caressing my face, keeping me focused. “I won’t have a mouse who runs when she has two babies to care for.”

“I would never run from my babies, are you crazy?” I’m insulted that he would even suggest such a thing. “I will be there for them.”

“For all of us,” Hael corrects me, his eyes searching mine. “I’m asking you to stop fighting. Maddie… don’t panic.”

“Little mouse looks like she wants to bolt.” Lochness lounges on his back, hands behind his head as he smirks at me, knowing I can run but never successfully.

“You want me to… you want me to completely… utterly… surrender… to your power,” I try to put it into words.

Hael nods, trying to hide a smile because he likes what I say, almost impressed.

“To trust you?”

“Us,” Hael corrects.

“But I do, you know I do,” I confess, but my eyes flicker down. “I trust—”

“Not until I see you kneel without being asked will I finally believe it… show us you know who you serve,” Hael’s voice takes on a harsh edge, and his hand tightens. But I pull away from him. He is so damn bossy.

“I think I understand what you’re saying… just give me a moment to think about it.” I turn my back to him and start walking toward the trees. “I’ll stay in the clearing.”

Hael and Lochness remain silent as I cautiously step into the grass and glance over my shoulder.

Hael stands guard while Lochness lounges, his emerald eyes tracking my movements. A smirk tugs at the corner of Lochness’s lips.

Hael’s voice enters my mind, carrying a tone I’ve never heard before. Not condescending or arrogant. Just knowing.

~It’s time to grow up.~

I almost ask him, what does he expect? For me to change my entire personality? But in my moment of stress, my guard drops, and now Lochness can see into my vulnerable mind.

~I envision a world where your red hair falls over my face as you wake me with a kiss from a midday nap, instead of you running away with stolen weapons hidden under your feathered skirt.~ Nessy speaks with such seriousness, it shocks me almost as much as Hael’s mature tone, ~so that I don’t have to constantly put you in the stocks. You enjoy the negative attention too much, rat. It’s fun, but it’s time for you to sweeten up on us.~

They’ve never been this open with me about their expectations for the future.

They’re treating me differently. I think I know them, but…

I guess things are different now. We all know I’ll never escape again, nor do I want to. I love them both. They are my mates… as infuriating as that can be… plus I have to work hard to see them be vulnerable.

So. What do they really want? I think I might know. But it scares the hell out of me.

~Without asking, preferably,~ Lochness purrs again in my mind—not alone—but echoing Hael’s sentiment. Puh. Without—asking… heh.

Damn. Yup. I’m right. It’s what I am thinking.

They want me to please them in a way I’ve never done before. They want me to show affection first. I’ve never really done that. Why? Because they are always dominant, wanting what they want, asking for what they want, telling me all the time.

Now I guess they want me to show them that I’ve ~learned~. A learned “princess” of the Requiem Horde…

~Princess?~ Lochness hears my thoughts loud and clear. I can hear him laughing deeply, already mocking me. ~You’ll have to earn that title, rat.~

I can hear Hael chuckling too, through the mind-link.

~You’re a mate first and my slave second,~ Hael quickly interjects, ~that will never change, Maddie. You are and always have been enslaved to the sky.~

~You speak of our sweetheart as yours first. She is our slave, brother,~ Lochness snarls.

~You were gone. I had her trained. She is mine first and always will be.~

~You hardly do anything to train the mouse, she’s as incompetent as a—~

Hael immediately blocks me out as they start to argue privately in their minds.

But I don’t think I am meant to hear ~that~ much. Incompetent. As a—?

A mate? A woman? Maybe as a mother?

What the hell? What do they really think of me?

I keep walking as they argue, but after walking in circles, I slip into the trees while glaring back at them. I don’t want to run, but I don’t want to stay either.

Right now, I need to clear my head.

They’re acting strange. They want me to be cute and shit.

I attempt to picture it. The thought of being kind to them first should infuriate me, but… well… I find myself oddly drawn to the idea. But wait, I can’t possibly stroke their egos like that, can I? That would be a disaster, right?

Or would it?

The more I mull it over, the more my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Perhaps I could… I could be a bit ~softer~… maybe they’d respond with a touch more kindness.

Damn it. Could I have been the issue all along?

I use my status as a slave as a reason to resist at every turn—and it is the perfect justification. I fight for my freedom because I ~deserve~ that freedom.

But then I found out I was destined to be their mate.

Now, they want me to finally accept this as our shared reality, to approach it with maturity and adulthood.

This is shaping up to be the most challenging thing I’ve ever undertaken.

But I’ll give it a shot, starting with baby steps.

So.

How can I demonstrate my “cuteness” without either of them explicitly asking for it?

Funny thing is, I can’t come up with a single idea.