The Brother's Divide

MADELINE

I’m tangled in the sheets, naked and satisfied, while Hael and Loch discuss matters at the edge of the bed. Loch holds my ankle possessively, while Hael keeps a hand over my ass.

I pretend to sleep soundly while I listen in. Hael had been busy all day, and only returned now.

“There’s been no uptick in crime,” Hael says quietly and cryptically, “Devorex might have a few screws loose, but he contains that rage to fighting in the ring…”

Hael goes quiet, and Loch says nothing, which means he’s telling him privately through their mental connection.

“…What…?” Hael sounds sick. “Why would he attack you – we just made a business deal?”

“Shh, the rat isn’t sleeping,” Loch clasps my ankle tighter, before I try to kick it in his side.

I sit up quickly, holding the sheet to my chest, hair messy, I glare at Hael and Loch combined.

Hael’s hand has slipped from my ass to the top of my thigh, while Loch leans down and bites my toes.

“Stop,” I giggle at the distraction and Loch licks the sole of my foot, which is even more ticklish.

Even as I try to kick him away, Hael watches on with a somber look in his eye.

“Hm,” a dissatisfied growl exits Hael’s throat, as he looks me over with disapproval. What did I do wrong now? I just ‘woke up’!

“What’s your problem?” I snap, “Why are you both so scared? You’re never scared of anything –”

“~Shh~, rat,” Loch drawls and finally releases my ankle and lets me escape his touch.

“Cool your temper. Can you call gorgeous Zayda and ask about Hazel – I haven’t heard any updates on her condition.”

I now scramble up on the bed to lean back against the hefty pillows, knees to my chest as I pick up my phone and punch in her contact.

I text her now.

Madeline

How's Hazel doing? Did you break the hex?

Zayda

Yes!! Then she left when I wasn't looking. Hazel hasn't returned to my apartment since.

Then she left when I wasn’t looking. Hazel hasn’t returned to my apartment since.~I put my phone down and see Loch pacing into the bathroom. He’s got a hand over his torso, hiding a pink scar. I narrow my eyes. So he ~was~hurt. What the heck?~

Hael raises a brow at me, waiting for my answer.

“A woman I met while dancing, Hazel, she was hexed,” I tell Hael from my own perspective, not sure of what he knows about it yet.

“She’s free of it but she’s gone away somewhere. She’s mated to – or supposedly ~supposed~to be mated to… some crazy guy…?”

“Devorex,” Hael corrects me.

“Ah, that’s a hell of a name, isn’t it…?” I murmur to Hael, “I… ah… anyway, I’m kind of thirsty, I need some water.”

Hael doesn’t buy my bullshit excuse to get out of here, and his eyes are heavy and brooding. Oh, no. He was in a bad mood today, I could tell.

He always fucked my ass when he wanted to release some of his frustration, and although that could be fun… he would be distracting me from important developments with the new psychopath on the block.

I wanted in on the drama! Rough sex could wait.

“For reasons undisclosed – you’re no longer running around these streets without an escort,” Hael explains, smooth and cutting.

“In fact. Until further notice, mouse, you can stay in this penthouse… ~and don’t give me that eye, Madeline.~ Loch warned me earlier about this fucker – everything is escalating, so you’ll be staying put.

“The last thing we need is you planning misery and mayhem in this city, it will attract his attention. You’re a liability when you stray from your Masters’ hand.”

“~…that’s ~a little harsh, isn’t it? I’m not that much of a trouble maker! I don’t even know Devorex,” I complain, rolling my eyes, “I’ll be fine!”

“Rex knows who we are, and he’s already threatened you, that’s why I’m being over protective,” Hael ignores my rolling eyes.

“He doesn’t want us meddling in his affairs. This is after we signed the contract and paid him the money to fight at the casino. He’s locked in.”

“Why the hell would he threaten ~me~ for,” I hiss, “I don’t even know this guy.”

Hael goes quiet.

So do I.

I slowly slip off the bed, letting the sheet slip down, I walk past him naked, holding out my hand, I ask for his blazer.

Hael narrows his eyes but eventually shrugs it off and hands it to me.

I put it around my shoulders, hold it closed in the middle and walk toward the kitchen.

He lets me escape the bedroom.

I do actually go to the kitchen to pour a glass of water, and then I hang around the couch near Loch’s bedroom, listening intently to the whispers I hear between the two brothers.

“I’ve made my decision,” Loch says to Hael, determined.

“~You can’t be serious~.”

“He wanted a fight… I’ll train to his level, I’ll fuck him up, he doesn’t know who he’s disrespecting,” Loch replies.

“So count me in. Add me to the competition. He wanted Lochness. I’ll give him Lochness.”

“Brother –” Hael lets out a deep growl, but Loch is flippant about his twin’s anger.

“It’s just for one night that I’ll let the beast loose,” Loch promises, “Just for that ~one~ night. I’ll kill the Blood King. He asked for death when he fucking stabbed me.”

“~It’s bait, brother.~ Don’t go there – we can’t have that against our name, you’re representing this company with me – you need to stay clean of blood you can’t wash away.

“Devorex is underground but he has a reputable image, word will leak if you kill him… ~or if he kills you~…” the fact Hael even suggests that as a possibility, makes the blood drain from my cheeks.

I tiptoe back to the bar, and now I pour myself a shot of vodka.

I drink one shot, while their voices get louder with their anger.

“It’ll be blood no one ever sees,” Loch snarls, “We’ll make it a Dark Ring fight, Hael, we’ll keep the cameras out of the ring.”

“Control yourself, you’ve never had discipline at his level.

“Rex is a Rouge who controls himself in an animalistic state – last time I checked, you have no control whatsoever when you divulge in your darkest instincts,” Hael is insulting Loch?

I thought I’d never hear the day. They always had each other’s backs. But I guess he was just being brutally honest… still, I can ~feel~the violence emanating from Loch as he goes quiet.

Loch hesitates before he whispers, “That’s the point.”

What did he mean by that?

I take a seat on a bar stool and swing around, waiting for them to join me.

For a while they are silent, clearly mentally communicating to one another to block me out. Assholes.

I bite my lip, thinking about the new… talent… around town.

God, I was so fucking bored in this city.

Requiem City was tranquil.

For the first time in its entire history.

I liked it enough. But I also had a bad streak. The rebel in me wanted a challenge.

As much as I liked to joke about it or make light of it, I was still a Dragon Slayer – and there was a bad, ~bad~ Dragon roaming these streets.

I should be called upon in a time like this.If Devorex wanted to blackmail my mates, by threatening me? I could play a few pranks.

Afterall, this wasn’t Rex’s city.

~It was m –~

“Mouse?” an innocent enough question.

I glance up and wipe my thoughts of mischief.

I look up to see Loch… now wearing sweatpants, totally relaxed… looking me over.

He seems different.

Loch’s dark emerald eyes shine bright.

“Yeah, what’s up lizard eyes?” I ask politely, “Got a problem? I’m just sitting here, doing absolutely nothing. You can’t punish me for nothing,” my voice is husky when I tease him like that.

“Now, hear me out. If you’re going to fight that snake who tortures women, I want a part of it. Open. Honest. Communication. Together. For the first time. Let’s make a plan. Involve. ~Me~. What do you say, Lochness?”

I use his bad name, which Hael would disapprove of, but hopefully Loch ~would approve~. A little bit of manipulation couldn’t be so bad, could it?

Loch’s eyes widen, but he doesn’t respond in words.

He stalks forward, even as I remain seated.

I keep the blazer closed with one hand, as he slips around my stool and snakes his hand around the back of my head, bringing my lips up to his mouth.

Loch hovers his lips just above mine.

I hold my chin up, boldly meeting his challenge.

“You’re cute you think that’ll ever happen,” Loch says sickly-sweetly, brushing his lips over mine.

“You think you control me, ~that’s~ cute,” I whisper back, pecking him on the cheek.

“Stop being cute together,” Hael interrupts, walking by the fireplace, he shakes his head as he glares at us.

“You’re both trouble makers. This is why Rex can get what he wants – I have a brother who falls for his game playing and who enjoys the thought of participating.

“Then I have a mate who doesn’t listen to a single word I say. Unless she’s being fucked in the ass, then you tend to listen. ~Yes, please~, Sir…”

Hael mimics me with a monotone, truly fed up with the both of us. “You need a permanent chain,” and then he looks at Loch, “You need time to reflect. ~Think~, brother.”

I flick my eyes over Hael, while leaning my cheek into Loch’s palm, which he strokes over my face, as I ask, “…and you, Hael? Where’s your untamed side? Or are you always prim and proper –?”

That hand on my cheek, now slips over my mouth, where Lochness clamps it shut.

So much for partnering up against Hael as a team.

After a few seconds of keeping me quiet, making his point, Loch lets me go and paces off to the fridge.

Hael finally waltzes over and sits down on a stool by my side, patting his lap, he jerks his chin and urges me to delight him.

I decide to obey, switching from stool to lap. I put my arm around his giant shoulders, while he holds my waist, and now we turn to glare at Loch.

But Loch is doing something weird.

Ahem –

~Lochness~.

“What the fuck… is that…?” I let out, because it’s so disgusting.

Lochness, ~indeed~, Lochness, pulls out a liter of blood from the fridge, and starts to pour it into a large plastic cup that can hold all of it. Some of it splashes onto the counter top.

“It’s blood,” Hael explains. “We’re going to try it.”

“What. Ew. But why?” I hear a deep growl off Loch warning me to shut up, and he pours half into another cup and pushes it across the table to Hael.

I watch as Hael picks it up, the same time as his twin. Together, in unison, they throw their heads back and drink.

I watch, aghast.

They both drink it easily, not minding the iron taste.

Hael is the first to ask as he puts down the cup, “…feel any different, brother?”

“Mm…” Lochness considers himself, looking rather disappointed. “Not really.”

“I think he drinks the blood of mages,” Hael explains, then sees me looking confused, “Devorex, Madeline. He drinks blood. We don’t know why.”

What a fucking weirdo, Rex seems to get stranger by the second.

“Like a vampire?” I ask, screwing up my nose. “They’re not even real,” I laugh out loud, then realize I’m talking to Dragons.

Loch takes out his phone, and dials a number.

“What are you doing?” I ask, suspicious.

“Calling Zayda up here.”

I figure because she’s a Blood Raven. The highest form of Mage.

“Hey. No way. She has a baby to feed, you can’t drink her blood,” I complain.

“We won’t take that much, it’s just a little bit – we’re trying to understand Rex,” Hael watches me struggle off his lap, now backing up.

“No,” even as I demand it, Hael just ignores me and Loch makes the call anyway.

“Hey, sweetheart, how are you?... Up here. Right now… yeah you can bring baby Thor, no problem… take your time, darling,” Loch ends the call and then turns to look at me boldly.

Fuck Lochness.

His eyes are full of sadistic pleasure. Always trying to piss me off.

I turn to the door and I plan to make my fucking exit.

“Where are you going, rat?” Loch warns me, “If you attempt to walk out that door half naked in a fucking suit and no panties –”

“~For your information~, I don’t give a fuck what you say, Loch, If I want to leave, I’ll leave,” I hiss. I face the door again and swing it open.

I was only going to intercept and warn Zayda to stay away, anyway.However, I can’t get very far.

I’ve come to a quick stop, blinking rapidly in surprise.

On the other side of the front door to our penthouse – is a fucking ~giant~ of a man. Just waiting.

A threatening red eyed gaze flickers down to me, with his black hair slicked back and his eyes ramming right through me like a nuisance in the way.

I know who he is instantly.

Devorex – or Rex the Blood King – was casually stopping by for a visit.

My eyes roam up and down his well-honed physique, and I gulp uncontrollably. This guy was formidable. He was already big for a Dragon, but he was trained to professionally kill.