Chapter 25

MADELINE

I slip through the tunnels to escape my mates, but by the time I find a secluded spring deep within the mountain, I’m completely drained. The steam fills the room, providing a comforting blanket of warmth.

After our playful romp in the forest rain and the Pleasure room incident, where they break free, I’ve gone from having the time of my life to feeling… ~terrified~.

Why did Adara put us through that test?

I can’t help but fear that her intentions are far from good. Maybe she wants them to be so consumed with anger that they’d kill me.

I’ve never felt this kind of fear before, but now I’m overwhelmed with the dread of the worst-case scenario. What if ~they~ snap?

I remember how I once sang my Dragon Slayer song and stole their magic. It was the very action that made them snap once before. Losing their infamous power. They didn’t hurt me then and I enjoyed the ravishment… but now I took their control and fucked them while they were helpless.

Right now I hope it’s still fun for them.

I dip a toe into the hot water before sinking behind a boulder to hide from the entrance. The steam should provide some cover.

I let myself relax in the water.

~Madeline, where are you?~ Hael’s voice echoes in my mind for the tenth time. This time, there’s a note of patience, of worry.

~We can feel your fear through the bond. If you’re in danger, let us know so we can eliminate the threat. Don’t be afraid, sweetheart—~

~I’m hiding from you… ~I decide to be brutally honest,~ …you are the threat,~ I tell them both, my voice shaky even in my mind. ~I’ve pushed too far this time. I don’t want to… to die.~

~Even if you cut off my wings, my love for you would remain the same,~ Hael’s voice snarls in my head, startling me so much that I sit up straight in the spring pool, my hand over my racing heart.

I was wrong!

They’re not angry at all!

I misread them.

They’re… they… feel… a passion so intense… but it’s not hatred. It’s everything but that.

~I’m in one of the spring pools,~ I tell them.

As soon as the words leave my mind, they appear—already here.

Hael on my left, Lochness on my right, shedding their pants and slipping into the water. They stay in the corners furthest from me, giving me space.

They want me to feel comfortable.

They seem to enjoy the hot water as well, dunking under and resurfacing to push their hair out of their eyes.

Hael won’t look at me, his gaze fixed on the wall. When I reach out to him, I’m met with silence.

I think he’s hurt.

Lochness looks at me a bit longer before growling, “Adara doubted us—now you, mouse? Are we such failures? In case it isn’t clear yet… we have never intended to use violence against you, little mouse.”

Oh shit, I’ve hurt their feelings.

I pull my knees to my chest, hugging them close as guilt washes over me.

“I didn’t know Adara would restrain you…” I begin.

They both groan deeply, sinking further into the water, their faces flushed.

“I still can’t believe I let that happen. I should have seen her approach as unusual,” Hael growls at Lochness before shooting me a sharp glance.

Lochness picks at his nails, sneering to himself.

An awkward silence fills the air.

I decide to keep talking.

“I want to make it clear. I didn’t fuck you to humiliate you,” I say. “I fucked you both because I ~wanted~ to and… I… I just got scared that you’d think it ~was~ to humiliate you.

With the mind link broken, no communication between us, I started to fear the worst when I saw you glaring at me like you wanted to eat me alive,” I focus on Hael. “You scared me.”

Hael scoffs and smiles a bit. “I just wanted to pin you down and keep making love to you… that’s all, mouse.”

I can’t help but smile.

“…and I can’t believe you’d say if I cut off your wings, you’d still love me,” I feel horrible even thinking about it, but the fact he even said that—!

“Here, mouse, look, I vow my love to you and here’s the proof, you baby,” Hael reaches into the back of his leather pants piled beside him outside the pool. He pulls out the onyx knife with the green emerald. “Slayer,” he slides it across the rock and I grab it. “You can kill me if it makes you feel better.

You only need one mate alive to avoid the grief sickness. If two scare you? Kill me.”

Lochness stiffens and narrows his eyes at Hael. They communicate and block me out.

He says nothing, just glances at me.

I know it’s a ridiculous hypothetical… and they know I’ll say it’s ridiculous.

But…

I just…

Want to see exactly what Hael means by that.

“Okay,” I whisper.

I just have to avoid Hael’s eyes.

I move through the water, the blade in front of me as I sit next to Hael and I press it lightly to his neck.

I didn’t think I’d get this far.

He hasn’t even tensed… his heartbeat is still the same steady pulse.

I glance up at Hael as I press the blade in a little.

“You’re not scared at all? You’d let me kill you?” I smile. “Are you insane, Hael?”

Hael reclines back a bit, resting his arms on the sides of the pool. “Yes, mouse, if it makes you happy. If it kills the fear,” his eyes are burning with passion—he’s not kidding. “Nothing in the world should make you feel like that again. Not even I.”

“You’re… incredibly cunning, Dragon Lord Hael,” I lower the knife. “You’ll do anything for me to submit again.”

“I mean it, you twat,” Hael watches me move back into the pool, sitting between them.

Lochness pokes me with his toe and I turn to him. “It’s me, mouse.”

“What’s you?” I ask.

“You can handle my brother,” Lochness drawls in a monotone. “I’m not meant to be here. I ruined your little love story. Now you’re traumatized.”

“It was never a love story,” Hael retorts, his voice laced with bitterness. “She’s my slave – I’ve been training her to submit. She did. But she can’t maintain her composure. She’s destined to fight. . Madeline, no matter what I do, you’ll always be the same.”

“I’ll always be the same, yes,” I respond, crossing my arms over my chest. I glance between the two of them. “So, we’ve established that much, haven’t we?”

Lochness lifts his hand and the knife sails through the air, landing in his palm. “We’ll always be the same too, mouse. So, why not reconsider?”

He smirks at his brother. “To hell with it. Kill him, mouse. Then you can have me all to yourself.”

Lochness’s smirk is met with a twist of Hael’s hand. The knife is wrestled out of Lochness’s grip, their mind powers clashing. Hael forces his brother’s hand back to his own throat.

“~Repeat that~, I didn’t catch it,” Hael growls. I shrink back against the wall as Lochness’s neck begins to bleed. The blade starts to cut.

Lochness doesn’t respond to Hael, only to me. ~Give him hell for me, mouse.~

No.

No way.

Lochness provoked the attack?

He wanted to die?!

All because I didn’t just run but I felt scared of them for real for a moment. Now they’re both suicidal?

This is absurd.

Ridiculous.

A toxic love.

I’ve had enough!

“~Apologize~,” Hael demands of Lochness, who only smiles as the blade cuts deeper and the water starts to turn pink.

I make my way to the edge of the water and climb out of the pool.

Without a word, I head for the exit.

I’m too terrified to see what I’ve done to them. I feel like I’ve abused our bond and lost their trust when all they’ve done is prove their loyalty and trustworthiness, time and time again.

Or maybe it was Adara’s doing. Whatever she wanted to do to us, she succeeded. Our worst traits are surfacing.

I have to fix this now!

~Mouse?~ They both ask, confused as to why I’ve left without a word.

I ignore them.

I head to Deep Cavern, while the twins have their own private conversation.

At night, Deep Cavern hosts night markets at this time of the year.

Especially when it’s rainy. And with my pregnancy, it’s been raining every night so I know where everyone is.

And I’m right. I swipe a slave dress from one of the laundry baskets in the cave corridors along the way and put it on before I merge into the crowd.

I lie now, to lure my mates closer. ~I’m going to be the worst brat you’ve ever seen. Hear me in Deep Cavern as I tell the slaves exactly what I think of both of you!~

I can feel them coming already, their confusion giving way to panic.

I weave through the crowd and reach the raised podium, jumping up before an auctioneer selling prized goods.

“Excuse me for interrupting,” I whisper to the fellow slave as I tap him on the shoulder and take center stage. I raise my hands. “Can I have your attention please!”

The slaves in the Horde all know me, and those who don’t are quickly informed by others.

At least a few hundred turn to listen.

In the entrance, Hael and Lochness stand together, clad in leather pants, listening intently. Lochness is still covered in his own blood from his neck wound, which is healing rapidly.

But the fact he’s alive almost brings me to my knees with relief.

I can’t bear to look at it.

I can’t bear to see it.

As they blame themselves for my fear.

“I l-love my mates,” I want to shout it, to declare it, to announce it. But instead, I end up sobbing it out.

I take a deep breath, and the slaves fall silent to hear the rest. “Hael ~and~ Lochness. You may not know, but they are so patient, and sexy, and they make me feel special every day.

I vow to everyone in the Horde, including my Twin Dragons, that I will protect and love you the same way you’ve shown me patience as the worst brat in the Horde… hee… if I may say so… Hael is a very special man,” I wring my hands together in front of me. “He’s learning that mice are quite smart, and not so stupid—”

“~Thank you, mouse~,” Hael appears next to me, leaving his pants behind. He gets a few gasps from the crowd as his hands clamp over my mouth and pull me back against his chest, hiding his own teary eyes from me.

“Apologies to all… the brat escaped our nest,” Hael growls lowly and the slaves laugh nervously. “Continue your trading. You don’t pay any extra tax this moon if you keep this speech a secret. Don’t speak a word of it to anyone.

If one of you snitches, ~you’re dinner~. Your entire bloodline will cease to exist. Do you understand? Get back to work.”

Hael silences the laughter with that threat and walks back to another treasure room behind a door, pulling me into the gold and kicking the door shut.

I turn to see his throne where he usually reclines to receive tributes and tax.

I walk to the empty throne and sit.

I watch as Lochness opens the door and joins us.

Hael is clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides as he leans back against the rock wall.

“Wipe the blood off,” Hael picks up a rag and tosses it at Lochness.

I’m still furious about that.

“~You did that~,” I hiss at Hael, pointing to Lochness. “Don’t ever hurt him again. He’s my Dragon too.”

Hael swallows hard and says nothing. Lochness also remains silent as he wipes his skin clean, only smearing the blood all over.

I sigh, holding out my hands.

They both come forward and take one hand each, pulling me up to my feet.

“Are you okay, mouse?” Hael grabs my chin with one hand. “You’ve overdone it.”

“Y-yes,” I sway a little even while they’re holding me up. “I fucked you so hard I used up all my energy. Now I need a nap. In the nest, preferably.”

“Yes,” Hael agrees, releasing my chin as I flick my eyes to Lochness.

“What?” he growls at me.

“Heheh,” I laugh to myself, smiling. “You’re both mine.”

“Yes, Mouse, that is correct,” Hael responds curtly. “Before we go, is there anything you’d like at the market?”

“Mmhm, I want some hot food, anything really,” I ask. “I’m hungry again.”

“Let me get some for you, Madeline,” Hael says, guiding my hand into his brother’s free one, ensuring a firm grip.

Once Lochness has both my hands in his, Hael turns and storms out of the room, muttering curses under his breath.

I lean into Lochness’s blood-stained chest, gripping his hands that are wrapped around mine.

“That was a touching speech, little mouse,” Lochness murmurs, his voice floating above my head.

~Why do you want to die?~

Lochness pulls me into a tight embrace, releasing my hands to wrap his arms around me.

~The fear.~

~I feel?~

~Yes.~

~You’re our precious one,~ Lochness explains. ~And you always will be. But let’s lighten the mood. Tomorrow, we’ll take you to a library.~

~That sounds wonderful.~

~You’re quite the character, little mouse. Can you even read?~

“Can you?” I retort, looking up at Lochness. He shakes his head.

“No,” Lochness confesses softly. “I can’t.”

“Why?”

“I can’t focus with all the thoughts I constantly hear,” Lochness confesses, revealing a hint of vulnerability. “It drives me insane, little mouse.”

“Do I drive you insane?” I ask. ~I hope not.~

“No.” Lochness sways side to side, mimicking a dance with me. “You make me… warm.”

That’s… nice.

“Nest,” I murmur, “I’m tired, Nessy.”

Lochness releases me only to lift me up by my waist, holding me close. He strides out of the room and out of the mountain with a determined pace.

He watches me as I start to doze off in his arms. I just gaze back. When he looks at me like that, all my remaining fear evaporates. He reaches down to brush my hair off my cheeks.

“I feel love because of you,” Lochness whispers. “I hate nothing now.”

I blush. “Nessy.”

“Maddie.” Lochness playfully taps my nose, returning the favor from our time in the Pleasure room.

I blush even more.

Damn. Well, thanks, Adara—for your twisted meddling. She made me see the worst in them. There was no worst.

They were perfect.