Passing of the Crown

HAZEL

Back at the hotel room, my hands shake. I’m grateful to be out of battle but…

~Zayda.~

I hug her tightly as she sobs on my shoulder.

“Oh my god,” she weeps.

I rub her back.

“It’s okay,” I tell her.

She exhales sharply and holds Thor close. He goos and gaas a few times at us, and everybody laughs.

“Thank you,” Zayda tells Rex. “Thank you so fucking much!”

“Hey!” I exclaim, jokingly, “Aunty says to watch your mouth around the baby!”

Zayda cries and laughs and smiles.

LOCH

I check in on each and every one of the people who fought with us.

“Any injuries?” I ask Dane and Aneurin.

They both shake their heads. Summer sits down and sprawls across their laps, kissing both their cheeks.

“The only thing we could use after that,” she says, “is a huge takeout order.”

Onyx appears with a large menu. “I say we just get two of everything off the menu, and a shitload of champagne for the room.”

Harry smiles and whips out his cell phone. “I can make that happen.”

A smirk makes its way across my lips.

“We did it, brother,” Hael says, searching my eyes. “And it looks like you’re back to Loch.”

I flash my eyes crimson, then flash them back.

“He’s always been a part of me, but now I know how to control him.”

“Well,” Maddie says, sneaking up on me and hugging me from behind, “I do hope he comes out to play every now and again.”

I turn and kiss her boldly on the lips. “I’m sure we can work something out, little mouse.”

Silver and Storm sit on a couch, resting their heads together, almost asleep.

“Can we keep the sounds of celebration to a minimum,” Silver asks with one eye half-open, “the old codgers here are depleted, and need a nap.”

“Sorry, grandma,” Aneurin teases.

We all laugh.

“Listen,” I tell Dane and Aneurin, “if you two ever need anything at the Dusk Mountains, you just give us a call.”

The twins nod their buzzed heads. “Thank you. And the same goes to you.”

We firmly shake hands and lock eyes when we do.

“Now, there’s one more order of business that Hael and I have discussed before the attack,” I declare.

Maddie snaps her gaze at me.

“~I let you dominate me one time, and then you leave me out of major decisions again!~” she mind-links.

I grin, “~Don’t worry, my angry little mouse. All will soon be revealed.~”

Maddie huffs and pours herself a glass of champagne.

Onyx hands a glass to everyone.

Hael takes my side and says, “Loch and I have run Requiem City for as long as we can remember. We have ruled over it in every aspect.”

“But something,” I add, “has become clear to us.”

At the same time, Hael and I say, “It’s time to pass the crown.”

I hold up the keys to Requiem Tower and hand them to Rex.

“Rex,” I say, “you said you wanted to lead. You said you wanted to be in charge of our city. Now, you are.”

Maddie spits out her champagne.

“What!” she exclaims.

“~Easy~,” I mind-link to her, “~trust me, Madeline.~”

She pouts and is adorable when she does so. I know using her full name always butters her up.

Rex takes the keys.

“I accept,” he says, looking at Hazel and Zayda, “and I invite these two to be my mates. We will dedicate ourselves to keeping your city safe.”

“Not my city,” I say, shaking my head, and looking directly at Rex. “~Our ~city. All of ours.”

Hazel and Zayda raise their champagne flutes.

“I accept, babe!” Hazel says.

Zayda, beaming, says, “Me too!”

Everyone raises champagne glasses in their honor.

“But what will become of you three?” Rex asks.

I smile wide. “Oh, we’ve got very special plans.”

MADDIE

I storm out of the hotel room and am chased by Loch and Hael.

“Oh, so right as I get used to running the show around here, you just give it up to some muscle hunk who…”

Loch shuts me up with a kiss on the lips.

“Listen,” he says, playing with locks of my red hair, “I want you to pack a bag.”

“What?”

I turn to Hael, and Hael nods.

“Where are we going?”

Hael and Loch share a glance, then laugh.

“We’re going,” Loch says, “wherever you want to go.”

My heart flutters with joy. I bounce on the edge of my heels.

“You said you wanted to travel the world, mouse,” Hael adds, “so that’s what we’re going to do. Whatever you want to do, wherever you want to go, that’s what’s on our agenda.”

I blink a few times, my jaw hanging open.

“Are you guys serious?”

Loch scoops me into his arms and carries me to our private room. Hael follows beside us, holding my hand.

“Of course,” Loch says. “Think about it, Maddie. We have infinite amounts of money. We have every resource imaginable.”

“And now,” Hael says, poking a finger against my nose, “thanks to you, we have a safe world and a safe city. It’s time for us to go and spread our wings.”

Overwhelmed, I start rambling, “Oh my god! I have so many places I want to visit!”

Hael laughs and sits on the bed. “Then make a list, sweetheart. We go wherever you want.”

Loch kisses my neck. “Just remember, you’re a ~Dobrzycka~. That means that no matter where you choose to take us, you’ll be treated like our spoiled little queen.”

I bite my lip, admiring how handsome my two mates are in their signature skintight leather pants.

“Thank you both,” I say, a tear rolling down my eye. “I couldn’t be happier about this.”

Hael rubs my hand. “We couldn’t be happier about you, Maddie. You changed our lives.”

Loch sets me down on the bed and sits beside me.

I hop on top of them both, kissing one and then the next.

“Before we head out,” I say, tearing off Loch’s shirt and unzipping Hael’s pants, “I think we need one more night to say goodbye to Requiem City properly.”

Hael gets up and locks the bedroom door. Loch closes the shades.

Now, it’s just us.

Forever and always, the three dragon mates.

The Dobrzycka twins enter our bed with me once more.

Even after all we’ve been through, tonight marks the first night of the rest of our lives.

^The End^