Approaching Storms

LOCH

~This city needs a cleansing.~

Someone to go through the grit and grime and cut away all the unnecessary fat. For years, I’d helped supply the scum of this world with a place to party...a sanctuary in which to pray every night while they dropped their wildest inhibitions.

And where was the repayment?

I stood on the edge of Req Tower, looking down at the hustle and bustle below. The sun warmed my skin, but I could feel a storm coming.

Clouds were formed in large clusters on the horizon.

It looked to be a downpour…

Something was happening...not just in this city, but inside of me.

Hael and I had provided for that ~street rat~. Given her an education, a penthouse in the clouds, and a purpose for her meaningless existence.

How did she thank us?

By riding the back of some lesser dragon straight into the Shadow Realm.

We’d searched for our mate for years before fate dropped her right into our laps just over two years ago.

I had wanted her then…to ravage her body...but she wasn't ready, and I knew that. I was the one to give her time and allow her to come to her senses when she was prepared for what we had to offer.

Now, after everything we’d given her, the little bitch was trying to erase us from her life…

“You shouldn’t get so angry over such a tasty little gutter rat,” Hael said.

His body appeared in a wisp of smoke next to me.

I growled in response, only to hear him laugh.

“She’ll return in due time,” he added.

“And when she does, I’ll lock her away so far in the dark she can never run again,” I snarled. “I want to watch her suffer.”

Hael chuckled. My own brother, laughing at my desires…

“Don’t you think that’s one of the reasons she left?” he mused.

Now it was my turn to laugh.

The poor bastard had gone soft. Or maybe I was the one changing. Either way, we were Twin Leading Breeds. Destined to take what was ours and never be told otherwise.

It simply wasn’t in our blood to let others win.

“The truth is, I’m not so worried about the little rat,” Hael admitted. “I’m worried about you.”

I looked into his glowing green eyes and saw how serious he was. It wasn’t like him to be worried about anything other than money or sex…but then again, times were changing.

“You’ve nothing to worry about,” I assured him. “Once we get Maddie, everything will be fine again."

“Are you certain she’ll be enough?” he asked. “I know what’s in your blood. The need to roam. To be free.”

“Then you know there’s nothing you can do about my desires,” I said.

“But we’ve built up an empire out of this shithole city,” he pressed on. “If you let your emotions take over, there’s no telling what could happen. To us or this city…”

I shook my head, trying to ignore the words. I hated to admit that Hael was right.

Something inside me was beginning to morph...the laid-back persona I had tried to cultivate over the years was being pushed aside...overcome by a desire to burn down every last building in this city.

“Please, brother,” Hael pleaded.

I could take no more.

I stepped off the building and felt the wind rush over my body as I plunged toward the street a hundred floors below.

It was tempting to stay like this.

All.

The way.

Down.

Instead, I shifted into my dragon form and took to the sky. The clouds were moving closer, ready to storm the city.

Tonight, I would join them.

MADDIE

I watched Harry work his magic and couldn’t believe my luck. He was a fucking natural.

Not to mention he was obviously working with the best in the biz...but I couldn’t discount the hustle he provided our duo.

Together, we knew every back alley and dead-end street in the entire Skeleton Quarter. No matter how many vials we had at one time, every few hours, we would need another batch.

Within two days, we had cornered our old neighborhood. That being said, we only sold to the ones who needed it, not the little tykes who wanted to play like the big boys.

We were dealers. But we had ethics.

They passed money to our hands, and we passed the product with the other. Harry performed flawlessly; it was a thing of beauty.

“Another satisfied customer,” I said with a smile.

“You know that’s what I do best,” he replied. “Hey, I think I’m going to go grab a burger and soda. Wanna join?”

I looked up the street and could see some longing faces staring back. It was past lunch, but my body was still running off of pure adrenaline. I didn’t have time to eat.

And miss out on some extra cash? I think I'll pass, I said. "Great work, though. Take as much time as you want."

Harry gave me a high-five before turning the corner and heading to his favorite burger joint.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to sell as much as him. The man was a natural. But it was my turn to at least hone my skills.

I focused on the two men with shaved heads that seemed to be checking me out from down the street. It was almost like they were hesitant to come and request my services.

Were they scared to buy from me? I shook my head.

Maybe they weren’t sure about buying drugs from a woman.

~Typical Requiem City men…~

I began walking down to meet them when I heard footsteps behind me.

“Hey, little girl,” a gruff voice called out. “Didn’t anyone tell you it’s not smart to do business all alone?”

At first, I thought it was a joke. ~Little girl?~

But when I turned around, I caught sight of a burly man wearing a torn leather jacket. The grime in his hair and the look in his eyes told me this was no joke.

“Scared I’m going to take your business?” I asked, trying my best to remain calm.

“No. But you should be scared that I’ll take yours,” he replied.

Shit. This wasn’t good.

I turned to run but felt his weight tackle me to the ground. Pinned to the cracked asphalt, I could feel his putrid breath tickling my ears.

“Now, I’m going to teach you not to run from daddy,” he sneered.

The more I tried to squirm, the more trapped I became. Damn. This was really not good...

“Hey, fuck face!” a deep voice yelled out.

I looked up in time to see two hulking figures sprinting toward us.

~Oh, shit.~

~The more, the merrier, I guess.~

They were on us within seconds. The scumbucket was lifted off of my back; I could finally breathe again.

I turned over on my back and watched as the two men with buzzed hair—the same ones who were watching me earlier—wailed their fists into my attacker's chest.

Moments later, he was a crumpled, bloody heap on the ground, struggling to breathe.

I should have run, but the shock of what had happened was still fresh on my mind.

One of the men extended his hand. Before I could fathom what was taking place, I was back on my feet.

I looked at the two giant men who had saved me. They seemed to be twins, nearly identical in every way.

They wore raggedy t-shirts and stained jeans. Their buzzed heads were riddled with scars that told of past scrapes not unlike this one.

But what was most striking were their eyes, which sparkled like sapphires. Two sets of dazzling gemstones...

Just like the Dobrzyckas’.

“Thanks,” I stammered.

One of the twins stepped forward and brushed off the shoulders of my jacket.

“Don’t mention it,” he said with a wink. “We can’t stand when trash like that pollutes our streets.”

One twin looked to the other, a knowing look on their faces. It was almost as if they were communicating with one another...like they could hear each other’s thoughts…

“I’m Dane,” said the other twin. He had a scar on his chin that gave him a slightly different look than his brother.

“And I’m Aneurin,” replied the other. “Glad we could help out.”

There was a long pause. I couldn’t think straight. How could I respond to these two giant men who had saved my life?

“And you are?” asked Dane.

“I-I’m Maddie,” I said, offering my hand.

They each accepted it and shook it happily.

“Now, we don’t want to be too pushy,” Aneurin said eagerly. “So, stop us if that happens. But you wouldn’t happen to be selling anything a tad bit illicit, would you?”

I smiled and nodded.

“Boys,” I replied, “I think I have just the thing.”

LOCH

A blast of thunder rumbled in the sky as a strike of lightning lit up the dark alleyway.

I watched the urchin run through the dark streets, hoping the shadows would save him.

It was cute, really.

But I wouldn’t let him get away. I couldn’t. Not until I satisfied the hunger that was tearing at my soul.

~CRASH!~

The dumb fuck tripped over a metal garbage can. Contents skittered across the alley. It was like he wanted me to catch him.

My wings carried me higher, and for a brief moment, I knew he thought I was gone. That I had somehow grown tired and given up the chase.

That’s what I wanted. The game was almost as fun as the meal. And with that tiny sliver of hope blindly guiding him, I watched as he took the wrong damn turn.

Dead. End.

The man came to a halt, suddenly aware of his mistake.

I could smell the fear on his skin—salty and pungent.

My massive body fit neatly between the brick buildings surrounding him, eliminating any hope of escape.

“No!” he screamed. “Devil! Get away!”

I laughed, and green fire spouted from my nostrils.

If I were the devil, then I'd come to claim this sinner's soul.

All I was interested in was his flesh.

I opened my mouth, fangs dripping with drool.

He tried to scream again, but the thunder overhead drowned out his cries.

The blast from my fire seared the air in his lungs. His body was cooked like a roasted pig.

I bit into his charred skin and the juices within burst onto the soiled ground. I reveled in the taste of his muscle and fat as rain pelted my scales.

Soon, the entire city would go through a cleansing. And I would be a harbinger of change.

One tasty human at a time.