Dragon's Slave

MADELINE

“I’m already your slave. Aren’t I broken enough?” I ask while needlessly and repeatedly tugging on the restraints behind my back.

“Not just my slave, Madeline. You are my responsibility, but you serve the whole horde.” Hael releases my chin but remains close.

Despite him being Dragon Lord Hael, the largest and fiercest of all the dragons, I can barely control my temper.

I’m known for being overly aggressive when pushed to my limit; Layla knows, all too well, that when I lose my cool, I become extremely…non-compliant.

I’ve refused to eat for days when I’ve been asked to do things I don’t want to do. Which, of course, doesn’t make for a very good slave.

Hence, why I’ve never been given any other duties besides cleaning the guest rooms in the Requiem Mountains.

The only bedrooms I like cleaning are those full of exotic furniture—at least they’re interesting. Plus, I occasionally get away with a nap on those lavish king-sized beds.

“I just…I—” I realize my mistake. It’s Darren’s fault for putting the idea into my head that Hael was going to claim me as his personal slave. “I didn’t mean to phrase it like I did.”

Hael’s smirk grows wider, and I’m grateful for the distraction when Adara drags Darren out of the pub.

“Brother,” Adara snaps at Hael, “I hope you have something in mind to discipline the slaves for this. They’ll forget their place if you go soft on them.”

Hael rolls his eyes and growls quietly from the back of his throat. “Fear not, sister, I’ve already got some punishments in mind.”

Hael meets Darren’s eyes. “Don’t worry. Your punishment is to be fucked into submission by my sister.” Hael laughs loudly, drawing the attention of the passing townsfolk.

“Oh, shut it, Hael. I’m sick of this pathetic town already, I’m leaving.” A thick mist surrounds Adara as she elegantly transforms into her long-framed, amethyst-colored dragon.

Her clothes flitter to the ground, and Darren sighs before collecting them.

“I’m always picking up after you, aren’t I, dear Adara?” Darren asks with as much sarcasm as he can muster before waltzing over to her.

She hisses at him as he draws near but, finally, lowers her neck to allow him to climb onto her.

“Disrespectful little rats, the lot of them.” Adara’s voice fills my mind as she speaks to us in her dragon form. ~“Whoever had the idea of this temporary escape should be punished severely.”~

As she gets ready to take off, Darren looks back at me and winks.

“It was all your idea, Madeline!” he calls out, holding on tight as Adara takes flight.

I gasp at his lies. “I didn’t even know you before this trip! How could I…?” I give up yelling after him because he is already out of hearing range.

I tug on the restraints holding my hands together behind my back while glancing up at Hael. He is watching his sister as she flies back to the Requiem Mountains in the distance.

As he looks on, I take the opportunity to admire his bare chest… Begrudgingly, mind you. But it’s always bare…

He loves to wear black or brown leather pants, sometimes arm guards, and nothing else.

Hael narrows his eyes as he turns back to assess me. “I’ll soon find out if you are the one behind all this.”

My admiration of his body does not go unnoticed, even when I quickly look back up at his eyes.

“Now tell me, curious mouse, why are your thoughts running around the subject of me claiming you as mine?”

“N-no, they’re not, they…just, just…get out of my head!” I yell at him, closing my eyes and trying to banish my thoughts.

This is all so embarrassing, and he is enjoying it too much. I open my eyes cautiously to see he is still staring at me.

“Oh no, darling. Your thoughts are far too entertaining for me to leave you alone just yet.” Hael looks me up and down and notices that I’m shivering.

He dissolves into a mist and transforms into his dragon, right where Adara just did the same thing. I duck when his wing knocks loose a roof tile near me, which falls and shatters on the ground.

He tucks his wings close to his back, and his tail comes swishing toward me, curling around my middle and picking me up.

After lifting his clothes and my bag of money off the ground with his claws, he stalks down the road, looking for a wide-open space to lift off.

People scream when they see him, men and women alike. Some fall to their knees and start to beg for their lives, tears running down their faces.

“Begging, moaning, scared little humans. It’s music to my ears.” Hael’s voice threads its way through my mind.

I don’t want to think about what he is implying and, instead, try to distract him. “Silent cave walls and isolation: that’s music to my ears,” I think, knowing he is reading my mind.

“Watch your tongue, little mouse, you have yet to pay the price for your escape attempt.”

“It was hardly an attempt. More like a—”

“Silence. I know your mind. You want nothing more than freedom.”

“Then give it to me, and we’ll both be happy. You’ll be rid of an inconsiderate, rebellious slave, and I’ll have my freedom.” I’m happy with my response. I consider he might even agree with me but…

“I’m curious, Madeline, about why you think I would let you go so easily.”

I am about to answer him, but he takes off into flight, and I’m momentarily distracted.

Oh, gods, how I’ve missed flying!

I look around as everything gets smaller so quickly as we get higher and higher. The rush of the air… The warmth of his tail…

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to focus on answering his question.

“What use am I to you? I confronted you when I was eight, and after being a slave in your horde for ten years, I’m still no more obedient. Is that not enough punishment for both of us? Let me go.”

“I desire female company, Madeline. Although, I like my female slaves obedient to the bone—”

“So, you are~ going to claim me as your personal slave?”~ I interrupt.

“Smart girl, but obedient? I’ll soon find out.” Hael seems more than curious to test me.

“What the hell does that mean?” I can’t hold back the fury in my tone, even in my mind. Obedient? Hasn’t he been listening? He’ll soon find out exactly what type of female I am.

“It means, you should start learning how to listen, little mouse. I won’t be destroying your innocence too quickly. I’ll be doing that slowly.”

“My innocence?” Even in my mind, it comes out as a squeak.

“You have many innocent walls I will enjoy knocking down. First, I’ll corrupt you mentally, then physically, until you’re as tainted as I want you to be.

“You’re too young for me to be fucking you into submission just yet, Madeline,” he continues, ~“but we’ll get to that eventually.”~

Hael’s arrogant, blunt reply leaves me speechless.

Darren was right.

Oh, lord, what the hell am I going to do?

“The day you try and spread my legs is your last day on this earth, Dragon Lord! I will never, in my life, submit to you.”

Hael’s laughter filters through my mind. It is so loud, it seems impossible that he isn’t waking the people sleeping soundly in their quiet homes below.

“Madeline, Madeline, Madeline. As soon as we get back to the horde, your submission training will begin.”