My Boss is a Dragon

by Rowan Porter

  There wasn’t much light where he was, and the latest blow to his head had his vision swimming. It wasn’t so dark, nor was he too dazed, to see the huge shapes fighting in the dim light of the building he was in.

  “Oh, shit,” Liam muttered as he watched two dragons duking it out.

  In the dim light of what appeared to be a warehouse, it was impossible for Liam to make out who was who. He seriously hoped one of them was Sebastian, and that he hadn’t been dropped into the middle of a dragon fight club, to be used as a post-fight snack for the winner. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure if dragon shifters actually ate people, or if that was just the old legends coming through as a stereotype.

  The most he could tell was that one of the dragons was a little spikier than the other one, while the other seemed more streamlined and smoother. It didn’t seem to matter what they looked like, both were ferociously tearing at one another as they vied for supremacy. Even with the vast size of the warehouse, the dragons took up most of the building, twisting and thrashing as they tried to kill, or seriously hurt, the other.

  Liam struggled against the bonds around his wrist, huffing in frustration when he realized they were metal.

  “Of course they used handcuffs,” Liam complained.

  His sense of annoyance was lost as the spikier of the two dragons took hold of the smoother one, tossing him to the ground with a massive crash. Liam shrank back, suddenly terrified that their battle would reach him. Unless he got himself free, Liam would be trapped, helpless if their fight spread nearer to him.

  Panic began to settle in as the spiky dragon swooped in to finish the other one off. The two were getting closer, and it didn’t seem like the fight was going to end anytime soon. He wasn’t sure who he should be rooting for, if it should be either.

  With a roar that felt like it nearly burst Liam’s eardrums, the smoother of the two dragons barreled into the chest of the other. For what felt like forever, the two dragons thrashed around on the ground with a tumultuous crash. Long tails slapped into the ceiling above, sending pieces of it raining down to shatter on the floor below.

  Another shriek tore through the air, this time the pain came from the spikier of the two. With another ear-splitting scream, it reared back with the smoother of the two holding tight to it around its throat. Blood ran down the dragon’s neck and over its chest. Sensing opportunity, the smoother dragon pushed off from the ground and knocked the other over.

  Liam winced, a little glad the two beasts were moving away from him. The smooth dragon kept its huge mouth wrapped around the other, shoving it to the ground. Unable to flee or do anything else, Liam watched in awe and fear as the dragon savaged the one pinned to the ground. Teeth and claws flashed in the moonlight streaming in overhead, digging into the thick hide of the sprawled dragon, drawing blood and more cries of pain.

  Then it was over, and the victorious dragon roared, arching its back as it bellowed to the sky above. Liam hunched over, wishing he could cover his ears against the sound as his throbbing head pounded.

  Worse, the victorious dragon had turned to face him, its serpentine eyes falling on him. Liam uncurled, straightening as the dragon crawled off the other, padding slowly toward him. The motions were smooth and sinuous, as if the dragon didn’t feel the bleeding wounds the other had left on it. It was the pace of a predator, and Liam couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he really was going to end up someone’s snack.

  When the dragon was within arm’s length, a beam of moonlight passed over its head. Bright blue scales with a green tinge, like individual sapphires sprinkled with emeralds, twinkled in the pale light.

  Relief came out in a sob. “Sebastian.”

  The dragon gave a low grumble that sounded almost like a moan. Sebastian’s massive head came to rest before Liam, hovering less than an inch above his lap. Up close, Sebastian’s dragon form was even more awe-inspiring and terrifying, but Liam felt no fear. Big lizard who could stomp him into a paste without a thought or not, it was still Sebastian in there. The same Sebastian who had broken probably at least a dozen laws in order to track him down and tear his kidnapper apart to save him.

  Liam bowed forward as much as he could, resting his cheek against Sebastian’s snout. A smile graced his features as intense heat bathed him as he lay against the scales.

  “I always thought your scales would be cool, but of course they’re warm,” Liam murmured.

  With a soft rumble, Sebastian pulled back gently, careful not to jostle Liam too much. As Liam watched, Sebastian’s scaled hide began to ripple and move as he turned back into his human form. It felt to Liam like it took forever until it was finally just Sebastian standing there, albeit, a naked one.

  Sebastian hurried forward, wincing as he crouched down. “Liam.”

  Liam peered at Sebastian’s side, frowning. “Those don’t heal when you change?”

  Sebastian followed Liam’s gaze to his wounds. “They’ll heal, faster than yours will.”

  “We should probably still get those taken care of,” Liam said.

  Sebastian stared at him. “Really? You’ve just been kidnapped, almost stomped on, and you’re worried about a few scratches.”

  “They look very deep in places,” Liam continued stubbornly.

  Sebastian sighed exasperatedly. “You’re going to be the death of me one of these days, I swear to God Liam.”

  “I would much prefer you to be alive.”

  Sebastian frowned, his arm muscles bunching as he gave a yank at what had Liam’s arms bound. There came a harsh grating sound, and suddenly Liam’s arms were free. Blinking in surprise, Liam pulled his hands out, looking at his reddened, but otherwise unharmed wrists.

  “How?”

  Sebastian smirked. “I can partially transform enough to break a pair of cheap handcuffs. I have more than one trick up my sleeve when necessary.”

  Liam lurched forward, wrapping his arms around Sebastian’s neck and pulling him in close. It was only then, as Sebastian’s scent filled his nose, a reminder of something real, that he realized how close he’d come to dying.

  “Please tell me it’s over,” Liam said with a choked voice.

  Sebastian’s arms were strong and comforting as they enfolded him. “It is.”

  Liam nodded, his throat closed tight as he fought to find words for how grateful he was. The past several weeks had been the most wonderful of his life, but it hadn’t been without its terrors as well. In the end, though, Sebastian had come for him, Sebastian had fought for him, just as he’d promised.

  “I can’t believe you really came after us,” Liam said, trying to gather his composure again.

  Sebastian chuckled. “As if you would have let me live it down if I’d followed through on his demands.”

  “Demands?”

  Sebastian motioned to the dragon, which was slowly shrinking. “It’s Tyler. He called me after he took you, threatened to kill you if I didn’t bow out of the deal.”

  Liam huffed, eyeing the shrinking shadow that was the businessman. “I’m glad you didn’t believe him.”

  “He’s lost his mind, I couldn’t trust it,” Sebastian said, stroking Liam’s hair.

  Liam smiled up at him, feeling more happy and tired than he ever had in his life. Yet there was still the matter of Sebastian’s wounds, which would need to be treated before they could rest. Well, and they would probably need to deal with Tyler as well.

  “Is he dead?” Liam asked.

  Sebastian let out a sigh. “I thought about it, I really did, but no, just badly hurt.”

  Liam snorted softly. “Better than he deserves, but you’re better than having to fall to his level. I’m proud of you.”

  “Let’s get you checked out, and him in jail,” Sebastian said, helping Liam to his feet.

  Liam eyed Sebastian’s side. “You know we’re going to be there all night, especially with some of those wounds of yours.”

  Sebastian groaned. “I just want to lay down and not wake up
for at least two days.”

  Liam stood up, kissing Sebastian softly. “When this is all said and done, we can go back to the suite and sleep for as long as you want.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that,” Sebastian said.

  Liam grinned. “I’m betting on it.”

  EPILOGUE

  O nce again, Sebastian found himself pouring over the figures sliding across a digital screen. All in all, things were moving along nicely. It had been nearly two weeks since he and Liam had returned from Hong Kong, and business was moving at a good pace. With the deal with Zhao signed and progressing well, Glass Inc.’s future was looking good.

  There would still be some time before he was able to expand like he wanted to, but Sebastian was content to wait. As much as he wished he could move things forward and get the future to arrive sooner, he knew there was no hurry. The deal with Zhao Air was guaranteed to give them the means to expand into greater territory, and solidify Glass Inc.’s reputation with the world. With that aspect taken care of, the rest of the plan would fall into place.

  Sebastian shifted, wincing as his arm gave a twinge. It turned out the wounds he had sustained in fighting Tyler had been more severe than he’d originally believed. It was doctor’s orders that he keep his right arm in a sling for another week, and Sebastian despised it.

  A soft tap at the door brought his head up. “What can I do for you, Sarah?”

  Sarah smiled as she strode in. “Thought I should let you know that Zhao forwarded his revisions on the plan you sent him. They don’t seem terribly extensive, but I figured you would want to look over them before the end of the night.”

  Sebastian stared down at his screen, seeing no notifications. “Why is it, that I can design software and hardware that works perfectly and flawlessly for others, improving and streamlining their lives. Yet the moment I attempt to use something as simple as an email notification system, it decides it despises me and refuses to work?”

  Sarah laughed. “It’s your eternal curse, or perhaps it’s just the universe trying to find a little balance. Either way, I figured that was the case, so consider it your head’s up.”

  Sebastian tapped at the email icon on his screen. “I suppose I should comb through my account to see if there’s anything else I missed.”

  “Try not to stay here too late going through emails,” Sarah warned.

  Liam appeared in the doorway, smirking. “I wouldn’t worry about that. I’ll make sure he gets home and rests.”

  Sarah chuckled. “Somehow I feel like you wouldn’t be too keen on him resting all that much.”

  “Good night, Sarah,” Sebastian said with extra emphasis.

  She took the hint, though she left with a wide grin on her face, waving goodnight to Liam as she passed. Liam watched her go with a raised brow, slowly moving to the door to close it.

  He turned, brow still up. “You told her?”

  Sebastian snorted. “I did not. However, I hired her because she always seemed to know exactly what I needed, even before I knew what I needed.”

  Liam grinned. “Didn’t she hate me at the beginning?”

  “True, but then again, I didn’t say she was infallible.”

  “So, you’re saying she figured it out.”

  “I’m fairly sure she figured it out. Unless she’s somehow been going through my text messages to discover what you and I have been talking about in private.”

  Liam chuckled as he approached, sitting on the edge of the desk. “Doesn’t help that you have all the subtlety of a brick to the face.”

  Sebastian widened his eyes, attempting to look innocent. “Whatever did I do wrong?”

  “I distinctly remember a few days ago, you decided you couldn’t wait until we got back to your apartment. Your desk has been thoroughly tainted, and I’m fairly sure you didn’t make sure the door was closed before you pounced. If she were anywhere within a twenty-foot radius of the door, she wouldn’t need intuition to figure it out.”

  Sebastian busied himself looking through the string of emails in front of him, pretending he had no idea what Liam was talking about. He did, in fact, remember the event in question, but he wasn’t going to give Liam the satisfaction of knowing he was right. That and it wasn’t as if Liam hadn’t been equally responsible for the entire event.

  Sebastian cleared his throat at the memory. “You look very pleased with yourself.”

  “Well, I come bearing some good news…and a favor.”

  Sebastian looked up, smiling slightly. “Are you finally going to swallow your pride and accept my offer to help?”

  Liam beamed. “I’m here to tell you I don’t need you to help me, and that I got it figured out myself.”

  Sebastian groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t get a loan.”

  Liam snorted. “I’m sorry, but is Sebastian Carlton, the man who built an entire international company from a business loan, looking down on the idea of someone else doing the same?”

  Sebastian frowned. “I’m not looking down on it, you should know better. But if there is a better option than throwing yourself in debt to a bank for the next five years, or however long it takes to pay it back, then I feel you should take it. Namely, the loan I offered you, one without interest rates.”

  Liam smiled, turning himself around to dangle his legs between Sebastian’s knees. “I know, and it was tempting, it really was. But at the end of the day, I had to make a choice that I could live with.”

  “Accepting my help was something you couldn’t live with?” Sebastian asked, trying to keep the hurt from his voice.

  Liam’s smile softened. “I wanted to do this, because it’s something I needed to do on my own. Success or failure, it needs to be on my head, by my means, not someone else’s.”

  Sebastian reached out, taking Liam’s hand and squeezing. “I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand.”

  Liam beamed down at him. “Good, because I’m going to need your support while I’m trying to learn to run my own business.”

  “Isn’t that what I originally hired you for?”

  “Yeah, but there’s a difference between knowing what needs to be done, and doing it effectively. My skillset is in the former, I’m not so experienced in the latter. Plus, when things start going haywire, and I start losing my mind pouring over every possibility, I’m going to need you there to keep me steady.”

  Sebastian stood, kissing Liam. “I’d like to think I’m very good at distracting you when I need to.”

  Liam hummed happily. “That you are.”

  “Any other news I should know about?”

  Liam’s grin turned wicked. “Did you know that built into the business plan for your phone, there’s a service that automatically records and transcribes any calls?”

  Sebastian blinked. “I did not. Can’t say I’m terribly comfortable with the idea of my cellphone company knowing the things I’ve said to you over the phone. Nor with the idea of them having a record of it either.”

  “If you think you’re unhappy at the thought, just imagine how pissed off Tyler Diesel is after I discovered it and sent a copy of his conversation with you in Hong Kong to the police.”

  Sebastian stared, his mind processing what he’d just been told. Tyler had been just barely staying out of trouble for what happened in Hong Kong. While the American police could do nothing about what had happened in another country, it had turned suspicion upon him back home. So far, Tyler had avoided any charges, but the scrutiny had him on his best behavior, and he had so far left Sebastian and Liam alone.

  Sebastian laughed. “You mean the one where he admitted to trying to kill you repeatedly while on US soil?”

  “That’s the one.”

  Sebastian pulled Liam in for another, firmer kiss. “You are an absolute genius, you know that?”

  Liam leaned forward, resting their foreheads together. “I’ve been told it a time or two.”

  Sebastian snuggled closer, pushing himself between Liam’s legs and
holding them tight together. The specter of Tyler had continued to hang over them, even in the peace they’d had since their return. With that one act, Liam had managed to gain them a measure of real peace and quiet, and he’d barely had to lift a finger.

  A realization struck Sebastian, and he burst into laughter, the sound breaking the peace of their shared moment.

  Liam leaned back, bewildered. “I mean, it’s good news, but I didn’t think it was funny news.”

  Sebastian shook his head. “No, you don’t understand, something just hit me. Tyler, he…he was the one who designed the software used by my phone company. It’s very likely he was the one who wrote the code that recorded the evidence.”

  Liam sat back, eyes going vacant as the implications settled in. Sebastian watched as the laughter bubbled up into Liam’s throat, and shone through his eyes. A moment later, Liam joined Sebastian as the pure irony and karma that the universe occasionally saw fit to dole out fairly, rocked through them.

  “I wonder if it’s occurred to him,” Liam said between gasps.

  Sebastian snickered. “I don’t know, but I think I might send him a letter in prison to remind him, just in case.”

  “Oh shit, he’d want to kill you next.”

  Sebastian shook his head. “I’m not going to worry about him anymore. Let him rot away in jail for all I care. What matters is that I know you’re safe now, and Tyler is finally getting locked away like he deserves. Everything else is up from here.”

  Liam ducked his head, laughing nervously. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that, we haven’t got to my favor just yet.”

  “Mm, true. What do you got?”

  Liam looked up, chewing his bottom lip. “So, I wanted to have some time off to go see my mother.”

  Technically, Liam’s position within the company had been changed to freelancer status rather than a full-time position. After everything that had happened with Tyler, Liam had made up his mind that it was time to start working toward his dream of consulting for small businesses full-time. He’d also insisted that he be bumped off a permanent position, at least as far as the records were concerned. Sebastian knew it was because their relationship would be deemed more acceptable to prying eyes if Liam was simply a freelancer.