Boss Dragon

by Alexis Davie

  8

  Adley took a sip from the bottle of vodka and pulled a face as the liquid flowed down her throat. She was feeling a little fragile, but that wasn’t her fault, nor the alcohol’s. She felt betrayed, and this was the only way she knew that would make her feel better, even if it was only temporary.

  For the past month, she had thought that she and Oryn had something special, but for the last few days, things had been different. On more than one occasion, Adley had noticed Oryn leave his bed and be gone for hours. She wasn’t sure where he went, but there was only one explanation. He was cheating on her. He had found someone else, someone better, and he was sneaking out in the middle of the night while she was sleeping, thinking she wouldn’t notice it.

  But she did. She had.

  She swallowed another mouthful of vodka and coughed violently.

  “Oh my god, that is disgusting,” she spewed to herself and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The cheap vodka didn’t taste anything like the top-shelf drinks she enjoyed with Oryn.

  She glanced over at her car keys on the coffee table for the hundredth time, again contemplating whether she should go to his house to confront him. Clearly, he wasn’t going to tell her what he was doing in the middle of the night—or who he was doing—so the only way was to ask him directly. He surely wouldn’t lie to her face, would he?

  Adley ran her fingers through her hair and groaned, still staring at the keys on the coffee table. She drunkenly pondered for another few minutes while finishing off the rest of the vodka before concluding that she needed to know what was going on. She loved Oryn with every cell in her body and everything she had, but she wouldn’t allow him to disrespect her like that. He had told her himself that she deserved someone who would treat her well, and what was he doing to her?

  “Creeping out in the middle of the night, I mean, who does he think he is, huh?” she muttered out loud to herself. “He may be the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company, but that doesn’t give him the right to lie and cheat, does it?” She paused for a moment and slammed her fist down on the table. “No, it doesn’t.”

  She reached over, grabbing her keys, and scrambled to her feet. She barely made it out the door, but her anger seemed to take over her intoxicated body, and she marched to her car. Adley had never driven while she was drunk, but she didn’t really care. She needed answers, now, though deep down inside her, she hoped she wouldn’t get pulled over by the cops. Maybe a night in jail would calm her down so she wouldn’t strangle her boyfriend.

  The road blurred in front of her, but she focused really hard to get to Oryn’s house safely, or at least alive. She stopped in front of the gate and pressed the intercom button.

  “Veskovic residence,” she recognized Jayce’s voice over the speaker.

  “It’s Adley. Can you open the gate for me, please?” she asked, trying to sound as sober as she could.

  “Is everything alright, miss?” Jayce asked.

  “Everything is just swell. I just thought I’d drop by to surprise Oryn. Is he in?”

  “Mr. Veskovic is in. I will open the gate for you.”

  “Thank you, Jayce.” Adley tapped her hand on the outside of her door while she waited for the gate to open.

  When it finally did, she pulled her car into the driveway and staggered up to the front door, clearly on a mission. She rang the doorbell and waited. After a short while, Oryn stood in the doorway with a surprised look on his face.

  “Adley,” he started, but she didn’t give him a chance to say anything. She pointed her finger at him.

  “I need to talk to you, mister.” Oryn frowned, but he stepped out of the way for her to come inside. She slowly walked in and turned around. “Did you think that I was stupid and that I wouldn’t realize what was going on?” she slurred.

  Oryn narrowed his eyes suspiciously and took a step towards her. “Are you drunk?”

  “No,” she scoffed. “Okay, maybe a little.”

  “And you drove all the way here, in your state?” he asked.

  “I guess,” she shrugged nonchalantly.

  “I can’t believe you,” Oryn scolded her. “Drinking and driving.”

  “Well, technically, I drank at my house and then I drove here, so I was drinking and then driving,” she giggled and then hiccupped.

  “You think this is funny? How much did you have to drink? It looks like well over the legal drinking limit. What if you were pulled over and arrested? What then? What if you were in an accident? What if you got hurt, or died?”

  Adley narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. “You’re not allowed to do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “I came over here to give you a piece of my mind!” she exclaimed, pointing at him again. “Not for you to lecture me and tell me what I am doing wrong!”

  “What are you talking about?” he demanded.

  “Do you honestly think that I wouldn’t find out? Do I look dumb to you?”

  “Of course you don’t, but I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he defended.

  “I know you leave every time I sleep! I’ve seen you go. I don’t know where you’re going, or who you’re going to see, but I think I deserve your honesty,” she stammered.

  “I absolutely agree,” he answered.

  She blinked a few times and crossed her arms. “So who is she?”

  “There’s no other woman, Adley.”

  “Then where do you go? And why do you go about it in such a sneaky way?”

  Oryn sighed and replied, “I can’t tell you.”

  Adley’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked away. “Why not? I thought you could tell me anything.”

  “There are so many things that I want to tell you, Adley, but I just can’t.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m not sure if you’re going to like what you hear.”

  Adley sighed and looked at him. “I don’t care what you tell me, Oryn. I just want to know the truth!”

  “I can’t tell you!” Oryn yelled, frustrated. Adley nodded bitterly and marched passed him. Just as she reached the door, he called out to her. “Adley, wait!”

  Adley whirled around and looked at him.

  “I can’t tell you, but I can show you, if you let me.”

  She nodded slowly. “Fine. Show me.”

  Adley’s heart pounded in her chest as she followed Oryn down the wooden steps leading down to the dock and the boathouse. She grew nervous with every step she took, and a million things whirled through her mind. Had he stashed something important or illegal in the boathouse? Did he carry guns in his boat?

  She watched him unlock the padlock and open the door, and she followed closely behind. He climbed inside the beautiful white speedboat, with light blue seating and chrome railings around the seating area at the back.

  Oryn held out his hand to her, and she hesitated for a few seconds. He knew how she felt about water, but she was desperate to find out where the hell he had been going. She reluctantly took his hand and climbed inside the boat. She sat down on the side seat and watched as Oryn untied the thick rope from the wooden pole and rolled it up, placing it on the floor of the small cabin. He sat down behind the controls, and with a simple turn of a key, the engine roared to life. Adley grabbed the metal railing on both sides of the seat and held on for dear life as the boat began to move.

  She wasn’t sure how long they had been in the water, or how far they were, but she had to admit that it wasn’t as bad as she imagined it would be. Having Oryn there with her was comforting, though her fear for the water below her was too overwhelming to ignore. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but the cool sea air made her feel dizzy.

  “Where exactly are we going?” she asked.

  “We’re nearly there.”

  “And where is there exactly?” she insisted.

  They were quiet for a short while until Oryn turned off the engine and threw the anchor overboard. Adley glanced around her, but all she could
see was water. Panic started to set in, and her chest tightened. Oryn stepped over to the seat beside her and sat down.

  “Adley, I am going to show you something, and it’s very important that you keep an open mind about it,” he said calmly. Adley nodded. “I need you to stay calm, breathe, and whatever you do, don’t make any sudden moves. Don’t go in the water, and don’t scream.”

  “Why would I scream?” she demanded, her voice shaking.

  “Also, I don’t want you to be afraid. You don’t have to be afraid. I promise you I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “I don’t understand,” Adley stuttered.

  “Just remember what I told you, okay? Don’t be afraid.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Okay.” Oryn nodded and stood from the seat. Much to her amazement, he took off his shirt, looked at her once more over his shoulder, and dove into the water.

  “Oryn!” she called out to him and jumped up. She rushed to the side of the boat and peered down at the water. A string of bubbles spiraled up to the surface, increasing in size, but there was no sign of Oryn. She was all alone on a speedboat in the middle of the ocean. She didn’t know how to start the boat, or in which direction to go to get back to land. All she knew was that she was going to freak out any second now.

  Bubbles began to rise to the surface, and the water turned a strange hue of green. Suddenly, something came out, splashing water everywhere. Adley shielded herself and glanced up at the sky. Her eyes instantly widened as she noticed the beast flying down towards her. Its wings were gigantic, and as it flew closer to her, the scales on its body glimmered in the sunlight.

  “Holy shit!” she gasped.

  It was a dragon. A real live dragon, with green scales and massive wings, and strangely enough, its face and jawline resembled Oryn’s in a way.

  The giant animal lowered itself down into the water, and suddenly, the boat Adley was in seemed tiny in comparison. The dragon’s face came closer to her, and its eyes glowed in a familiar green hue. She knew those eyes too well, and they were as undeniable and alluring as the first time she had seen them.

  “Oryn?” Its head came closer to her, and Adley took a step back. She remembered what he had told her about not having to be afraid, because he would never do anything to hurt her. Bravely, she reached out her hand but didn’t touch it. She waited for it to come to her. Sure enough, it moved its head closer, allowing her hand to touch the smooth scales on its nose. Adley let out a gasp and looked at it.

  “Oh, my god,” she breathed, lightly stroking his dragon skin. “I should really lay off the vodka,” she muttered to herself.

  The dragon snorted and moved away from her. Adley stepped away, and the dragon slowly rose up out of the water. Its giant wings unfolded, and Adley took multiple strained breaths. She had never seen anything like this; she didn’t know something like this even existed or could exist.

  “Don’t be afraid, Adley. Don’t be afraid,” she repeated to herself as she glanced up, remembering what Oryn had told her.

  No screaming. No sudden moves. She didn’t need to be afraid.

  The dragon lowered its head again, right down beside her, and nudged her softly.

  “What? What do you want me to do?” she asked, feeling stupid that she was expecting an answer. The dragon motioned to the sky and gave her a slight nod.

  Adley’s eyes widened, and she asked breathlessly, “You want me to fly with you?”

  To her surprise, it nodded and inched closer to her.

  “You won’t drop me, right?” she stuttered, but as she looked into the bright green eyes of the giant beast in front of her, reassurance filled up inside her. It was like it was trying to convince her to climb onto its neck, and for some reason unbeknownst to Adley, it managed to do it.

  She carefully placed her hands on the top of its head and felt herself being lifted off the boat. She glanced back and saw the razor-sharp edge of its wing. Three horns protruded from its head and were perfect for holding onto. The last thing she wanted was to slip and fall into the ocean, but she knew he wouldn’t allow that to happen.

  As Adley straddled the dragon’s neck, holding tightly to the horns in front of her, the giant wings lifted up, along with her, through the heights of the sky. Adley screamed at the sudden movement, feeling like she was on a rollercoaster, clenching the horns as tightly as she could. She pressed her face against them and closed her eyes, still feeling the harsh movements of the dragon flying through the air.

  A soft breeze grazed her cheek, and she opened her eyes slowly, carefully. Everything was quiet around her, even the wings of the dragon gliding gracefully in the air. She raised her head and looked around her. She let out an awestruck gasp at her surroundings while her heart continued to pound in her chest. They were flying above the clouds, and it was quiet and ethereal.

  The moment felt surreal, and although Adley was terrified, she felt liberated. A feeling she had never truly felt before, and now it carried her on the shoulders of a dragon, flying above the clouds, making her feel invincible. She wasn’t afraid. anymore, and she wouldn’t allow her fears and insecurities to weigh her down any longer. She slowly loosened her grip on the horns in front of her and bravely stretched out her trembling arms to her sides. She took a deep breath and tilted her head back slightly.

  The cool breeze on her face and the feeling of being completely free overwhelmed her, but also invigorated her, filling her with hope and promise, and she knew that everything would be okay. Better than okay.

  A sudden jerk under her made her grab the horns again, and the dragon let out a throaty screech.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, again expecting an answer from him. Could he hear her? Could he understand her, or was there some kind of secret dragon language to communicate with him when he was like this? She shook her head at how crazy she sounded, but then again, riding on the back of a dragon seemed pretty high up on the list of crazy.

  The beast swooped down. Adley felt her stomach turn upside down at the sudden drop, and she held on for dear life again. Just before they hit the water, the beast stopped abruptly and nudged Adley off his neck and back onto the boat. She scrambled to her feet as she watched the beast slide down into the water, and she leaned over the edge of the boat. Right before her eyes, the beast decreased in size, lost its scales, and took on a human form. Oryn’s face appeared through the pale scales, and his arms were once again his own.

  Adley’s breathing was ragged as she watched him swim towards the boat and pull himself out of the water. He swung himself over the railing of the boat and grabbed a nearby towel, wrapping it around him. Adley waited for him to read her reaction, but instead, Oryn pulled up the anchor, rushed to the control panel, and started the engine.

  “We have to go,” he spoke in a hoarse voice.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Someone’s coming,” he grumbled. The engine roared to life, drowning out all Adley’s questions, and fear began to set in once again.

  When they reached the boathouse, Adley quickly jumped out of the boat and headed to the wooden stairs leading back to the house. She didn’t wait for Oryn, but within a minute, he stood behind her, and she turned around.

  “You…”

  Oryn glanced at her, still wearing the towel wrapped around his hips, but he didn’t say anything, as if he wanted her to say the words because he couldn’t.

  Was that what he had meant? Was he not allowed to tell her about him being a dragon? Could he only show her what he was because he wasn’t allowed to say it out loud? What would happen if he did? Would the other dragons come and take him away? Would he then be a fugitive dragon?

  Oh, my god, Adley. You’re going crazy.

  “You’re a…”

  Oryn nodded. “You can say it.”

  “I don’t know if I want to, because that’s what is going to make it real,” she stuttered, catching her breath.

  “It is real,” he whispered. “You saw it for yo
urself.”

  “I need to leave.” She whirled around, going up the wooden stairs.

  “Adley, wait,” Oryn spoke gently and followed her up the stairs. Adley picked up the pace, crossing the backyard, but Oryn reached for her hand and spun her around.

  “Please, let go of me,” she begged.

  “I’m not going to hurt you, Adley. I just want us to talk about this,” he stated.

  “I can’t talk to you about this right now. It’ll sound too crazy. I feel completely overwhelmed and terrified and…”

  “It’s going to be okay,” he said and reached for her face, but she pulled away.

  “I really have to go,” she insisted, tears forming in her eyes. “I am so sorry.”

  She turned away from him, crossed the backyard, and pushed through the side gate going to the front of the house and the driveway where her car stood. She climbed inside and started the engine right away. The gate opened automatically, and she sped off. Her heart still pounded painfully in her chest. She couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed. She knew that Oryn wasn’t like any other guy she had dated, but she didn’t think that in a million years he was hiding the fact that he was a dragon. He hid it so well from her, so what else was he hiding?

  The drive to her house was short, and within ten minutes, she barged in through her front door and locked it behind her. Dropping her keys on the kitchen counter, she walked to her couch and fell down on it. She stared out in front of her, feeling as though she was in a trance. The entire afternoon had been so surreal, and the extremity of the whole situation had just started to hit her. Overwhelmed by the emotions bubbling up inside her, she suddenly burst out into tears. Gasping for air, she grabbed a scatter pillow and clutched it tightly against her chest. Her mind was in a complete whirl, and despite feeling betrayed and lied to, she was heartbroken and afraid. Afraid of what Oryn may have to say for himself, afraid that she would still love him regardless of what he was, afraid that he might be the end of her. She didn’t want to feel like that again.