Boss Dragon

by Alexis Davie

  What if he accidentally hurt her when he was a dragon?

  Oh, my god, Adley! Would you listen to yourself? The guy is a fucking dragon!

  She was overlooking the fact that Oryn was a dragon. A real-live, actual dragon.

  Those things didn’t exist, or at least, not to her. Her heart dropped as she thought about what else could exist in this world that she thought didn’t. Witches, vampires, werewolves? Fairies, mermaids?

  She didn’t know what to do or to think anymore, and she simply stayed on the couch until the sun went down. She ignored the texts and messages coming through her phone, although she knew that they were all from Oryn. She didn’t want to talk to him at that moment, but she knew she had to. She had to know what he had kept a secret from her, what he didn’t or couldn’t tell her.

  Adley loved him, there was no doubt about it, but the fact that he could turn into a dragon was a little more than what she had bargained for. She didn’t want a complicated situation, not again. Things had been going so well with Oryn, and she was finally happy. She deserved to be happy, and he made her feel that way.

  Why did she feel like giving all that up just because of a minor—which was not minor at all to her—detail he had omitted?

  Adley realized that it was really difficult for Oryn to keep something like this a secret, especially from her, and she understood why he had done it. If he had told her the truth, she would have probably thought that he was crazy and laughed at him. She would have left his house and never called him again.

  She sat upright on the couch, wiped her eyes, and glanced at her phone. The screen still flashed every now and again, and she reached for it. Oryn’s handsome face flashed on the screen, and she took a deep breath. She slid her finger across the screen and answered the call. “Hello.”

  “Adley, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Listen, I need to talk to you about this afternoon. I know it was overwhelming, and I must have scared the shit out of you—”

  “You did.”

  “Can I see you, please?” he pleaded.

  “Not today. I just need some quiet time to process what happened today,” she answered quietly.

  “Don’t you think it would be better if I was with you? You might have questions,” he suggested.

  “Oh, I definitely have questions. I just want to process, on my own. Okay?”

  “You’re not going to disappear, are you? Or do something stupid?” he asked.

  “No. I won’t go driving anywhere drunk, ever again.”

  “I’m so sorry, Adley.”

  “I have to go.”

  “I love you.”

  “Bye, Oryn,” she whispered and ended the call. A tear ran down her cheek as she placed her phone back on the table in front of her and lay back down on the couch.

  9

  It was quiet in his office, yet Oryn was agitated. It had been three days, and he had heard nothing from Adley. He understood that it had been nothing less than terrifying and traumatic for her to see him turn into a dragon and to fly thousands of feet in the air on his neck, but how long did she need to process things? He had tried calling her so many times in the past three days, until he had realized that he wasn’t doing himself, or her, any favors. She needed some space to think and breathe, even though it was a difficult thing for him to fathom. He wanted to be with her, hold her hand as he told her everything about himself, again. He wanted to tell her the real story about his scar, and about their Bonding and the Curse. He wanted to tell her that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe, and that he would never do anything to hurt her. If only she would let him.

  His office door opened, and Naomi entered, holding a cup of coffee. Ever since their little altercation in his office, things had also been a little tense between them. They didn’t talk as much as they had before, and both of them seemed wary of the other.

  “I brought you some coffee, just the way you like it,” Naomi stated, placing it down before him.

  “How long will it take for the poison to kill me?” he muttered.

  “A few minutes,” she shrugged nonchalantly and closed the door behind her. “I’m not trying to kill you.”

  “You’re not?” He raised an unconvinced eyebrow at her.

  “No, I’m not. Contrary to what you believe, I don’t want you dead,” she replied.

  “Then what do you want with me?” he asked.

  “Nothing. I just want you to be careful.”

  “Does this have to do with Adley being a human, or the wolves who are coming to find me?”

  “No, this has to do with Adley.”

  “She knows, Naomi.”

  “What?” Naomi gasped. “You told her?”

  “I didn’t,” he answered curtly.

  “Then how…?” Naomi’s eyes widened, and she sighed. “You showed her, didn’t you?”

  “I did.”

  “And what did she say?”

  “I don’t know. We haven’t talked yet. She’s avoiding my calls. She told me that she needed some time to process everything. How long does it take someone to come to terms with the fact that dragons exist?”

  “Jesus, Oryn! The poor girl watched her perfect and seemingly normal boyfriend turn into a fucking dragon! Don’t you think she deserves a little patience from you? To you and me, this life may be normal, but to her, it’s not.”

  “I am still trying to figure you out. A fairy?”

  “No, I’m not. And I’m not a wolf, either.”

  “Are you going to come clean, or do I have to drag it out of you?” he smirked.

  “I see what you did there,” she chuckled and winked at him. “But I am bound by a vow of silence, and I couldn’t tell you even if I tried.”

  “That tells me only one thing. There’s magic involved,” Oryn said, and he sat back in his chair. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a witch, not in a million years.”

  “Why? Am I too feisty?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Listen, Oryn.” Naomi approached the desk. “I’m sorry about the other day. I didn’t want to seem threatening or anything like that. I got anxious about Adley getting so close to you, knowing she’s a human. The last time a human got close to people like us, bad things happened, and I’m not saying Adley is like those people, but she might know people like that. I don’t want any of the Gifted dying because of something I could have prevented.”

  “This is not on you, okay?” Oryn assured her. “This is on me, and if anything happens, I will deal with it. I don’t expect you to help me—”

  “You know I will, Oryn. You’re not just a stupid power-hungry dragon.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You should. I don’t just dish them out to anyone,” she scoffed.

  Oryn smiled briefly and nodded. “Thank you, Naomi. Really.”

  “Your coffee is getting cold,” she said as she quietly left the office.

  As Oryn took a sip, his phone rang, and he nearly spilled coffee all over himself trying to reach it.

  “Hello?” he answered, hoping it was Adley calling him. His flight to Malaysia was tomorrow morning, and he really wanted to speak to her before he left. There were a lot of things he needed to tell her. Not only about him and his family, but about the wolves who were tracking him down.

  “Hey, it’s me.”

  “Hey, Lync.”

  “Bad news. The pack was spotted on the northern shore of the South Island.”

  “They’re moving faster than I thought.”

  “We have to do something, Oryn.”

  “I can’t. I’m flying to Malaysia tomorrow morning for work.”

  “Can’t you postpone it?”

  “I can’t.”

  “Well, what do we do?”

  “I’m only going to be gone a few days, a week at most. Will you hold down the fort until I get back?”

  “Sure. What about your girlfriend?”

  “
I have to figure something out. I’ll call you back.” Oryn disconnected the call and noticed Naomi standing in the doorway.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “No, not really,” he replied. “My flight to Malaysia is tomorrow morning, and one of my informants just called to let me know that a wolf pack is on the northern shores of the South Island, heading to Auckland.”

  “The pack?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What are you going to do, Oryn?”

  “I have to talk to Adley, as soon as possible,” he responded in a panicked tone. He stood from his chair. “I’m going to head home early, if that’s okay.”

  Naomi shrugged. “Hey, you’re the boss.”

  “One last thing,” he added as he walked to the door.

  “Anything.”

  “While I’m away, could you just keep an eye on Adley for me? Take her to dinner or something. Just don’t let anything happen to her.”

  “Consider it done, although she thinks I am the biggest bitch alive by now,” Naomi laughed. “But wouldn’t it be easier, and safer, for her to stay with me?”

  Oryn turned to her and frowned. “You’re actually suggesting that Adley, who’s a human, stays with you?”

  “Why not? I can keep an eye on her for you, and we can bond, just like you wanted,” she smirked.

  “Are you sure it’s okay with you?” he asked.

  “Yeah, why not? The house gets a little lonely at times, and I could do with some girl talk.”

  “I’ll tell her when I see her. I’ll give her the address as well. Just don’t give her vodka,” Oryn warned.

  “Yes, sir. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine. Have a great trip, and good luck.”

  “Thanks.” Oryn gave Naomi a quick hug—which surprised himself more than it surprised her—and quickly left the office.

  After Oryn parked his car in the driveway and climbed out, he walked along the pathway to the door. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Adley sitting on his front steps, a bottle of wine next to her.

  When she noticed him, she stood up and took a deep breath. “Hey.”

  “Hey. What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “I’m done processing on my own, and you were right. You should have been with me then, because I have even more questions than before,” she said.

  “And I’ll answer each and every one of them, I promise.”

  “And I wanted to see you before you left for your trip. I didn’t want us to be apart and have all these thoughts and feelings that were left unsaid.

  Oryn nodded wordlessly and unlocked the front door. They stepped inside, and Adley handed him the bottle.

  “I’ll pour us a glass.” After going into the kitchen, opening the bottle, and pouring two glasses, he walked to the living area, where Adley sat on one of the large couches. Oryn approached the couch, placed the two glasses on the table, and sat down beside her. Adley looked at him and tucked her hair behind her ears.

  “You’re a dragon. But not all the time.”

  “That’s right. I can shift whenever I want,” he confirmed.

  “And how long have you been able to do that?”

  “My entire life,” he answered, but her expression asked for more details. “I am five thousand years old.”

  Her eyes widened slightly. “Y-you don’t look a day over thirty.”

  Oryn chuckled and placed his arm across the length of the backrest.

  “And your brothers are dragons, too?” she asked.

  “Yes. Everyone in my family is a dragon. My father and mother are the Dragon King and Queen. My brothers and I were born within the four elements, and we have abilities specifically designed according to that.”

  “And yours is earth, right?”

  “Yeah. How did you know?”

  “You’re strong and nurturing. You always want to be in control, and the green scales kind of gave it away, too.”

  “Right,” he muttered.

  “And there are others like you, besides your family?”

  “Yeah, just not as many as there used to be. Most of us hide what we are from the others.”

  “The others?”

  “Vampires, wolf shifters, witches.”

  Adley’s face paled, and she took a large sip of wine, of which Oryn didn’t blame her in the least.

  “The monsters you thought weren’t real, they exist. But we’re not the monsters you think we are.”

  “I don’t think you’re a monster, Oryn. You’re the kindest man I’ve ever met, and as much as this whole thing scares the shit out of me, I love you, and nothing is going to change that. You’re a dragon, so what? You’re my dragon,” Adley responded.

  Oryn took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I love you, too.”

  “I can’t explain to you how amazing it was to fly with you. I was terrified, of course, but it was so exhilarating, and I felt so alive and free. I’ve never felt like that before. Ever. I can’t even begin to describe the feelings that I have when I am with you. I don’t think I will ever understand how fast I fell for you, but I did. And it’s not just a stupid kind of crush, you know. It feels real, all-consuming, but without me losing myself,” she explained. “Does that even make sense?”

  “It absolutely does,” Oryn stated. “And I can explain exactly what you felt when you saw me for the first time, because I felt exactly the same thing. When dragons find their True Mate, it’s their mate for life. It can happen at any time, at any place, with anyone.”

  “Is that what happened with us?” Adley asked. Oryn nodded. “And it doesn’t matter that I’m a human?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “How would that even work? You’re five thousand years old, yet you look like you’re no older than thirty. You age so slowly. I don’t. I’m going to be old and frail, and you’ll still look like you do right now.”

  “We’ll figure something out.”

  “Like what? Can you turn me into a dragon?”

  “No, I can’t do that. Only…” His voice drifted, and she frowned at him.

  “Only what?”

  “Only witches can do that, but they have to be direct descendants of this really powerful witch, Livia Ambrosios. Only they can turn a human into a dragon shifter.”

  “Okay, so then we find one.”

  Oryn glanced at her with a frown. “So, you’d be willing to give up your life as a human, just like that? You’d watch your mother and Jeremy age before your eyes and ultimately die? You want to see the world pass you by, era after era, always staying the same? Is that what you want?”

  “Is it such a curse to be what you are?” she asked.

  “It’s not a curse, no. I just want you to be sure that this is what you want. If there is one single shred of doubt in your mind—”

  Before Oryn could complete his sentence, Adley leaned forward and kissed him. Her mouth tasted sweet, like the wine in her glass, and Oryn completely forgot what he had been saying.

  Their lips parted slowly, and she whispered, “I want to be happy, and you make me happy. You’re my home, my safety, my happy place. Becoming like you wouldn’t be a sacrifice. At least not to me.”

  Oryn nodded and gently stroked her cheek. “There’s something else.”

  Adley sat back on the couch and waited for him to continue. His phone vibrated in his pocket, but he ignored it.

  “You can answer that, it’s okay.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course. You’re an important guy, right? Your Highness.”

  “Don’t do that. I’m still the same person as before.”

  “Only much more important,” she added.

  His phone continued to ring, and he stood from the couch. As he retrieved it from his pocket, he glanced at the number. He didn’t recognize it but decided to answer it anyway. It could be something important.

  “Hello?” he said, stepping out onto the terrace.

  “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the
Dragon Prince himself,” the voice snickered.

  Oryn’s jaw clenched as he immediately recognized the voice on the other end of the line. The distinct Russian accent was unforgettable, and a shiver ran down Oryn’s spine. “What do you want?”

  “I want vengeance, but you should know that, little prince. This time, your brothers are not here to protect you or make you stronger.”

  “I’ve had about enough of you, Osteric. Your threats don’t scare me, and neither do you.”

  The Russian alpha’s laughter resonated against his ear. “You foolish beast. You don’t know what you got yourself into.”

  “I assure you; I do. And I will gladly crush you, like I did your son and your wife.”

  “You will regret the day you hatched, little prince, and that human pet of yours, too.”

  “You stay the hell away from her!”

  The alpha laughed again, and the line disconnected. Oryn slowly turned around. Adley stood in the doorway and looked worried.

  “What’s going on?” she asked. “Who was that?”

  Oryn lowered his gaze. For the sake of her safety, he was torn between telling her exactly what was going on and pretending that everything was fine. Maybe he could get her to stay with Naomi until he came back from his trip.

  “Oryn? Is everything okay?”

  “No,” he said, glancing at her. “Everything is not okay.”

  Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  “We better go inside,” he suggested, and they went back in the house. When they were seated on the couch in the living area again, Oryn cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

  “You’re kind of scaring me, you know,” she mumbled.

  “I’ll tell you everything, right now.” Adley nodded wordlessly. “When I was younger, and much more stupid, I did something that has finally caught up to me,” he admitted. “I killed the son and the wife of the alpha wolf in Russia.”

  “What?”

  “They were coming after my brothers, and they actually managed to capture Pyre, and I killed them. I only killed them to protect my family. I killed a lot of them. I was a little more emotionally unstable back then. I was the oldest, the strongest, and I took it upon myself to rectify the situation. When I finally found Pyre and got him out of the cage, they had put him in, they surrounded me, and I took most of them out with an earthquake, including his wife and son. He’s been hunting me ever since.”