by Lisa Oliver
“A legal heir does not have to be a blood relative,” Jon decided Byron’s antics had gone on long enough. They had more important things to do, like find out who was stealing from the company. His fingers were itching for his laptop. “Dirk can choose anyone he likes to inherit the company. It doesn’t even have to be a dragon.”
“No.” Byron turned the document around, flicking through the pages madly. “Father wouldn’t have…he….”
“That’s the problem with using these ancient documents,” Bryce observed winking at Jon. “They make a lot of assumptions, which have nothing to do with the way a modern business is run, and ignore the fact society evolves constantly. I don’t know what it’s like in the European office, but here same sex couples are becoming more widely acceptable and concepts like surrogacy and adoption are commonplace. An heir is never going to be a problem.”
“Besides,” he added, flicking back to the paragraph Byron had read out. “It says here that Dirk has to be in his position for at least fifty years before that even becomes an issue. It’s a bit rude trying to push your boss on a decision about that now when the ink’s barely dry on the contract.”
“You think you’re so clever,” Byron snarled. “But we’ll see what happens when the board hears about this. I’ll convene an emergency meeting and have you declared unfit to rule.”
“There’s no provision for that in the contract. You don’t have the right,” Dirk said, apparently happy to let his friends cover for him. “Besides, didn’t you quit? I am still waiting to hear you apologize to my mate.”
For a moment Byron seemed nonplussed but then his eyes narrowed and Jon felt a shiver run down his spine. “I will never apologize to a dog for anything,” he said firmly. “However, under section fifteen, sub paragraph two of your contract, I am invoking the family right to challenge. As the next brother in line, it is my right.”
“It is your right, indeed.” If anything, Dirk sounded bored about the whole idea, while Jon’s protective instincts were flooding his body. “Call the others. Our brother and cousins. We’ll do this now.”
Byron gulped. Perhaps he hadn’t thought Dirk would take him seriously. “Now? But don’t you need time to prepare? You’ve been sick. I won’t have it said I was taking advantage of your ill health.”
“I’ve been kicking your ass for three hundred years. I hardly need any preparation to do it again.” Dirk stood up and removed his jacket. “However, once I have beaten you, and I will, then under sub paragraph four of the same contract, you will leave the city immediately, forfeit all rights to any bonuses, payouts, or income from this company, and your hoard is mine. Understood?”
Silly fool really should have read the fine print, Jon thought, falling into step with his mate as they left the office. Byron looked as if he were heading for his execution and Jon wondered how far these challenges went. The scale on his heart glowed softly and he felt a warmth run through his body. Even in the face of a challenge, Dirk’s dragon took the time to comfort him. Jon hummed quietly, reflecting at how happy that made him feel.
Chapter Twenty
Dirk welcomed the upcoming fight. He was furious at being treated like a simpleton or tool by his father, Celine, and now Byron. True mates had been an accepted part of paranormal life since the beginning of time. Having his true mate ignored, belittled, and even that attempt to kill him, had torn Dirk apart in way’s he’d never felt before. But he’d always known the dragon’s way of life needed a shakeup. Now he was mated, he intended to grab that concept by the balls and rattle it till its teeth shook. And as a concept wasn’t tangible, Byron’s balls would do, for a start.
Tradition was something he and his father had fought over constantly. Their arguments and differences of opinion were why he was forced to wait well over a hundred and fifty years for his father to finally hand the reins of the company over to him. His father was strictly old school but, for once, his adherence to ancient dragon codes was working in Dirk’s favor. In one short afternoon, he’d weed out any and all opposition to his mating among his family. He didn’t care if he had to run the damn place by himself. With Jon by his side, they could finally deal with the serious issue of who the hell was stealing from him and his company and get things back on track again.
Bryce worked his magic on his phone; he definitely deserved a pay rise and an apology. Dirk noticed his youngest brother, Samuel, was already at the basement door, along with Jeremy and Foster, two of his cousins. Leonard and Rastin, his other two cousins, were heading from the other direction, their heads together. Probably plotting world domination, Dirk thought with a wry grin. His two youngest cousins were impressionable, but they worked hard and kept out of trouble for the most part.
The basement was a dragon only zone kept locked and only used in rare instances when a dragon’s shift was imminent or necessary. No other shifters in the company were allowed past the solid, thick steel doors. Not that Dirk had any intention of making his mate or Bryce stay outside. The more witnesses to his win, the faster news would spread among the rest of the clan. While it had always been Hollingsworths who ran the company, many dragons from other families worked as interns or in middle management positions in his shifter firm. They didn’t have the right to challenge for the company, but news of Dirk’s win would reaffirm his power as head of the company and the clan, which in turn would offer further protections to his mate.
Holding his eye against the retinal scanner, Dirk held his eye steady and stepped back as the door lock glowed green. “Let’s chat inside, shall we gentlemen?” He ushered Jon ahead of him, but pulled him close when Jon made a move towards a line of arranged chairs along the back wall. The glares Jon was getting from his so-called family members brought his dragon to the surface and Dirk was sure his eyes glowed as he faced his family.
“I’m sure you have all heard a wealth of conjecture and rumor concerning my state of health.” Dirk made sure he met the eye of every seated man in the family. “None of it is true. If you wish further confirmation, see my PA after this challenge and he’ll provide the doctor’s report which states I suffered a temporary lapse of health due to a delay in claiming my true mate. That issue is now resolved and I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce my mate to you now. This is Jon Erskine. I wear his scar and he carries my heart scale.”
“I thought we were called because Byron challenged you for the company? I didn’t even know you had a mate. I bought a new tux for your wedding to Celine.” Samuel looked confused.
“Jon is my true mate and yes Byron challenged me. I’ll get to that in a moment. But threats and attempts on Jon’s life have already been made and I want to make something perfectly clear. I OWN this company. I sign your pay-checks every week and I demand one hundred percent loyalty as head of this clan and this company. I will not be marrying Celine and she and father have been informed of that. When Father learned of my decision, he sent two killers after my mate. There are now two fewer dragons walking the earth than there were.”
“Wow, cool, dude.” Leonard gave him the thumbs up. “Hasn’t been any bloodshed in decades. Must have been a rush for you.”
“Dirk didn’t kill them,” Byron snarled. “His pet dog did.”
Leonard’s eyes widened. “Wicked. That must make you feel good, Dirk, having such a strong mate by your side.”
“Dirk hardly needs a strong mate; he’s strong enough in his own right,” Jon said quietly, “but my new powers were an added bonus to our mating.”
“They are not mates!” Byron turned to his family. “Can’t you see Dirk’s bewitched? This mutt has done something to him; brainwashed him somehow. Can’t you see how much he’s changed?”
“You look like that stick up your ass has been removed,” Rastin laughed. “Happiness suits you, cousin.”
“I haven’t heard of a dragon finding his true mate in centuries,” Foster said thoughtfully. Dirk didn’t get any negative vibes from him. He was sure Jon or his dragon would alert him if
they were in danger. “You can find stories about it in the old dragon library. Is it true what they say? That you actually go into heat? Is that what happened to you?”
“Yes,” Dirk mentally thanked his cousin. At least someone bothered to read up on their history. “I was unsure, as I imagine any of you would be if you suddenly felt that pull to be with someone you’d only just met. The heat is horrific and then…” Dirk thought for a minute and decided honesty was the best policy, especially in light of how weak his father had been when he’d seen him and how bad he’d felt when his dragon left him. “I dream walked with my dragon, got him to call the heat off, which he did, but he left me until I came to my senses. That wasn’t fun.”
“I don’t know why the rest of you are listening to this dribble,” Byron scoffed.
“Are you in such a hurry to get to the challenge?” Bryce asked, arching his brow. Byron glowered in return.
“I didn’t know we could lose our dragon spirits.” Samuel looked at Foster, a deep furrow lining his brow. As head of the clan, it was part of Dirk’s job to educate his younger brother.
“Try telling your dragon you will live your life as you see fit, and see what happens. Our dragon spirits are not ours to command, they are meant to complement us; lending us their strength in time of need and warning us of danger. My dragon has very firm ideas and when I hesitated over claiming Jon, let’s just say, I had trouble getting out of bed for a while,” Dirk said, smiling down at Jon. “But our clan dragons are happy now, even if their human counterparts aren’t. To every other species of paranormal a true mate is like finding the holy grail. When I claimed Jon, a chorus of dragons roared in my head.”
“Must have been a mind-blowing orgasm,” Leonard chuckled.
“It was intense,” Dirk allowed himself a grin, “but the thing is, what I went through, it was very real. According to my dragon, our proud animal halves feel they’ve been stifled by the human conditions ours and other families have placed on them. They have always known true mates were real. They just never realized how big the difference is between true and bonded mates. Now they do, they won’t settle for anything less.”
“Have you changed in any way as a result of the mating?” Dirk was surprised Foster was asking Jon directly.
“Didn’t Mr. Hollingsworth senior tell you?” Jon shook his head. “Let’s just say that having a dragon scale embedded over my heart was just one of the changes I’ve gone through in the last few days. All of a sudden my animal spirit has the ability to manifest a lot larger than usual, and I can feel Dirk’s dragon at different times.”
“I’d like to find my true mate,” Samuel said sadly. “It’s got to be better than being traded to the highest bidder.”
Dirk remembered what his father had said about Celine’s dowry and made a mental note to investigate that further. “I think if any paranormal is patient enough, their mate will cross their path. Hopefully, you will be more open to it than I was. Mating heat is a bitch.”
“Is that why our dragons have been so muted over the past few days?” Samuel asked. “I can barely feel mine. Are they too busy spending time with your dragon?”
“Dragons are simply an extension of ourselves,” Byron said. “They come the odd time we call, but for the most part, they are just like a parasite trying to take over our lives. It’s up to you as the thinking part of the equation to make sure that doesn’t happen. All Dirk’s done is shown how weak he is, caving into his animal half’s ridiculous demands instead of following the traditions we’ve held dear for so long.”
“Oh Byron, if that’s how speak of your dragon, you are going to be in real shit with this challenge.” Dirk shook his head. “But speaking of challenges, that is why I called you all here. I don’t know what Father has said, but I can guess. Like it or not, as owner of Hollingsworth, I am the clan leader on this side of the world. Byron tried to ban my mate from the building and insulted him. Rather than apologize, he has challenged me instead. Anyone else who has a problem with my mate because of his gender, species, or even the color of his hair. I don’t care. Challenge me now and I’ll beat you after Byron. I won’t have my mate threatened, insulted, or abused by anyone in this company.”
“We haven’t got a problem with you having a mate.” Rastin said, pointing at himself and Leonard.
“It gives me hope,” Samuel said, nodding in agreement.
“What about you, Jeremy?” Dirk asked. “We haven’t heard from you at all.” Jon tensed under his arm and he wondered why.
“Sorry, cousin. I have a lot on my mind.” Jeremy always was the quiet one. “I don’t agree with this challenge. You know I find the thought of bloodshed upsetting and unnecessary in the modern age. However, I understand the need for tradition, but I, for one, will not be challenging you. I don’t care who you feel you’re mated or bonded to provided it doesn’t impact your ability to run this company.”
“Fair enough.” Dirk nodded. “Okay, Byron, call on your dragon, the one you refer to as a parasite. Let’s get this over and done with.” He unbuttoned his shirt, slid it off his shoulders and handed it to Jon, well aware of his mate’s heated scrutiny. His cock thickened and he refused to be embarrassed about it. His mate was beautiful, sexy, and all his. Besides, a show of vitality never hurt his image.
The basement was wide enough for at least four dragons to shift into their full forms, but the ceilings were too low to allow for flying. A necessary evil considering a flying dragon could smash through a concrete wall four feet thick. Pressing a button on the wall, a solid, magically enhanced glass panel rolled down from the ceiling, protecting the spectators from the action. As he called on his dragon, Dirk noticed Byron was just kicking off his shoes. His enthusiasm for the challenge was underwhelming.
Tilting his head back, Dirk’s body flowed into the change. Since mating, his dragon seemed more eager than ever to spend time on four feet. As soon as his shift was finished, the dragon looked for his mate and cooed as he pulled the man close.
“Hey, gorgeous, aren’t you looking regal today?” Ooh yes, his dragon form loved it when Jon traced his scales. Peering over Jon’s head, the dragon looked at Byron.
“I’m waiting,” he growled, his lips upturned.
“My shift won’t come. Damn, dragon. Come out when I demand it. Stop being a coward.”
“Your dragon’s no coward.” The large red beast tilted his head. “He’s on vacation. Hmm, yes, he told me to tell you he’s on vacation. He’s not coming back until you change your attitude.”
“What attitude? For fucks sake, what I say and do is my business, not his. Call him back.”
Jon gasped and Dirk followed his eyes. A large translucent figure of a blue dragon hovered in the air. “Is that Byron’s dragon?” He whispered.
The red dragon nodded. The blue dragon looked at Byron sadly. Byron, on the other hand looked pissed. “You belong in me, dragon. Get your ass over here so I can fight my brother,” he yelled, flapping his arms around, which when naked is never a good look.
The blue dragon shook his head and bowed instead to Dirk’s dragon. “Your dragon yields to me,” the words were growly coming from Dirk’s dragon. “He has no wish to fight a member of his clan over something he considers trivial and he won’t be party to your plans of taking over the clan.”
The red dragon’s gaze took in the remaining family members watching the scene in disbelief. “Carrying a dragon spirit is a huge honor, one that should be respected. None of you have been listening when your dragons talk to you. Most of you act as if he isn’t there half the time. As for you, Byron, thanks to your actions, you are fated to live as human until you drain the hatred from your heart. Your dragon suggests you return to the homeland. You and father can keep each other company. He lost his dragon, too.”
“How can this happen?” Samuel clutched his chest and then hugged himself as though worried his dragon would disappear.
“Hate, pig-headedness, a refusal to work with your animal spirit;
there are a lot of reasons why our animal halves turn away from us,” Jon said quietly. “The problem is, we grow so used to having our animals with us, that functioning without them is difficult, if not impossible, as Byron and Mr. Hollingsworth senior will learn.”
“I always believed dragons were the elite of the shifter world,” Foster said thoughtfully. “I’m not being disrespectful, simply curious. Why would the Fates pair us with someone so…?”
“Inferior?” Jon laughed and Dirk’s dragon gave a wiggle. He loved that sound. Of course, he almost knocked Jon over in the process but his mate steadied himself with a hand on his leg. “I doubt many of you have even met a dog shifter before. I only scented dragons, wolves, bears, and a couple of vampires when I walked through building.”
“We’re a shifter owned company and we only hire strong paranormals,” Foster agreed.
“But are they the most highly qualified?” Jon asked. “I have two degrees from Harvard and three from Yale all associated with finance, auditing, accounting and criminal law. Can anyone in your employ say the same?” Ooh, our mate is soooo smart. The dragon just had to preen and of course, Jon had already been over the resumes of everyone in the company; not that Foster was aware of that.
“I can see your point from a company perspective, but I’m hardly going to ask for a resume if I meet my mate,” Foster said. “I’m going to want to know….” He trailed off and Jon nodded.
“It’s really hard to know what your true mate may be like. But dogs are a lot like wolves. They know from scent who their mate is. I don’t know what you were taught growing up, but where I come from, a mate is the one crafted to balance you in every way. Species really doesn’t come into it.”
“Tell that to Father,” Samuel said bitterly. “He’s determined one of his sons will be marrying Celine next Friday and if Bryon’s dragon won’t come to the party, then I will have to.”
