Prologue
History of Dragonose
Humanity had lived and feared the beasts around them for many, many years. Some of these creatures were very large. Not only could they fly, but their jaws could snap a man in half in the blink of an eye. Some had scales, some not, and often the different beasts did not get along. As they battled it out for a show of dominance, the Earth would tremble until finally, the fight would end with death. Only then would the other beast walk or fly away as the victor.
Humans tried to stay as far away from the beasts as they could. They lived in caves but were sometimes forced out of their own homes when creatures suddenly took over. And, of course, man was also forced to go out and find food. To do this, he put himself in grave danger of these creatures.
Far, far away, on the other side of the galaxy, was the realm of Dragonose. Humans did not know this realm. It was a magical place, created for a particular time that was fast approaching.
There have been many speculations, scientific and educated beliefs about what happened to both the dinosaurs and humanity's beginning. But, to date, man has yet to discover Dragonose. And so, he has been kept in the dark all these years as to what happened. The dinosaurs? They were deemed more trouble than they were worth. Most of the dinosaurs were giants but with virtually no brain. When the meteor hit the Earth, it changed the lives of all who lived on the planet. The dinosaurs were deemed disposable. Only a few survived, and because of the fall-out from the meteor, they were significantly reduced in size. They are what man knows today as alligators, bearded dragons, Chinese water dragons, geckos, and lizards.
But the gods looked down on both man and the dragons that roamed the Earth. The dragons were graceful creatures but with little intelligence. Humans were not so elegant but had learned to adapt to their surroundings and had proven capable of educating themselves. So what would happen if the two became one?
The gods controlled the meteor that hit the Earth that fateful day long, long ago. Although it killed many, they deemed certain men and dragons worthy enough to be instantly transported to Dragonose.
Since then, man and beast have shared one body. These creatures can shift from human to dragon and back to human whenever the need arises. Centuries have passed, and with time these creatures have learned to get along with one another. The land of Dragonose has evolved and is now civilized and cultured, a world to be revered.
But, as often is the case, some think Dragonose shouldn’t exist. The worst of them are the Raptorians. The Raptorians are powerful enemies to the Dragonose land and its inhabitants. These creatures come from the world Raptor and also have the ability to shift from man to beasts. They take on a T-Rex look in their beast form, but are shorter, have longer snouts, and vicious razor-sharp teeth. Most of these creatures stand approximately nine to twelve feet tall in their shifted form and believe they should rule the world.
Dragonose has had many skirmishes with their enemies and knows there will be more to come. Thankfully, the Raptorians have not discovered the portals the Dragonose people hold in tight secret. These portals allow them to easily step from their world on Dragonose to Earth and back again.
The only problem Dragonose has is its shortage of females. No one knows why the male birth rate has been 5-1 to that of females. This situation has sent many of the Dragonose males to Earth to find a mate. Some have happily resettled on Earth, and the only time they return to their homeland is when their king summons them. Others came with no real intention of staying any length of time. What surprised them was to find out they were not the only different species on the planet. They soon discovered many other species in shapeshifters, vampires, elves, etc., all living and sharing the same air and land. All share the same secret because humans are just not evolved enough to understand they are not the only life forms in the universe.
And the portals? They are guarded and protected by the Dragons, with very few knowing of their existence. Not even the high council, who governs all “others” on Earth, knows of their existence. The Dragonose biggest fear is that eventually, the Raptorians will discover one of these secret portals, which will allow them to reach Earth. And that will be a terrible day indeed because today’s humans could not even begin to win against an army of Raptorians.
Chapter I
Natasha tried to calm her nerves as she walked through a vast castle. She had been sent here as a last resort. If she did not work out here, well, she didn’t even want to think about her next option. Surely it wouldn’t be good.
The man leading her was walking at a fast clip, and she felt like she had to almost break out into a jog just to keep up. Her surroundings were gorgeous, at least what little she could see of them. Natasha promised herself she would take the time to appreciate the rare artwork displayed on the walls she was fast flying by if she stayed. They passed a small table in the middle of a room; the only thing on the table was a huge crystal vase and what looked to be gold of Kinabalu Orchids. Wow! The flowers were only known to grow in Malaysia and cost more money than most people spent on electronics in a year. All around her screamed abundant wealth, and she had never felt more out of place than at the given moment. What would the owner of this beautiful castle even think of her?
If she weren’t down to her last strike, the owner’s opinion wouldn’t matter to her. But unfortunately, circumstances being what they were, his thoughts and her ability to stay in this beautiful place mattered much.
Because the castle was so large, even at the fast clip they were traveling, she still had time to reflect on how she had come to this place. How had her life gone so totally disarray that the council of others had given her a final option? Either become a personal assistant to a recluse millionaire dragon or be locked up for the remainder of her life. Locked up? Even she had to admit she sounded like a criminal. But it wasn’t because she had done anything wrong. Not really. Most of the reason was her heritage.
When the council first learned of her existence, oh, they had high hopes for her. She heard words murmured like ‘secret weapon’ and ‘ultimate assassin’ when they thought she couldn’t hear. Upon hearing that her mother, part demon, part pixie, and her father, an angel, conceived a child, the council quickly conjured grand plans to use her powers to their advantage. Only the last laugh was on them when she officially turned of age and had no real powers to speak of. The council had spent most of her teenage years training her to become the ultimate assassin, but they quickly became worried when she emerged with no powers worth noting. What would happen if these so-called powers were to hit her suddenly? Could she be trusted to control herself, especially in light of the training she had received by their very hands?
The only thing she had to represent her other side was a set of black raven wings, that when folded back, stayed on her skin like a tattoo. She was also able to shrink down to pixie size when flying. To her, that was enough. But the elders of the supernatural world didn’t see it that way. They had even tried to force a mating on her at one point, hoping it would bring out her natural powers. Silly council. One should never lock a trained assassin in a room with a snake shifter. She did enjoy wearing the snakeskin shoes that came from the attempted mating; they were pretty.
After that little fiasco, the council indeed became concerned about what to do with her. Never mind, she had killed someone to avoid rape; in their eyes, she was a ticking time bomb that they couldn’t trust. Ridiculous! She was a twenty-five-year-old woman who was human other than her wings and her ability to shrink when she flew. Oh, and she was a damn good weapons handler and assassin.
Finally, she arrived at an unmarked, closed door. “In here,” the man who was leading her stated gruffly, bringing her out of her inner musings. He gave her a good shove forward just as she stepped over the threshold, causing her to stumble the remainder of the way.
Way to go, Natasha. Great way to make a first impression. She was just barely able to catch her balance as ‘Mr. Asshat’ stepped in behind her and shut the door. She glanced over her shoulder to see him standing in front of the closed door as if blocking her way with his feet spread apart and his arms folded over his chest. Ha! Does he honestly think he would be able to stop my escape? She almost snorted out loud but quickly clamped her lips shut to prevent making any sound. She was here to make a good impression. Still, he was a stupid man. He had no idea who he was dealing with.
Her eyes landed on a man sitting behind a desk with his head bent over the paperwork he was signing. This was it, the moment her future was decided. She patiently waited for him to finish but couldn’t help the shiver that ran down her spine once he sat back, his cold gaze raking over her.
Blain sat back in his office chair, his eyes roaming over the beauty in front of him. What games were the council playing now? They had contacted him with a request to help ‘rehabilitate’ a young woman. If she was damaged, it damn sure wasn’t evident on the outside. He only agreed to help because he needed a secretary, and the council had assured him Ms. Clayton could fill that role.
Blain stood up, knowing his six-foot-five stature would intimidate her. It always did.
“Ms. Clayton, I assume?” Blain made no gesture to welcome her; he needed to know exactly what he was facing first.
Natasha squared her shoulders and looked him straight in the eye before responding. She knew he would think his size would bother her; little did he know she had taken down bigger men. Although he did not attempt to welcome her, she was going to put her best foot forward. Taking four steps into the room brought her up against his desk. “Yes, I’m Natasha Clayton, pleased to meet you. I assume you are Blain Theodore Barrymire.”
Blain winced at hearing his middle name. He hated it. Glancing down to see her extended hand, he reached out and gave it a gentle shake. She was a woman; after all, he didn’t want to hurt her. Besides, the council had made it clear she was damaged. Since he could see nothing wrong with her from the outside, he could only guess the damage was either mental or emotional, or both.
Blain was surprised when Natasha returned the handshake with a very firm grip. Okay, the little lady has some power behind her. Blain knew she was other; he didn’t exactly know what other she was. But he would, and soon. Because if they were going to be working with one another, he needed to trust her.
Suddenly, Blain’s otherwise silent dragon started screaming at him internally. “Mate, mate, she is our mate!” Well, damn, what funny joke was fate trying to pull on him now. Really? Did fate hand him a mentally or emotionally damaged mate? Yes, she was beautiful, but what in the world was he going to do with an injured mate? He was the leader of the Northern dragon covens in Iceland. He was also a successful businessman who was well known as a workaholic. But none of that mattered at the moment. No, his dragon, Sapphamire, continued to insist that this gorgeous young woman was indeed their life mate. Well hell.
“Quiet down!” he silently instructed his dragon. The damn beast would have to pick the most inopportune time to raise his head.
Most of the time, Blain and his dragon got along reasonably well. Oh, there were times they didn’t see eye-to-eye, but his dragon mostly left the day-to-day business running to his human counterpart, and Blain, in turn, made time to let his dragon free on moonless nights.
But today was not going to be one of those days. “No! She is our mate,” came the shouted reply from his dragon, which surprised Blain. Yes, Sapphamire was known to have his own opinions, but rarely did he downright ignore Blain.
Blain took a deep breath before internally addressing his dragon. “Look, she may be our mate, but according to the council, she is also damaged. I need to know what I am dealing with here before we go professing our undying love.”
“It’s not my fault your human brain can’t process that she is our one-and-only. Oh, my true love has finally shown up! Yes, I think I’m in love already!” Sapphamire stopped for a moment to make sure he had Blain’s attention. “I don’t give a fig what the council is accusing her of, I’m telling you, she’s our mate, and as far as I’m concerned, she’s perfect!”
Blain could almost see his dragon preening. “Now, if you won’t accept her as our mate, please stand aside and let me out so I can introduce myself. I’m positive, given a chance, she will fall in love with me. But you? I’m not so sure. After all, you are a workaholic; you snore, you can’t dance, you are hairy and impossible to reason with!”
Damn dragon, thought Blain as he turned his attention back to his guest.
“Look, Ms. Clayton, I’m sure the council told you I need a personal assistant.” Blain looked over at the stack of paperwork sitting on the desk. “But, I’m going to be honest here. I need someone I can trust, and I am a little worried that the council sent you stating you needed rehabilitation. Do you want to tell me what is going on? You don’t look physically damaged. Do you have emotional or mental problems I need to be aware of, or that will hinder you from the job?”
Staring at his piercing indigo blue eyes, tall and exceptionally well-built body, Natasha now understood why Blain was the alpha of the Northern dragon covens in Iceland. He exuded strength and authority.
“No, sir, I do not consider myself damaged in any way, and I can assure you if, given a chance, I am perfectly capable of performing personal assistant duties.”
Blain reached over and pulled the request from the council off his desk. “I must admit, the council was very vague in what type of rehabilitation they thought you needed. What can you tell me about this situation?”
“Well, sir,” Natasha began but didn’t get any further before the back of her head felt like it was on fire. The guard behind her reached out, grabbed a fist full of hair, yanked, and forced her to her knees. Her hands flew to the back of her head, trying to loosen his death grip before he pulled every strand of hair out by its roots. Natasha dug her fingernails into the guard’s wrists.
“Answer him, you little deformed bitch. Mr. Blain is a busy man and doesn’t have time for mongrels like you.” Mr. Asshat spat into her face.
“Go blow yourself, jackass.” Natasha seethed as he gave her hair another vicious yank. She couldn’t hold back her gasp of air at the pain. But before things could escalate any further, Blain stepped in.
“Enough, let her go this instant!” There was a deadly steel edge to his voice, and Natasha was thankful the guard decided to listen to his boss. She was still kneeling on the carpet, trying to massage circulation back into her sore scalp, as she watched Blain Barrymire step around his desk and stop inches in front of her.
“You will never again lay a hand on Ms. Clayton. Do I make myself clear?” If Natasha had thought there was steel in his voice a moment ago, it was nothing compared to the deadly menace his words were laced with now. Suddenly, there was a hand in front of her; his offer of help in standing up.
She ignored the outstretched hand and stood up on her own in one fluid movement. She sent a warning glare over to the guard. Just you wait, buddy, if I get this job, I promise you I will not forget what you have done.
Blain turned his attention back to Natasha. “My apologies. Now, you were saying?” Natasha noticed Blain shot a dirty look over to the security guard. And he was worried about her having mental problems? He might want to check on a few of his guards.
“Yes, the council considers me a risk because although they trained me to become the ultimate assassin, my superpowers never developed when I reached maturity. So, in their eyes, they have a human-trained assassin on their hands with no hope of becoming their secret weapon.”
“Ah, I think I am beginning to see what the problem is now,” Blain responded as he backed up and leaned against his desk. “So, what exactly are you, and why did the council think you would become their ultimate weapon?”
“My father is an angel, and my mother a half-demon and half pixie. I inherited none of their powers. The elders believe that since I am unwilling to be forced into mating, nor can I display powers they believe should have manifested by now, there is indeed a problem with me. Sir, if things don’t work out here, I’m going to be honest, my choices for the future are not very pretty. The council refuses to let me live my life freely. I am afraid they would either kill me or force me to live locked up for the remainder of my days.” Natasha stopped and took a deep breath, looking Blain straight in the eye. “Sir, I cannot let death reach me; I have someone who depends on me more than you know.” Her admission made her feel as if she had been stripped down naked and was left standing in shame, but she refused to let him see it. She kept her head held high and continued eye contact.
Blain was getting ready to respond when Sapphamire demanded his attention. “Forced mating? No way, no how! She’s our mate! How dare someone try to force a mating on her! Let me out, let me out now! She needs our love, our attention, our protection. Let me out so I can care for our mate!”
“Will you please calm down so I can finish this conversation? I realize the council has many dirtbags in it, so I’m not surprised to hear her story. I just want to make sure I have all the details.” Thankfully, Sapphamire grumbled but retreated to the background for the moment, allowing Blain to continue.
Despite his dragon thinking Blain didn’t have a compassionate bone in his body, he truly felt sorry for this young woman. If the council had indeed tried to force a mating on her, heaven only knew what else they had tried. “You shall not have to face any of that here with me, Natasha,” Blain whispered as he pushed off his desk and reached out, taking her chin in his fingers, tilting it up to see her face. He searched her eyes deeply for a long moment.
Until the security guard behind Natasha cleared his throat, interrupting their first beautiful moment. The man must have a death wish. Blain took a step back, but his guard had just made the second mistake in the last ten minutes. It was unacceptable, and today would be his last day if the imbecile continued whatever game he was playing. Blain needed to get Natasha settled and out of the office, then he would deal with his guard. Because when Blain was finished with him, there would be no question about who was in charge.
Ignoring the guard for the moment, he turned his attention back to Natasha. “I must admit, since you are a trained assassin, doing personal assistant duties might be boring for you. I don’t take kindly to pencil beheadings, copier poisonings, or computer shootings.”
Natasha could only stare at him for a moment before she realized he was joking. He had come across so severe; it was just when she looked up into his dancing eyes did she realize he was trying to lighten things up.
“I promise not to kill any of your equipment.” She glanced back at the guard still standing behind her for just a moment. Unspoken was, “I may not kill your equipment, but your security guard is questionable.”
Turning things back to an official note for a moment, Blain continued. “I don’t know if you are aware of this, but my last assistant betrayed me and damn near got me killed. Are you sure you can do a better job?” He allowed his eyes to rake over her lean body. He didn’t care if she could take notes, organize a schedule, or type a letter, as long as she didn’t betray him. Besides, according to his dragon, Natasha was their mate. Mates didn’t betray one another, did they? He certainly had never heard of it happening before.
Natasha’s request brought Blain out of his musings. “May I borrow that?” She requested, gesturing to the pen he was fiddling with in his right hand.
He handed it to her, wondering what she was up to. He watched in awe and surprise as she spun around so quickly it was hard to track her and throw the pen at his guard. She turned back around just as quickly, never even waiting to see if she hit her mark. She looked back up at Blain calmly, with just a hint of a smile on her lips.
“You missed,” Blain said, a teasing grin coming to his lips. Blain didn’t even bother checking on his guard; the damn man deserved whatever retribution Natasha wanted to dish out for his earlier behavior.
“Did I now?” She asked in wide-eyed innocence.
Blain took a second glance over to his guard, just barely containing his chuckle as he noticed the other man looked shaken up. Blain watched in silent amusement as his guard swallowed hard, leaned over, grabbed the family jewels, and lifted them out of the way. There, lodged in the heavy wooden door, just barely missing his balls, was Blain’s pen. Absolutely amazing! She never even took the time to aim! And damn, is she hot!
Blain brought his attention back to the amazing woman standing in front of him. “Know this, Natasha Clayton. I can hold my own and do not need a protector, although I am glad to know you have skill in that area should it ever be needed. I need an assistant, someone to keep me organized, and someone to keep me in line. I will tolerate no dishonesty or betrayal. You start working immediately.” Blain took a second to glance over to his guard, giving him a stern look. If the man had any brains, he would not screw up again today. “Donatello will show you to your room. You have an hour before I expect you to join me at dinner. I hope you brought something elegant; the high council will be in attendance. If not, I need to know now so I can make arrangements.”
Natasha did not miss the appreciative gleam in Blain’s eye when she missed sinking his pen into his guard’s balls by mere centimeters. That will show Mr. Asshat not to pull my hair! “Yes, sir, I have formal wear. I’ll see you in one hour.” She spoke softly, demurely, bowing her head for a few seconds before turning and following the guard out—the same guard who was now just a bit shaken and seemed a bit cautious around her. The guard is not my concern; my new employer is. There is something different about him. A warm, almost protective feeling hits me every time he speaks. I’ve never felt this way before, but I am making it my priority to be the very best assistant Mr. Barrymire has ever had.
***
Blain nervously pulled on the jacket to his tuxedo. Usually, he didn’t have any issues dealing with the Council of Others, besides them coming across as snobs, but tonight was different. They had downright lied to him about Natasha. Had they sent her to anyone else, that person might not have taken the time to hear her side of the story. And the fact that they treated her so horrendously made him want to murder them all.
“Yes, now we agree! Kill them, kill every last one of them, and I will lay their lifeless heads at our mate’s feet!” Well, it seemed Sapphamire had spent his time contemplating ways to get even with those that had done their mate wrong.
“Why wouldn’t I? They don’t deserve to live after hurting our mate. We need to punish them! They need to learn we do not accept this behavior!” Sapphamire continued to grumble.
“I agree, but we can’t just kill the entire high council. But believe me, there are ways to get even, and I have all intentions of making sure every last council member knows I am pissed before tonight is over.”
“It would be easier just to kill them.”
“I know Sapphamire, I know. Now let me handle this evening.” Blain walked out the bedroom door, not looking forward to the next few hours, mainly if Sapphamire didn’t behave and stay in the background.
Blain had just met his true lifemate a little over an hour ago. Too bad she didn’t have enough of her powers to realize the same. But now, he was forced to sit with the high council and vouch for Natasha without letting on that she was his mate. Blain was determined to let them know just how furious he was that they had tried to trick him about Natasha needing rehabilitation. Usually, when one of his kind needed rehab, it was a grueling process. They had asked him to take her on as his assistant, but in reality, her rehabilitation would have meant she was under his rule twenty-four hours a day.
Blain headed down the stairs, not looking forward to meeting his dinner date, which someone on his staff had arranged long before he met Natasha. Blain felt it was too late to cancel out on his prearranged date with only an hour to spare, so he left it standing. Now, she was downstairs waiting on him, and he wanted nothing to do with her. She was a hired date, so hopefully, she would do her part, stay quiet, eat her meal, and he could send her home quickly. Blain found it ironic that one woman he didn’t want to touch but had to, and one woman he wanted to touch but couldn’t. Throw in his moody dragon, and tonight was going to be pure torture.
As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he glanced around to see if Natasha had arrived. His mate was nowhere in sight, but his date, Amberlynn, sat quietly on the couch, sipping a cocktail one of the guards must have offered her. He stopped a guard walking past and quietly inquired as to the whereabouts of his new assistant. They informed him she had sent a message down that she had been delayed temporarily and would be down shortly. Groaning inwardly, he offered his arm to his date before heading to dinner. The elders stood as one as Blain and his date entered the formal dining room. “Please, be seated and enjoy the great food at Dragonmire Castle!” Blain boomed in greeting as he walked around to the head of the table, seating his date on his left side, before taking his seat.
Blain was proud of his home and accomplishments since arriving on Earth eight years ago from his homeland, Dragonose. When he reached that fateful day through one of the secret portals residing in his homeworld, Blain came with the belief that finding his mate would be a relatively easy job. But then again, Blain also went under the assumption that only humans resided on this planet. Now, he knew both assumptions were incorrect. The king of Dragonose had granted his request to leave, simply asking that Blain keep the knowledge of the Iceland portal away from all others. It was an easy promise to make his king. Since then, Blain only got called upon by his king when their enemy, the Raptorians, grew bored and decided to start a fight. The king would then send out an emergency distress call to every one of his dragons, expecting them to return home immediately to help defend their world.
When Blain first arrived on Earth, his dragon, Sapphamire wasn’t happy to discover humans did not reside in large housing. Being a gigantic dragon, Sapphamire insisted the only way he would be content on this planet was to live in a castle. So, Blain set out to find one his dragon would be happy in.
He was lucky to find an abandoned, dilapidated castle near the portal. Because it was in such lousy disarray, he paid next to nothing for his home. Blain then spent the next two years refurbishing it back to its formal glory while updating the entire inside to include all modern-day conveniences.
Blain glanced around the formal dining room, complete with a large table and chair set for twenty people. His dragon was happy with his home, and that was all that really mattered. Because Blain had learned a long time ago, when his dragon wasn’t pleased, Blain certainly was not a content man.
“And don’t you forget it,” Sapphamire grumbled within him.
“Mr. Barrymire, where is Ms. Clayton?” Councilwoman Kristin, a fairy, inquired, bring Blain out of his musings. He noted that the fairy’s voice sounded almost frightened. Interesting. I wonder if Natasha felt the need to put the other woman in her place? Or maybe Kristin has seen my mate in action before.
“Natasha is tending some business before joining us tonight; she shall be along shortly.” Blain certainly hoped so anyway. It would look so much better for her if she were sitting next to him.
“Does she please you?” Another council member questioned.
Blain sent a dark glare down the table to the man who dared to bring up such a thing. Does she please us? Sapphamire supplied a vision of Natasha recalling her ‘forced mating’ making Blain see red. “I’d rather wait to discuss the business involving Ms. Clayton until she is in attendance to hear it for herself,” Blain replied with a bit of a sting to his words as he reached for the small glass sitting at the top of his plate. He swallowed the liquid, relishing the burn as the liquid slid down his throat. His guests, watching him, quickly followed, all except the vampire in attendance. She had her own goblet of fresh blood sitting at her plate. He heard several “ohs” and “ahs” as his guests enjoyed their pre-dinner treat.
“Delicious!” Councilwoman Hazellette, a witch, exclaimed in delight as she ran her tongue across her lower lip. “What is this drink called, Blain?”
Blain couldn’t hold back his smirk or his chuckle. His guests were not going to see the humor in his response. “Dragon Piss.”
Total silence descended upon the room for about ten seconds before the double doors were flung open, and a beautiful redhead strolled into the room. She was wearing a black evening gown that glittered in the light; it was a one-shoulder ensemble, and Blain immediately spotted the slit that went all the way up the side to her hip. Natasha walked up to Blain with such a regal air; he knew she was the envy of every single female sitting around the table, his faux date included.
“My apologies for being late, sir,” Natasha quietly stated as she approached him, and much to Blain’s embarrassment, it took a moment before his brain clicked into gear, reminding him to be a gentleman. He jumped up to pull her chair out for her.
“Wow! Our mate is stunning! Can we insist she wear that dress every day?” Sapphamire let Blain know his dragon had no intention of staying silent through this dinner.
As he returned to his seat, Blain noticed all eyes were on the two of them. He wanted to say something, anything, to diffuse the tension in the room, but his mind was on his beautiful mate, not a room full of envious others. There followed a tense silence as all eyes remained glued on both Natasha and himself. Blain took a second to gaze over at Natasha in utter awe covertly. He wanted nothing more than everyone in the room to disappear other than his mate. Blain had only thought she was beautiful when they met earlier today. But now? Now, she was absolutely stunning. Natasha put his date and her short red cocktail dress to shame.
“May we proceed now?” Councilwoman Hazellette snapped out, breaking the tense silence in the room. Well, it looks like someone is getting testy.
“Yes, Councilwoman Hazellette, I apologize if I was the reason for any holdup,” Natasha replied demurely. Blain was glad Natasha had spoken up; otherwise, he was ready to blast the old witch for her rudeness. Blain no longer gave two cents about this dinner, and he certainly didn’t give two cents about any member of the council sitting at his table. They had mistreated his mate, and that was something he was not going to forget.
“I already told you we should just kill them.” Sapphamire piped in.
“I should; it would be easier,” he mused back to his dragon.
His mate’s voice brought him out of his musings.
“Please forgive me for being so late, but there was a critical phone call that I had to take.”
He smiled over to Natasha. When she smiled back, her entire face lit up. “Oh, I’m in love,” his dragon preened.
“You were in love long before she graced us with a smile,” Blain replied to Sapphamire.
“Ahh, true, so true. We have finally found our mate. Now get rid of all of these idiots so we can get to know her.” Sapphamire demanded.
Bringing his attention back to his company, he acknowledged his mate. “Of course, my dear, you didn’t hold up a thing.”
Blain looked down the table to the witch, who was rude to his mate. “Let me make a few things clear before our dinner continues. Ms. Clayton is now under my employment and my personal protection. I will gut anyone who disrespects her again.
“So then, are you happy with the contractional arrangement and willing to take on her rehabilitation?”
Natasha sat silently, on the outside playing the perfect part of a shy, new administrative assistant, but inside she was fuming. How dare they?! This was a paid position, and she was no longer the concern of the council members. She was surprised they had even brought up her ‘supposed’ rehabilitation. Every one of them knew there was nothing wrong with her, other than she hadn’t turned out to be their secret dream weapon. What surprised her even more, was Blain’s response.
“Rehabilitation?” Blain sat back in his seat as he fought the urge to let Sapphamire loose and allow him to burn them all to ashes.
Councilwoman Kristin must not have picked up on the steel in Blain’s voice. “Yes, rehabilitation. I’m sure you read that in the contract.”
“Natasha does not need rehabilitation, and you know it! Just because you failed at turning her into your own secret weapon does not mean she needs to be rehabilitated!”
“But…” Councilwoman Hazellette started, only to have Blain immediately cut her off.
“I’ve hired Ms. Clayton as my assistant, and I’ll restate for the slow learners in the room. She is now under my employ AND personal protection. In other words, ladies and gentlemen, she is no longer of your concern.”
“Has Ms. Clayton informed you of the chance of danger you are entering upon signing her contract?” Indeed the old witch had a death wish.
Blain watched out of the corner of his eye as Natasha carefully sat her fork down but refused to look at him as she awaited his response. He could easily read her body language and knew she feared he might have changed his mind in the past few minutes. She knew all too well what a simple change of his mind would mean to her. Unfortunately, she had no clue how determined he was never to let her out of his sights.
“I am a dragon shifter. I don’t think she poses a threat to me.”
“If you sign the contract, there is no going back. Natasha will be your responsibility and yours alone. With that in mind, are you still willing to sign?”
“Are you daft? Have you not heard what I have already stated twice? Natasha is no longer your concern. Find someone else to entertain your notions of a secret weapon because Natasha is no longer available to you. She is mine, and my dragon will protect anything he deems his with his life.”
Blain noticed Natasha raising her head as he battled with the council. When he mentioned she was his, he caught her arching an eyebrow. “Ahh, little mate, I know you don’t realize it yet, but you will soon enough,” Sapphamire grumbled from within as he watched everything unfold.
Blain’s kitchen staff took that moment to enter the dining room, arms laden down with the first course of the evening. Hopefully, a bite of food would calm tempers; otherwise, dessert might end up a bloody mess.
Blain gave one final glare to each of the council members sitting around his table. How dare they come into his home, drink his fine liquor, eat his food, and treat his mate as if she was nothing more than a piece of property. No, he would not soon forget their behavior tonight.
Finally, after numerous courses and many dire warnings to watch his back, the council left the castle to head home. Blain shook his head. They truly believed Natasha was a ticking time bomb. What exactly did they fear from her? What did they think she would do, suddenly lose her calm head and go on a killing spree? If she did, they had themselves to blame. They are the ones who trained her, after all.
One council member pulled Blain aside, and even though the conversation was kept quiet, Blain knew Natasha had heard every word.
“Blain, don’t feel as if you need to provide any comfortable surroundings for her; personally, if she were under my employ, I would lock her up in the dungeon and have guards watching her constantly. She’s different, and we just don’t know if she could turn on you.”
Blain glared down at the offending elder. “Councilman Jonathan, I appreciate your concern, but I have no intention of locking her up. You all have treated her like an animal long enough. She is a person with free will and a brain. She is of no danger to me, and if she were to become so suddenly, I’d deal with it. Goodnight, sir.”
***
Natasha listened as the foolish elder stressed to Blain not to trust her because her powers had not made themselves known. As if they were to hit suddenly, she would become an instant threat to him and everything around her. She wanted to punch the elder in the face when he suggested that Blain lock her up in the dungeon—yeah, been there, done that. Natasha shook her head, always finding it unique how humanity (and even those beyond) tended to treat individuals who were different. Different didn’t mean better, but it certainly didn’t mean you were unworthy also. Out of the entire group of council members, she knew there were four that had hated her for years. They were the ones that had forced her into cruel conditions over the past several years. They had continuously screamed to the other members not to trust her since her mother was part demon, fearing her powers could come upon her at any time. And that was the bottom line. They feared her. One would have thought they would not treat her to such harsh opinions because they weren't human. One would think with the large group of paranormal beings, they would know better than anyone that it did not make you a bad person just because you had demon blood in you. Natasha had met several demons in her life, and she trusted all of them far more than she did the council. But this was her life.
“Finally,” Blain sighed, leaning against the doors as they closed.
“Thank you, Mr. Barrymire. Thank you for standing up for me this evening,” Natasha offered him a weary smile. It had been a long day, and Natasha was feeling the effects.
“No thanks are needed, Natasha,” Blain replied as he pushed off the door and stepped up to face her.
Natasha tilted her head back so she could see him. Way back. Damn, he was tall. “Well, it’s getting rather late,” she mumbled, not sure what to do with the feelings assaulting her body whenever she was close to him.
“It is, and I don’t know about you, but after today I could use a release.”
“SIR!?” Natasha shrieked, quickly taking a step back to put some distance between them.
“Oh, now you’ve done it, you’ve gone and upset her. Can’t you show her a bit of gentleness before you go yelling out you want to have sex? Is it too much to ask for some finesse?” Sapphamire huffed internally.
Until his dragon brought it up, Blain hadn’t considered what he said. No wonder Natasha shrieked at him. “No, no, no, not that kind of release. I meant a few drinks.” Although now that the subject was brought up, Blain would gladly spend the evening wooing her in his chamber.
“Yeah, good luck with that, buddy. The way you keep screwing up, we will be lucky to get our first kiss within the next hundred years!”
Natasha stood staring mutely at him for what seemed like forever.
Blain ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “I’m royally screwing this up. Let’s try this a different way. Go get changed; we’re going out.”
“Out?”
“Yes, out, we’re going clubbing.”
“Clubbing?”
“Dancing.”
“Dancing?”
Blain couldn’t help but chuckle. She sounded so damn cute parroting him. “Natasha, do you by chance hear an echo in here?” He couldn’t help the smile that played on his lips.
“Uh, no, sir.” She answered as she blushed deeply.
“Good, now go get changed.” He ordered as he walked past her and up the stairs to his room.
Natasha was waiting for Blain when he descended the stairs a short time later. “Your car and driver are ready and waiting for you, sir.”
“Thank you,” Blain grabbed his leather jacket. He was a little disappointed. He could not see what outfit she had chosen due to her long leather trench coat.
“We will see what she is wearing soon enough. You need to tell her to call you Blain. She is our mate. She does not need to be addressing you as sir. She is our equal.” Sapphamire decided to chime in. His dragon had no intention of letting anything past him this evening.
Blain placed his hand on the small of Natasha’s back as he led them to the car. He held her door open for her before sliding in next to her in the backseat. He gave the driver instructions on where to take them. Silence filled the space of the car. Blain knew Natasha was uncomfortable with the idea of going out dancing with her new boss. Yet, he was surprised she didn’t object when he announced they were going out.
Arriving at his favorite bar, only because he owned it, they discarded their coats just inside the door before heading for a drink. His jaw nearly hit the ground upon seeing Natasha’s outfit. She wore tight-fitting leather pants, a white off-the-shoulder shirt coupled with knee-high snakeskin-heeled boots. Her hair was down, flowing in thick waves down to the small of her back.
“Our mate is beautiful; she would look good sewn up in a Mumu.” Sapphamire purred, admiring the view.
“True enough, Sapphamire, but who would want a body like hers sewn up in a Mumu. Such a waste.” Blain was pleased to notice he had managed to catch her eye for a brief moment. In his leather pants, biker boots, white shirt, and leather vest. He was proud to have her eyes roaming over him, even if it was for too short of a time.
“Well, at least you know how to dress to impress her,” Sapphamire commented.
“Your confidence in me is overwhelming, Sapphamire.” Blain dryly replied.
“Blain, good to see you, man.” The bartender greeted, nodding his head as they walked up to the bar and took their seats.
“Gerard, what’s up?” Blain returned.
“Nothing much, same as always. What will it be for you and the lady tonight?”
“My normal and…?” He trailed off, looking at Natasha.
“A coke.” The bartender just looked at her and raised a brow. “Coke, on the rocks,” Natasha repeated because the man was looking at her like she had two heads.
Gerald shook his head and turned to walk away only to turn back when Blain reached over the bar and touched his forearm, signaling him to wait a minute. “Just a second, Gerald.”
Turning his attention back to Natasha, Blain all but demanded of her, “If you don’t order something with alcohol, then I’m going to pick something for you. And it may just be so strong I will guarantee it will knock you on your ass.”
Natasha looked over to the bartender for help, but the man just shrugged his shoulders at her.
“Fine,” Natasha seethed, irritated Blain was taking her choice away from her. What is it with men who think women didn’t know how to order for themselves? Or maybe he thinks I don’t really know what I want? Turning her attention back to the bartender, she amended her order. “Just add a splash of rum to that coke, please.”
“Gerald, add two shots of Satan’s Piss to the order if you will.”
Natasha waited till the bartender moved away to speak again, the look on her face clearly stating she was not happy with Blain. “You are quite persistent, Mr. Barrymire.”
“Yes, I can be, but we need to establish some ground rules for tonight,” Blain replied.
Natasha could only imagine what his ‘ground rules’ were going to be. If Blain thought she would sleep with him because he took her to a bar and bought her a drink, he was in for a rude awakening. Yes, Natasha found him fascinating, and he was relatively easy on the eyes. But Blain Barrymire was her employer, and she was not going to mix business with pleasure. At least not on her first day on the job. Still, she would hear him out before setting him straight. “Okay, I’m listening.”
“First, there will be no more sir or Mr. Barrymire tonight; we are here as friends and to have a good time, not boss and assistant. And second, I am going to make sure that you have fun tonight, so if you have a problem with that, keep it to yourself.” Blain knew he was acting heavy-handed with her, but she was a stubborn woman, and he had a point to make. The bartender showed up with their order, effectively putting her reply on hold momentarily, but Blain knew that she would blast him as soon as Gerald left. He could see it in her eyes.
Natasha waited until the bartender walked away again. “Okay, Blain, under one condition, everything goes back to its rightful order first thing tomorrow morning, and I’m not sleeping with you.”
It was on the tip of Blain’s tongue to tell her he hadn’t mentioned sleeping with him, but he decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being.
“Hmm, he does have a brain after all.” Sapphamire drawled.
Instead, Blain held up his glass as he handed her drink to her. “Cheers.”
Natasha rolled her eyes and dinged her glass with his before taking a sip of her drink. She was tired, it had been a long day, and her choice would be to curl up in bed with a good book--alone.
“Now, shall we dance?” Blain smirked, offering her his hand. He planned on keeping her off her game the entire night.
Natasha’s eyes went wide. “No!”
“Yes.” He quickly countered.
“I can’t. I don’t know how to dance.” What was it that threw her off balance whenever she was near this man?
“Then I guess I’ll have to teach you.” Blain shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal, grabbing her hand and all but pulled her out to the dance floor.
***
These days, dancing was like having public sex with your clothes on and blaring music. But in truth, Natasha had a great time once she picked up on the rhythm and moves Blain taught her. It was not something she had ever had the chance to do before, and she quickly realized how much fun it was to let her hair down and forget the day-to-day worries. No wonder humans flocked to bars so often. It was a great escape.
By the end of the night, both had drunk way too much alcohol, even for shifters. Natasha had slowed up two hours prior when she recognized the signs of a foggy brain. It didn’t matter that she was enjoying a night on the town, she was a trained assassin, and certain people were aware of this information. It was never a good idea to let yourself go.
Natasha helped Blain into the car, climbed in behind him, and ordered the driver to take them home. If the driver had an issue with her issuing the order, he was smart enough to keep quiet. Natasha may have lightened up on the drinking two hours ago, but Blain had not. Glancing over at him, Natasha was not looking forward to getting the big dragon shifter up the stairs to his bedroom. Maybe I should renegotiate my pay after tonight.
Finally, after a short drive home but a much longer time attempting the stairs, Natasha managed to get Blain into his room. On one attempt up the stairs, she was surprised to look over and see Blain’s dragon shining through his eyes. “Hello, big fellow,” Natasha whispered, not knowing if Blain’s dragon was friendly or not. When dealing with shifters, it was always a good idea to cautiously approach the beast.
Now, Blain was stumbling in his room as Natasha attempted to help him shed his vest. “Stay with me tonight, Natasha.” He half-whispered, half-slurred. The man needed to give it up and go to sleep so Natasha could go to bed; it had already been one hell of a first day on the job.
“I am staying with you tonight; it’s my first night staying here at the castle.” She lightly replied, knowing full well what he was asking, but still firmly convinced it was nothing but the alcohol talking. Besides, sleeping with the boss? Um, no. She couldn’t afford to have something terrible happen with this job. There was simply too much riding on this. She gave him a bit of a shove that sent him sitting back on the bed. Leaning down, she picked up one leg and started removing his boots.
“No, stay with me.” He said, gazing longingly down at her. When she looked up, she was surprised to see his dragon peeking through once again. Was it his dragon asking? Hmm, maybe his other half was friendly after all. Still, whether Blain or his dragon was asking, the answer was no.
“I’ll be the next room over,” she replied a bit too curtly, then gestured to the door that adjoined their rooms together. Trying to soften the last blow, she added, “You’re kind of stuck with me anyways as your assistant.” He looked at her as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle, his dragon still shining through. Maybe he was, or perhaps the dragon was trying to figure her out. Or maybe Blain was so accustomed to women falling at his feet and having anyone he wanted; he didn’t know how to handle her rejection. Natasha stood up quickly and reached down to pull his shirt up over his head.
“See, you’re already undressing me.” Blain teased, wiggling his eyebrows as he leaned back onto his elbows.
Natasha burst out laughing before quickly covering her mouth. She had always been instructed never to laugh at someone. It could get you hurt or even killed.
“You should do that more often.”
“What? Undress you?” Natasha snorted.
“No silly woman, laugh. It looks good on you.” Blain simply stated, all slurring gone as he stood and came face to face with her. “Please, stay.” He begged in a whisper.
Natasha smiled up at him. She liked him like this., all loose and worry-free. Tonight he hadn’t been the ruthless businessman she knew. He hadn’t been the wealthy and powerful owner of a castle, a castle for crying out loud! No, tonight, he had just been Blain, carefree, and laid back. She liked this side of him, even if he was inebriated. Stretching up on tiptoe—even in three-inch heels!—she tenderly kissed his cheek. It was probably not one of her wiser moments, but hopefully, he wouldn’t remember it in the morning. Much to her surprise, he turned his head, trying to capture her lips. Lucky for her, his speed was gone due to the alcohol. Out of his reach, she quickly stepped back and handed him a pair of clean night pants to change into.
“Goodnight, Blain.” She turned and walked out of the room without a backward glance. Blain stood still for a long moment, surprised she had walked away from him. Surely she had felt the heat between the two of them.
“You drunk buffoon! You’re an idiot and chased her away! If you had just let me handle it, she would still be here in this room with us. But no, you think because you’re human, you know better. Ha! Now she’s in her room, not with us, and you get to sleep by yourself!”
Blain shook his head and turned back to his bed. If he didn’t get sleep, his mood would not be good come morning. Maybe Sapphamire was correct; not often did women turn him down. Was he losing his touch with his own mate? Now, that would be a travesty.
Natasha sighed as she leaned her head against the door separating the two bedrooms. This job certainly wasn’t starting as she had planned. She never dreamed of going out dancing and partying the night away the first day of arriving! But that is precisely what she had done. And now she wondered what tomorrow would bring. Would Blain be the cold, calculating businessman he portrayed himself when she arrived? Would he even remember the details of their night dancing together? Or would he be detached come morning, choosing to forget everything that had happened? If he decided that route, she would do so as well. That might very well be the best plan of action, considering they had to work together. As she pressed off the door and headed for her bed, she decided to start tomorrow off quietly and take her cues off of him. Hopefully, Blain wouldn’t leave her dangling long, and she would be able to get the lay of the land soon enough.
As her head hit the pillow, she didn’t deny to herself there was just something about that man that drew her to him. She would cherish her memories of tonight for a long time to come, even having to put a drunk dragon shifter to bed. Obviously, Blain found her attractive. But he came across as the type to have a different girl in his bed every night, so she was chalking up his interest to too much alcohol. Natasha was betting tomorrow morning; Blain would walk into the office and act as if nothing happened tonight. And that was just fine with her.