Workplace Romance

ZAYDA

Another evening alone with Xythor.

Another night racked with painful convulsions.

Xythor was fast asleep, so I slipped out of the study that had become his room.

I made my way toward the kitchen, ready to heat up some more of the broth Summer had prepared for me.

But as I turned the corner, a towering figure was standing in the middle of the hall.

“Don’t be afraid,” Storm’s deep voice called out. “I’ve come to check on you and your child.”

I stood silently for several moments, unsure if it was a dream. Why would he be visiting me? Unless it meant he knew something bad was on the horizon…

Storm stepped forward, the shadows on his face giving way to a flickering halogen light.

I was so glad to see another person that I moved forward to hug Storm, but he stepped away. The look on his face nearly crushed what little remaining hope I felt.

“Have you come here for Xythor?” I asked, suddenly worried. “He was under Xander’s control. That’s why he fought against the other dragons.”

Storm shook his head.

“I’m here to make sure you understand the importance of your child’s birth,” he said coldly. “And what it means for your future…and the baby’s.”

I thought about Xythor sleeping peacefully in the other room. Wasn’t it possible to have a future with him as well?

“I don’t want to have a future,” I replied. “Not if it’s without Xythor.”

I could hear the strain of my voice as it was choked with emotion. And I hoped Storm could hear it too.

Maybe if I pleaded enough, he would grant my wish…

“What happened to Xythor was an abomination against all dragonkind. But he is not the key to breaking the curse.”

I laughed as if it were some cruel joke. Storm was a god compared to all other dragons. And yet he did nothing while Xythor fought for his life every day.

If he truly cared about dragonkind, he would care enough to save one of his own.

“Leave me,” I said, angry and confused.

But Storm simply stood there and stared at me. He came for his own needs, and for that, I hated him.

“Get out of here!”

Storm turned and walked down the dimly lit corridor. Soon, he disappeared completely in a cloud of smoke.

If the most powerful being in Requiem couldn’t help me, there was no hope of saving Xythor.

My lover—my best friend—was as good as dead.

STORM

Silver greeted me upon my return to the Shadow Realm.

But the smile on her face as she welcomed me back quickly faded.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

I sighed, unsure of how to begin.

“Zayda doesn’t look well,” I started. “She has made her home in the wreckage of the laboratory, intent on keeping Xythor alive.”

Silver shook her head in disbelief.

“But they’re not even mates.”

“That’s of no importance to Zayda,” I replied. “She loves him. And it looks like she’s willing to die trying to return him to the dragon he once was.”

“This isn’t good,” Silver said.

“No. It’s very concerning.”

I looked around at the Shadow Realm and registered the many different dragons that called this place home.

Not long ago, Xythor had fought Loch and Hael so Maddie could see this place. Now, he was simply a husk held together by metal and magic.

“How is her pregnancy?” Silver asked, concerned.

I looked at my mate and felt my heart drop.

Silver once talked about having children. I couldn’t imagine what she felt as she thought about Zayda and the child she was carrying.

“The child is fine,” I replied. “I could feel its strong presence inside her. But Zayda is not faring so well. She’ll do anything to bring back Xythor…”

“Even if it impacts the curse?” Silver asked.

I nodded.

“She’s the only one who can break the curse, but I don’t know if she’s stable enough to do it.”

And that was what scared me the most.

Zayda would do anything to keep Xythor alive. And if that somehow meant abandoning her role to end the curse, it would prove a grave day for the fate of dragons.

MADDIE

“Of course we’ll have the usual,” Thea said.

“Burgers and fries; hot dogs and sauerkraut,” Darshan added with a wink.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

I’d gathered with Thea and Darshan to talk about the casino’s eventual menu. It didn’t take much convincing to bring Darshan on board as the casino’s leading chef.

Food and drinks were two of our favorite things, so I knew the conversation would be fun and productive.

“Those sound delicious, sure,” I said. “But what about the good stuff? I’m talking lobster thermidor or Kobe beef topped with white truffles. With the right price, we could even convince a few big spenders to try Ortolan bunting…”

“That sounds fancy,” Thea said. “What’s that?”

“It’s French cuisine that involves eating a bird whole—bones and all,” Darshan said, his mouth watering.

Thea gagged on her wine spritzer.

I nodded in agreement as Thea walked away from the table.

“You even have to wear a napkin over your face when eating it,” I said, hoping to make her ~really~ squeamish.

And from the way she covered her mouth, it had worked.

“That way, God doesn’t look down on you with shame as you crunch on those tasty bird bones.”

“Holy hell, this is the real deal, isn’t it?” Darshan gushed. “These dishes sound so good, I think they’ve restored my sight.”

“No, that’s just you having a stroke from all this talk about rich cuisine,” Thea joked.

I poured another round of wine spritzers, making sure to top mine off with an extra dash of lemon bitters.

As I handed out the refilled drinks, Darshan stood up and stretched.

“I’m headed to the restroom, so don’t talk about anything menu-related until my return!”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Thea mocked.

I sipped on my drink as Darshan left the room. Thea scooted closer, her eyes boring into me.

“What’s up?” I asked, confused by her demeanor.

“I’m wondering the same thing about Zayda.”

Thea’s comment caught me off guard. I took a few more sips of my spritzer, wishing Darshan hadn’t left us alone.

“That’s something I don’t know,” I admitted, surprised that the truth was so easy.

But Thea refused to let that be the last word on the matter.

“I don’t understand what’s going on between you two, but there’s got to be a way to end this cold war between friends.”

I shot Thea a quizzical look.

“Did you forget that she aligned herself with Xander and that university?”

“Because that was how she could save Xythor,” Thea replied. “And don’t act like she’s the only one that’s done something wrong. You’re no saint yourself.”

I was about to protest, but I remembered when Nautica and my brother Mason kidnapped me. To get what I wanted, I gave up Loch and Hael.

Sure, we’d found a way to help them escape Xander’s grasp. But it was something I’d always carry with me, like a horrible scar.

“I know you’re right,” I admitted.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“It’s not black and white,” I replied. “There are a lot of factors to take in. And I’m just making sure that if I let her back into my life, it’s the absolute right choice.”

Thea’s eyes continued to bore into me as I sat silently.

Before Thea or I could say anything else, Darshan entered the room.

“Alright,” he said happily. “I’m ready for some more food talk!”

Darshan had mercifully ended the uncomfortable conversation between Thea and me.

The worst part about it was that I knew Thea was right. The unspoken conflict between Zayda and me had to end sometime.

But could I really just forgive her so easily?

Would all the stress and strife in my life just disappear if I opened up my heart and forgave Zayda?

HARRY

Ash Onyx took one look at the list of applicants and tossed the papers on the floor.

I couldn’t believe what he’d just done. I’d spent hours compiling the best people to interview for various positions on the casino’s main floor.

“What the hell was that for?”

Ash stepped closer to me, his eyes burning with fire.

“These people aren’t up to our standards,” he said disdainfully. “If you want this venture to be successful, you have to hire the very best.”

I bent down, trying to pick up the papers that were scattered around the small room that I’d taken as my personal office.

But as I began to collect them, Ash grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from my task.

“You’ve got a fucking problem!” I shouted. “If you give me any more shit I’m going to report you to—”

In the blink of an eye, Ash had grabbed my suit collar and pushed me against the wall.

Once again, I was enveloped in his heady cologne.

He lowered his massive frame until his face was close to mine. It felt like a repeat of what had happened the day before.

But this time, I secretly hoped he’d take it one step further…

“Did you have something to say to me?” he asked.

I licked my lips to speak and realized that Ash was staring right at my mouth.

“You can’t push me around.”

Ash did just that, pushing me against the wall even harder than before.

“I think you like to be pushed around.”

The lust in his voice was enough to make me weak in the knees, but I tried to steel my resolve.

Before I could answer, Ash released his grip on my suit and stalked toward the door.

He stopped momentarily to take one last look at me before slamming the door closed.

His last words rang in my head, refusing to let me get any peace of mind.

~…you like to be pushed around…~

I didn’t want to be controlled, that much I knew. But if it was Ash Onyx that was doing the controlling, maybe I did.