~ Rayna ~
Once I finished settling down in my suite, I opened the plastic folder and read the contract. Standing against the island table of the kitchen, I almost dropped to my knees after I saw the numbers written on the paper.
Fucking hell, Mr. Windstorm just offered me a six-digit monthly salary and a five-digit allowance. At first, I thought I was dreaming, but after taking another careful look at the contract, I realized it really was the truth.
The first thing that popped in my head was, I wasn’t suited to get such a high salary and that I should suggest bringing it down to a reasonable one, but then I saw the bold words: Nonnegotiable.
Great.
~ Rayna ~"Oh, so sorry. I should have told you about that, Mr. Walker," Mrs. G cried out from the corridor, somehow hearing our conversation. We both looked at her and she was already scratching her head. "Ms. Chase is the one who was assigned to guard the boss when he visited Hextrion.""Hm, I see." He looked contemplative for a moment.I went ahead and picked up the guns I wanted to use: aGlock G19 Gen5 Compact 9mm Pistol and aBeretta 92X Performance 9mm Handgun—both offering me a concealed carry and easy handling during quick-action scenarios.Like he instructed, I scanned it on the laser scanner near the doorway. Automatically, my face and ID were displayed on the screen and listed the two guns under the miscellaneous tab.
~ Axel ~Finally, the day has arrived for Rayna to work for me, live and breathe under the same roof as me, and simply be close to me.After her time with the werewolves, I couldn't be complacent anymore. Losing her again would spell doom for me, not only emotionally but literally. As her mate, I wouldn't be able to function and as a dragon, I would probably end up exposing myself, go on a rampage, and torch the entire City of New York.It wouldn't bode well if that happens, so I had to ensure Rayna's safety beyond anything else, and having her close to me was the best move of all.I would have wanted to welcome her myself, but since I had a meeting with my Russian associates of my mining company, I had Mrs. Mayfield welcome her instead. I instructed everything
~ Axel ~I ended our call after that, tucked my phone inside my pants pocket and faced my beautiful guest.“Rayna.” My attention landed on her attire, adoring how she looked like a bride for me. She wore white. The very color when dragons and their mates undergo a mate ritual. Was this a vision for the future? My mind happily wondered.‘I hope so. Damn, I really hope so.’“I’m sorry, Mr. Windstorm, I didn’t know you were...uh...in the middle of a call. I thought you were just—”“Standing?” I finished, cocking a brow.“Ah, yes,” she cleared her throat and quickly scanned me from head to foot. Like many times before, she tried to hide her blush, but like always, I noticed it with my keen eyes.“Rayna,” I approached her and reached for her right hand. “I’m glad you’re here. Welcome to
~ Axel ~“Can’t I have dinner with my personal bodyguard?” I asked, disregarding the list of reasons why I wanted to dine with her tonight.“Well, yes, you can, but this...” Rayna answered and gestured to the table set-up in front of us. “And this...” Then she gestured to my spacious balcony with her hands.I understood what she meant immediately.“You’re flustered. Are you saying that this whole set-up is too romantic?”“Y-yes.” Her eyelashes fluttered when she answered.My mouth stretched into a grin. “Good. I was going for it.”“Well, um...anyway,” —her eyes shifted to anywhere but me—”I figured you have questions...questions about my time with the werewolves, so ask away, Sir.”What a smooth way for her to change the subject. I didn’t mind though. Wooing her could be do
~ Rayna ~The respectful thing to do was to ring Mr. Windstorm's doorbell to inform him I arrived; however, I stood agape in the vestibule, seeing only a flat control panel beside the double doors and no doorbell. It should be easy ringing one, but his system was so sophisticated a mere big, red button was overlooked.It was a good thing I recalled what Mrs. G said: that I could have access to all entrance doors including Mr. Windstorm's, so I tried this instead.Immediately after the scanner registered my thumbprint, I was allowed in. The eight-feet-tall double oak doors opened, and my mouth dropped at the sight ahead of me. Like my suite, Mr. Windstorm's room was full of glass to take advantage of the magnificent view. However, the interior design was worthy of attention too.
~ Rayna ~Mr. Windstorm always had mesmerizing green-violet eyes, but now, it was tainted with a...glow? Some spikes of gold on the irises? It was almost like I was looking at a faraway nebula. I couldn’t exactly be sure what it was.After hearing my words, he seemed to snap out of his anger and quickly released me. He spun around, faced the railing and gave me his back.“This is nothing... Forget about it. You may go, Rayna. Return to your room now,” he ordered while holding his forehead. He didn’t even care to look at me.“Should I call for a doctor?” I hesitantly left my seat. I was thoroughly worried for him, but at the same time, I didn’t exactly know what to do or what to feel about this strange situation we were in.“No. Just go,” he answered in a lowered, but controlled voice.No matter how I wanted to, I stopped myself from touching his rigid back.
~ Rayna ~Fangs...Diamond eyes...Fangs...Diamond eyes.Fangs.Diamond. Eyes.Dragon.I had come to terms about the fangs part when I woke up in my bed—to which I failed to recall getting in, and in my cotton nightdress to which I couldn't remember actually wearing.By Hollywood standards, dragons have incredibly large teeth, but what I saw last night was terrifyingly gigantic. And it was connected to a head and a body that was a hundred times more.That said, my mind cried out, 'A dream!'Because I was certain dragons like what I saw last night didn't exist. Werewolves, yes, but dragons? And that big? It couldn't possibly.But as I left my bedroom to be welcomed by the morning light, walked straight to the living room balcony, and checked the railing where I clearly remembered its claws perched, I realized I was wrong. Totally wrong. The steel was tented to the degree where
~ Rayna ~ETA was fifteen minutes from our building to his estate at Breezy Point. The specific location was already registered on the copter's system, so I didn't do much work except stabilize it and ensure that no bird—or dragon—would run over it midair.The thought of it was laughable and well, absurd, but after what I experienced last night, I wanted to be cautious. There was no harm in doing so. However, deep inside me, I wanted not to recognize its existence. Knowing that a werewolf existed was enough. I couldn't bare it if a dragon shares this world too.Our flight, in the majority, was silent. Well, that was for the first five minutes. After that, my boss spoke, and it was all about last night."I apologize for my rude behavior last night, Rayna. I hope that didn't discourage you."‘Discourage me?’ What an odd way to put it."No worries, Mr. Windstorm," I answered while my attent