Chapter 1
Dain
I stood off to the side in my boss’s office, quiet but letting my presence be known. At six-six and two hundred and forty pounds, with enough muscle to crush the skulls of our enemies, it wasn’t difficult to be the intimidating presence I needed to be.
Based on the way Mr. Mauni was sneaking terrified looks at me while he sat on the edge of his chair, the intimidation was working. It usually did.
I’d been working for Cael for many years, and in addition to being his head of security, I could also scare the life out of his enemies.
“We either have a deal or we don’t, Mr. Mauni. Make your decision.” My boss, Cael, tossed a pen onto the desk and leaned back in his chair. He had his own commanding presence, but that mostly came from the wealth and power he wielded rather than his size. Though as a dragon, he was a looming presence no matter what he did. The fire in his eyes and the smoke that sometimes curled from his nostrils when he was angry kept his associates like Mr. Mauni quaking in the boots.
The lion shifter across from him squirmed in his seat, sweat beading on his brow. Cael hadn’t even flashed his scales yet.
“You drive a hard bargain,” he said.
“Not really,” Cael said. “But if you make me wait any longer, I can make it more difficult.”
“You have a deal.” The lion reached out a hand.
Cael shook it, then they both signed whatever document they were debating. I hadn’t paid attention. It was not my job to know the business dealings, I was the hired muscle. I kept Cael safe from physical threats. He had other business associates who kept him safe financially.
Mr. Mauni stood, buttoned up his suit jacket, and shot Cael a glare as he and his own bodyguards left the room.
Cael grinned at me once we were alone. I had to shake my head at his antics. He knew the power he wielded in the business world. Thankfully for all of us, he used his powers for good—mostly. With a few shady business dealings here and there, he more than made up for it in how he took care of his clan and his employees. The rest of the world might’ve seen him as a monster; that was how he preferred it, but I knew after nearly a decade of working for him that the man had a heart.
I might’ve been a wolf shifter, but Cael had never treated me any differently than anyone else. I wasn’t an official member of his clan, though they did accept non-dragons. No, I preferred the lone-wolf life.
“A drink to celebrate,” Cael said. “Join me, Dain.”
I knew without looking at the clock what time it was and how much longer I had until my shift was over, not that I really operated on a shift schedule. I was Cael’s personal bodyguard, and with that came the responsibility for his safety being my number one priority, one hundred percent of the time.
“Just water for me, sir.”
“Ah, you never let me have any fun.” Cael pulled out his expensive scotch, poured two glasses, and handed me one.
It would be rude of me not to take it and a waste of perfectly good scotch.
“Sit down, Dain. I’m not going anywhere for the rest of the day. The only people in the house are the rest of the staff and my two kids. They’re home for once, instead of jet-setting across the world.”
I couldn’t argue with that. His eldest legitimate children, unfortunately, had not inherited their father’s work ethic yet and instead just spent his money like it was candy. Every week they had new projects, new cars, new women and omegas. It was hell for the security detail. Cael assured me they’d grow up someday. He told me endless tales of sowing his wild oats when he was their age.
“We received an invitation to one of Bex’s balls. One of the masquerade ones to help shifters find their mates.”
“Sounds exciting. Do you need a security detail? If you plan to attend, I will make arrangements.” It wouldn’t be the first time Cael had gone to a ball or party, though I doubted he’d be looking for a mate. Goddess help us if he did. Omegas around the world would mourn the loss.
“No, I will not be going to any such nonsense. The last thing I want in my life is a mate. I have enough children as it is.”
I waited quietly, not bothering to ask questions. Cael would explain to me why he was bringing up this ball. I wasn’t prepared for his reasoning, though.
“I want you to go. You have a tux; we’ll get you a mask.”
It was only through years of practice that I was able to sit there without reaction. It was my job to stand there and be a stone wall no matter what conversation was going on around. “Are these balls not designed for shifters to find their mates?”
“Yes, plenty of pairings come out of them. Bex has a gift. Come on, it’ll be fun.” He tossed the invitation at me. It was elegant; clearly, a lot of money and time was put into these things. The paper was thick, the scrawling letters were handwritten, and the edges were gold foil. I opened my mouth to decline, but Cael stopped me.
“This isn’t a question, Dain. It is an order. You are going to that ball.”
“Do you need me to do research or—” This had to be work-related. There was no way my boss was interfering with my personal life. My having a mate would not work with the schedule I kept.
