Warlock Dragon Mate

Securing the Job

Alice - POV

Mr. Davis appeared irritated when I informed him that his current associate, Dave, had come to my place to collect an envelope from Isha. He gave me a Letter of Appointment a few hours later upon learning that I was a dragon and looking for work while waiting for a response from the California firm.

Dave paled when Mr. James scowled at him. "Stay here," Mr. Davis sternly added as I stopped at the door's entrance.

"I need to speak with you, Dave," he said sharply. I noticed the office staff glancing at Mr. Davis's office and then at me.

"Dave, I told you not to hire Alice. Why did you do it? Alice is a dragon, and I need human employees," Mr. Davis muttered. Though I heard it clearly through my shifter ears, it was a murmur to humans, who weren't sure about the heated discussion. I sighed.

"You knew Alice was a dragon, and having a supernatural being as your associate is beneficial. When your dark power is out of control, some can withstand it, and no human can come in contact with you; they die, and we have an incident. Do you want to create more issues?" Dave snapped back, making me shift on my legs with worry. Dave must be close to Mr. Davis to speak like that. Of course, he is, since Dave is also a warlock.

"Dave, I can't keep that woman close," Mr. Davis growled.

"Why not? I don't understand at all," Dave inquired. For a few seconds, there was silence. I now realized Mr. Davis didn't want me around because I was still his mate. Even though we agreed to reject each other, the mate bond stayed the same because a dragon's bond couldn't be broken with words. Witches had to separate the mate bond threads to break the bond.

"James, will you speak or what?" Dave asked again. I moved towards the office and pushed the doorknob to get in and answer Dave. Mr. Davis and I locked eyes like a heat wave on the mating bond surface for a few seconds.

"We are mates," I whispered. Dave's eyes shot up into his hairline, and his mouth hung open. I looked in the corner of my eyes to see Mr. Davis staring at me with a poker face that made it hard to understand his thoughts.

"You found your mate, James. I am so happy for you," Dave cheered, but his enthusiasm stopped when he saw Mr. Davis's lack of excitement, as did my expression. I conveyed the same feeling to Dave, who looked at us confusedly.

"We both verbally rejected each other, but we have yet to eliminate our bond through mate threads," Mr. Davis added nonchalantly.

"Did he reject you first, Alice?" Dave asked.

"Why are you calling her by her first name?" Mr. Davis's annoyance was evident.

"Dave asked me to call him by his name, and so I did," I replied.

Mr. Davis rolled his eyes, looked at the file on his desk, and ignored Dave's gaze.

"I know James is a cold-hearted man, and his dark aura has scared you, but he is a good guy," Mr. Davis growled at Dave's words.

"It's not that I rejected him..." I paused as tears pricked my eyes. Memories of my first mate's abuse made my skin crawl.

"Dave, get out of here," Mr. Davis ordered, turning to me for an answer, but my emotions had choked me.

"Alice..."

"Dave, no more questioning, Ms. Brooks. Make sure you keep your lips sealed on this matter," Mr. Davis added sternly as Dave exited the cabin. I avoided looking at him, not wanting to give the impression of weakness, and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Mr. Davis, I will not work if my presence and our bond bother you. I understand," I added, meekly staring at my feet.

"First, call me James. Second, sit down and drink some water," he replied while working on his laptop. I drew the chair closer and gulped the water he had poured for me on the table.

"You can call me Alice," I whispered, drawing his gaze to me.

"Alice," his voice said, and my heart skipped a beat. "You can work at the firm. I hesitated to hire you, and the mate bond is not a problem. We don't plan to let our personal lives get in the way." He said it like a command, not asking me but telling me to comply. I nodded my head in agreement.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Dave will show you to your desk, and good job bringing the plaintiff to court on time," he complimented. I nodded with a smile. I felt happy to get a job and receive compliments.

"How did it go? Did James fire you or...?"

"No, he asked me to get to work, and you will show me to my desk," I replied with a smile, and Dave sighed in relief. Dave showed me to the cabin, where a file was kept on the table. He explained the case and trial dates and that I needed to speak with clients and witnesses to record every statement.

"Dave, I'm sorry I couldn't discuss the mate bond earlier. It's personal," I stuttered.

"It's okay, Alice. I shouldn't ask personal questions in the first place," Dave smiled at me as he left me behind for work. I got to know the staff, who were friendly, and some of them were annoyed by my presence, which I chose to ignore.

Dave had left earlier, so I stayed behind to cover the rest of the work. I knocked on James's office as I clocked out. "Come in," James said. I halted, seeing him shirtless and wearing black sports shorts. His legs were running faster on the treadmill.

The office had been turned into a gym. I had seen the treadmill machine on the corner before, and this headquarters was spacious, like a luxurious apartment. Still, I was surprised to see James's muscles and his more muscular legs. He looked more handsome, and it was hard to even speak. I averted my gaze from his frame.