Her Dominant Dragon

Chapter Seven

I followed Louis as he walked to Mr. Blackwell’s office, the short ride up in the elevator was quiet and not what I was used to when being around Louis.  It made me miss his playful flirting, I bit my lip as we exited the small space.  I watched his back while walking to my desk. I wasn’t used to him being so ill at ease and I didn’t know why, but I wanted to help him return to his normal self, even though I had no idea how to help him.

“Louis, good luck in there,”  I said stopping at my desk.

“Thanks, I’ll need it,”  Louis said, pausing and looking back at me, his violet eyes tracing the lines of my face as I watched him pull his shoulders back, his fingers tightening on the large brown box in his arms.  The spark of mischief was back in his eyes and he swaggered closer to me.

“Can I get a kiss for luck?” he smirked down at me before biting his lower lip and I couldn’t help but glance down at his lips and back to his eyes.  He was teasing me, I rolled my eyes wondering why I had worried about him in the first place.  He must have been setting me up the whole time.  

“No,” I said with a shake of my head, I put my hand on his arm turning him towards Mr. Blackwell’s office, watching as he walked up to the frosted glass door.  He looked back at me and I made a shooing motion with my hands before heading to the shiny espresso machine that sat in the corner of the room, like some kind of silver beast waiting to be put to good use.

I pulled out the coffee beans and ran them through the grinder, the expensive machine making a low hum as the smell of the beans filled my nostrils making me crave another cup of caffeinated goodness.  I busied myself using the tamper to press the grinds smooth into the silver portafilter, then placed it into the belly of the machine locking into place. I placed my hand against the top of the machine, the smooth metal warm under my palm, and I was amazed yet again how quickly it could heat up.  I placed the small white cup under the drip and cleaned up the fine grinds that had fallen onto the countertop.

 Repeating the process again I sat the small cups onto the tray cleaning up as I went.  Marcus had sent me to the basement with a list of three items, I fixed five espressos just to be on the safe side.  Lifting the tray carefully, I carried it to his office and gently pushed the door open.

“Amelia, come in,”  Marcus said moving to hold the door wider for me, I gingerly carried the tray.  

“Thank you, Sir,” I said before setting the tray on the small coffee table that rested in front of the black leather couch.  The room was dim, the thick curtains drawn. I frowned, debating whether or not to open them when I glanced over at the occupants on the couch.

Eyes that didn’t look human watched me hungrily, almost glowing in the darkness.  I gulped hard before quickly sitting the espresso cups on the table with napkins and picking up the tray.  I turned towards the door, ready to make a hasty retreat, I needed this job. Badly, but was it worth risking my life.  Something almost like a long-forgotten instinct was telling me to run, to hide that I wasn’t safe.  That was ridiculous though, I couldn’t be in any danger here.  

Could I?

Closing the door behind me I looked back at the frosted glass doors, what had I just seen?  Maybe it was a trick of the light? That had to be it, this day was already so surreal maybe I had finally cracked and this was my brain’s way of processing it?

That’s right, that had to be it.  I haven’t been sleeping well, with everyone getting spanked but me and this was how I must be showing my crazy.

I moved to my desk and sat down in the chair, the soft tan leather creaking underneath me as I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples.  I just needed a moment and then I’d be fine. Eyes didn’t glow like the ones that had been watching me.

Unless they were a cat’s eyes reflecting the light in the darkness and even then, that wasn’t a completely accurate way to describe them.  Large irises that glowed like the embers of a fire, pupils that were slit like a predator's, I shivered picturing them.  Knowing that they would haunt me unless I could prove to myself it wasn’t real.

Opening my eyes, I looked down at my desk, oh no.  

I looked from the velvet box to the frosted door and then back again.  Oh no, I had forgotten to give it to Mr. Blackwell.

I picked it up, biting my lip as I stood.  All I needed to do was take it in there.  It would give me a chance to see if their eyes really did glow or if I was finally cracking over the surprises from today.  The part of my brain that still remembered hiding in caves away from larger predators, the reptilian thoughts that lingered from eons ago, was still screaming at me to flee, to hide somewhere safe and deep within my cave.  It was a primitive urge to protect myself and I shook it off, there was nothing to fear but fear itself.  

I smoothed my free hand over my hair, pushing it over my shoulder as I walked to Mr. Blackwell’s office.

Their eyes couldn’t glow, I’d prove it to myself.  

It was just a trick of the light, maybe the reflection of a cell phone screen, nothing to freak out over.  My heart was pounding in my chest as I tapped on the glass. It was now or never.

I took a deep breath stepping into his office.