Seed of the Dragon: A Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance (3 page)

“Ah, well, it’s hard to explain,” I said. “I may have… hooked up with someone.”

“Rachel!” Charlie exclaimed, “Who?!”

“Shawn,” I answered.

“Who is Shawn? I don’t remember his name from the guest list,” Charlie asked.

“I have no idea, but it doesn’t matter,” I said.

Silence met my ears for a moment.

“So how was it?” Charlie asked.

“Charlie!” I exclaimed.

“What? I just want to know if it was worth skipping out on the party I worked hard to get tickets for!” Charlie said.

“Oh it was worth it, definitely,” I said confidently.

“Whoa, someone sounds satisfied,” Charlie joked.

“It was good alright!” I laughed.

I started to gather my clothing from off the floor as Charlie and I continued to talk.

“I got you another shoot in a couple months so you might need to sit tight for a while, is that alright?” Charlie asked.

“That’s completely fine, I’ll live till then,” I said.

“Oh thank god, I was worried. There’s been this other agent named Justin who has been stealing all the good deals lately, he’s pissing me off,” Charlie complained.

“Sounds sketchy,” I commented.

“People say that he’s just really good at his job,” Charlie said.

I found my undies underneath the bed. “I hope that’s true,” I said.

“I’m sure it is,” Charlie agreed. “Agh, too bad I didn’t get to introduce you to the minister.”

“The minister?” I asked.

“A minister was at the party, a big shot, but he disappeared halfway through right before you did,” Charlie explained.

“That’s too bad,” I said in a teasing tone.

“Don’t get too full of yourself, Rachel, I haven’t fully put you to work just yet,” Charlie warned.

“I know, I know, I won’t make fun of you anymore,” I laughed.

“I’ll see you later, Rachel, I’ll see if I can get you any deals before that shoot in two months,” Charlie said.

“Sure thing, see you!” I said.

I hung up the phone and looked at the clothes I had gathered. I had found my dress, my undies, I wasn’t wearing a bra, but that’s it. I searched through my brain wondering if I was wearing anything else that might be scattered on the floor. Suddenly, something caught my eye in the corner. There was… a belt? It was Shawn’s belt. It was made of black leather and had a golden latch like his eyes. I picked it off the ground and weighed it in my hands. What should I do with it? Leave it in the hotel or take it home with me?

I walked over to my bag and placed the belt inside. Perhaps it would fit me… I shook my head, I was being so stupid, but I didn’t want to leave it behind. It’ll be like a souvenir of my night, a reminder of what could have been. I pictured Shawn and me together holding hands. I would take him to my favorite restaurant downtown, we’d go sight-seeing in London and I’d show him my favorite spots. I imagined his adorable American accent calling my name.

He’d look at me with that twinkle in his eyes and that handsome smile. He’d ask me what my favorite color was and remember it when he buys me a scarf for my birthday. He’d take me to America and show me New York, we’d go to a Broadway show, or a ballet. We’d walk along the streets and get hotdogs while holding hands and then finishing with dinner at his favorite Italian restaurant.

I shook my head. I grabbed some fresh clothes from my bag and changed into a t-shirt and jeans. I put away my heels in a plastic bag and slipped on my runners. It’ll only break my heart more when and if I ever meet Shawn again and he ignores me completely.  I needed to forget him before he forgets me. For now, though… I’ll keep the belt.

CHAPTER TWO

“Shawn”

“We have a new mission for you, Shawn,” my boss said as he stood in his office overlooking the city.

The office was located in a skyscraper in New York City. The room itself was opulent and had fully windowed walls that showed the entire skyline but it looked weird with its current furniture, which was un-matching and secondhand.

“Where?” I asked.

Somewhere in the distance I could hear the chattering of strangers on the street and the honking of cars.

“London, England. It’s an easy job, we just need you to find and kill the target.”

“That’s really far, sir,” I noted.

“Which is why we are sending you, you’re the only one who can get there on time,” my boss explained.

Not because I was a trustworthy and good worker? They literally do not appreciate me in this line of work at all.

“Missy will escort you out,” my boss motioned to his secretary whom was waiting at the door.

Missy stood in a full suit with a jacket and a pencil skirt. Her dark hair was tied up high in a bun and in her hands was a stack of paper. She came into the office and placed the paper atop my boss’s desk.

“That’s all the paperwork for today, Sir.”

“Thanks, Missy. Please escort Shawn out.”

We walked together down the building’s main hallway, Missy’s high heels clacking on the journey.

“Ugh, but it’ll take forever to fly there,” I complained.

“At least you won’t be flying economy,” Missy said, her glasses flashing.

“Or business. I’m basically the pilot,” I sighed.

“Shawn, stop complaining, so many people would kill to be a dragon shifter and be able to fly across the ocean,” Missy reprimanded. Missy knew me so well that she didn’t need to be polite with me. We’ve known each other since we were five years old and still pissing our beds.

“Just because people would kill for it, doesn’t mean I have to like it,” I cried out.

“Stop being such a baby and go get ready, you need to be there by 5 pm tomorrow night,” Missy said.

I whined a little more before turning to Missy. “How about you?” I asked.

“What?” Missy looked surprised.

“You don’t have to work for him if you don’t want to,” I said. “I know this isn’t what you had planned for your life.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Missy said, shifting her weight to her other foot since we stopped walking, “I just wasn’t able to pass training and that’s my own fault.”

“I know you could do it if you tried once more,” I reassured.

“I don’t want to try again,” Missy sighed.

We both stood by the elevator in silence.

“It’s not a bad job.”

“I know,” I replied, “but it isn’t what you had wanted.”

“Yes, but I’ll figure something out,” she said.

“Just don’t run yourself into the ground,” I said.

Missy really worried me. She was meant to be in my line of work but she made a small slip-up and now everyone’s too afraid to let her try her hand at the job again.

The elevator dinged as it arrived.

“Take care of yourself,” I said.

“I will,” Missy replied.

I got into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. The doors closed and soon it was just me and my reflection. I gazed at myself, taking in my features. I had grown and was now a man, it seemed weird to me still but I was still me in a way.

Women seemed to like my features, not that I could ever stay with one long. I didn’t have anything with any of the shifters so I often picked regular humans as mates but actually
loving
one and marrying them was out of the question for me. It wasn’t allowed amongst shifters to get with a human. Perhaps one day I’ll run into a shifter on an international mission that I actually fancy, but until that day, I was stuck wifeless.

I actually really loved the idea of settling down, of having a family, but I haven’t found the right shifter woman yet. I wanted a kid to raise, to teach, I wanted to see what kind of shifter they’d become.

***

Flying through clouds was fun but I could feel the atmosphere get much colder and wetter as I flew closer to England. It was mid-October, and the weather wasn’t very fair in the states but I could see it was much worse in London. My wings floated on the wind as I coasted just above the clouds so no one could see me. I had passed a few planes on the way but most of the time, I just dove under the cloud-cover since over the sea I didn’t have to worry about announcing my arrival to an entire population. I knew I was close when my phone’s GPS started to beep, telling me I would need to land somewhere in the vicinity.

I didn’t particularly want to do the usual skydive into the water and then swim to shore, so instead, I made use of the bad weather and was able to find a skyscraper to land on. Getting down would be hard to explain but at least all my belongings weren’t soaked.

Atop the building I shifted back into human form as fast as I could, which to say is not very fast. It was a process, feeling the scales shift underneath my skin and my bones rearrange themselves. Luckily, it has never been painful for me, but I cannot say the same for others. There is a new sickness plaguing us that causes insurmountable pain while transforming. I know a few that have succumbed to it and refuse to shift ever again…

I grabbed my clothes out of the suitcase I had carried in my claws while flying and got dressed. I would hate to be on the front page for something like nudity (in comparison to say, being a dragon). I laughed to myself. If only being a dragon was as easy as some people believed.

***

I shook my head. I needed to focus on what needed to be done. First I needed to do some reconnaissance and check out the area where the party was going to be. Then I needed to get ready, identify my target, pick the best place for the mission, and then kill. I looked down at my empty palm and shifted my nails into thick, sharp claws. Above all, I was an assassin, no matter what mythical creature I can shift into. I chose this path, and I was going to walk it no matter who stood in my way. I was going to be whoever I wanted to be, no matter the high cost.

Stakes were high in this game. Being a mythical shifter meant that people knew me whether or not I wanted them to, but that also meant I had a certain amount of power over others. I’m Shawn, the dragon shifter, the mythical, the powerful. I am the only dragon, so of course other shifters wanted to be polite and get on my good side.

Apparently, mythical creatures were very rare among shifters. The last dragon shifter died a century ago, so people thought that maybe the bloodline had dried up. There were also other mythical shifters alive right now -- a phoenix, a hydra, a gryphon, and Cerberus to name a few. The problem with being a mythical shifter was that we had powers that went beyond our shifting abilities. Mine had to do with controlling storms and sometimes I can’t control it if my emotions are completely out of it.

I left my things on the roof of the skyscraper; I’d grab it on my way back to the states. Luckily, there was a door to get to the stairwell atop the building. I entered the door and began my descent to the ground floor.

              ***

I held my breath as the man in the suit walked past the curtain I was hiding behind. He had a cigar in his hand while his other rummaged through his pockets for a lighter.

“Ah,” another man said, making me nearly jump out from cover. “I’ve got a light.”

“Thanks, Smithson,” my target said.

The new man handed my target his lighter. The target lit his own cigar before turning to light Smithson’s cigarette. They then both leaned over the hotel’s balcony railing and breathed in the smoke to their lungs.

“So, how’s the plan coming along?” Smithson asked.

The target waited a moment before answering. “We’ve got the codes, but-“

“That’s good,” the stranger interrupted.

“Yes,
but
, the agent that went in never came out,” the target said.

I leaned in closer to hear the details of their conversation. Perhaps it would contain some important Intel my client would be interested in.

“That’s… no good,” the stranger looked pensive at his cigarette before taking another drag. “How much does he know?”

“
She
,” the target corrected, “knows too much.”

“Damn,” Smithson cursed.

The two men stood next to one another, looking off into the near distance in silence. I nearly lost my breath from the heaviness of the situation.

“Is she one of
them
?” the stranger asked.

“…Yes,” the target answered, “and she was one of our best. She was a one of a kind.”

“I doubt that, all those monsters are the same,” Smithson said.

They were talking about shifters, that much I could tell. However, who was this woman they’re talking about? Was she one of ours? I don’t remember anyone disappearing lately, nor have I heard anything close to that. Perhaps she was from a group that originated in London. After all, my group was situated in the USA and I was far from home.

In any case, I needed this Smithson to leave so I could have my target alone. This isn’t what I had planned at all and taking extra lives was not an option here. This mission had to be done in the utmost discreet way. I was running out of time so I would need to improvise, it was going to be close but hopefully it would work.

I delved into my dress pants pocket and grabbed a hold of my own lighter and tossed it across the room. Both Smithson and the target looked startled at the sound, which allowed me to flank them and tackle the target, taking him over the railing. I shifted as fast as I could and wrapped the man in my grip as I flew high into the clouds above the hotel. Hopefully, Smithson only caught a glimpse or better yet, nothing. If anything, I was fast.

With the man in my claws, I flew in a circle above the hotel. I then broke his neck before he could scream. The man gurgled, blood erupting from his throat as his eyes began to roll. Lowering myself, I dropped the body gently atop the hotel roof and shifted back. My clothes were ruined but luckily this man’s suit wasn’t in terrible shape so it would have to do.

Re-entering the party I was wearing a dead man’s suit, with just a tiny speckle of his blood on the collar of the dress shirt.

This wasn’t going to be as fun as I thought… that was until I saw
her
.

***

The hotel was filled with people in evening gowns and tuxedos. Chatter filled the opulent halls with its twinkling chandeliers and lipstick stained wine glasses. Most of the guests were in their 50’s, successful business men and women, but there were also those in their 20’s and 30’s roaming the halls and they were there either there of their relatives’ accord, or even rarer, their own. A woman my age caught my eye across the marble floors. She had stunning sapphire eyes that matched her sheer dress which teased with its high slit across her thigh.

She was tall, not as much as I, but tall for a woman. If I had to guess, she might be a model, and from the look of the power point on the screen on the far wall announcing a new a brand with her face posing next to the perfume bottle, I’d say my guess was correct.

I had time before they discovered the body, so I decided it might be high time I go and socialize with people my age and type: people like her. I walked with purpose across the room towards the siren whose song was seducing me.

“How’re you doing tonight?” I asked, hoping not to come off too strong.

“I’m alright, and you?” she answered politely.

“Just feeling a little stuffy in here with all these older people,” I joked.

“Ha, I know what you mean!” the siren replied. “It’s still very nice though, the decorations are amazing.”

“I agree, it’s really fancy, must’ve cost a fortune,” I said.

We both gazed in wonder at the amazing décor and ritzy surroundings.

“I’m Shawn by the way,” I introduced myself.

“I’m Rachel,” she answered back.

“What’re you doing at such a party, Rachel?” I asked.

“I’m promoting myself as a model, actually. My agent said it would be really good for me to socialize among these people in order to make connections and get sponsors,” Rachel said.

I hummed, such a nice and honest girl was a model, although I shouldn’t be surprised with how beautiful she was. There weren’t many others that could hold a candle to this woman’s looks. I assumed she was just born with a twinkle in her eye.

“Your dress matches your eyes, Rachel,” I said, almost whispering.

“Ah- thank you,” Rachel stumbled, “You look quite handsome yourself.” Rachel smiled up at me, her eyes crinkling in a cute fashion. Her makeup was smoky and it did all the more to accentuate her wonderful features.

Why is it that I find myself falling for human women so easily? Every time I go on a mission like this, I find a girl like Rachel and can’t help but imagine something… a future? It’s so easy for me to get lost in moments like these, lost in the beauty of women. Something about them is soft and appealing; their features, their voices, and the way they spoke and walked.