Page 2 of Kenna's Dragon

Through the whole job searching, application, and interview process, I felt like such an impostor. Which really isn’t a surprise, to be honest. I fucked around for all of my late teens and early twenties—with school, with work, with relationships—and part of me still feels like that same old flighty, irresponsible party girl, just wearing business casual clothes and pretending I have my shit together.

I have to get over it. IknowI have to get over it. And as the morning goes on and I complete some of my orientation and training tasks, it gets easier and easier to believe I really am supposed to be here.

The team goes out together for lunch at a little deli down the street, and that feeling only grows. All of them seem kind and cool and welcoming, and as we eat and chat I start to feel like one of the bunch.

“We better get back,” Yvette says as we all stand and head for the door. “All-hands meeting starts at one.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“Director Blair’s talking to the whole Bureau today,” Vera says, holding the door open for me. “About all the crap that’s gone down with the government and paranormal policy over the past few months.”

I nod, stomach tightening a little at the mention of it.

I’ve had a front-row seat to a small part of that drama, mainly through one of my best friends, Nora, and her mate, Elias.

Nora was at the center of some of the events Vera is talking about. After Elias recognized Nora as his mate and had the Bureau track her down, it led to Nora’s ex-fiance-slash-uber-creep-congressman Daniel Sorenson finding her. She’d been hiding from Sorenson for years, and he abused his position and power to get her info through the Bureau.

And not only that, but Sorenson attempted to fuckingkidnapher in some deranged attempt to get her back. He was arrested and charged with a boatload of crimes related to the kidnapping and all the other shady shit he was up to, and it caused a massive media firestorm here in Seattle and around the country.

Nora and Elias made it out safely on the other side, together and ridiculously happy, but the Bureau and the whole paranormal community are still dealing with the fallout.

Once we make it back to the office and put our stuff away, it’s just about time for the meeting, and we follow the steady stream of employees down to the first floor.

The meeting is being held in the building’s cafeteria space, the only room big enough to hold the Bureau’s two hundred or so employees.

The room is already crowded by the time we get there, with some risers at the front of the space making a small stage. Loitering near the back, we wait as the crowd hums with conversation.

A couple minutes later, someone who I assume is Mr. Blair, the Bureau’s Director, takes to the risers and stands behind the podium. Nora’s told me a bit about him, about how much help he gave to her and Elias when they were dealing with everything that went down with Sorenson, but she failed to mention one key detail.

He’s really, really hot.

And not just because he’s a dragon shifter, but the Director’s totally got it going on. Tall, broad-shouldered, and fit, with dark brown hair and a face that’s equal parts stern and sexy, he immediately stands out from the rest of the room by his appearance and aura alone.

Power, that’s what he radiates.

Power and authority and a magnetism that makes me straighten my spine where I’m standing at the back of the room.

My eyes must also widen, or I must be drooling or something, because Vera laughs softly beside me.

“Yeah, I’d say you get used to it, but you never really do. Man’s too damn hot to be the Director of a boring government agency.”

Picking up my jaw off the floor, I laugh and shake my head. “Or it’s just a requirement for the job, leadership skills and a Greek god’s face.”

Vera laughs, too, but is cut off a moment later by a hush falling over the crowd.

When Blair finally looks up from the papers on the podium and surveys the room, a jolt of surprise moves through me.

Those eyes. Golden and sharp, with oblong pupils instead of round ones.

Dragon eyes.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” he says into the mic, and even his voice is compelling, graveled and deep. “If you’d all find a seat, I would like to get this meeting started.”

There doesn’t seem to be any seats left, so I shuffle a little to stand at the back of the room by the wall. When I find my place, Blair isn’t speaking yet. In fact, the entire crowd is silent, waiting, and when I look to the front of the room, my breath catches in my throat.

Those golden, dragon eyes are fixed squarely on me.

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