The Dragon’s Aide (Charmed Away Temp Agency #2)

Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Maverick paced the length of his living room, berating himself. He’d never lost control like that before. His reaction didn't make any sense. It was like Isaac was drawing his dragon to the surface and making him feral. He’d be angry if he didn’t feel such an intense amount of shame for what he’d done. He had shoved the mage into a bookshelf. He’d hurt him. What the hell had he been thinking?

The answer to that question was simple enough. He hadn’t been. Something about his assistant put him on edge and Ozen didn’t help by suggesting sexual attraction. It irritated Maverick to the point that he lost control. Factor in an argument with Isaac and he was bound to lash out. It didn’t excuse his behavior, though. Maverick was hundreds of years old. He should’ve had better control.

He knew it was only a matter of time before he was summoned back to work, either by Ozen or by supernatural resources. Isaac would have every reason to report him, and because he reacted so violently, Maverick wouldn’t be surprised if they made the argument to let him go. He wasn’t sure if Ozen would allow it, but his petulant reaction would be on his record. It was the least that he deserved.

The more time that went by, the more stressed Maverick became until his growl was almost constant. The air vibrated with it, and he had to shake out his hands because they kept clenching at his sides. He thought about going back, facing the consequences of his actions head on, but he was worried Isaac was still there. Maverick wasn’t ready to face him yet.

It wasn’t until the work day was done that he received the call, which was just cruel in his opinion. He bit back his growl, resigned, and put the phone to his ear.

“Van Buren.”

“Maverick.” Ozen’s voice had an edge to it, a warning there. “I heard some troubling rumors. Would you care to explain?”

Rumors? Not a report from SR?

“What did you hear?”

“Something about shouting and throwing things. Did you seriously throw something at your assistant?”

Not unless throwing Isaac counted. Maverick wasn’t going to say that, though. It almost sounded like Isaac didn’t say a word, which was… curious.

“Nothing was thrown. That’s an exaggeration. What did Isaac say?”

Ozen huffed out an irritated sound. “Not much. Someone on the staff called Brennus, and I discussed it with him afterward, but apparently Isaac is powerful enough to circumvent his magic. He gave him the run around and stuck to vague answers. A lot like you are now. What actually happened?” he demanded.

Isaac… lied for him? Why would he do that? He had every right to throw Maverick under the bus after what he’d done. What was his goal? Lying to SR could get him fired. He was only a temp. He didn’t have the connections Maverick did.

“We… had a disagreement.” Maverick didn’t want to get into details about it. He didn't want to contradict anything Isaac said.

“Yes, that’s what Isaac told Brennus,” Ozen ground out. “I’m asking for more details. You growling at people isn’t anything new, but if you got loud enough for the staff to call SR, it must have been more than just a disagreement. And where did the rumors about throwing things come from?”

Maverick wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t want to lie to his friend, nor did he want to let himself off the hook for what had happened. He deserved to face the consequences. But because Isaac refused to speak to SR about it, he was worried about Isaac getting into trouble for lying by omission. That would only make Maverick feel worse. If he wanted to protect Isaac, he had to keep the events of the afternoon to himself until he could speak to Isaac.

“Maverick…”

“It was a disagreement. I was already on edge thanks to someone’s teasing and I overreacted. I will apologize to him and make things right.”

Ozen could probably tell that he was going to get nowhere with this conversation right now if his growl was anything to go by. Maverick felt guilty for that. This was definitely something the CEO should know about if the circumstances were different. If it was anyone else involved, Maverick would’ve been the first to say something about it. But it was personal for him, and for his assistant’s sake, he couldn’t say anything more until he spoke to Isaac.

“Fine,” Ozen snapped. “I’m obviously not going to get anything else from you for the time being. But this isn’t over, Maverick. If it got severe enough for a call to SR, then it wasn’t as simple as you’re making it out to be. I want to know what happened. And you should make sure Isaac doesn’t feel like he is in danger by telling the truth. Is that understood?”

Maverick hadn’t considered that, and it made his chest ache to think about. He never wanted anyone to feel like they couldn’t be honest to keep him happy. He was short-tempered, yes, but he aimed to be fair in his dealings with his staff. And Isaac was one of the most capable and competent employees he’d ever had.

“I’ll speak with him.”

“Today,” Ozen demanded. “If he is going to change his mind and report the problem, I want it happening sooner rather than later.”

That would mean finding Isaac outside of work, since he no doubt was long gone by now. Maverick grunted his assent and hung up before calling the one person who wouldn’t have any qualms about sneaking into SR to get Isaac’s information for him.

“Hello, my grumpy friend,” Taron said with a smile in his voice.

“Taron. I need your assistance.”

Of course, Taron wouldn’t just give up that information without knowing why. And he wasn’t as kind as Ozen by allowing Maverick to be vague. Taron was just as much CEO as Ozen was, but he wasn’t as stuck on the rules as their friend was. When Maverick eventually came clean, he was understanding and didn’t jump immediately to punishment.

“So he pulled the dragon’s tail. He kind of deserved it,” Taron said blandly.

“He did not,” Maverick snapped. “I lost control. It never should have happened.”

“Okay, okay. Chill,” Taron surrendered. “Man, you really are a loose cannon recently. When was the last time you got laid?”

Maverick growled out a warning, which only made Taron laugh. Maverick didn’t discuss his sex life with his friends. And while, yes, it had been a while, he was perfectly capable of meeting someone without his friends’ input.

“Alright, found it. I’ll text you the address if and only if you tell me what happens afterward.”

“Taron,” Maverick snarled.

“Maverick,” Taron shot back. “At least one owner should be kept in the loop with something like this. At least I’m less likely to overreact. But I need to know what your assistant plans on doing next in case we need to bring in SR. So go apologize and keep me updated. Alright?”

Taron wasn’t known for his professionalism, except for when it counted. Maverick sometimes forgot that he was at the same level Ozen was, and put in the time and effort to build the company alongside him. The shapeshifter was just so cavalier, it was hard to coalesce the two personalities.

“Fine. I’ll update you after I meet with him. Now, can you please just send me the address?”

“I already texted it to you.”

Little shit. Maverick hung up, checking his messages for the address. Sure enough, it was waiting for him. The apartment was across town, which for others might have meant a long drive. For Maverick, it was a matter of finding a space big enough to land. Luckily, there was an app for such things, made by Spellbound at Maverick’s request. It was popular amongst all flying shifters, but especially dragons who needed a large enough space to land.

After finding a landing area close enough to Isaac’s apartment, Maverick gathered up his resolve and strode through the house to the backyard. Because his dragon required it, his home was farther away from the city than Taron’s or Ozen’s, but he needed the acreage to spread his wings a little. A dragon working in the city was almost unheard of because they didn’t like to be confined. Maverick made up for the issue by flying to and from his home most days. It gave his dragon time to stretch out before and after a long day in the office.

He launched himself into the air, catching the wind with his wings as he headed back towards the city. During the flight, he ran through what he intended to say to Isaac in his head, but he kept getting stuck on the fact that Isaac didn’t sell him out. He didn't understand why. Isaac was a good employee and didn’t deserve to be treated that way. Was his self esteem so low that he just accepted that treatment? Or was he hoping to blackmail Maverick? What was his goal?

His temper threatened again when he thought about the demands Isaac would be able to make after what he’d done. He would rather take the punishment from Ozen than let himself be blackmailed. He shoved the feelings back down, forcing himself to remain calm. He didn’t know what Isaac hoped to accomplish by keeping the incident to himself, and he couldn’t make assumptions without giving Isaac a chance to speak. He already screwed up once today. He couldn’t let it happen again.

The closest area to land was in a park a few blocks from Isaac’s home. After checking to make sure it was clear, Maverick landed and shifted, heading towards the apartment building Isaac lived in. The wind was brisk, but Maverick ran warm thanks to his dragon’s fire. The scent in the air hinted at snow in the next few days. He hated the snow, but couldn’t avoid it in this city. He regretted not pushing harder to get Ozen and Taron to consider setting up in a warmer area.

The apartment complex itself was decent enough. A newer design, it favored glass over old-fashioned architecture, with big windows and chrome accents. There was no doorman out front, which felt unsafe, but the door itself wouldn’t open without being buzzed in. Maverick studied the intercom board. When he found Isaac’s last name, he pressed the button next to it and waited.

“Who is it?” an unfamiliar female voice asked.

Clearing his throat, Maverick answered. “Maverick Van Buren. I need to speak with Isaac Silverbreeze.”

There was a moment of silence and Maverick wondered if Isaac would refuse to see him, but before he could push, the door buzzed and unlocked for him.

“Third floor. Apartment D,” the female said as Maverick pulled the door open.

The stairs to the upper floors were right beside the door, opposite the wall of mailboxes for each apartment. The inside was just as clean as the outside, with checkered laminate flooring and bright lights. No elevator, not that Maverick needed it. He didn’t mind a walk up. It gave him more time to steady himself. His dragon felt unsettled, the uneasy feeling growing the closer he got to Isaac’s apartment. What was it about the mage that put him on edge like this? And why the hell was Maverick allowing it?