Page 16 of Conning Her Dragonkin Boss (Mated to the Monster: Season 3)

Chapter Sixteen

THE OFFICE WELCOME

Sunny Adlawan

The walk back into Vormugh Enterprises feels different.

Not because the glass walls gleam any brighter, or because the air hums with the usual quiet, efficient energy of the office.

It’s me.

I’ve changed.

I spent the weekend with Khanner Rokoth, wrapped in his arms, his world, his obsession. And now I’m walking back into this office as if nothing happened?—

Except it did.

And I’m not sure how to navigate that.

Would everyone be whispering behind my back?

Would they look at me differently?

I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders as I swipe my badge at the entry scanner.

The doors slide open.

And then?—

“SURPRISE!”

Confetti explodes over my head.

I nearly drop my tablet.

The entire admin team, HR staff, and a handful of people from finance and project management are gathered near my desk, a massive Congratulations, Sunny! banner stretched across the lounge.

I gawk.

Harla stands at the center, smirking over the rim of her coffee. “Nice to have turnover due to promotion instead of… well.”

She waves a dismissive hand.

Everyone laughs.

I blink hard. “Wait. You guys are celebrating?”

“Of course we’re celebrating,” Neve, the pixie from HR, chimes in. “You ran the business conference, secured a Rift Network partnership, won Best in Show, and didn’t get fired.”

She sips her latte. “Frankly, legendary.”

I stare.

I open my mouth.

I close it.

“That’s… not exactly how it happened,” I say weakly.

Harla winks. “Don’t correct a good office myth, sweetheart.”

More laughter ripples through the group, and I find myself smiling despite my confusion.

Maybe I’d worried for nothing.

This isn’t weird.

It’s home.

Between pastries and coffee, I try to wrap my head around the absolutely insane version of events floating through the office.

Apparently, I had time to single-handedly run Vormugh Enterprises’ finance division, negotiate Rift trade agreements, and win a competitive creative arts championship.

All in one weekend.

I rub my temples.

At this rate, they’ll be saying I also slayed a hydra and brokered peace between vampire clans.

Before I can attempt to set the record straight, my tablet chimes.

A message from Khanner.

Sunny. My office. Now.

A shiver runs down my spine.

Harla, who has laser-focused senses for workplace drama, catches my reaction immediately.

She grins. “Good luck, sweetheart. Ser Rokoth doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

No, he definitely does not.

Khanner is already watching me when I step into his office.

His golden eyes burn with something unreadable, the heavy air between us charged with expectation.

I close the door.

Place my tablet on his desk.

“Ser Rokoth,” I say smoothly. “You called?”

His gaze narrows.

And then, he moves.

He crosses the distance between us in three slow, measured steps, the scent of dark spice and something purely him wrapping around me.

“I called because I want you,” he murmurs, voice low and deliberate.

Heat flares under my skin.

I shift slightly. “In the office?”

His lips twitch at the corner, but his gaze remains intense.

“With mates, it’s absolutely appropriate.”

I freeze.

“Wait—what?”

Khanner tilts his head, studying me with predatory patience. “Otherkin culture doesn’t have those kinds of issues. HR already knows about us.”

My pulse pounds.

I knew about the relationship disclosure forms.

But…

“Mates?” I whisper.

He watches me closely. “Yes, Sunny.”

I should be processing this.

I should be asking questions.

But the only one that comes out is?—

“Are there… cuffs?”

His golden eyes flicker with amusement.

“No symbols,” he says. “But we can adopt our own.”

I like that.

I like that a lot.

Khanner steps back briefly, reaching into a small, velvet pouch on his desk.

What he pulls out takes my breath away.

A jewel the size of a golf ball.

Deep obsidian black, flecked with ribbons of gold that seem to pulse like molten fire beneath the light.

Suspended on a delicate, enchanted chain.

His voice is low, reverent.

“This came from my hoard.”

I swallow. “Your… hoard?”

“A piece of my most valued collection.”

My chest tightens.

“This is called the Dragon’s Heart,” he continues. “It signifies protection. You’ll always be able to find me now.”

I stare as he lifts it.

And then?—

I hear it.

A faint, rhythmic thump.

Like a heartbeat.

Like his heartbeat.

I suck in a breath.

“It beats,” I whisper, stunned.

He nods.

“Because it is linked to me.”

A rush of emotion floods through me?—

Overwhelming. Terrifying. Exhilarating.

This is real.

This is forever.

My fingers tremble as I touch the jewel.

Khanner catches my wrist, his thumb stroking along my pulse point.

I exhale, shaky.

“Forget it,” I whisper.

His brows lift. “Forget what?”

I lift my gaze to his.

“This,” I murmur. “This can be our symbol.”

His eyes darken.

And then?—

His hands slide to my waist, his touch possessive.

He lifts the chain over my head, the cool weight of the jewel settling above my heart.

His voice is a husky rasp.

“Then it’s settled.”

Khanner doesn’t wait.

The moment the jewel is in place, his mouth crashes against mine, claiming, consuming.

I gasp, my fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer.

He lifts me onto the desk, scattering my tablet and reports without care.

“You are mine,” he growls against my skin, dragging his lips down the column of my throat.

I shudder.

He undoes the first button of my blouse. Then the next.

His hands slide up my thighs, pushing my skirt higher?—

“I want to hear you say it,” he demands.

My pulse pounds, heat pooling low in my stomach.

I wrap my arms around his neck, losing myself in him.

“I’m yours, Khanner.”

His low growl vibrates against my skin.

Then, with a possessive, searing kiss, he claims me completely.