Page 14 of Not an Assistant (Tales of the Dreggageggon #4)

Queen of Flame

Zahara

I wake to silence.

Not the uncomfortable kind, the kind that wraps around me like a warm breeze, soft and safe.

Acheron’s arm is draped over my waist. His scent clings to my skin. The mark I gave him glows faintly at the curve of his neck, pulsing in time with my heartbeat.

The bond is complete now and I’m not afraid of it anymore. Because I finally understand something I never let myself believe before ... I was never less. I was never broken. I was simply incomplete. But I’m not anymore.

The first thing I do when I’m strong enough to stand is look in the mirror. Not to see what I was but to see who I am now, what I am still becoming. My eyes still glow faintly pink. My skin is unchanged, yet I feel fire underneath, waiting for my call. There’s strength in my stance that didn’t exist before. A calm.

This is what it means to be a dragon. This is what it means to be free.

****

Two Days Later

Acheron takes me to his private office tower after we finally emerge from setting our mate bond permanently. But it’s not to return to work.

It’s a public announcement.

The boardroom is full. Executives, investors, Elite leaders from every sector. They’re all here. Most of them already know who I am.

The rumors have spread that another female dragon has emerged. She is the mate of one of the most powerful Alphas in the entire realm. The cleaner who became a queen.

And still, when Acheron steps up to speak, silence falls among those gathered. He doesn’t start with numbers or projections. He starts with my name.

“This is Zahara.” His voice is low, clear, and absolute. “She is my mate. My assistant. My bonded equal. And from this day forward, she is recognized not only by me, but by this company, the ruling council, and this realm, as my queen.”

A round of gasps breaks the silence before those gathered quiet once more. A slow nod from the oldest Alpha Elite present. Followed by another. And another. One by one, the room bends.

Not to him. To me.

We barely have a moment alone after his initial announcement before the press descends upon us. They call out questions about his business, about our personal lives, about everything in between. And an hour later social media is flooded with headlines.

Dragon Queen Rises in Draven Corp

Fated Mates Are Real—And She’s Proof.

Cleaner to CEO’s Mate: The Rise of Zahara.

And under every caption, a photo of our marks. Side by side. Unmistakable. Unbreakable. And now the whole world knows I belong to Acheron. And he belongs to me.

****

Acheron takes me to the rooftop of the tower. The city sparkles beneath us and the stars above us are brighter than I’ve ever seen them. I turn to him with a smile.

“I don’t want to hide my dragon,” I say. “She deserves her freedom.”

“Then don’t hide her. You should be proud to be a dragon.”

I smile and he steps back. He watches me and I allow the shift to fall over me. This time doesn’t hurt as much as the first time. My wings burst free and heat dances across my scales.

Midnight meets pink in the sky as Acheron follows me upward.

Two dragons.

Two hearts.

Two rulers.

Bonded. Mated. Eternal.

We soar together, circling the tower that bears his name and now echoes with mine. And as the wind carries us higher, I know one thing for certain—I wasn’t meant to belong to anyone else. I was meant to belong to him. And he was always meant to belong to me.

We just had to wait to find each other.