Chapter 1 Prologue

"What are you doing Caroline?" Carlos asks his sister. Caroline smirks and continues mixing some powder into one of the glasses of whiskey. "Caroline" Carlos snaps at his twin sister impatiently. "Relax brother. It's just a drug to make my position as Drake Hamilton's mate" Caroline signals for a waiter. As soon the human waiter arrives, she looks straight into his eyes and hypnotizes him to do as she said and forget everything soon after. "Give this whiskey only to Drake Hamilton," Caroline commands the waiter, who is under her control. Carlos panics at what his sister is about to do. "Drake will kill you if he finds out" Carlos warns his sister. "Relax brother, 'if he finds out'. Which he never will" Caroline says smugly. Carlos and Caroline are the step-siblings of Drake Hamilton. Their mother and Drake's father Roland Hamilton married each other a few decades ago, when Roland's mate died. "What is that you mixed in his drink?" Carlos asks his sister, fear evident in his voice. "A drug which will boost his sexual desire. Only sleeping with a female will satisfy him and nothing else will" Caroline said with excitement. "You mean, you want to sleep with him and become his mate?" Carlos gaped at his sister with shock. "Yes, like mom did, I will become the most envied woman in the world and the most powerful. Moreover, I am obsessed with Drake. Only he didn't reciprocate my feelings" Caroline said with a cunning smirk. "I am scared sister" Carlos gulped with fear. "Don't worry, after tonight, I will be his mate and you too will hold power over the dragon clan" Caroline assured her brother. Drake is a very cruel and the most powerful Dragon. Very few saw him in person and only a couple of them saw his Dragon form. He is cold and ruthless. The Hamilton's are the most powerful and rich Dragon clan in the world. They can make or break any government with just a look. Drake Hamilton is the CEO of the Hamilton group, which is a leading company worldwide. With its various business ventures in oils, gold and diamond mines, constructions, gaming, software, entertainment, and whatnot. They monopolized the business world single-handedly. Nothing happens within the trade market Sensex without Drake knowing about it and deciding it himself. He is as handsome as he is cold. He is as powerful as he is handsome. Dragons can choose their mates. The whole female dragon population is vying for his attention. But he fancied no one till date. They are too scared to approach him themselves. Unlike Werewolves, vampires, and humans If a Dragon loses his or her virginity to anyone, then they will become their destined mate. Either by mistake or not. It's the same for both males and females. They cannot become sexually active with anyone else until their mate is dead. Drake Hamilton looked around the big banquet, which is decorated with expensive and rare flowers. If it's not for his father, he wouldn't have agreed to this meaningless party hosted by his stepmother on the occasion of their 30th wedding anniversary. "Don't look so enthusiastic" Mason said from beside him with amusement. Mason is Drake's childhood best friend and his right and man. Drake snorted in reply. "How charming" Mason commented drily. A waiter approached Drake with a whisky. "Sir," he extended the tray forward, towards Drake. "I didn't order this" Drake said coldly. But there is no change in the waiter's expression. "Take it, man. Your dad must have sent it for you" Mason persuaded Drake. Upon hearing his father's name, Drake reluctantly took the drink from the waiter. "Cheers," Mason said and sipped his drink. Drake shook his head and sipped his whiskey as well. After a few sips, Drake started to feel hot. He frowned his eyebrows with confusion. But masked his expression after a split second. "What's wrong man?" Mason inquired upon noticing his friend's strange behavior. "I will be back" Drake left the venue which a 7-star hotel. He reached the terrace in just a few seconds and shifted into his dragon form. His dragon is a rare orange in color. Caroline closely followed Drake, not to miss the opportunity she created for herself. When she noticed Drake flying away in his dragon form, Caroline too shifted to follow him. But Drake is much faster and bigger than any average Dragon, so she couldn't keep up with him and lost him after a minute. Drake flew as far away from the venue and into the forest where no one will be there. He understood what is happening to him. If he gives in to this lust and sleeps with anyone, he has to accept her as his mate. Drake is such a person, that he cannot be forced into anything. He is determined to stay away from females until the effects of the drug passes away. The effects of the drug became so strong, he couldn't fly anymore. He crash-landed in a thick jungle and shifted back into his human self. But his luck seems to have run out because as soon as he shifted a very tempting female scent assaulted his nostrils. It's jasmine and innocence. He knows that scent belongs to a human female. "No, no, no..." he thought in horror. Nyra is a human girl who is living with her maternal grandmother upon the death of her mother. Her father remarried soon enough. Her stepmother and her two-step sisters hate Nyra with a passion. Nyra was heading back home from her evening walk when she heard a loud noise. Nyra rushed towards the direction from where she heard the noise and saw a man with his back facing her. He is naked and his body is bloody. Nyra gasped and rushed towards the stranger to offer her assistance. "Sir, are you alright?" She asked with concern and tentatively approached him, pointedly not looking down. She understood that he might be a shifter. "Go away," the husky voice of the man commanded. Nyra instantly stopped in her tracks. Her body trembled with fear. The raw power emitting from that man is scaring her. But the man seems to be in pain. "Sir, I can help you. You look like you need a doctor" she offered softly. Drake even in his lust-filled haze, is impressed with the courage the human girl is showing. She is offering him help, despite knowing that I can be dangerous. Drake became intrigued by the human girl. His interest added with the effects of the drug, increased his lust. His body became hotter and he is losing his control. "Run, run as fast as you can" he warned her with his last shreds of control. He know he started craving her as soon as he smelled her scent. There is no way she can outrun him. Nyra took a few steps back at his warning, but she is not completely aware of the danger she is in. At least, my mate will be interesting, Drake thought before he lost all reason and give in to his lust-filled haze. Nyra looked in horror as the man turned around and walked towards her with a purpose. His face is filled with blood and mud. He came at her before she could blink and tore her clothes into shreds. "No.. Let me go" Nyra yelled with fear and horror. She knows what is about to happen to her. She tried with all her might to push him away, but she is no match for his strength. "Let me go.." She struggled in his hold. Drake, who is under the influence of the drug, violated Nyra not once, but several times throughout the night. He took her virginity and gave away his. Nyra lost her conscience, after a few times. Early morning sunlight is peeking from between the branches and the birds are chirping happily. Nyra woke up on the ground naked and in the arms of the man who's face is still covered in mud and blood. She was scared that he might wake up again. So she ran back home to her grandmother.

Chapter 2 His Maid

After one month Nyra woke up with a start. Even after one month, the dreams of what happened that night plagued her mind. She did not remember much about that night. But every night she dreamed about his husky voice and she immediately gets turned on. Nyra is not understanding her reaction towards that man. After that night, she thought she would have nightmares. But exactly the opposite thing is happening with her. Now, she is dreaming about her tormentor's voice and this time, she is enjoying her time with him. Nyra left that small town upon her grandmother's insistence. Once her grandmother find out what happened to her, she was adamant about her decision to send Nyra back to her father and stepmother. "Don't tell anyone about this Nyra. Never let anyone find out about that tattoo. They will kill you" her grandmother's warning ring loud and clear in Nyra's mind. Nyra unconsciously reached to rub her new tattoo. After that night, an orange dragon tattoo appeared on her lower back. It's the reminder that proves about what happened that night. "Nyra" she heard an annoying voice of her stepmother calling her. "Coming" Nyra called back. She quickly did her morning routine and rushed downstairs from the attic, which she was using as her room. "You lazy bitch, hurry up. It's already 6 in the morning. You need to prepare breakfast for Mr Hamilton" her stepmother Barbara yelled at Nyra. Nyra clenched her fists and nodded her head like the meek Little girl she is acting to be. Nyra is 22 in human years and finished her degree in software development. She wanted to find a job and move away from here. But her grandmother insisted that this is the safest place for her to live for a while. Nyra decided to heed her grandmother's warning and stay with her father and stepmother for the time being. "Act timid and meek Nyra. Don't bring attention to yourself. There's so much on the line for you to lose here. Don't let them know what you can do. Hide your abilities. Act like a typical human girl. After a while, your dragon mate will forget about you. Then you can move on with your life like you planned" her grandmother's words are still fresh in her head. "My mother is talking to you. Are you dumb as well?" one of her stepsisters Cindy sneered at her. Cindy glared at Nyra, who is fair with unblemished skin. Her almond eyes look innocent and mysterious. Her bow-shaped pink lips are soft and full. Her straight nose and high cheekbones give her oval face added beauty. Cindy and her elder sister Mindy envy Nyra for her good looks and hourglass figure. She is beyond beautiful without even trying. "I will prepare Mr Hamilton's breakfast now Mother" Nyra controlled the urge to snap at them and answered like an innocent dove. "Spineless bitch" Nyra's step-sister Mindy muttered. Cindy and Mindy are Barbara's daughters. Mindy is 2 years younger to Nyra and Cindy 3 years younger. They share the same father. Nyra's father Douglas Adams is a werewolf shifter. Even Barbara Cindy and Mindy are wolf shifters. Unfortunately, Nyra didn't inherit her father's genes. She was blessed with her mother's good looks and genes. Douglas works as a Butler in the Hamilton household. Nyra immediately went to work and started cooking breakfast for Mr Hamilton. "Sorry I am late" another human maid Emma said breathlessly. Nyra's father lives in a two-story house behind the big Hamilton mansion. Barbara and her daughters work as the live-in maids in the mansion. Since the moment Nyra came here, they are taking advantage of her and making her do all their work. "It's ok Emma, get to work before Barbara comes here" Nyra smiled at Emma. Emma lives a few miles away from the Mansion. She leaves in the evening and comes back in the morning. Emma lost her father and mother in an accident. She has a younger sister to take care of. Emma is quirky and fun to work with. "I don't want to hear her yelling so early in the morning " Emma shudder with mock fear. Nyra giggles at Emma's comment and they work on the elaborate breakfast meant for Mr Hamilton. In the Hamilton mansion where Nyra is now working as a maid, Drake is standing shirtless in the huge balcony which opens from his room overlooking the nicely trimmed back yard followed by the vast thick forest extending for miles. Drake woke from his drug-induced haze the next day evening. The girl or now his mate is nowhere to be found. He searched every inch of the forest for two days, but she just disappeared Into thin air taking her jasmine scent along with her. Her softly spoken words of concern still fresh in his mind. He doesn't remember much about that night, but just the thought of her voice is enough to make him turned on. Now he is having wet dreams with her voice attached to a faceless shapely body. One thing he remember clearly is her soft curves. Her soft bow-shaped pink lips. He kissed those lips for hours even after she fainted of tiredness. Her face is hazy and not clear at all. He is searching for her for one month, but still there is no sign of her anywhere. "Who are you? What were you doing in that forest at that hour of the night alone? Why did you offer to help a stranger in pain? Look where your kindness leads to? People are scared with just a word out of my mouth. Why were you not scared, even when I warned you to run away?" Drake said to no one in particular. Drake looked at the tattoo of two wings in the shape of a human heart permanently etched on the left side of his chest, just above his heart. "I never heard about this Drake. If a dragon has a human Mate, they never leave a tattoo. Are you sure that your mate is a human? Only creatures of equal power will be able to leave a mark like this. If she left her mark on your heart, that means you liked that girl before the drug took over. If she is a human, then she would have died with the way you lost control over yourself" his friend Mason's words ring in his head. Drake is getting frustrated. Everything related to her is a mystery. "Sir, coffee" the familiar Jasmine scent assaulted his nostrils. He looked down his balcony and looked at the fully bloomed Jasmine flowers in the flower garden. The maid's voice is a little similar to that of his mates. His mate sounded strong and confident. But this maid is timid and weak. Are you comparing your mate with a maid drake? He scolded himself. Drake turned and accepted the coffee brought by the maid, without sparing her a single glance. He sipped the coffee and close his eyes with pleasure. This is another thing that changed in the past one month. Douglas hired a new maid, who can cook like an experienced chef. Drake usually does not enjoy anyone's cooking. But he couldn't resist anything cooked by this particular maid. He enjoys her coffee too much. It will make him feel refreshed and alert. Nyra slipped away after she handed over the coffee to Mr Hamilton. Cindy, Mindy, and ever her stepmother are too scared to approach Mr Hamilton. 'Scary' that's the word Cindy used to describe him. But Nyra didn't mind serving him. He usually eats in the dining room. She only serves him coffee in his room. Nyra quickly left his room and stepped into the elevator after pushing the cart inside. She pressed the ground floor button and waited to be taken down. Nyra looked at her maid uniform in the mirror-like a wall in front of her. A white shirt and a knee-length black skirt describe her outfit. Nyra unlike others, doesn't have to spend hours in the beauty salon. She doesn't have that much time and money to spare as well. She was gifted with shapely eyebrows and her body does not have extra hair on her hands and legs. Her skin is smooth and porcelain. She got back to the kitchen to arrange the cooked breakfast dishes on the dining table. The Hamilton mansion is huge with 10 bedrooms. Each bedroom has it's own huge balcony to facilitate dragons to shift and fly. The mansion has a game room, theater room, Mr Hamilton's office, a huge swimming pool in the back, and an open terrace. The kitchen in the mansion is a chef's dream come true. It is equipped with everything a chef could ask for. Nyra always like cooking. It calms her down. She placed all the dishes on the table neatly with the help of Emma and waited for Mr Hamilton to come down and have his breakfast.

Chapter 3 Scheming step mother

Drake got ready for work and came down to the mouth-watering aroma of breakfast wafting from the dining room. Usually, he prefers to eat in a nearby coffee shop near his company headquarters. But since the day this new cook started working in the Hamilton mansion, he don't want to eat anywhere but in his house. He finished his healthy and tasty breakfast and took his second cup of coffee in a to-go cup, which was placed beside him. Drake got into his Bentley and drove off towards his company. One thing he loves is driving his car. It's a luxury sedan built for the city traffic. His company is situated in the center of the city in one of the tallest towers in the world with a helipad on the terrace. It's constructed by the Hamilton group, facilitating the dragons to shift and fly off at any given time. There are balconies on every floor, making the shifting easy. Mostly Dragons work in his company, along with a few wolves and vampires. Humans will not dare to step inside it, with the fear of being killed. The ringing of his phone alerts him of the incoming call. He looked at the caller id and noticed that it is from his father. Drake's mother died when he is only 10 years old. His father then married his stepmother Sophia after a couple of years. Drake never liked his stepmother. She is shallow and flashy. He never liked people like that. But he want his father to be happy, so he never went against her. "Dad" Drake greeted his father Roland Hamilton who is the founder of the Hamilton group. It is Drake who expanded the company and the profits were tripled in just a few years. Roland retired as soon as Drake took charge. "How are you son?" Roland greeted his son. Roland loves his son very much. After his first wife died Roland was devastated. But he gave him a purpose to move on. After a few years of his wife's death, he mated with Sarah under the effect of a drug and was forced to marry her out of obligation. He never touched that woman after that night. He just lives with her and her twin children for the sake of formality. But he did not hold any affection for Sarah. He just bears with her attitude. "I am doing good father. Is there any matter father? You called me early today" Drake asked with worry. Roland chuckled at his son's concern. " I am fine son, you don't have to worry about it" Roland assured his son. "It would be great if you could live with me in the Hamilton mansion father. I wouldn't have to worry about you then" Drake said the same words he repeats every time they talk. "That house was built by me for your mother Drake. Every inch of that house is filled with her memories. I felt that I am betraying your mother, by marrying another woman. I cannot live there son" Roland repeated his words. "Mother always wanted you to be happy, father. She never would feel betrayed" Drake argued. This is their routine. Drake always tries to coax his father to come and live with him. His father lives in a 6 bedroom luxury villa in the city, while Drake prefers Hamilton's mansion which is in the outskirts of the city. He never minded the 30-minute drive to the company as well. "Enough about me son, I want you to come see me before going to work today" Roland requested his son. Drake's eyebrows creased with confusion. But he decided to go see his father like his father wanted him to. "Okay, I will be there in 10 minutes" Drake promised and disconnected the call. He took a U-turn at the last moment and turned towards his father's villa, which is named after them as well, the Hamilton's villa. In Hamilton's villa Sarah Hamilton is still fuming over her daughter Caroline's failure. Caroline and Carlos are sitting in their mother's room, while Sarah is pacing the floor with anger. Sarah is a beautiful woman with her fit body, perfectly applied makeup, and a branded wrap dress. "I gave you the drug and the perfect plan to secure your position as Drake Hamilton's mate. You couldn't even do that properly?" Sarah glared at her daughter. Caroline looked uncomfortable. "I did everything like you told me to mom. How would I know that he will leave the party so abruptly like that? I tried to follow him, but he is much faster than me. I lost him after a minute or so" Caroline defended herself. "Impossible, don't lie to me, Caroline. That drug takes effect immediately. It's not possible to shift and fly that fast" Sarah glared at her daughter. "What do you, mom? I love Drake. I am obsessed with him. I don't want anything more than to become his mate. You how powerful he is. He the most powerful one among us. Nothing works the same like it works on us" Caroline snapped. Carlos, who sat there quietly, decided to his sister. "She is telling the truth mom. I saw everything with my own eyes. As soon as he drank that whiskey mixed with that drug, he left the party" Carlos confirmed what his sister told his mother. "What? How is that possible? That drug will work no matter whoever takes it. Then how did he managed to escape from its effects?" Sarah wondered out loud. "We don't know mom. But according to the house staff in the Hamilton mansion, he came back alone the next day evening and then immediately left and returned two days later""What? He came back alone? How did this even happen?" Sarah looked puzzled. There is no way one can survive without sleeping with a female after taking that drug. Your body feels impossibly hot and one cannot control the urge to mate. When Sarah is deep in thoughts, a human maid knocked on the door. "What is it?" Sarah snapped at that poor maid. Who instantly paled with fear. "Mrs Hamilton, Master Drake came" the maid relayed the message and fled away for her dear life. "What? Drake came?" Caroline jumped from the bed and ran to greet their guest. Sarah looked at her daughter and sighed with resignation. "Come," she told his son, and both of them made their way downstairs to meet Drake. Carlos is tensed to face Drake, ever since they drugged him. He is scared that, if Drake finds out that, they are the ones who mixed that drug in his drink, then he will kill them all. "Relax, you will make him doubt us if you keep shaking like a leave" Sarah snapped at his son. "I am scared mom" Carols whispered pathetically. Sarah glared at her son. "Why can't you be like Drake? Go and stay in your room. Don't come out until he leaves" Sarah shooed her son away. She is scared that, he might give them away. When Caroline came down to greet Drake, he is nowhere to be found. But she could hear voices from Roland Hamilton's study. Caroline silently stood outside the door to eavesdrop on their conversation. Drake hugged his father as soon as he saw him. "Hey dad" he greeted and sat in a chair on the other side of the desk, opposite his father. "Hello, son" Roland greeted his son and looked at him. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Drake asked when he noticed his father starting. "Nothing, I was just wondering, how fast time flies by" Roland replied. Drake gave his father an amused look. "Surely, you didn't call me here for small talk isn't it?" Drake asked in a lighter tone. Roland chuckled at his son's comment. "No son, I didn't call you here for small talk" Roland agreed. "Then what is bothering you father?" Drake asked softly. Roland sighed heavily and looked at his son. "Why don't you find a mate, Drake?" Roland asked abruptly. "What?" Drake asked in confusion. In all these years, his father never asked anything like this. He never interfered in his personal life. Why now? Drake thought. "You are getting old son. You are in your late 30's in your human years. Even though our kind has a longer life span, I cannot wait that long for you to give me grandchildren" Roland advised his son. "Why now father? Why so suddenly?" Drake asked with confusion. "You are a smart man Drake. Find someone before that choice is taken away from you. Choose a girl, with whom you want to spend your life with. Don't let anyone force you to accept them out of obligation" Roland suggested. Roland is a smart man. He know what his wife and step-children are planning to do. He doesn't want them to force his son into a corner, like they did him. Drake looked at his father and thought about his mate. Her lips are permanently etched in his mind. Even though someone drugged him, he liked his mate. After he took his leave from his father, he left the villa without waiting for his step-siblings or stepmother. He is not in a mood to deal with them right now. He knows they must be eavesdropping on the conversation between him and his father. Usually, he likes to taunt them, but today he didn't care.

Chapter 4 Caught

"Hey man, where are you? Are you not coming to work today?" his friend Mason asked Drake over the phone. 'You are already the most richest man on earth. Even your grandchildren can live comfortably with the money you earned. Now stop running and start searching for a mate Drake' Roland Hamilton's words reverberated in his head. "Drake, you still there?" Mason asked his friend. It's so unlike Drake to miss a day of work. "Ya man, I am here" Drake answered distractedly. "Are you not coming today?" Mason repeated his first question. "No, I am not coming today. Tell my assistant Steve to forward important documents to me and cancel all my meetings" Drake told Mason. Mason was stunned into silence. 'What happened to him? Dragons usually don't fall I'll. Is it because of his mate?' he thought worriedly. "Are you alright?" Mason asked with concern. Drake heard the concern in his friend's voice. "I am fine Mason, I just don't feel like coming today" Drake replied. "Is it because of your mate?" Mason asked finally. He is done going in rounds around his friend. It's better to ask direct questions. Drake remained quiet. 'Don't let anyone force you Drake' his father's words came to his mind. "Did you find anything about the person who drugged me?" Drake asked dodging his question. Mason decided to let it go for now. "No man, the human servant who served you don't remember anything. I read his mind. Someone hypnotized him and wiped away that memory after the work is done. Your stepmother didn't feel the need to install security cameras anywhere. So we are in a dead-end here" Mason replied. "Whoever gave that to me is a woman. They want to push me into a corner and force me to accept her as my mate" Drake analyzed the situation. "Lucky for you, their plan didn't work out and you ended up with someone else," Mason said with relief. "Ya.." Is all Drake said. Her voice, her lips, her body, it's all he could ever remember these days. "Wait, did you notice anyone coming after me when I was leaving the party? Whoever drugged me would always keep an eye on my activities. They will be close to me, to available when even the drug kicks in. That way, I will only sleep with them and not anyone else" Drake analyzed. "Ya man you are right. Thinking back to that night, I only saw your step-sister Caroline following behind you. At that time, I thought nothing about it" Mason remembered. Both Mason and Drake came to the same conclusion. "So.." Mason hesitated. "Caroline is the culprit" Drake finished for him. "But you cannot point them out without any proof. Your father might feel bad" Mason pointed out the obvious. Drakes's fist tightened on the steering wheel. "My father is the reason I unseen most of their shortcomings. If I could get my hands on anything that proves that, Caroline is the culprit, then this time, I will not leave her. I will teach her a valuable lesson" Drake gritted his teeth. "Good thing, their plan didn't work out" Mason muttered. "Ya.." Drake agreed. In the Hamilton mansion, Nyra is the one who was handed over the duty of cleaning Mr Hamilton's room. As everyone deems him as scary, they prefer to stay as far away from him as possible. But Nyra doesn't mind the work. In a way, it's keeping her busy. Nyra noticed the grandfather clock hung above Mr Hamilton's door. It's not working. 'Is it's battery dead? Do I need to change it?' She thought. She dragged a chair and stood on it after closing the room door shut. Nyra was checking the clock and found out that its battery is dead. She changed the battery and is cleaning the clock when someone opened the door from outside. Nyra lost her balance on the chair and was about to go down with a squeak when a pair of strong arms caught her before she could hit the ground. Drake was startled when the door got stuck after opening halfway and a girl falling from behind the door. He caught the girl on instinct. The girl is closing her eyes as if preparing for the impact after hitting the ground. Her skin is flawless and her lips caught his attention. Bow shaped pink lips are tightly shut in a grimace. 'They look like my mate's lips' he thought in his head. But immediately discarded that idea. 'What is it with you? You are seeing your mate in every girl you are looking at' he scolded himself. Nyra slowly opened her eyes when she didn't feel the pain. She saw a pair of dark brown eyes staring at her. Nyra realized to whom that handsome face and cold eyes belong to. "Mr Hamilton" she whispered in horror. The girl's horrified whisper bought Drake back from his thoughts and he was greeted by the prettiest eyes he never saw in his life. The green shade of her eyes is so unique and beautiful, he never saw such a green shade before. Eyes paired with long black lashed gave her an innocent aura. For some reason, Drake's protective instinct rose to the surface. 'What are you doing Drake? You have a mate' He scolded himself and immediately let the girl go. "I am so sorry Mr Hamilton, I don't know you would come back so soon. I am..." Drake stopped the girls panicked rambling with a glare. "I need coffee" Drake ordered in a cold and sharp tone. "Okay" Nyra replied softly and left the room immediately, but as soon as she took a couple of steps outside, she forgot about the chair which is still in the way. She peeked inside and slowly moved the chair to its original position and left before he could see her. Emma looked at Nyra, who looked flustered. "What happened?" Emma asked Nyra. For some reason, Nyra decided not to share whatever happened in that room with anyone. "Nothing, Mr Hamilton came back," she said instead and started preparing his coffee. Nyra is scared to go to his room again. But no one is ready to replace her. So she took a huge breath and went inside the room to give him his coffee. Nyra saw Mr Hamilton sitting in the balcony, and working on his laptop. She silently approached him and soft said. "Sir, your coffee" Drake, who is looking at the files on his laptop snapped his head to take the coffee, but accidentally looked at Nyra's face. "You, where is the maid who brings my coffee every day" Drake snapped at her. Nyra looked at him with wide eyes. 'How can I tell this beast of a man that it's me' she thought worriedly. "Are you dumb? Can't you hear? I am asking you something" Drake glared at the clumsy maid. "It's me sir" Nyra whispered. She doesn't want to anger him more than she already did. Drake thought that he heard her say something like 'it's me'. How can this clumsy girl be the refined maid who usually serves him? He thought with ridicule. "What?" he asked again. Nyra is losing her patients. If it's not because of that stupid dragon tattoo, she doesn't have to work in here as a maid. She is rich in her own right. "I said it's me, sir. I am the one who prepares your food, clean your room and serve your coffee " Nyra snapped. Drake was surprised by her answer. He is more surprised with the tone she answered him. "How dare you?" he threatened Nyra. Nyra realized her mistake and tried to cover it up. "You didn't hear me the first time. So I just said it louder the second time" Nyra said in a timid innocent tone. Drake is not easily fooled by her explanation. If it's not for her coffee, he would have fired her already. But he still can make her regret her words, he thought smugly. "So, you are the one who takes care of my things?" he asked lazily. Something in his tone made Nyra feel suspicious of him. 'What is he up to?' She thought worriedly. "Yes sir" either way she answered him timidly. "Hmm, then take all my suits and iron them one by one" he instructed her. Nyra"  " She stood there speechless. His closet is the size of her room. He has so many suits. How can I iron them all? She thought in horror. "Hurry up, I need them by today evening," he said deliberately making her hurry. Nyra immediately swings back to action.

Chapter 5 Rich Bully

Nyra cursed Drake in her head and moved towards his closet to do his bidding. When she opened the door and entered inside, she was awestruck with the sheer size of it. His suit jackets are hung on one side, his shirts on the other side. Neatly arranged based on their colors. His ties are hung to a separate hanger which looked fancy. His nearly hundred pairs of shoes are neatly polished and kept in the shoe rack. Nyra came outside the closet and was startled to find Drake Hamilton standing in front of her. Drake looked at her coldly and noticed her empty hands. "Where are my clothes?" he snapped at her. 'Beast, bully' Nyra cursed him inside her head. But gave him a pleasant smile. "Mr Hamilton, all your clothes are already neatly pressed and arranged inside," Nyra said smugly. Drake looked at her smug face and gritted his teeth. "I see" he murmured and strode inside the closet. Nyra looked confused. 'Now what is this beast up to?' She thought inside her head. Drake brought all his clothes and threw them all on the floor. The pile kept increasing in size until it reached the height of Nyra's waist. Nyra is not short in any counts. Drake is 6.2 and Nyra is 5.8. If the pile reached her waist, then it's not just a small pile. It's huge. "Now they are dirty. Wash them, iron them and arrange them neatly exactly the way you found them a minute ago" he ordered her and left with a satisfied smirk on his face. Nyra looked at his retreating back dumbfounded. "You only have 6 hours left" Drake reminded her from somewhere in his room, enjoying her horrified expression a little too much. "Beast" Nyra cursed a little louder. "You said something?" he called back. "No Mr Hamilton, I said Okay?" She said with fake sweetness. Drake observed her from his peripheral vision and chuckled with mirth. He is not sure why he is enjoying troubling her. Nyra took the clothes down into the basement where there is a washer and a drier, all the while cursing him in her head. She loaded the washer and waited for it to finish. She then shifted the washed clothes into the drying machine and reloaded the washing machine. She repeated the process a few more times until everything is done. She then proceeded to iron them all. It took her more than 6 hours to finish everything. By the end of it all, she was tired and hungry. She neatly arranged the ironed clothes on to a hanger and took them all upstairs to arrange them neatly in his closet. When she was about to open his closet door, his voice stopped her. "What are you doing?" he asked her angrily. 'Now what did I do beast?' Nyra cursed in her head but maintained a pleasant smile on her face. "Exactly like you asked me to Mr Hamilton. I am arranging your clothes inside your closet. I washed them and pressed them neatly" she said with fake sweetness. Drake looked at the anger in her eyes. But she is acting all sweet despite being angry on him. A human with lots of courage. Is she not afraid of me? Just like my mate was not scared of me, he thought suddenly. 'Shut it, Drake. Don't compare your mate with a human' he scolded himself. But this human picked his interest. He decided to taunt her further. "How dare you throw my clothes in a washing machine? They should only be dry cleaned" he snapped at her. Nyra's face paled instantly. She used to live a simple life in a small village in the middle of nowhere with her grandmother. How would she know that? she thought in horror. "I will tell Douglas to cut your 6 months salary" Drake threatened, looking at her pale face. He is enjoying her misery. 'Suits you well for talking back to me' he thought smugly. As soon as Nyra heard Drake mention her father's name, she panicked. 'If my father finds out that I troubled this beast, then he will send me back to my grandmother' 'Stay under the radar Nyra. Don't bring attention to yourself ' her grandmother's words rang in her head. 'Grandma will surely kill me if that dragon mate of mine failed in his task' Nyra thought with horror. Drake is amused at the panicked look in her eyes, as soon as he mentioned Douglas. 'Interesting, she is not scared of me, but she is scared of my butler?' he thought in amusement. "Douglas" he yelled for his butler deliberately. The door is closed and his voice is not loud enough to carry through the door. "No Mr. Hamilton, don't tell my father," Nyra asked Drake with panic. 'Father?' Now it's Drake's turn to be shocked. "Douglas is your father?" he asked her in surprise. "You don't know?" Nyra blurted out loud. 'Stupid stupid, you and your big mouth. My grandma is right, my big mouth will bring for me' Nyra cursed herself. Drake glared at her tone. "Douglas" he yelled again to threaten her. Nyra immediately closed his mouth with her palm. "Please" now she requested him sincerely. The sincere plea in her eyes caught him off-guard. "Mr Hamilton" Douglas knocked on the door. 'Usually boss calls on to the phone downstairs. Why is he yelling today? Is something wrong? I wonder who would be fired today?' Douglas wondered with panic. Drake looked at her pleading green eyes that are looking at him with hope. He pointedly looked at the little soft palm that is covering his mouth. Nyra immediately removed her hand and moved back. Drake usually does not like anyone touching him. But he did not feel repulsed by her touch. That annoyed him a great deal. 'You have a mate' he reminded himself. "Come in" he called his butler inside. Douglas looked at the scene in front of him and paled. 'What is Nyra doing here? Is she the one who offended Mr Hamilton' Douglas thought with horror? "Nyra? What have you done?" Douglas snapped at his daughter. But he didn't dare to raise his voice in front of Drake. 'Nyra' Drake rolled her name on his tongue. 'It suits her unique personality' he thought before he could stop himself. He snapped back to reality when he saw Nyra struggling to come up with a good excuse. "Dad I..that.." Nyra stuttered. For some reason, Douglas never liked to spend time with her. He always preferred his second wife and kids rather than her. She always tried to please him like a little girl who craves the love of her parents. But Douglas always acted aloof around her and finally send her to live with his mother and her grandmother. Tattoo or not, she was given a chance to spend her time with him now. She doesn't want to ruin it. Even if it means dancing on to the tunes of Mr Hamilton. Drake decided to save her. "She didn't do anything wrong, Douglas. Why do you keep assuming things?" Drake said lazily, all the while looking at Nyra's face. Relief was the first thing he noticed on her face. "My apologies Mr Hamilton" Douglas said embarrassed. 'What is this all about?' Douglas wondered. "I like the way your daughter serves me," Drake said with a hint of sarcasm which only Nyra heard. She glared at him from behind her father, who is facing Drake. Drake raised an eyebrow challenging her. Nyra closed her eyes with a sigh. Douglas looked taken aback by that statement. "I am glad we could serve you, Mr Hamilton" Douglas said proudly. Douglas is not concerned for his daughter's safety. For he too like others believe that Mr Hamilton is a hard man to please and usually doesn't fancy wasting his time with the female population, let alone a human and a maid like his daughter. So he truly believed that his daughter must have impressed Mr Hamilton with her hard work. Douglas felt utterly proud of his daughter. Nyra heard how proud her father is feeling about her and her heart squeezed painfully. 'If serving this beast pleases you father, then I will do it even though I don't like doing it' she thought bitterly. "I want to appoint her as my personal maid. Prepare the room next to mine, and shift her things there. It's annoying to call for her whenever I need something" Drake's words were so convincing, Douglas didn't find any fault in his command. So he immediately agreed. "I will immediately prepare that room Mr Hamilton" Douglas became extremely happy. Nyra became speechless. As far as she could remember, the room next to his is attached to his room. There is a door from this room to that, making it impossible to escape from this beast. Nyra glared at Drake with anger. Just at the same moment, Douglas turned to face his daughter and patted her head lovingly. Nyra's eyes immediately softened.

Chapter 6 His slave

Drake smirked looking at Nyra's shell-shocked face. She glared at him but as soon as her father turned to face her, her eyes became soft. 'Interesting' he thought. Douglas left soon after that leaving a fuming Nyra behind. "Now, you are my slave" Drake taunted her happily. "You.." Nyra controlled her urge to curse him. "Yes? " Drake is having too much fun at her expense. He did not remember when he enjoyed his time like this. 'Her misery is making me happy? Is there anything wrong with me? With that attitude, it's not a wonder that she spiked my anger' he told himself. Nyra decided to leave this room to cool down her temper. She is scared that, she might scratch his face off. Nyra stalked off without a word to him. Strangely, as soon as she left, Drake felt restless and empty. 'It's just my imagination ' he thought and did not think much about it. Nyra went down to the kitchen, still fuming with anger. Emma looked at Nyra's angry face and was confused. 'Ha? Nyra is always soft and smiling. Why does she look so angry now?' She wondered. "What happened to you?" Emma asked Nyra with concern. Nyra who was lost in thoughts, didn't immediately notice Emma. As soon as she heard her concerned words, she looked up and smiled. "It's nothing. Mr Hamilton wants me to become his personal Maid. You know how scary he is. I am a little stressed" Nyra revealed the half-truth. Emma gasped with fear. Emma is working here since before Nyra came here. She remembers the broken glass bowls and cups which Mr Hamilton threw in anger. "Oh no," Emma said with pity. Nyra remembered all the clothes he made her wash and iron and fumed with anger. "He is not easy to serve," Emma said oblivious to what Nyra is thinking. "Ya," two different things are running in their minds. Douglas came into the kitchen when the two girls are talking with each other. "Nyra" he caught the end of their conversation. Nyra turned around to face her father. "I know it's not easy to serve Mr Hamilton. But whatever you did, he liked it. I have been working for him for over 15 years. I never saw him favor anyone before. I am very proud that my daughter managed to impress him and is now appointed as his personal maid" Douglas said, with his eyes misty. Nyra smiled gently, but she is feeling suffocated inside. 'If only you know how hard it is to serve him, dad. You would be horrified if you know why he let me be his maid of choice" Nyra signed vary. "Now go and pack your stuff. You have to shift in the room beside Mr Hamilton's" Douglas said and send his daughter away. Nyra entered inside her father's house and noticed her stepmother and sisters whispering something. When they notice her standing in the doorway, her Stepmother looks at her as if she is a criminal. "What have you done to earn his favor?" Cindy sneers at Nyra. Nyra is taken aback by the way they are talking to her. "What?" Nyra asked them confused. What are they talking about? "Stop pretending to be innocent, we know about people like you" Mindy snaps, her words sharp and biting. "I don't understand? What did I do?" Nyra doesn't know what these people are talking about. "This must be the way she seduced Mr Hamilton. Men always fall for these innocent looks" Barbara snorts. Nyra's eyes widen with realization. They are accusing her character. They are thinking that she slept with that Man? Nyra is not naive and she know what happens between men and women. Her so-called mate snatched away her virginity and now is after her life. After her mate, Nyra didn't sleep with anyone else. She somehow felt wrong, as if she is cheating on her Mate. "I am human and a maid. Why will a rich handsome dragon wants to sleep with me?" Nyra tried to reason with them. But they are so far gone in their belief and hatred of Nyra, they refused to hear a word she is saying. "Shut up, don't lie. Your father couldn't bear with you, so he sent you away. Who knows with how many men you slept there? Your grandmother is easy to fool and she doesn't care about you either. She just lets you stay with her out of obligation" Barbara is accusing Nyra with so much hatred, Nyra is stunned. Nyra wants to snap at them, but her father's face flashes before her eyes. She doesn't want to hurt her father. "Look how she is still standing there like a shameless hussy. Who knows, she must have slept with all the guards in the mansion" Cindy grabs Nyra's hair, and pulls painfully hard. "Cindy, let me go" Nyra pushed Cindy away. Cindy lost her balance and fell hard on the ground. "Ahh.." She shrieked with pain. Barbara and Mindy rushed to help Cindy. Barbara became furious and slapped Nyra hard on her cheek. Nyra staggered and fell to the ground. Nyra wanted to get up and give them a dose of their own medicine. "What's happening here?" Douglas heard the commotion in his house and rushed inside to see what's happening. He saw his wife slapping Nyra. He knows his wife, who is also his mate, doesn't like Nyra. She feels like he betrayed him by not waiting until he found her and cheated with another woman. She is right in her argument. So he sent Nyra away for her safety. When Mr Hamilton announced that, he want Nyra to move to the adjacent room, he became happy. He knows that the attic is not suitable for Nyra. But he can't do anything about it. "She bullied Cindy" his wife complained and wept in his arms. Douglas looked at Nyra with a blank face. "Go pack your stuff Nyra" he told her calmly. Nyra felt her heartache. But she concealed her feelings and went to her room and packed her belongings in a couple of minutes. She left her father's house with a heavy heart and occupied the room meant for her. Drake is waiting for Nyra to come to her room. As soon as he heard the sounds of movements from the other room he called her. "Nyra" Drake called her. Nyra heard Drake calling and went to him like a robot. "Go bring my dinner upstairs" he ordered her. After what happened earlier, Nyra doesn't have much energy to deal with him. So she simply did as he asked and bring him his food in a cart. Drake looked at her strangely. 'Why is she acting so compliant?' he thought. 'He liked her defiance. This version of Nyra does not feel right' he mused. To get a reaction out of her, he asked her to feed him. "What?" She asked with shock. "Feed me" he repeated. Nyra looked at him like he is crazy. But her heart is still aching with what happened earlier. So she started feeding him with much resistance. Drake thought she would make a fuss. But her calm and timid face is ringing warning bells inside his head. That's when he noticed the red handprint on her cheek. "Who slapped you?" he asked with fury. The thought of someone bullying her is making him furious. Nyra was startled by his concerned words. She remembered the way he treated her just a while ago. "It's nothing" she murmured and walked away. Drake looked at her doing other works away from him. 'You fight with me for treating you badly. But you let someone slap you?' he thought looking at her. He understood it must be someone related to her father. Or else, she is not the kind to keep quiet. "Is it your stepmother?" Drake guessed correctly. Nyra glared at him. "Does it matter? You bully me and they do too. What's the difference?" Nyra snapped. Drake immediately became angry. "Are you comparing me with them?" he asked in a dangerously calm voice. Shivers ran down her body. "Can't you understand simple English?" Nyra is angry and frustrated. She is showing her anger on the wrong person. Nyra is pinned to a wall with his palm squeezing her throat. Drake wants to see fear in her eyes, like he sees in everyone else. But Nyra met his eyes and glared at him with disdain. That alone angered Darius and he squeezed hard enough to cut her air supply. 'I am physically weaker than him, and he is using that to his advantage' she thought in her head. "Coward," She whispered just before darkness consumed her vision. Drake immediately let her go and Nyra slumped on him. He caught her out of reflex. Her word ringing in his head. 'Someone slapped her, knowing she cannot fight back. Now I am bullying her just like they did' he thought shamefully. He lifted her up bridal style and placed her gently on her bed. He shifted in to his dragon form and flew in to the sky to clear his head.