The Dragon's Aide

Charmed Away Temp Agency, Book 2

By: Amy Padilla

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Isaac went against his family when he refused to join the military.

He had dreams, and he wasn't going to cave to family pressure to give them up. So when his boss offers him an opportunity to get some real experience in the job he's working toward, he leaps at the chance. The only problem is that his new boss is a grumpy dragon with a short fuse known to terrorize the office. But that wasn't anything Isaac couldn't handle. Right?

Maverick always had a temper. Most dragons did. It wasn't something that affected his work. Until it did. Overworked and consistently dealing with incompetence, Maverick was at his wits' end. In a last bid to keep his temper in check, he agreed with a recommendation to hire a temporary assistant to help him. But when the stubborn pink-haired mage shows up, his dragon takes notice, and suddenly, Maverick's limited control has gone up in smoke. Now, his career is on the line, and the only person willing to help him is the one who drove him over the edge. Things couldn't get any worse. Right?

Includes a bonus scene, "Confrontations with a Professor."

©2025 Amy Padilla (P)2025 Podium Audio

Troubling dynamics

I really wanted to like this and people who like shifter/mate stories probably will. But it should come with trigger warnings for workplace violence and questionable consent issues. The power dynamics are borderline abusive and there are seriously toxic aspects to this relationship. It also feels like the author is continuously trying to gaslight the listener into thinking the actions are OK because mates can act this way. The narration is excellent, but even a favorite narrator couldn’t get me through this.

Spoiler

I DNF after a non consensual spanking continued after one MC said “don’t” and the story explained he could have fought to move but didn’t, suggesting that constitutes consent. It doesn’t.