Page 14 of Her Dragon Defender

No, two lights. One in the room at the top of the tower, and one slowly ascending the stairs, travelling upward from window to window. Blaze peered at the next window the stair climber would pass, and saw Tremotino's unmistakeable silhouette. Blaze snorted. Of course the man claimed the highest room in the castle for his own. It was like he'd read a guidebook for cartoon villains and followed it to the letter. The dude probably didn't even know what a cliché was.

Then a figure stepped out onto the balcony, leaned over the edge and called for help.

Blaze blinked. The blonde wig was gone, but she still wore Diana's purple gown. It was her – Diana's mate!

Locked in Tremotino's room, with Tremotino on the way, and no escape.

He arrowed for the tower, pulling up so quickly he almost took the roof off with him. Fuck. He managed to correct his course, grabbing onto the roof tiles with all his claws before wrapping his tail around the tower.

He drew in a deep breath, filled with the scent of her, and for a moment, he lost his mind. If anyone except Diana had claimed this girl for a mate, he would have challenged them to a duel to the death. Because he wanted her more than anyone or anything else in the universe, and when a dragon wanted something, they stopped at nothing to get it...and protect it until their dying breath.

She was Diana's mate, not his, Blaze told himself. That made her family, which he was honour bound to protect. That's all it was. He recognised her as Diana's mate, and as much his to protect as Diana herself, that's all.

And he wouldn't trust his worst enemy's dog with Craig Tremotino.

He could control himself. He would. He'd save Diana's mate with all the chivalry of a brother-in-law, and when she was safe, he could go back to trying to find Diana herself, with whatever knowledge her mate could provide. Diana would definitely owe him a favour for this.

Diana. He had to think of Diana. He was doing this for Diana.

Only then did he peer over the parapet, in search of the girl.

SIXTEEN

The wig sat on the floor, like a haystack full of flowers, beside the shoes Eden couldn't remember kicking off, though she knew she definitely didn't want to put them back on. She'd be perfectly happy never to wear heels again. Actually, given how much money she'd raised for the sanctuary, she could probably look forward to only wearing gumboots for at least the next year or two, after she graduated. As long as she worked out how to get out of this room...

The door was as solid as the stone walls, even if it was wood. The bed and the table were too heavy for her to pick up and heave at the door, and the chairs were too spindly to do much.

Her only other hope was the window, hidden behind the curtains, but this high up, it was a faint hope. She could hardly climb all the way down the tower. She was probably in the one that pierced the clouds, knowing her luck.

She parted the curtains, to find they hid a door to a balcony, not a window at all.

Eden stepped out onto the balcony, which went right the way around the tower, but it was barely wide enough for her, and when she leaned over and shouted down at anyone down in the garden, nobody heard her. The few couples who'd braved the chill night air for some privacy were too caught up in each other to notice someone way up at the top of the tower in need of help.

Even if she tried to turn the wig and the bedclothes into a rope, there was no way it would reach all the way to the ground. Just like Rapunzel, she was trapped in this tower until someone came to open the door.

Eden considered going back inside, where the empty champagne bottle on the table would be within easy reach for when Prince Charming finally turned up. She still wanted to clock him for luring her up here, locking her in this room and then making her wait so long.

Why couldn't Prince Charming have wanted to meet her in the garden? Unless he didn't want them to be seen together, but surely someone had seen her come up here, and would see him when he followed her.

She was still going to hit him, though. No matter who he was.

Well, maybe...

If he was that Prince Charming she'd thought was Diana, maybe she wouldn't hit him as hard as if he was...oh, Craig Tremotino, or even that butler. Though she should have asked the butler about Diana before he left...

Though, come to think of it, silver was an odd colour in a young person. Diana was the only person she knew with naturally silvery blonde hair. Maybe he was a relative of hers? If he was, then she should have asked Prince Charming what had happened to her. Surely her relatives would know who her supposed husband was...

What the ever loving fuck was THAT?

Flying over the forest was the biggest bird she'd ever seen. It could have been a plane, if she hadn't seen definite flapping going on.

How did something that big even get into the air? It looked like a giant swan or a pelican or a freaking pterodactyl. One of those extinct eagles that preyed on the giant emu things that used to live in New Zealand. Only it kept coming closer, and the closer it got, the bigger it seemed.

If she didn't know better, she'd swear she was staring at a real, live dragon. Coming straight for her.

Eden squeezed her eyes shut and screamed.

Whump.

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