Defender Dragon (Protection, Inc 2)

Some people might welcome death as a release from suffering, but Lucas didn’t. Instead, he was filled with bitter regrets. He’d saved Journey, but he’d never get to have a life with her. He’d never work again with the crew at Protection, Inc. Raluca would be murdered or forced into another unwilling marriage. He’d never have a chance to stand up to Grand Duke Vaclav. He’d never touch gold again or weigh a diamond in his hand. He’d never dance with Journey again or travel with her to the places she loved best.

His entire body tensed as the liquid hit his throat. But it didn’t hurt. Surprised, he swallowed automatically. And tasted the familiar tang of heartsease.

How in the world...?

Then his practiced instincts took over. If he’d learned one thing at Protection, Inc., it was that a missed opportunity might never come again. He didn’t waste time wondering how or why, but focused on using this chance before it was gone.

As soon as the men released him, he closed his eyes and slumped in the chains as if he’d passed out again. Cold water splashed into his face, but he didn’t stir. His attention was turned inward, seeking his dragon.

Despite the heartsease, the aftereffects of the poison lingered. Lucas felt dizzy and sick, his breathing labored, his heartbeat weak. His arms and shoulders burned with pain, and his bones ached with cold. It was hard to focus on anything but how terrible he felt.

Lucas had never tried to shift when he was this exhausted and ill. Nor had he ever shifted in a space too small for his dragon. He didn’t know whether he would break the cell walls or crush himself to death. But it was his only chance.

For Journey, he thought.

And then, surprising himself, For me. I want to live. And I want to have a life. If I make it out of here, I swear on my honor that I’ll tell the entire royal family to shove it.

The thought gave him strength. Lucas reached as deeply into himself as he ever had, and found a lust for gold, a love for flight, and a longing for freedom that surpassed all else.

He found his dragon.

His blood blazed with a fire that didn’t hurt. He opened his eyes and saw his captors scrambling backwards.

“Duke Constantine!” shouted the masked man. “He’s shifting!”

The three men bolted out of the cell, leaving the door open, and fled for the stairs.

His vision was hazed by a whirlwind of golden sparks. Lucas gloried in it. His wrists and ankles grew, snapping the manacles. The walls of the cell collapsed as his body expanded.

Protect Journey!

Simultaneous with his dragon’s roar, he heard Journey’s voice. “Lucas!”

Lucas stared. Impossibly, Journey was running toward him. Blocks of stone were falling from the ceiling. One smashed to the floor right in front of her, making her leap to the side with a scream.

His heart nearly stopped, but it was too late to turn back the change. Lucas lunged forward, spreading out his wings over his mate. He caught her up and pulled her close to him, sheltering her with his body as the entire castle came down on top of them with an earsplitting crash.

When the dust settled, Lucas found himself half-buried in rubble. His first thought was for Journey, but he could feel her breathing, huddled against his chest and covered by his wings.

He was bruised all over and he could feel small trickles of blood running down his body, but he didn’t seem to have any serious injuries. His dragon’s bones were strong yet flexible, and his dragon’s hide was very tough. He carefully rocked himself back and forth to dislodge the worst of rubble without dropping it on Journey, then scooped her up and sprang aloft.

The fresh air and sunlight were a delight beyond measure after that endless time in the dungeon. He recognized the surroundings as those of Castle Abur, another family retreat. The castle itself was a ruin. Lucas landed, carefully depositing Journey on the grass, and became a man again. To his immense relief, she was completely unhurt— not even scratched.

She threw her arms around him, tears gleaming in her eyes, and gave him the sweetest kiss he’d ever known. “I was so afraid for you.”

“I was afraid for you,” Lucas replied. “How did you get here?”

“I knew you were in danger.” After a beat, she added, “I walked.”

He couldn’t help smiling. The simple answer to the complicated question: that was so Journey. He could get the details later. For now, he was filled with a Journey-like uncomplicated happiness that he was alive, she was alive, and she was with him.

“Duke Constantine imprisoned me and forced me to swallow dragonsbane,” Lucas said. “He was trying to make me to tell him where you were. But just now one of his men accidentally gave me the antidote instead of the poison. Isn’t that absurd? I would not have believed such a mistake could happen if I read about it in a book.”

“That’s because it wasn’t a mistake,” Journey replied. “I found you in the cell, but I couldn’t get you out. I couldn’t even wake you up. But they had that bottle of dragonsbane outside to scare you if you came to. So I dumped it out and replaced it with heartsease.”

Lucas’s heart was warmed with love and admiration. “How clever of you! So you were the one who saved me.”

Journey indicated the ruined castle. “I just helped you save yourself.”