Page 60 of Kidnapped By The Messy Dragon

Then I turn her over until she’s facing the town below, my arms locked tight around her middle.

She spreads her arms out wide like wings.

“WHOO-HOO!” She laughs it out across the whole sleeping valley, and I bank us through the night sky and give her all of it.

Near the square, I spill air and slow us. We come down on the second-floor balcony of a corner brick unit, and I set her on her bare feet.

“Huh?” She turns halfway around in my arms, checking my face for the joke.

Then a voice carries through the balcony door. “Zuri?”

She makes a small choked sound and presses both hands over her mouth.

My wings fold into my back, and my dragon soars inside me, proud of us both. I reach over and wipe a tear off her cheek with one finger.

“While you were resting, I had Malachi go fetch her,” I say. “She was reluctant, but he got her to agree to move to Shadow Wolf Creek.” I gather her hands up in mine. “I saw how unhappy you were, baby, and I wanted to prove to you that I would do anything to keep you here with me. Because I do love you, Zuri. More than you will ever understand.”

She goes quiet. I’m not waiting on an answer. Tonight was never about me.

The balcony door slides open, and Renee runs out and throws her arms around my mate.

Past them, through the open door, Malachi sets a pair of suitcases down by the couch. Soren and Sable are working furniture across the front room with their wings pulled in tight and their heads bent under the ceiling, two gargoyles trying to fit where no gargoyle was ever meant to. Treasure comes out of the back room with one hand resting on her belly, pointing the couch into its place, and the look on her face has both of those big men moving quick.

Renee breaks the hug first and holds my mate out at arm’s length.

Zuri wipes her face with both hands. “I’m okay.”

“Yeah. Thanks to you.” Renee’s own eyes are shining. “I was hiding out. Whitney was riding my ass about where you were.”

Then she plants her hands on her hips. “Would’ve been nice of you to answer your phone.”

Zuri looks back at me, and I don’t hide a thing.

Renee tracks the look between us, and that’s when she spots the crescents on Zuri’s neck. She raises both eyebrows. “Bagged a dragon, huh?”

Zuri’s cheeks go warm enough that I can scent it across the balcony. “Yeah.” She puts two fingers over my mark. “I was caught up in all of that. I’m sorry I didn’t answer the phone, Renee. I didn’t know what to do at first.”

“Don’t sweat it.” Renee waves the apology off with one hand. “You were a friend when I needed you. And these supernaturals?” She hooks a thumb back toward the living room. “They’re nothing like Millbrook made them out to be.”

Then she turns to me. “Hi!”

I bow my head to her.

Renee grabs Zuri’s hand and pulls her through the door. Two steps in, Zuri stops flat.

The gargoyles have that living room outnumbered all by themselves. Soren and Sable straighten up as far as the ceiling allows, and each of them folds a wing over his chest.

“Greetings, madam,” they say in unison.

I step in behind my mate. “Those are my buddies, Sable and Soren.”

Zuri lifts a hand and waves at Soren first. “You were the statue at the diner,” she says. “By the jukebox.”

“I got to her just in time,” Malachi says from beside the couch. “The ghouls were coming after her.”

Then he frowns at Renee. “She gave me a hard time about leaving.”

Renee rounds on him, chin first. “Losing my job, my place, everything I worked for? Hell yes I gave you trouble.” Then she drops the attitude and grins at him. “But that offer? That I could not turn down.”