Mated to the Earth Dragon (Elemental Mates 2)

“I don’t know,” Damon said, his voice low. “Something’s going on. The rock is upset. But I can’t see what causes it...”

Autumn watched as he reached out to rest both of his hands against the stone. For a heartbeat, he didn’t move—then he recoiled with a swallowed curse, his fist hitting the rock.

“Damn,” he cursed in frustration. “It’s like there’s a shadow. I can’t see through it...”

Through the bond, Autumn could feel his frustration—and his fear.

She’d never seen Damon afraid before.

“Whatever it is—it’s bad,” he murmured, turning around to face her. “The stones aren’t speaking to me. That has never happened before.”

“Maybe it’s the chimera?” Autumn said hopefully, even though her heart had begun to pound in her chest with sudden fear.

Damon was right—something was wrong. She didn’t know how she knew, but she could feel it. It was like the entire mountain had tensed around them. And there was a faint, acrid smell... a smell like something burning...

Suddenly, out of the gloom before them, a tiny shadow came racing down the stairs.

With a growl of anger Damon whirled around to face their attacker—but the creature raced straight past him, too small to be stopped.

A moment later, it halted after all. There, on the stairs below Autumn, illuminated by the flickering light of the torches, a tiny mouse sat.

“Ginny!” Damon said in surprise. “What’s going on?”

Right before Autumn’s eyes, the tiny mouse shimmered. A heartbeat later, she’d transformed into a human and very much naked woman.

“Fire dragons,” she said hastily, her eyes wide with terror. “Here. In the caves. Attacking the chimera.”

Quickly, Autumn stripped out of her coat, and the terrified mouse shifter gratefully wrapped it around herself.

“They’ve somehow blocked me from seeing what’s going on.” Damon gritted his teeth as he turned from them to stare up the stairs, pressing his hand to the stone again.

“You’ve got to go. Protect the chimera!” Ginny was trembling, but even so her voice was full of determination. “We need him. If they manage to harm him—or kidnap him—”

“I can’t.” Damon clenched his jaw as he turned around. “I’m not going to leave Autumn. I promised to keep her safe.”

“She won’t be safe if they get to the chimera,” Ginny said. “I’ll protect her.”

“You?” Damon shook his head. “No. No way.”

“Listen to me,” Ginny said. She was speaking very softly, but there was a core of strength in it. “There’s one place in this mountain where Autumn and I will be safe. That’s where I was going. A place where only a council member can go...”

“The prisoner’s rooms.” Damon shook his head. “No way.”

“No. I’ll go,” Autumn interrupted. Her heart was beating in her throat—but she remembered how the door in the stone had only opened at Damon’s touch. No key could open it. Only a council member could.

“Ginny’s right,” she continued when Damon stared at her in open surprise. “You’ve got to go and stop them. I don’t know what’s going on—but I’m not a dragon shifter. I’m holding you back. I won’t let them use me as a weapon against you. We’ll be safe in those caves.”

“He got his weekly dose of dragonsbane yesterday,” Ginny said. “And he’s behind bars. Couldn’t harm a fly that way. You’ve seen him.”

Damon shook his head again, his eyes dark and desperate as he reached out for Autumn.

She let herself be pulled into his arms willingly, kissing him with all her need for him while her heart kept pounding in her chest.

Go, she whispered silently, hoping that he’d feel her through their fragile bond. I love you. I know you’ll keep us all safe.

His mouth on hers was hot and desperate. He groaned into the kiss, his arms tightening around her waist as if he’d never let her go again, his powerful heart beating against hers with the same terrified rhythm.

But his terror wasn’t because of the fire dragons that threatened them, she realized when he finally let her go.