Mated to the Earth Dragon (Elemental Mates 2)

And when Autumn turned, she saw just what had Ginny so terrified.

Shit!

The bar she had clutched was still standing. But to the right, three of the small columns of stone had collapsed—and Braeden had made its way through them.

The fire dragon was free. And even though Damon had assured her that he’d been dosed with enough dragonsbane to keep him from shifting or using his powers, she couldn’t help but stare at him in open dismay.

Braeden met her gaze for a moment. Then, to her great relief, he turned away from her. Slowly, he walked towards the wall and carefully touched his hand to the faint outline of the door. A heartbeat later, he flinched away.

“This is bad,” he murmured when he retreated to their side. “The wall is hot. They must’ve made the tunnel outside collapse. And now they’re searching the stone with their fire to find out where you’ve imprisoned me.”

“Bad for us, you mean,” Autumn said bitterly. “I’m sure you can’t wait to be reunited with your friends.”

It was probably wrong to antagonize him, even though he couldn’t breathe fire at her right now. But he was still dangerously strong, with the same broad shoulders and muscular build of an athlete—or an ancient warrior.

Because that was what he was. He was an ancient warrior who hated humanity and hadn’t even heard about the internet or the Mars rover. And she was trapped in a cave with him.

Aren’t I lucky.

“You’ve got nothing to fear from me,” Braeden said, then turned to look at Ginny. “Neither do you. I swear it on my honor—as little as that might mean to you.”

“Well, that is all very nice, but I’ve met your friends,” Autumn poin

ted out. “And they didn’t seem to care a lot about my life or their honor.”

“No,” Braeden said simply. “They don’t.”

“How reassuring,” Autumn muttered.

“Hush. We need to think.”

“About what? There’s no way out. And since when is it we?” Autumn demanded.

The fire dragon ignored her. Instead, he eyed Ginny thoughtfully.

“You know your way around these tunnels.”

Ginny stared at him for a long moment, then simply shrugged. “A little.”

“You’ve been bringing me my food pretty much since they imprisoned me in here,” Braeden said. “Did they fly you in, or is there a way in and out of these caves for shifters without wings?”

Again Ginny gave him a considering look.

“There is,” she murmured at last. “But it’s of no use to you. We’re trapped in here.”

“I can’t use my powers, no.” Braeden grimaced, shifting his shoulders instinctively, as if even the thought of his wings hurt him. “But you’re a shifter. Any special abilities that we don’t know?”

Ginny stared at him with a bitter look. “I’m a mouse shifter. So no.”

“Mouse,” he murmured, staring at her as if lost in thought. “If I could use fire to force the rock to split—but never mind. What about you?”

“Me?” Autumn asked in shock when she suddenly found herself the recipient of the fire dragon’s intense gaze.

Even with his powers safely locked away by the dragonsbane, she could see a distant hint of flames in his eyes.

“I’m not a shifter, you know that. I’m just human.”

“Still,” Braeden muttered, “you’re a dragon’s mate. The mate of the dragon of earth, to be precise. Mated, some of his power might be shared...”