Mated to the Earth Dragon (Elemental Mates 2)

Right now, the glass was resting in splinters on the ground, while the golden frame dangled from a spike of rock, which was protruding from what had been a smooth wall the night before.

“What happened?” she asked blearily, rubbing her eyes.

“Um,” Damon said. “I seem to have a little problem.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t call it little.” Autumn grinned when she gave his naked body a pointed look. He was gorgeous in the light that fell in through the one window in the opposite wall of the cave. His muscles gleamed in the light. There was a slight sheen of sweat, as if he’d worked out before she’d woken up—and most importantly, he was aroused, his body calling out for her touch.

“But it’s definitely a problem I can help with. Why don’t you come back to bed?” Autumn pulled down the sheets a little, wriggling in what she hoped was a sexy way.

Damon swallowed, his eyes going wide.

“No, I mean yes, I mean—it’s not that,” he said hastily, his voice rough as he stared at her with obvious hunger.

A moment later, he grimaced and clutched his head.

“Damn,” he muttered.

This time, Autumn could feel the wave of power that rolled off him, echoing through the room like a stray bullet.

Near the window, the wall cracked. Fortunately, no painting was hanging in that spot, because a moment later, something was sprouting from the crack—tiny tendrils that grew rapidly into branches, which abruptly burst into flower.

“Um,” Autumn said as she stared at the wall, which was suddenly half covered in fragrant, white blossoms.

“Yeah.” He gave her a weak smile. “Sorry about that.”

“What’s going on?” This time, she drew the sheets tightly around her as she sat up.

It wasn’t a fire dragon attack, so that was good. But whatever it was, it made Damon uneasy—and it was hurting him too. She could feel the strain on him through the bond now as another random wave of wild energy burst free from him.

He grimaced, his jaw clenching as his muscles strained. Then a stalactite of gleaming crystal came bursting out of the ground, shimmering in brilliant hues of rose and blue in the sunlight.

“Whoops,” Damon said. “At least it didn’t destroy anything.”

“Something’s happening,” Autumn said. “Something’s happening to you.”

All of a sudden she understood why he looked like he’d been working out. How long had he been awake, straining to hold back whatever this power was doing to him?

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he said with a grimace. “It’s just that when I thought I was about to lose you, my dragon seems to have come into his full powers.”

“Which means what exactly?” she asked suspiciously. “That no matter where we go, we’ll have crystals and flowers growing around us?”

Damon winced when a second crystalline structure came bursting out of a wall.

“A mated alpha dragon can control his powers,” he said softly. “The mate bond balances it.”

“Oh,” Autumn said, her mouth suddenly dry as she stared at him. She licked her lips, trying not to look at where he was already gorgeously erect with arousal and need. Need for her. “So I guess that means we’ve got no choice but to do the mating? Or you’ll turn the council chamber into a florist’s shop...”

“Maybe I’ll create a new vein of gold,” Damon joked weakly. “The place could use some redecorating.”

Then he took a deep breath and reached out to take her hand. At the touch, heat rushed through Autumn, her clit tingling with the same, overwhelming desire that had Damon breathless.

But this time, it wasn’t the dragon’s land trying to influence her. This time, it was her own body burning with need for his touch, because she wanted him. Because she loved him, her loyal, sexy, protective dragon of the earth.

“You don’t have to do it.” Damon clenched his teeth as a new wave of power throbbed through them, one corner of the cave starting to shimmer as if the rock there had turned to silver. “It’s not right. It’s not how I want you—sacrificing yourself to save me from this. I want to claim you at home. I want to make it good for you. Shower you with my gems and decorate you with golden necklaces and strings of pearl—”

Autumn laughed. A heartbeat later, she was in his arms, pressing herself tightly against his hot body as he groaned into her hair.

“Don’t be stupid,” she muttered fiercely. “Do you think that matters to me? You matter. You’re all I want—not your gems or your pearls. Do you think I’d be happy if you’re suffering because you think I want a fancy wedding, or mating ceremony or whatever?”