Mated to the Ocean Dragon (Elemental Mates 3)

Chapter Eleven: Liana

To reach the small coffee shop in the middle of the tiny beach town of Wing Island, they walked past several curious stores. There was a little boutique selling all kinds of clothes, from jeans and shirts to suits and baby clothing. There was even a gorgeous evening gown studded with tiny crystals that sparkled in the window.

Above the door, a handmade wooden sign with little bunny ears hung. It said “Bunny’s Boutique,” and when Liana gave Timothy a questioning look, he nodded.

“Really?” she asked, just to be sure. “Bunny shifters?”

“Only one bunny shifter in this town,” a blonde woman said cheerfully, peeking around the corner of the shop. She seemed to be in her early twenties, with long hair she wore in two braids. “That is, at least until this one is due.”

Tenderly, she curved her hand over her belly. Now that Liana gave her a closer look, the curve beneath her loose shirt was more noticeable.

“Fifty-fifty for bunny versus fox,” the woman said, then bounced excitedly. “I bet it’s gonna be a bunny, the way it kicks!”

“Congratulations,” Liana said, smiling at the woman’s infectious cheerfulness. “I’m Liana—sorry, I only just learned about shifters. So the dad is a fox shifter?”

“Cara,” the bunny shifter said, excitedly shaking her hand. “Nice to meet you! And yes, he is—I ran away with the bad boy fox. At least that’s what my family would want you to believe. Our kind’s not very fond of foxes. The true story is a bit more boring, though. It was just online dating at first. And once we met, we knew we were mates. We decided to move out here to get away from both of our families—we still visit, of course, for Christmas and Thanksgiving and so on. But here on Wing Island, no one cares if you’re a fox and a bunny.”

“They call it the dragon’s peace,” Timothy added. “It’s happened this way for centuries. Shifters of all kinds like to settle in dragon towns. With a dragon overlooking the town, no one’s eager to start a fight, so even werewolves and weresheep can live happily together.”

“And foxes and bunnies,” Cara added, then grinned. “Not that it takes a dragon to keep us from fighting. Still, I was glad to have a dragon around when I first heard that werewolves had settled here. Of course, now that I actually know them, I’m quite happy we have John and James around. Just last week, James brought me the most amazing flounder. I think I’m going to set him up with a nice new suit for his birthday in return.” She raised a finger to her lips. “Don’t tell him, it’s a secret.”

“I won’t,” Liana promised, laughing.

Just then, an older woman exited a small shop on the other side of the street, carrying a basket. She clutched her chest when she saw them standing in front of Cara’s boutique, then immediately came towards them.

“Timothy! And a guest, too! You must be hungry. If I’d known you were coming, I would have brought fresh bread and milk and—”

“We were just about to go for some donuts, actually,” Timothy said. “And the pantry was fully stocked. Please, don’t worry. We’ll pick up whatever we need on the way home.”

The woman gave Timothy a suspicious look, then wagged her finger at him. “You better feed your girl well—I know what it’s like in the city. I see it on TV all the time. Young women picking at their salad and nothing else all day. Out here, with the wind and the ocean, you need some real food to keep up your strength.”

“Timothy made blueberry pancakes for me,” Liana said, smiling widely. “I’m Liana, by the way. And he’s a much better cook than I am. I doubt I’m going to starve out here.”

“This is Mrs. Grimes; she looks after the house when I’m gone,” Timothy explained. “And I was hoping to beg some of today’s catch from our werewolves and have a little fire on the beach in the evening.”

Mrs. Grimes looked mollified. “Nothing like some fried fish by the beach while watching the sunset.” She winked at Liana. “That’s how my Mike won me over fifty years ago.”

Apparently she and her husband had always lived by the ocean. They were both sea lion shifters and had lived in what used to be a lighthouse. Just when they had grown too old for the work and the many stairs, Timothy came searching for a place to build a home by the sea. And with him, a small community of shifters had sprung up.

“Now our grandson and his wife take care of the lighthouse,” she explained proudly. “Our kids all moved back here, now that Timothy has turned this into a real community. And I get to have my family nearby and see the ocean every day.”

“I like to think that it’s worked out well for everyone,” Timothy said modestly, although he looked around at the houses surrounding them with obvious pride.

And why shouldn’t he be proud? What she’d seen of the town so far looked lovely. Even the smaller houses were well-cared for, with gardens that sported a multitude of flowers, neat hedges, and here and there strange contraptions that she assumed were meant for the owners’ animal forms.

In one garden, she could see a huge rock with a flat top—and on top of that rock, a lioness was dozing in the sun.

Another house had a little fountain where a large falcon was taking a bath.

“It’s nothing like I expected,” Liana said and smiled at Timothy. “It’s so much better.”

“Wait until you’ve tasted the donuts I’ve promised you.” Timothy nodded towards where the street took a turn. “It’s just around the corner from here.”

“It was good to see you,” Cara said cheerfully as they said goodbye. Then she winked at Liana. “And we’re all hoping you’ll stick around.”

A little overwhelmed, but still smiling widely, Liana let Timothy lead her onward.

“Everyone here’s really invested in seeing you settle down, huh?” she teased him. “Have they been trying to set you up with all their single daughters?”