Mated to the Ocean Dragon (Elemental Mates 3)

Was she the coyote shifter Timothy had told her about? She didn’t seem that different to the baristas in her favorite coffee shop close to work.

But then, how would I know? Maybe my favorite barista back home is secretly a werewolf. Or maybe my neighbors are...

It was strange to realize that there was so much more than she’d ever known. The world was so different to what she’d always believed.

Dragons were real. Werewolves were real.

And so were blue-haired twenty-something baristas who could apparently shift into a coyote.

“You should stop by more often,” the girl said when she handed them their whipped-cream-topped concoctions.

It glittered all over, sprinkled with a sparkly powder that seemed to shift color even as she looked at it.

“We don’t get a lot of strangers. And I’m always happy to chat before it gets busy. Cool shirt, by the way! He’s my favorite character.”

“Mine too! And I definitely will. Have you read the rumors about the next movie?” Liana asked, beaming at the girl before she realized that now she hadn’t just promised to stick around in town without thinking about it, but also almost forgotten all about Timothy. “Oops! That is, I’ll come back for a chat some other time.”

“Yeah, don’t want to keep the dragon waiting.” Aimee gave Timothy a smirk. “It was about time you brought back some fun company for us. No one wants to listen to all that slick banker talk of yours.”

“Hey now,” Timothy protested, “she’s my guest and I didn’t just bring her here to entertain you. But also—you two should definitely talk, because I’m way behind on my superhero movies.”

The barista snickered. “Like I said. That’s what comes of all that boring banker stuff you do.”

Then she waved them off, and Timothy led Liana to a small table in a corner by the window. Several comfy, somewhat worn armchairs stood there, next to a bookshelf that looked as if the coffee shop’s customers had left well-loved paperbacks for others to enjoy.

“This space is amazing.” Liana took a first, cautious sip of her Chameleon Macchiato through the sparkly blue straw. “As is this!”

She moaned in pleasure as the rich cream melted on her tongue. She could taste a slight hint of the bitterness of the espresso, mingled with the just-right sweetness of vanilla.

Timothy took a deep swallow of his own coffee. As she watched, the color of the glass really seemed to change—at first, it had been a creamy, pale yellow, like vanilla. But as soon as he reached the next layer, it turned into a pale rose.

That had to be the strawberry syrup.

She took hold of her own straw again. A few more gulps of the delicious, creamy, vanilla-flavored coffee—and there it was. Even the straw seemed to subtly change color. Now it gleamed in a sparkly purple as something that distinctively tasted like strawberry filled her mouth with more creamy coffee goodness.

“Wow,” she breathed when she let go of the straw. “Is it really just the layers of syrup? Or is it chameleon magic?”

Timothy grinned at her. “Who knows? I never got a real answer out of them, so I’ve decided to let them keep their magic and just enjoy. Next time you’re in here, ask for their hazelnut chocolate latte. It’s like drinking delicious cake.”

“I think I know your secret,” Liana teased, playfully narrowing her eyes at him. “That’s how you built this town. You got the best barista you could find on board, and then you just seduced everyone you knew to settle down here by the ocean by tempting them with the best coffee they’ve ever tasted.”

“Don’t know about the rest of them,” a cheerful voice informed them from the neighboring table, “but that sure is how he got me.”

When Liana looked up, she found that a man in his fifties had settled down nearby, a simple, small cup of espresso in front of him, paired with a donut covered all over in chocolate powder.

“It’s the banana pudding chocolate donut—the best, if you ask me,” he said with a broad grin. “Noah next door bakes them. He only does two sorts of donuts every day, but they’re all handmade. And he rotates flavors, so it pays to come back tomorrow. Tomorrow is raspberry day.”

He gave Liana a little wink, who now realized that there was in fact a small chalkboard on the wall by the door. It listed the flavors of the day for the week.

Timothy pushed the plate with the donuts towards her. They had been cut in half by the barista, and Liana decided to start with the chocolate covered donut. A generous filling of banana pudding was oozing out of it, and the first bite was so good that Liana found herself closing her eyes and moaning.

“This is delicious,” she said when she could speak again. “Oh my God. I want to come here every day just so that I can test all of the flavors.”

“It’s what I do,” the sheriff said with a grin. “If you have one every day of the week, you get the seventh for free.”

The other donut was covered in a light green glaze.

“Green tea flavor,” Timothy said. “I know, sounds weird, but—”