Mated to the Fire Dragon (Elemental Mates 4)

But that sort of man was impossible to find. She hadn't been lucky with the apps and the speed dating, and she’d tried.

Until she'd run into Braeden.

Or rather, until Braeden had run into her...

“You do need new clothes,” he said.

Amused, she laughed and tugged lightly on the shirt Liana had grabbed from Timothy's wardrobe for him. It had an Iron Man print on it.

“So do you!”

Though it did look good on him. Her taste in fashion didn’t quite line up with Liana's, but there was one thing they had very much in common.

And that was an appreciation of ripped superheroes in tight shirts.

“Then what are we waiting for?” He opened the door for her, still grinning. “I'll let you choose.”

“Ooh.” Alyx gave him a considering look. Now that was an offer she couldn't resist.

She could already see him on a runway, in a crisp shirt and with a simple, elegant Armani suit jacket slung easily over his shoulder. Only she didn't think this small-town boutique would cater to her in that regard.

Still, from what she'd seen from the window, the selection was small but tasteful, everything chosen and displayed with a careful hand. This wasn’t Paris, but whoever ran this store had probably quite a few things in common with her. Like an appreciation for quality and a good eye for the latest trends.

“Braeden!” a woman exclaimed as soon as they entered. She was quite obviously pregnant and wore her blond hair in two long braids.

Impressed, Alyx saw that she'd escaped the greatest danger of maternity wear, which was that it was either horribly boring or overly cutesy.

Instead, the owner of the boutique wore a pair of stretchy, black pants in a simple cut, paired with a tunic of a slinky, soft fabric in a deep blue shade that made the azure of her eyes sparkle.

None of it was expensive designer wear, but it had obviously been chosen with great care, beautifully accessorized with silver bangles she wore on her arms and a deep blue nail polish that made Alyx sigh with longing for her collection at home.

I wonder if Wing Island has a nail salon...

After weeks in the fire dragon lair, her own nails were all but ruined.

Still, it's nothing that can't be fixed by some me-time. Maybe I can borrow some polish from Liana later on.

“Hi, Cara,” Braeden said, grinning. “How's the little bunny doing?”

Cara grimaced. “Keeping me awake all night with his kicks and somersaults. His dad still thinks it's a little fox, of course, but what does he know!”

“You're...” Alyx stared, wide-eyed. Dragons and werewolves were one thing, but bunnies?

“A bunny shifter!” The woman laughed. “Liana gave me that same look when she first met me. I know you humans have lots of stories about werewolves and none about bunny shifters, but we like it that way.”

“You're a bunny shifter—with a boutique?” Alyx suddenly realized why the sign over the door featured bunny ears.

Cara nodded enthusiastically. “You guys need anything? Let me know if you need help!”

“I love your shop,” Alyx said, unable to hold back her excitement. “I think it's the best thing I've seen all year. And that combination you're wearing is divine, just so you know!”

“You think so?” Cara beamed at her. “Thank you! You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find maternity wear you actually want to wear!”

“We both need a new set of clothes, actually.” Braeden produced a golden credit card from his pocket with a grin.

“Ooh, look at that.” Cara bumped his shoulder. “Our fire dragon has made it into the twenty-first century.”

“Liana helped me learn all about human treasures,” Braeden said proudly. “I still prefer gold to plastic, but I have to admit that humans have come up with quite a few useful things.”