by Chant, Zoe
Everywhere she looked, there were flowers and billowing ribbons of silk. And for the evening, unlit torches stood ready.
“This is incredible. I don’t know what to say!”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Clairice said, her eyes gleaming again as if she was trying hard to hold back tears of happiness. “This is for you. For both of you. Thank you for making my sister so happy, Timothy. To love, and to eternal happiness.”
She raised her coconut, and someone pushed a drink into Liana’s hand.
Hers was served in an actual glass, although it also came with a little paper umbrella. The cocktail shimmered blue—as blue as the ocean and the sky.
When Liana raised it, she saw that Timothy’s eyes were shining with the same blue light again. The ocean pearl pulsed against her skin, the song of the ocean a gentle melody that wove all around them.
As she looked out at all the people who’d gathered to celebrate with them, she could feel the power of the sea pulse through her. Blue light twined around the golden light of the mate bond connecting them.
“To love and eternal happiness,” Timothy murmured. There was a soft smile on his lip—the same smile that always lit up his face whenever he looked at her.
Liana clinked her glass against his.
“To love and eternal happiness,” she repeated. She remembered the moment when she’d sunk to the bottom of a river with the wounded Timothy in her arms, and the afternoon when they’d explored the bottom of the sea hand in hand.
But that was only the beginning. There were so many more adventures to come.
And in the end, they’d always return here—to their home, and to this close-knit community on the tiny shifter island, where everyone was welcome and everyone lived in peace.
Liana’s smile widened. Then she wound her arms around Timothy’s neck, not caring that she spilled some of her cocktail.
Their lips touched, and as their guests whooped and cheered, Liana felt the joy inside her lift her up. She felt as free and careless as the first time she’d experienced the wonder of dragonflight.
She’d truly come home.
She would never feel lonely or out of place again. She’d found a community where everyone was accepted just the way they were—and, most importantly, she didn’t have to give up her dreams for love.
She’d saved her virtual ocean dragon. She’d made lots of kids happy with the changes to her game.
And most importantly, she’d found her real ocean dragon as well. A man as strong and powerful as the ocean, and as kind as warm summer rain.
Timothy’s arms tightened around her, and she found herself smiling against his lips.
At last, she was exactly where she was meant to be.
***
A note from Zoe Chant
Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to know more about the elemental dragons and their mates, Mated to the Fire Dragon, book 4 in the series, is forthcoming.
If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list. You can also visit my webpage, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter. You are also invited to join my VIP Readers Group on Facebook!
Please consider reviewing the Elemental Mates Box Set 1, even if you only write a line or two. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.
And keep paging through to read a special sneak preview of Mated to the Fire Dragon.
***
More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant
Shifting Sands Resort Collection 1. Three adventure romances set at Shifting Sands Resort, a (clothing optional!) luxury resort for shifters only. Come to find love and tasty treats of all kinds - but prepare for heart-pounding thrills and layers of puzzling secrets. Includes Tropical Tiger Spy, Tropical Wounded Wolf, and Tropical Bartender Bear.
Enforcer Bears Box Set One. Three thrilling shifter romances from Zoe Chant’s bestselling Enforcer Bears series! Hot bear shifter men fall for their curvy mates in the small town of Linden Creek, protecting them from terrible danger and healing wounded hearts. Contains Bear Cop, Hunter Bear and Wedding Bear.
Enforcer Bears Box Set Two. The final two thrilling shifter romances from Zoe Chant’s bestselling Enforcer Bears series! Two sexy bear shifter men ready to protect their curvy mates with their lives find love and healing for their wounded hearts in the small town of Linden Creek. Contains Fighter Bear and Bear Guard.
Protection, Inc. Collection One. Three thrilling romances! Hot shifter bodyguards fall for their curvy mates while protecting them from deadly danger. Contains Bodyguard Bear, Defender Dragon, and Protector Panther.
Hollywood Shifters Complete Box Set. Four sizzling shifter romances from Zoe Chant’s bestselling Hollywood Shifters series! Hot shifter buddies fall for their curvy mates in glamorous Hollywood.
Cedar Hills Lions Box Set 1. Two thrilling shifter romances from Zoe Chant’s bestselling Cedar Hill Lions series! Strong shifter men fall for their brave curvy mates while protecting them from deadly danger.
Bear Down and Bear Watching Boxed Set. Two scorching, standalone bear shifter romances in one convenient boxed set.
Billionbear and Pair of Bears Boxed Set. Enjoy two sizzling hot, standalone bear shifter romances in one easy to read collection! This boxed set collects the BBW bear shifter romance Bought by the Billionbear and the menage bear shifter romance A Pair of Bears.
The Easter Bunny's Bear. A BBW bunny shifter with a pony farm + a lonely bear shifter hunting a dangerous werewolf + a criminal werewolf pack causing trouble = one steamy springtime romance!
The Christmas Dragon's Mate. A lonely bookkeeper in search of Christmas + a mysterious dragon shifter with a past full of pain + a beautiful snow castle hiding a ruthless enemy = one glittering Christmas romance!
Stealing the Snow Leopard’s Heart. (Shifter Suspense #3). A stick-in-the-mud snow leopard shifter PI + an ex-thief who can’t escape her past + an adorable baby dragon who thinks they’re both part of her hoard = one sweet and sexy romance!
Tropical Bartender Bear (Shifting Sands Resort #3). A curvy black woman in disguise + a hot bartender bear shifter + a male beauty pageant at a shifters-only resort = a romantic adventure that bares it all!
Private Eye Bear’s Mate. A curvy, independent radio DJ + a protective bear shifter detective + a scary stalker = one thrilling romance!
Bear Mechanic. A curvy woman desperate to protect her little brother + a bear shifter mechanic who will do anything to keep his mate from harm + a team of shifters determined to help their friend and his mate = one action-packed romance!
Firefighter Griffin. (Fire & Rescue Shifters # 3). A curvy single mom burned by love + a unique half-eagle, half-lion shifter firefighter with a wounded soul + the little boy who brings them together = one heart-warming romance!
And many more!
***
If you love Zoe Chant, you’ll also love these books
The Billionbear's Winter Angel, by Annora Lynn. Curvy Ella meets handsome billionaire bear shifter Martin at a holiday fundraiser. When Ella is kidnapped, only Martin's polar bear can find her in the freezing cold of this snowy winter's night.
Billionbear Heir, by Annora Lynn. Curvy fashion designer Cat returns to her hometown—only to stumble straight into the arms of bear shifter Marius, heir to a fortune. Can Cat learn to love again, and can Marius protect his new-found mate and reclaim his father's legacy?
Laura’s Wolf, by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine Roy Farrell, scarred in body and mind, thinks he has no future. Curvy con artist Laura Kaplan, running from danger and her own guilt, is desperate to escape her past. But together, they have all that they need to heal. A full-length novel.
Prisoner, by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine DJ Torres is a born rebel. Genetically engineered assassin Echo was created to be a weapon. When DJ is captured by the agency that made Echo, the two misfits find that they fit together perfectly. A full-length novel.
Partner, by Lia Sil
ver. DJ and Echo’s relationship grows stronger under fire... until they are confronted by a terrible choice. A full-length novel.
Mated to the Meerkat, by Lia Silver. Jasmine Jones, a curvy tabloid reporter, meets her match in notorious paparazzi and secret meerkat Chance Marcotte. A romantic comedy novelette.
The Christmas Tree Bear, by Rosie Lynne. Bear shifter Willis Barnett meets his fated match in Charlotte Caldwell when she hopes to earn extra money as Santa Helper’s on Willis’ family farm turned Christmas Tree Town for the holidays. A romantic comedy novella.
The Strength of the Pack, by Jorrie Spencer. Seth Kolski, a werewolf, hides his heritage and passes for normal. Until he meets Jamie.
Taming the Beast, by Honey Dover. Beauty is a paranormal investigator hired to deal with a man cursed to become a monstrous beast. Helping him recover his humanity will change her life.
Claimed by the Wolf, by Candi Jackson. Zenobia Jones ends up pregnant after a night with a billionaire—and lands herself in a war between werewolf packs. A full-length novel.
The Right Bear's Arms, by Nora Eli. After a sizzling one night stand with bear shifter Jake, curvy Katie realizes her perfect man is everything she's tried to avoid. If they can both stop running from their pasts, they may find a destined future together.
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, by Lauren Esker. Curvy farm girl Julie Capshaw was warned away from the wolf shifters next door, but Damon Wolfe is the motorcycle-riding, smoking hot alpha of her dreams. Can the big bad wolf and his sheep shifter find their own happy ending? A full-length novel.
Handcuffed to the Bear (Shifter Agents # 1), by Lauren Esker. A bear-shifter ex-mercenary and a curvy lynx shifter searching for her best friend's killer are handcuffed together and hunted in the wilderness. Can they learn to rely on each other before their pasts, and their pursuers, catch up with them? A full-length novel.
Guard Wolf (Shifter Agents # 2), by Lauren Esker. Avery is a lone werewolf with no pack; Nicole is a social worker trying to put her life back together. When he comes to her door with a box of orphan werewolf puppies and danger in pursuit, can two lonely people find the family they've been missing? A full-length novel.
Dragon’s Luck (Shifter Agents # 3) by Lauren Esker. Gecko shifter and infiltration expert Jen Cho teams up with sexy dragon-shifter gambler "Lucky" Lucado to win a high-stakes poker game. Now they're trapped on a cruise ship full of mobsters, mysterious enemy agents, and evil dragons! A full-length novel.
Discovering the Dragon, by Sofia Stone. When reporter Chloe Martin investigates Lancaster Gold, she finds herself tangled up with the oldest son—Isaac Lancaster, billionaire dragon shifter.
***
Mated to the Fire Dragon
By Zoe Chant
Special Sneak Preview
Everything was quiet.
Alyx could feel her heart beating in her throat. Everything had happened so quickly.
And nothing had gone according to plan. She'd hoped to find a way out—but instead she'd run into a weird fire dragon who claimed he wasn't like the others, and had ended up pressed against Mr. Nice Fire Dragon's unfairly hot body in Lady Zena's wardrobe.
I bet I could make the column of the year out of this.
If she ever got back to a computer. If she still even had a job.
And even then, they wouldn't let her write about dragons, of course...
Everyone knew dragons didn't exist. And her job was to write about fashion and lifestyle. Her boss would expect a review of the hot new cocktail bar—not a description of her flight from a fire dragon cave.
I could turn this into a movie script. They'd cast someone way hotter than me to play the lead—but that's okay, I'm used to that.
Braeden was still standing so close that she could feel the hard muscles of his body. Alyx swallowed.
They wouldn't have to cast anyone else to play him... Even Hollywood doesn't get you that hot and ripped.
Then she took a deep breath. Right now, her priorities had to be survival and escape. And definitely not thinking about a certain fire dragon's muscles.
Once she made it out, maybe it was time to ditch her job. No more writing about cute new eyeshadow palettes or the organic hipster coffee shop that now served everything with turmeric.
Maybe it was time to become the real deal. A real journalist. Someone who wrote about important stuff.
She had to warn people about the fire dragons. She had to. But how was she going to do that? No one would ever believe her...
“You okay?” Mr. Nice Fire Dragon whispered.
Alyx turned to glare at him in the darkness, even though he couldn't see it.
Of course she wasn't okay! What a question.
“I'm trapped in an underground lair with hundreds of evil dragons,” she hissed. “What do you think?”
“Sorry,” he said—and for some reason, he sounded genuinely sorry.
Maybe it was just because he was hot, and no one had been nice to her in weeks, but she felt her anger and despair suddenly melt away.
Beneath the anger, there was nothing but weariness and a deep hopelessness. But she couldn't give in to that. She had to keep fighting.
“It's okay,” she said softly. “Just be quiet.”
He hesitated. She couldn't see him, but she could hear the way his breathing changed.
There was a very careful touch—his hand against her shoulder, tentatively offering comfort.
She almost shrugged it off, because how could a fire dragon comfort her?
But the truth was, it felt good. It felt more than good.
Somehow, her body seemed to trust him, even though her mind was still full of wariness.
After a moment, she relaxed.
And that was when she heard the terrifying sound of someone knocking on the door to Zena's rooms.
Immediately her heartbeat sped up again. Braeden's hand found hers. The touch of his fingers was reassuring, and Alyx clung to the comforting sensation of his warm skin against hers as she strained to hear.
There was the muffled sound of voices.
Could they really trust Zena? All she'd have to do was to point the guards towards the door they were hiding behind...
She'd always thought that Zena liked her—as much as the older woman seemed to like anyone.
Still. Zena was a shifter as well. And even if she liked Alyx, was that enough to go against Steele?
Zena wasn't stupid. Maybe she'd decide that hiding them from Steele was too much effort. If Steele found out, surely Zena would be punished as well...
“I'll let you know if I catch a trace of her,” Zena said haughtily, her voice a little easier to make out. She must have moved deeper into the room.
“Thank you. Apologies for disturbing you,” a male voice said. A second later, there was the sound of the door closing again.
Alyx barely dared to breathe. For a long moment she kept clinging to Braeden's hand.
And then the door opened, light spilling in.
“You can come out now,” Zena said, looking them up and down with narrowed eyes. “I sent them away. You're safe for now.”
“Thank you,” Alyx said, suddenly feeling weak.
They'd come terribly close to dying...
“Sit down. Have something to drink. And most importantly—talk. I want to know what's going on,” Zena demanded, already turning away towards the table.
She put out fragile porcelain cups, and then poured them tea—the strong, black tea Zena preferred, and which Alyx had learned to prepare for her just as she liked it.
This time, Zena was serving her and Braeden. Alyx gratefully reached for a cup with trembling fingers.
The tea was strong and sweet. It was just what she needed.
She'd never been a tea person before, but a few weeks without a latte had made her appreciate any chance for a much-needed caffeine fix.
“Thank you,” Alyx said softly when she put her cup down again. Idly, she traced her finger along the painted birds on the del
icate china.
“Thank you,” Braeden said as well. His voice was tense.
When Alyx looked up, she saw him giving Zena a thoughtful look.
“You are—”
“The firebird,” Zena said and straightened with that strange, haughty elegance of hers. “Have you heard of me, fire dragon?”
Silently, Braeden shook his head. “I'm not from here. That is—I’ve heard of the legend, of course. But I didn't know—”
“Steele thought we would make natural allies.” A small smile played on Zena's lips. “He is not wrong, of course. I, too, am a creature of the fire.”
“But you're not like them,” Alyx hastily interrupted. “You saved my life. If you hadn't told them you needed a servant, who knows what would’ve happened to me.”
Zena looked uncomfortable. “I did need a servant,” she murmured. “It was selfishness. Still. Sometimes it is good to combine selfish desires with what is good for others.”
Then she straightened. “So. Out with it. What brings you here?”
She narrowed her eyes at Braeden, and Alyx found herself watching him as well.
It was the first time she'd gotten a really good look at him while not being terrified that she'd die any moment.
He looked hot. There was no other word for it. Even now, with the warm tea calming her nerves, he looked like he should be on the cover of GQ.
Alyx felt her fingers twitching as she dreamed about pulling those clothes off him and dressing him in something out of the new summer collection.
He'd look hot in anything, of course, but something inside her saw him in a suit, something simple and elegant.
Armani, she thought, imagining how she'd smooth her hands over his shoulders to check the fit.
She swallowed, pulling herself out of the tantalizing vision as her cheeks heated.
Cut it out! You're still in danger. And what will Zena think?
Braeden was still looking at Zena. There was something strange about him. Alyx couldn't put it into words, but it was as if she could feel the power rising off him.