“Nope. I’m not going anywhere,” Bridget said and sat down on a large rock.
Bas cleared his throat. After a night of telling her for hours how he felt, he was now tongue-tied.
“According to my dragon, you are my fated mate. It wants you…”
“And doyouwant me? Or is this still a separate thing?” she interrupted, her scarred eyebrow rising.
“I want you. I’ve wanted you since the moment I met you. The dragon and I are one on this matter. I didn’t want to scare you away. I still don’t. If you agree to be my mate, it’s a forever thing, Bridget. It’s more binding than a marriage,” Basblundered on. “I would understand if it’s not something you would want.”
“Does it mean you get control over me?” she asked, a worried look coming into her eyes.
Bas shook his head. “Quite the opposite, actually. It means you have control over me. I would do anything for you, Bridget. If we mate, you become my whole world. I’ll always love you and protect you. See to your every need.”
Bridget’s frown hadn’t gone away. “You’re not going to try and like put a baby in me straight away or anything. Because there’re things in life I want to do.”
“Of course not! I don’t want kids. At least, I never have. I don’t know if that will change in the future, but if you don’t want them, then we won’t have them. It’s your body and will always be your choice, love.” Bas got down on his knees so they were at the same height. “I don’t want you barefoot and pregnant. I want you to learn magic with me. I want to take you to see this world and Faerie. I just want to love you.”
“Okay,” Bridget said, dragging the word out like a sigh.
“Okay, what?”
“Okay, I’ll be your mate,” she replied with a shy smile.
Bas put his head in her lap. “Oh, god, I thought you were going to say no.”
“As if. Have you not seen the library? Or your dick? Or tasted your cooking?” Bridget teased, tickling his sides until he looked up. “I love you. I told you that the other night. If being your mate is one step further than that, then I’m with you, Basset Greatdrakes. All the way.”
Bas kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Her lips told him everything else he needed to know.
Bridget nipped his bottom lip. “Now is not the time to see what fucking in the astral plane is like. Let’s get out of here and then shag ourselves stupid. Deal?”
“Deal. I love you so much,” Bas said, kissing her cheeks.
“What’s not to love? I’m a total catch,” Bridget replied and blew a raspberry on the side of his neck, making him laugh. “We need to find a way out of these brambles. I tried to hack my way through the hedge wall with a sword, but I didn’t get very far.”
Bas helped her to her feet and took her hand. “Let’s see how far the wall goes. There might be a way to an enchanted castle or something.”
As they walked, Bridget told him all about waking up in the maze and what she had done to try and find her way through it.
“You manipulate this place so easily. The Brollachan is powerful but not so powerful to rob you of your ability to fight back,” Bas said when she was finished.
“I could make a sword and some thread, but I still couldn’t get out. I couldn’t even fly out.” Bridget scanned the horizon. “All I see is brambles and rocks. When you were in Lily Beauchamp’s mind, how did you get out?”
“Fire,” Bas said, and they stopped walking. “I was in a misty forest, and my dragon burned everything.”
Bridget smiled, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “The Brollachan is a water creature, Bas. No wonder fire scares it.”
Bas kissed her. “Stand back, little hawk. We are getting the fuck out of here.”
“Do it, baby. You got this,” she said, giving him space. Bas reached inside of himself and pulled the dragon free. He shifted seamlessly and shook out his wings. He rose up on his back legs, roaring out a furious challenge to the Brollachan, and let his fire loose. The brambles shrieked in pain as they shriveled. They were trying to grow back as quickly as they were destroyed. Bas roared louder until an opening appeared in them.
“Go Bridget! Go!” he shouted. Bridget leaped over the burning debris, bolting for the light on the other side.
As soon as she vanished through, Bas detonated, his skin bursting with flames until he was a dragon of pure fire. He charged into the regrowing brambles, burning and slashing his way through. He pulled free and plunged into the light.
Bas hit his body hard,his chair tipping him backward. Bridget’s cuffed hands shot out and caught him before he could go down.
“Bas! It’s still here,” she said and pointed to the shadowy figure. Bas gripped her cuffs, said a word, and they fell free. The Brollachan hissed, a shadow full of fangs, and ran.
