Read Online Dark Tremor (Mated by Magic #2) by Stella Marie Alden, Chantel Seabrook - Free Book Online Page A

populated.
    “Turn off here.”
    A familiar dirt road led deep into the hills and the truck’s shocks took a beating as he gunned the engine.
    About an hour later, she tugged on his arm. “Stop.”
    “Here?” He parked, shielded his eyes, and searched the terrain.
    “C’mon. Let’s go.”
    Her mine’s entrance was a hidden slit between two boulders, about twenty feet up the hill.
    While he sat and changed his shoes, she opened the windows and placed the cat carrier on the back seat. Pumpkin meowed sadly.
    “We won’t be long.”
    Jace rolled his eyes and she couldn’t help but laugh. Renewed by the freedom and the stones nearby, she took the lead and climbed, while his ass dragged behind.  His breath warmed the back of her neck when she stopped for him to catch up. She squeezed between the two rocks.
    “I found this place when I was eighteen.”
    He put in one shoulder, then frowned and backed away. “I’m nowhere near as small as you.”
    She raised her eyebrows and glanced down his long muscular torso. Man, he was built. But he was also right, he wouldn’t fit through some of the smaller crevices. She’d have to make the opening bigger.
    Closing her eyes, she placed her hands on the warm rock. The earth trembled and the stones shifted, widening the gap.
    Exhaustion hit her like a brick wall. Her hands fell to her side and she swayed.
    “You okay?” Jace gripped her shoulder to steady her.
    “I’m fine.” Her body lit up at the heat his touch produced.
    They walked a few feet into the dark mine, letting their eyes adjust to the flashlight. She pointed it upwards.
    Tilting his neck up, eyes widening, he whispered, “Holy shit.”
    “Yeah.” Terra agreed with a sigh. The entire ceiling sparkled with pebbles of turquoise.
    “You’ve barely made a dent in here.” He shook his head and wandered up and down the narrow path, gaze up.
    “Careful. The mine’s floor is uneven.” Terra pointed the beam of light down in front of his feet.
    “I only take what I need, but that’s not what I wanted to show you. Here…” She lit a narrow fissure in the wall and leaned back so Jace could get a look. His arm slid around her waist.
    “Fuck,” the curse came out in a heavy breath. He pulled back and stared at her blinking. “That’s at least ten solid pounds of dark turquoise.”
    “If you close your eyes you can feel it humming.” The vibration was subtle compared to the buzz his touch produced.
    “Do you know what you’ve uncovered here? This shit could have some serious repercussions if the wrong person got a hold of it. Damn.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “It could change the balance of power between the clans. Between humans and witches.”
    Terra’s breath hitched. She suddenly realized how isolated her thoughts had been, how narrow her vision was after living alone for so long. It wasn’t just Mic they had to worry about.
    “We could bury it. Close the entrance. The only other person who knows about this spot is Falcon.”
    “You trust him?” His words echoed in the cave, ominously.
    “Yes.” She tried to sound more confident than she felt, but even she could hear the hesitation in her voice.
    He stared, lips too close, and eyes too dark. “It’s safe here for now. Without the proper tools there isn’t anything we can do. Once we’re back at the hotel, I’ll call Jack and let him know what we’re dealing with. The sooner we get this thing secured, the better.”
    “Right.” She glanced up at the ceiling and blinked back tears.
    Everything she’d worked for was gone, or would be soon. If she went with Jace, she’d spend the rest of her life indebted to the Iesco clan.
    “Hey.” He touched her arm.
    She pulled back as if burned and he frowned.
    “I’m fine.” Or at least she would be. With or without his help, she would survive. She always had before.
    Blinking hard, she clenched her fists, and turned to walk the mine, perhaps for the last time.
    Jace grabbed her