Page 40 of Shifting the Flame
"I understand the urgency," Asher's deep voice responded, carrying that unmistakable tone of authority that made her stomach flutter. "But we need more information before we act."
Danica hung back. She didn't know he had an early morning meeting, but then again, why would she have? They'd only known each other for three days, despite the soul-deep connection they seemed to share. His schedule was still a mystery to her beyond the festival planning.
"The timing is suspicious," another voice added. "Just as you find your mate?—"
Danica's ears perked up at the mention of herself. She inched closer to the open door, careful to stay out of sight.
"Danica Ulrich is a liability we need to discuss," the gravelly voice continued. "She's not one of us. That makes her a concern for the town."
"A human mate for our Alpha," another council member added with clear disapproval. "She's a liability we can't afford."
Danica froze, the breath catching painfully in her throat. Her name. Concern. Liability. The words hit her like physical blows.
"I understand," Asher's voice came through clearly. "We need to minimize the risk."
Her heart clenched so tightly it hurt. Minimize the risk. The risk being... her? After last night's passion, after the way he'd held her and claimed her as his own? After flying through the night sky on his back, feeling their souls intertwine?
The contradiction was jarring. Last night he'd whispered that she was his. Now he was discussing her like a problem to be solved.
Had the council pressured him? Was his duty to the town stronger than whatever he felt for her? She'd known from the start that he was the Alpha first and a man second, but after last night, she'd dared to hope...
Danica backed away from the door, her legs unsteady beneath her. A cold wave of reality washed over her. Of course—a dragon Alpha couldn't prioritize a human mate over his clutch. It was politics, plain and simple. She was an outsider. A liability.
The word echoed in her mind as she turned and headed back to his bedroom, each step heavier than the last. The t-shirt that had felt so comforting moments ago now seemed to mock her with its temporary intimacy.
When she got back to Asher's bedroom, she headed for the shower in a mechanical fashion. She turned on the dual shower heads, letting the hot water stream down before removing his t-shirt and stepping into the shower.
The first tears came silently, mixing with the cascading water until she couldn't distinguish between them. Her shoulders trembled as she pressed her forehead against the cool marble tile.
"God, I'm such an idiot," she whispered, the soap slipping through her fingers as she tried to lather up. "Three days. Three days and I thought we had something cosmic."
Steam billowed around her as she replayed the fragments she'd heard. A liability. Minimize the risk. And Asher's voice, agreeing with them.
She hugged herself under the spray, her skin pinking from the heat. "Did I imagine everything? That way he looked at me during the dance, the flight through the night sky, that way he held me close when he?—"
The memory of their bodies entwined sent an unwelcome spark through her veins, even now. That was the cruelest part—her body still craved him while her mind tried to protect her heart.
"What did you expect?" she muttered, gripping the shower caddy for support. "That centuries of dragon tradition would just evaporate because you made his dragon eyes glow? That his duty as Alpha would suddenly take second place?"
He had publicly thanked and acknowledged her, though. Called her the spark. Had that just been political theater?
The bathroom door opened, and Danica quickly wiped her face, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. She forced her breathing to steady as Asher's silhouette appeared through the frosted glass.
"Room for one more in there?" His deep voice carried over the spray, playful and utterly oblivious to her turmoil.
Danica swallowed hard, pulling her professional mask into place—the one she wore when dealing with difficult clients. "Always room for you," she called back, striving for lightness.
The shower door slid open, and there he stood in all his naked glory—six and a half feet of chiseled muscle and raw power. His green eyes gleamed with hunger as they swept over her wet curves.
"Morning, beautiful," he murmured, stepping in behind her. His strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her close against his chest. His lips found the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, and despite everything, her body responded with a shiver.
For a delirious moment, she forgot about the conversation she'd overheard. Forgot about being a liability and an outsider. All she knew was the feel of his skin against hers, the safety of those powerful arms, and the promise of pleasure his touch always ignited.
"You disappeared," she managed, trying to mask the hurt in her voice.
His hands slid up to cup her breasts, his thumbs circling lazily. "Council meeting. Some fallout from the wolf attack. Nothing you need to worry about."
Nothing you need to worry about. Because she was just a temporary visitor, not a true partner. Not someone entitled to know what happened in the inner circle of dragon politics.
