Page 54 of Shifting the Flame
Danica pushed herself deeper into the chair, her heart pounding. "Joni, I didn't?—"
"You didn't what? Mean to steal my future?" Joni's laugh was harsh. "Do you have any idea what it means to be an Alpha's mate? The power? The respect? The role in the community? Of course you don't." Her eyes flashed, turning from green-gold to pure molten gold. "You're weak. Undeserving. Just a passing fancy for Asher to play with before he gets bored and tosses you aside."
"He won't get bored of me," Danica managed, trying to keep her voice steady. "That's not how fated mates work."
Joni leaned closer, close enough that Danica could see the faint scales rippling beneath her skin. "I could kill you right now," she whispered, her breath hot against Danica's face. "Snap that delicate little neck before you even knew what happened."
Danica's mind raced. Where was her phone? Too far away, on the kitchen counter. Hunter was outside, but would he hear if she screamed?
Danica swallowed hard. "Then why don't you?"
"Because that wouldn't be enough." Joni's smile was terrible to behold. "Not for the town. They need a show of strength. Only then will they accept me as their new leader."
The truth crashed over Danica like a wave. "The poison," she breathed. "It wasn't meant for Garron..."
"Old fool got in the way," Joni snarled. "But no matter. It worked out even better this way. Less resistance."
Danica tried to push herself up, to run, but her limbs felt suddenly heavy. "What did you..." Her tongue felt thick in her mouth.
Joni's smile widened. "Oh, sweetie. Did you think I'd let you leave this room under your own power?" She gestured to Danica's half-drunk water glass. "The dose is very small. Just enough to make you compliant."
The water. When she was distracted talking about Asher...
The room began to tilt, colors blurring at the edges of her vision. Danica tried to call out, but her voice emerged as a whisper. She watched, helpless, as Joni pulled out a cell phone.
"It's done," Joni said into the device, her voice crisp and professional once more. "She's ready. Meet me at our hideout. We're doing this tonight as discussed."
Danica fought against the darkness pulling at her consciousness.Asher,she thought desperately.Help me.
The last thing she saw was Joni's triumphant smile as the world faded to black.
TWENTY-ONE
ASHER
The afternoon sunlight shone through his office windows as Asher stared at the photo on his phone. His thumb hovered over the screen like he could somehow reach through it and touch her. The candid shot captured everything—Danica's head thrown back in laughter, her brown eyes crinkled at the corners, and the slight flush across her cheeks that appeared whenever she was excited about something. His own face looked almost foreign to him—relaxed, open, and alive in a way he hadn't seen in the mirror for five years.
Four days. Four fucking days and his entire world had imploded.
He tossed the phone onto his desk, where it landed among the scattered papers detailing Garron's memorial arrangements and Danica's upcoming farce of a hearing. The leather of his chair creaked as he leaned back, running his hands through his dark hair.
"This is bullshit," he growled to the empty room.
His office—once his sanctuary—now felt like a prison cell. The bookshelves that had witnessed their first real conversation. The chair where she'd sat with that damn notebook, challenging his every idea.
Everything in here smelled like her.
Asher's dragon stirred under his skin, restless and agitated. The beast wanted to tear through the sky and go to her, whisking her back to where she rightfully belonged.
"She's walking away from this," he reminded himself harshly.
His fist came down on the desk hard. The pain barely registered. Nothing compared to the hollow ache in his chest.
The council had been baffled by his restraint this morning. They expected rage, demands, and action—not this dangerous quiet. But what was there to say? Her decision to walk away from what they had together gutted him more effectively than any physical wound could have.
"I should have fought harder for her last night. Fought for her innocence and her rightful place by my side," he muttered, his voice rough from lack of sleep.
But he was not used to this vulnerability and this weakness, not used to this feeling of needing to choose between his desires and his duty. For years, he'd prided himself on his independence, his control, and his ability to keep everyone at arm's length while still earning their loyalty. Then Danica had waltzed in with her notebook and her brilliant ideas, and her stubborn refusal to be intimidated by him. And suddenly he wasn't just Asher Ectorius, Alpha and mayor. He was a man with desires and fears and hopes.
