His face was long, with arched golden brows above large eyes, and high cheekbones with a surprisingly firm jaw. Even as thin as he was, he possessed an otherworldly male beauty. Perhaps because he reminded her of Tolkien’s elvish races, right down to the slightly pointed ears, she’d been drawn to him right from their first meeting.
Ash closed the door behind him and held up his hands to her.
“Take deep breaths,” he coached. “I will get you through this.”
Dani panted in pain as she stared at him. “What do you know about shapeshifting? I thought Remy would be here.” He had been—with—her, earlier. Much as she loathed him, and what he did to her, she’d wanted him with her when she first transformed.
Because she had no idea how to make it happen. And he’d told her some died if they didn’t do it right.
Ash’s mouth pulled into a straight line. “Remy’s with Rindek. They’re recruiting Remy’s cousin and his pack to the fold. They should have been back by now. But it’s okay. I can help you.”
A new wave of pain dropped her onto the bed, where she curled around herself. “How can you help? You have no idea what I’m going through.”
When he didn’t answer, she glanced up. And briefly saw his eyes gleam before he answered in what was barely a whisper.
“I am a shifter, too.”
Her insides felt as though they were tearing apart. A shifter? No shifter she knew had eyes like his.
He came closer, pulling a key from his pocket. “I need to remove your manacle, or it will hurt you when you shift. I can help you, but you must trust me.”
Dani ground her teeth together. No small request. But if he didn’t help her, she was going to die.
“You aren’t going to die.”
How had he known what she was thinking? Dani squinted at Ash as he leaned over her ankle and lifted it. The small movement sent ripples of pain through her, and she gasped.
“Breathe, Dani,” he coached. “Deep, and slow. The pain is only temporary. Something to endure.” The manacle fell away, and he set the ankle down gently. Then he sat on the end of the bed, leaving a gap between him and her.
He knew her better than he ought to.
“You’ve seen Dires. Visualize them now. Not just the fur and the teeth and the claws, but all the details. Things like the way their limbs look and move, and the shape of their ears.”
His voice rolled on, describing the Dire body in detail, smoothing away her terror and getting her to focus on the process.
Changing from human to Dire was agonizing. Halfway through, she pleaded with Ash.
“End it, Ash, please. It hurts too much.”
“Your fear is feeding the pain, Dani. You have to conquer it. It is the only way through.”
She understood the power of terror. It had been her companion throughout most of her life. Her only one, at times. The face she showed to the world was a cleverly wrought facade. A survival mechanism.
Sometimes, pretending she wasn’t afraid helped her through the fear. Gave her something to hold on to.
Ash had moved closer, but he still didn’t touch her. But now, he reached his hand out and placed it on the bed.
“Grab hold, Dani. I can help you.”
She stared at his hand. Small, golden motes that looked like scales swirled up his wrists to form glittering bracelets. Then she moaned as another wave of anguish passed through her.
Desperate, she placed her hand over his.
Her hand wasn’t human anymore—the fingers had shortened and thickened, with heavy pads emerging from beneath them and along her palm. The tips sprouted hooked claws.
The moment she made contact, warmth flowed from him, into her. It raced like wildfire along her arm and into her body, an energy unlike anything she’d ever felt before. With a gasp, she embraced it, and everything that was twisted straightened, snapping into alignment with a final pulse of agony.
And then, the pain vanished.
