Page 36 of Shifting the Flame

Joni nodded, her red hair glowing in the fading sunlight like copper flame.

"What happens after tomorrow when the festival ends?" Danica sighed, the question that had been weighing on her finally surfacing. "I don't belong here, not really. I'm just... human. An outsider from the city who doesn't know the first thing about living in a dragon community."

Joni's expression softened unexpectedly. "You know, I saw how Asher looks at you. That's not just attraction – it's admiration. You've accomplished more in two days here than he was able to do alone in weeks."

"But that's just the festival stuff," Danica protested, picking at her sundress. "Planning events is what I do."

"Trust me," Joni said, touching Danica's arm lightly, "you fit here with him better than you realize. The way I'm sure you challenged him and pushed him to see things differently – dragons respect that kind of strength."

Danica felt marginally reassured, though doubt still lingered. "It's just happening so fast."

"That's how it is with fated mates," Joni nodded. Then she added, with a strange emphasis, "But you shouldn't feel trapped here just because Asher claims you're fated mates. We all have choices, Danica. Remember that."

"Thanks," Danica said, feeling oddly comforted. Maybe Joni really was over Asher and was just being a natural flirt at breakfast yesterday. Maybe she actually had a potential friend in this strange new world. "I appreciate your honesty."

"What are friends for?" Joni smiled, raising her glass in a toast before disappearing back into the crowd.

As dusk descended, the festival transformed. String lights twinkled to life overhead, and paper lanterns glowed in warm hues of crimson and gold. The band on the main stage shifted to slower melodies, couples gravitating toward each other like moths to flame.

Danica watched from the periphery, her clipboard finally abandoned as the day's events unfolded without a hitch. Couples swayed together under the constellation of lights, their movements fluid and natural. She felt oddly separate from it all – until a familiar presence warmed her back.

"There you are," Asher's deep voice sent a ripple of awareness through her.

She turned to find him standing with his hand extended toward her, his green eyes luminous in the lantern light. He didn't speak, just offered his palm – an invitation in the simplest form.

Danica hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sundress. "I'm not much of a dancer."

"Neither am I," he admitted, the corner of his mouth lifting. "But I think we've proven we're good at figuring things out together."

His words melted her resistance. She placed her hand in his, his warm fingers enveloping hers completely. He led her to theedge of the makeshift dance floor, pulling her close with a gentle tug.

Their first steps were awkward – a bumped knee, a misplaced foot – but then Danica stopped thinking and simply felt. Asher's hand rested on her lower back, warm and steady, while the other clasped hers with surprising gentleness for such a powerful man.

"See? Not so terrible," he murmured against her temple.

Danica laughed, relaxing into his chest. "Only because you're leading."

"Funny," his breath tickled her ear, "I was thinking the same about you."

They moved together with increasing ease, their bodies finding a natural rhythm. Danica realized with a start that she wasn't mentally racing ahead to the next task, or the next challenge. She was simply here, present in the circle of Asher's arms, letting herself belong there.

When the song ended, Asher kept hold of her hand, leading her away from the crowd toward a wrought iron bench beneath an oak tree. They sat facing the town hall, where elaborate projections cast dragons in flight across its brick facade, the images shimmering and dancing in reds and golds.

Fireflies blinked in the darkness around them, nature's own light show complementing the festival's illuminations.

"Thank you," Asher said, his voice deeper than usual.

"For what?"

"For everything you've done. For the festival." He turned to face her, taking her hands in his. "For making me feel complete for the first time in my life."

The raw emotion in his voice stole Danica's breath. "I needed to hear that," she whispered, vulnerability surfacing despite her best efforts. "I'm still figuring out where I fit in all this."

"Right here," he said simply, raising her palm to his lips. "With me."

The tenderness of the gesture made her heart constrict. Maybe she could do this – could belong here with him and could push her doubts away about the rest of the town. For him, she would try.

The intimate moment fractured as movement caught her eye – dark shapes emerging from the shadows beyond the festival lights. Danica stiffened as she made out the silhouettes of enormous wolves, at least five of them, padding silently toward their bench with predatory focus.

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