Page 56 of Shifting the Flame

"Joni thinks she's taken everything from me." Asher stood, energy crackling off him in almost visible waves. "But she's about to learn what happens when you threaten an Alpha's fated mate."

Caleb matched his energy, leaning forward. "And the Delta pack?"

"They're going to regret ever setting foot in my territory." Asher glanced at his unsent email, then hit delete. He wouldn't need words anymore. "But first, we need to get to Danica."

"Before Joni does," Caleb finished, his expression grim.

The phone in Asher's hand suddenly felt like a ticking bomb. Time was running out. Whatever Joni had planned for tonight was already in motion.

"No one takes what's mine." Asher's voice lowered to a dangerous rumble as the dragon inside him roared in agreement. His green eyes flashed with primal promise.

Suddenly, Caleb's phone rang with a shrill tone that cut through the tension in Asher's office. Caleb glanced at the screen, his blue eyes narrowing.

"It's Drake." He answered with terse efficiency. "What do you have?"

Asher watched his second-in-command's face transform as he listened, the muscles in his jaw tightening with each passing second. Asher's dragon stirred, sensing the shift in energy.

"When?" Caleb demanded. "Are you absolutely certain?"

Asher's patience snapped. "Put him on speaker."

Caleb complied without hesitation, placing the phone between them on the heavy mahogany desk.

"Drake, repeat what you just told me," Caleb ordered.

"That tracking device we planted on Joni's car last night finally pinged," Drake's voice crackled through the speaker. "She's in New Orleans right now. Near the French Quarter."

A bolt of electric fury shot through Asher. "Why the hell are we just getting this now?"

"She must've jammed the signal somehow," Drake explained. "It only just broke through. But that's not all?—"

Asher was already heading for the door. "We move now."

"Wait," Caleb's hand shot out, gripping Asher's forearm. "Let's think this through. We don't know what we're walking into."

Asher's green eyes flashed dangerously. "My mate is in danger. What else do I need to know?"

Drake's voice interrupted from the speaker. "There's more, Alpha. One of our younger members, Ellie, was patrolling near the old mill early this morning. She overheard Joni talking with Reginald Delta."

The name hit Asher like a physical blow. Reginald Delta—Alpha of the wolves that had targeted Danica at the festival.

"What exactly did she hear?" Asher growled, his voice lowering to a dangerous register.

"Phrases like 'make her pay,' 'public display,' and 'midnight fire.' They've got some kind of hideout set up at the old mill. Ellie said it looked established, not just a one-time meeting spot."

"Midnight fire?" Asher asked, his voice filled with confusion.

Suddenly, something cracked wide open inside Asher's chest—a searing pain that wasn't physical yet burned through him with visceral intensity. He stumbled slightly, bracing his hand against the desk.

"Ash?" Caleb's voice sounded distant.

The sensation intensified—fear, panic, and desperation washing over him in waves that weren't his own. Then, clear as if whispered directly into his ear were two horrible words.Help me.

"Danica," Asher breathed, his hand flying to his sternum where the pain pulsed strongest. "The mate bond—I can feel her. She's calling to me."

Caleb's eyes widened. "But you haven't completed the mating ritual."

"Doesn't matter. She's accepting the mate bond now." A fierce pride mingled with his terror. Even in danger, his mate was strong and trusting enough to reach for him across miles. "She's scared, Caleb. They've got her now."

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