Page 60 of Shifting the Flame

"She believes she's going to die," Asher growled, his voice barely human. The thought of Danica suffering twisted hisinsides into knots of molten rage. "I'll tear apart anyone who made her feel that way."

His fingers lengthened into claws without conscious thought, scales rippling beneath his skin.

"Easy," Caleb cautioned, gripping his shoulder. "We need strategy, not a rampage."

"Strategy?" Asher's eyes flashed dragon-bright in the darkness. "My mate is in there. Strategy can go to hell."

Caleb didn't flinch. "And getting yourself killed helps her how exactly?"

Before Asher could protest, the night erupted with activity. Headlights cut through the fog as vehicles pulled up along the dirt road. Doors slammed. Voices called out in confusion and fear.

"What the—" Caleb started.

Asher narrowed his eyes as dozens and dozens of townspeople hurried toward the mill, their expressions panicked, many still in pajamas or hastily thrown-on clothes.

"Something's terribly wrong," Asher murmured, watching as elderly Mrs. Finch hustled past with her granddaughter in tow. "Why would over half the town come to an abandoned mill at midnight?"

A young man rushed past, phone clutched in his hand. "Emergency alert said to gather here! Wolf pack invasion coming—town's compromised!"

"Wolf pack?" Caleb scoffed. "There's no invasion."

Asher's tactical mind clicked into gear. "It's a setup. Joni's gathering witnesses."

"Shit. A coup?"

"Yes, a coup," Asher growled. "She needs the town to see her kill my mate."

Without another word, Asher melted into the stream of frightened citizens, his team following suit. They moved likeshadows among their neighbors, their faces lowered, and their instincts heightened.

The closer they got to the entrance, the stronger Danica's presence burned in his chest. Her emotions washed over him—determination undercut by resignation, love snarled with regret, and beneath it all, a quiet, unwavering strength that made his heart ache.

"When we get in there," he whispered to Caleb without breaking stride, "I'll create a distraction. You get to Danica."

"And what kind of distraction did you have in mind?" Caleb's blue eyes glinted with dangerous humor.

Asher's smile was all teeth and predatory intent. "The kind that will ultimately involve me ripping Joni's throat out in front of her loyal followers."

"Subtle."

"I'm done with subtle."

The entrance loomed before them, a yawning maw in the dilapidated structure. Inside, lights flickered—not the warm glow of safety, but harsh, dramatic spotlights focused on some central spectacle.

Asher shouldered past a cluster of confused elders, every muscle coiled to spring. The mate bond blazed ever stronger, a beacon guiding him through the darkness.

Hold on just a bit longer, Danica. I'm here now.

Asher stepped through the doorway of the old mill, his all-black clothing helping him blend with the shadows as he moved alongside the crowd of townspeople. What he saw inside made his dragon roar for blood, clawing beneath his skin with murderous intent.

Joni stood center stage in a slinky red dress that clung to her body like liquid flame, the plunging neckline diving shamelessly to her navel, a long slit revealing an expanse of tanned leg. Thespotlights caused her hair to glow, turning it into a halo of blood-red fire as she gestured dramatically to her audience.

Behind her stood a half-circle of his own clutch members—faces he recognized, dragons who'd broken bread at his table, and who'd sworn loyalty to him—now aligned against him. Beside them stood Reginald, Alpha of the Delta wolf pack, with several of his wolf shifters flanking him, their eyes reflecting the harsh light like predators in the night.

But Asher barely registered any of them. His entire focus locked onto Danica. His mate hung suspended from an iron beam, wrapped in a sheer white gown that made her look like some ancient sacrifice.

The moment their gazes connected, the mate bond between them flared like a supernova. Relief washed across her beautiful face, followed quickly by fear—not for herself, but for him.

She's worried more about me when she's the one tied up like an offering.The thought made his heart clench painfully in his chest.

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