Page 67 of Shifting the Flame

"Asher—" Danica's voice hitched. Her body suddenly tensed beneath him, her eyes widening. "Something's wrong. I feel... strange."

Alarm shot through him as she began to tremble. Her skin grew hot beneath his palms, far beyond normal human temperature.

"It burns," she whispered, panic edging into her voice. "My skin feels too tight."

Asher pulled back, studying her with sharpened senses. Her scent had changed—subtly at first, but now unmistakably. The sweet lavender undertone that he'd come to associate with her was shifting, taking on notes of smoke and spice that were distinctly...draconic.

"Holy shit," he breathed, realization dawning. "It's really happening."

"What's happening?" Her voice rose as another wave of discomfort washed over her, making her arch her back.

Asher moved with decisive purpose, lifting her naked body effortlessly into his arms. "We need to get outside. Now."

"Outside? Asher, I don't understand?—"

"Your dragon," he said, kicking open the workshop door and striding into the cool night air. "The mate mark—it's awakened something dormant inside you."

The yard stretched before them, bathed in silver moonlight. Asher carried her to the center of the grass, far from any structures or trees. Above them, stars punctuated the velvet darkness, witnesses to the miracle unfolding.

"I don't have a dragon," she protested weakly, even as another tremor shook her frame. "I'm human. Always have been."

"Not entirely." He set her gently on her feet, keeping his arm around her small waist for support. "Some humans carry dormant shifter blood. When they bond with their true mate, sometimes—rarely—that blood awakens."

Fear flashed in her eyes. "I'm going to transform? Like you do?"

"Yes." He cupped her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. "And I'm going to be right here with you through every second of it."

"I'm scared," she admitted, trembling against him. "What if I can't control it? What if it hurts?"

"The first shift is intense," he acknowledged, his voice softening to a warm, commanding rumble meant to soothe and guide. "But you're strong, Danica. Stronger than anyone I've ever met." He pressed his forehead to hers. "Let it happen. Don't fight it."

She nodded shakily, gasping as another wave of heat rolled through her. "This explains a lot, actually. I've always felt so restless, like I needed to move, to fly?—"

"That was your dragon," Asher confirmed, his heart swelling with fierce pride. "She's been waiting for this moment."

Danica's back suddenly arched, her skin beginning to shimmer with a golden light. Asher stepped back, giving her space while keeping his eyes fixed on hers.

"Focus on my voice," he instructed as her body began to elongate. "Breathe through it. Your bones will stretch, your skin will change—welcome it."

Her transformation accelerated, skin hardening to scales that caught the moonlight like polished coins. Her neck extended, limbs reshaping into powerful legs and wings. Asher watched in awe as his mate—his beautiful, fiery, impossible mate—completed her first shift.

Where Danica had stood only moments before, a magnificent golden dragon now raised her head toward the stars. Her scales gleamed like captured sunlight, her wingspan impressive even for a female. Eyes the same rich brown as her human form blinked at him in wonder and disbelief.

"You're spectacular," Asher breathed. "A golden dragon—one of the rarest colorations."

He'd never seen anything more beautiful in his existence. Without hesitation, he triggered his own transformation, bones cracking and reshaping as his red scales emerged. Within seconds, he stood before her in his dragon form, his crimson hide a striking complement to her gold.

He approached her carefully, rubbing his snout against hers in an affectionate dragon greeting.Can you hear me?he projected into her mind, using the telepathic connection that dragon mates shared.

Asher?Her mental voice was startled but clear.This is... incredible. I can feel everything. The air currents, the ground beneath my claws... I can smell the bayou from here!

Ready to try those wings?he asked, extending his own with a playful flap that stirred the grass around them.

Yes. Oh, God, yes. I've waited my whole life for this without even knowing it.

Asher nudged her gently, showing her how to position her wings.Follow my lead. Trust your instincts.

With a powerful downstroke, he launched himself skyward, hovering as she mimicked his movements. Her takeoff was clumsy but effective, sending her rocketing up beside him with an exuberant mental whoop of joy that made his heart swell.

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