Page 20

FIFTEEN

DANICA

D anica stretched languidly across the silk sheets of Asher's bed, her naked body still tingling from the memory of Asher's touch last night.

Morning light streamed through the half-open curtains, casting golden patterns across her bare skin.

She smiled into the pillow, inhaling his scent—something clean and cedar and uniquely wild.

Last night had been... transcendent. The way he'd taken her and claimed her with such primal intensity—her body still hummed from it.

Every muscle felt pleasantly sore, bearing the sweet ache of passionate use.

She rolled onto her back, gazing at the ceiling and replaying how his massive frame covered hers completely as he'd driven into her with relentless precision.

"Who knew dragons were so... thorough," she whispered to herself, a delicious shiver running through her.

But it wasn't just the sex that had transformed her.

Flying on Asher's back through the night sky had awakened something inside her she never knew existed until last night.

The rush of wind against her face, the powerful muscles rippling beneath his scales, and the way she'd instinctively known how to balance herself—it was as if her body had always been designed to fly with him.

"It shouldn't feel this natural," Danica murmured, running her fingers over the sheets. "Three days. It's been three days since I met him."

The thought sent a flutter through her chest. Three days, and she felt connected to him on a level that defied logic or time. If Gerri hadn't called her about this festival—if the circumstances had been even slightly different...

She quickly pushed the thought away. That path led to an emptiness she couldn't bear to contemplate.

Danica glanced at the alarm clock. 7:15 AM. They'd set it for 7:30 to give them time to shower before heading to the festival. She reached across to Asher's side of the bed, finding it cool to the touch.

"Asher?" she called, lifting her head to peer into the adjoining bathroom. No steam escaped from the door. No sounds of running water or movement.

She frowned, sitting up. The absence of his powerful presence felt wrong, almost jarring after the intensity of their connection last night.

Had he gone downstairs to make coffee? It seemed unlike him to leave the mansion without waking her, especially after the wolf attack last night.

He hadn't let her out of his sight since that strange encounter.

Her fingers traced absently over a slight red mark on her hip—a testament to his passion and his need to possess her completely. The memory sent another wave of desire washing through her. She was already addicted to his touch and to the way his green eyes darkened just before he claimed her.

"Get it together, Ulrich," she whispered to herself. "You've still got a festival to run for a town full of dragons. They're depending on you."

Yet even as she tried to focus on her responsibilities, her mind drifted back to the sensation of soaring through night clouds, clinging to Asher's scales as they cut through the darkness together. That feeling of absolute freedom mixed with absolute safety—she'd never experienced anything like it.

"Where are you, Asher?" she murmured, glancing toward the bedroom door, expecting it to open and reveal his tall frame. "You can't just give a girl the best night of her life and disappear."

She slid from beneath the silk sheets, her bare feet touching the cool hardwood floor. She shivered slightly, the morning air caressing her naked skin. Where was Asher? The emptiness of his side of the bed still bothered her.

She padded over to his dresser, sliding open the top drawer to find a neat row of folded t-shirts.

Selecting a white one with a faded university logo, she pulled it over her head, the soft cotton cascading down to mid-thigh.

The fabric carried his scent—that intoxicating blend of cedar, smoke, and something wild and untamed that was uniquely Asher.

She brought the collar to her nose and breathed deeply, closing her eyes.

"God, I'm acting like a lovesick teenager," she murmured, but couldn't help smiling at herself.

She ran her fingers through her tangled hair, wincing at a particularly stubborn knot—a souvenir from last night's passionate entanglement. The memory sent another flush of warmth through her body.

"He must be making breakfast," she reasoned, remembering how she'd done the same for him days ago. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then. "He's probably trying to return the favor."

She opened the bedroom door quietly and stepped into the hallway, her bare feet silent against the hardwood. The mansion was quiet in the morning light, every surface gleaming with understated luxury. She headed toward the stairs to go down to the kitchen.

Instead, she heard voices coming from further down the hallway—loud, insistent male voices coming from his office. She headed down the hallway but slowed her pace as she got closer to his office, hesitating a foot away from his office door.

"—need to address this immediately," a gravelly voice was saying. "After last night's attack?—"

"I understand the urgency," Asher's deep voice responded, carrying that unmistakable tone of authority that made her stomach flutter. "But we need more information before we act."

Danica hung back. She didn't know he had an early morning meeting, but then again, why would she have? They'd only known each other for three days, despite the soul-deep connection they seemed to share. His schedule was still a mystery to her beyond the festival planning.

"The timing is suspicious," another voice added. "Just as you find your mate?—"

Danica's ears perked up at the mention of herself. She inched closer to the open door, careful to stay out of sight.

"Danica Ulrich is a liability we need to discuss," the gravelly voice continued. "She's not one of us. That makes her a concern for the town."

"A human mate for our Alpha," another council member added with clear disapproval. "She's a liability we can't afford."

Danica froze, the breath catching painfully in her throat. Her name. Concern. Liability. The words hit her like physical blows.

"I understand," Asher's voice came through clearly. "We need to minimize the risk."

Her heart clenched so tightly it hurt. Minimize the risk. The risk being... her? After last night's passion, after the way he'd held her and claimed her as his own? After flying through the night sky on his back, feeling their souls intertwine?

The contradiction was jarring. Last night he'd whispered that she was his. Now he was discussing her like a problem to be solved.

Had the council pressured him? Was his duty to the town stronger than whatever he felt for her? She'd known from the start that he was the Alpha first and a man second, but after last night, she'd dared to hope...

Danica backed away from the door, her legs unsteady beneath her. A cold wave of reality washed over her. Of course—a dragon Alpha couldn't prioritize a human mate over his clutch. It was politics, plain and simple. She was an outsider. A liability.

The word echoed in her mind as she turned and headed back to his bedroom, each step heavier than the last. The t-shirt that had felt so comforting moments ago now seemed to mock her with its temporary intimacy.

When she got back to Asher's bedroom, she headed for the shower in a mechanical fashion. She turned on the dual shower heads, letting the hot water stream down before removing his t-shirt and stepping into the shower.

The first tears came silently, mixing with the cascading water until she couldn't distinguish between them. Her shoulders trembled as she pressed her forehead against the cool marble tile.

"God, I'm such an idiot," she whispered, the soap slipping through her fingers as she tried to lather up. "Three days. Three days and I thought we had something cosmic."

Steam billowed around her as she replayed the fragments she'd heard. A liability. Minimize the risk. And Asher's voice, agreeing with them.

She hugged herself under the spray, her skin pinking from the heat. "Did I imagine everything? That way he looked at me during the dance, the flight through the night sky, that way he held me close when he?—"

The memory of their bodies entwined sent an unwelcome spark through her veins, even now. That was the cruelest part—her body still craved him while her mind tried to protect her heart.

"What did you expect?" she muttered, gripping the shower caddy for support. "That centuries of dragon tradition would just evaporate because you made his dragon eyes glow? That his duty as Alpha would suddenly take second place?"

He had publicly thanked and acknowledged her, though. Called her the spark. Had that just been political theater?

The bathroom door opened, and Danica quickly wiped her face, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. She forced her breathing to steady as Asher's silhouette appeared through the frosted glass.

"Room for one more in there?" His deep voice carried over the spray, playful and utterly oblivious to her turmoil.

Danica swallowed hard, pulling her professional mask into place—the one she wore when dealing with difficult clients. "Always room for you," she called back, striving for lightness.

The shower door slid open, and there he stood in all his naked glory—six and a half feet of chiseled muscle and raw power. His green eyes gleamed with hunger as they swept over her wet curves.

"Morning, beautiful," he murmured, stepping in behind her. His strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her close against his chest. His lips found the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, and despite everything, her body responded with a shiver.

For a delirious moment, she forgot about the conversation she'd overheard. Forgot about being a liability and an outsider. All she knew was the feel of his skin against hers, the safety of those powerful arms, and the promise of pleasure his touch always ignited.

"You disappeared," she managed, trying to mask the hurt in her voice.

His hands slid up to cup her breasts, his thumbs circling lazily. "Council meeting. Some fallout from the wolf attack. Nothing you need to worry about."

Nothing you need to worry about. Because she was just a temporary visitor, not a true partner. Not someone entitled to know what happened in the inner circle of dragon politics.

"I see," she whispered, her voice nearly lost under the spray.

Asher turned her to face him, his expression darkening with concern as he tilted her chin up. "Hey. What's wrong? Your eyes are red."

She forced a smile. "Just got soap in them. You know how clumsy I can be." A teasing tone she didn't feel. "Remember that generator yesterday?"

Something flashed across his face briefly, and she thought she saw a flicker of recognition that cut through her practiced facade. He cupped her face in his large hands, and she thought he was going to ask her what was really wrong.

But instead, he leaned in and inspected her eyes closer. "You're not clumsy. I get soap in my eyes all the time. Happens to the best of us."

He reached for a towel, and she dabbed her face. "Thank you," she whispered.