Page 25

TWENTY

DANICA

D anica stared at her reflection in the steamed-up mirror of her apartment bathroom, barely recognizing the woman who gazed back at her.

Just twelve hours ago, she'd been radiant in her crimson silk dress that hugged every curve, her hair falling in glossy waves past her shoulders, and her lips painted the exact shade of red.

The woman who'd danced under the stars with Asher Ectorius, feeling for once like she truly belonged somewhere.

That woman was gone now.

She wiped a hand across the foggy glass, revealing puffy eyes rimmed with smeared mascara she hadn't bothered to remove last night. Her skin was blotchy and pale, and her hair was yanked back in a messy ponytail.

"So this is what rock bottom looks like," she muttered, tugging at the neck of her oversized Tulane University sweatshirt. "Six days ago, I was planning a children's birthday party for a man who didn't remember my name, and now I'm a suspected dragon murderer."

Her laughter sounded hollow against the bathroom tiles.

From the living room, her phone chimed with another email notification. Probably another potential client reaching out after Chad Thompson's Instagram post had gone viral. The irony wasn't lost on her—her career was finally taking off just as her personal life imploded.

Danica shuffled into the living room, nearly tripping over a mountain of crumpled tissues.

She'd gone through an entire box since returning home last night, her tears seemingly endless.

Her eyes caught on a photo frame beside her laptop—her and three friends from college, arms linked, smiling broadly at the camera.

"What would you all think of me now?" she whispered, running a finger over the glass. "Danica Ulrich, party planner extraordinaire, accused murderer, and heartsick over an actual dragon."

She sank onto her plush white sofa and opened her laptop, determined to distract herself with work. The screen illuminated with forty-seven unread emails, each one a potential opportunity that should have thrilled her.

Instead, she clicked on a blank document and stared at the cursor blinking like a heartbeat.

"Goddamn it all." She slammed the laptop shut. "Why?"

Danica pushed herself up and paced the length of her stylish apartment, the space suddenly feeling like a cage despite its trendy decor and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the French Quarter.

Outside her apartment building, Hunter, one of Asher's clutch members, was watching somewhere on the street below—making sure she stayed put until her hearing.

At least she wasn't in a jail cell right now. Asher had managed that much for her.

Her chest constricted painfully at the thought of him finding her note. Would he be angry? Hurt? Or perhaps relieved that she'd made the difficult choice for them both?

"You should be focusing on clearing your name, not worrying about a man," she chided herself, resuming her pacing.

But it wasn't just any man. It was Asher—insufferably stubborn, impossibly attractive, and utterly devoted to her and his town.

A natural leader who'd put his entire reputation on the line to protect her these past four days.

Her phone rang, startling her from her thoughts. Unknown number.

"Hello?" Her voice came out raspy.

"Miss Ulrich." The voice was deep and official. "This is Davis from the Ectorius Council. Your hearing has been scheduled for three days from now, following Councilman Garron's memorial service."

She swallowed hard. "Thank you for letting me know."

"The mayor insisted we provide you with proper notification." His tone made it clear this courtesy was Asher's doing, not the council's. "Hunter will escort you back to Ectorius on Thursday morning."

The line went dead before she could respond.

Danica stared at the phone in her hand, reality crashing over her like a tidal wave. In three days, she'd face a town full of dragon shifters who believed she had murdered one of their most respected elders. And for what? Because she'd been eager to help serve drinks to make everyone happy?

"I never should have left that note," she whispered, sinking to the floor with her back against the wall.

Her tears started fresh, hot tracks sliding down her cheeks.

She was walking away from what they had to protect him, believing his position as Alpha was more important than their relationship.

But now, alone in her apartment with nothing but her thoughts and a dragon guard, the magnitude of what she might have thrown away hit her with staggering force.

Maybe he'll still fight for me anyway, she thought foolishly to herself.

The soft knock at her door jolted her from her misery. Her heart leaped traitorously in her chest, a sudden wild hope flaring that Asher had come for her. That he'd somehow made this nightmare disappear. That his powerful arms would sweep her up and carry her back to where she belonged - with him.

Danica scrambled to her feet, tugging at her oversized Tulane University sweatshirt which had twisted awkwardly around her torso. She hastily wiped at her cheeks and tried to smooth down the messy ponytail that had half-escaped its elastic.

"Coming," she called, her voice embarrassingly thick with emotion.

She yanked open the door, a fragment of a smile already forming on her lips—only to freeze when she saw not Asher's broad shoulders but Joni's willowy frame filling her doorway.

"Well," Joni said, her perfect red lips curving into a sympathetic smile. "You look like absolute hell."

Joni stood there in a silky emerald blouse paired with tailored cream slacks. Her long red hair fell in glossy waves down her back, and she carried a small gift bag that smelled suspiciously of beignets from Café du Monde.

"Joni." Danica's brow furrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood," Joni said breezily, though her eyes took in every detail of Danica's disheveled state. "Thought I'd check in on you."

Danica's arms crossed protectively over her chest, suddenly conscious of her shapeless sweatshirt and sweatpants. "That's...thoughtful."

"May I come in?" Joni tilted her head, her perfume—something expensive and floral—wafting between them.

Danica hesitated, her frustration at Joni returning. "What happened to you last night?"

A flash of something—annoyance?—crossed Joni's face before smoothing out.

"Family emergency. My mother called me just as you were heading over to the VIP table with the drinks.

I only heard about poor Garron this morning.

" She paused, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "And about you and Asher breaking up."

That last sentence made Danica's thoughts short-circuit. Breaking up? Nobody knows about that note except Asher.

"We didn't break up," Danica said carefully, studying Joni's reaction. "At least, not officially."

"Oh! I just assumed." Joni waved a perfectly manicured hand. "Because of the way you had to leave. Forgive me."

Danica knew she should probably close the door. Something felt off. But the weight of aloneness pressed on her shoulders, and the thought of having someone—anyone—to talk to about the nightmare of the past twelve hours overwhelmed her better judgment.

"Come in," she said, stepping aside. "Sorry about the mess."

Joni glided into the apartment, her eyes expertly cataloging the stylish furniture, the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the eclectic art on the walls—and the mountain of tissues by the couch.

"Can I get you some water?" Danica asked, suddenly self-conscious about her hospitality skills. Even in her lowest moment, some part of her still wanted to be the perfect host.

"That would be lovely," Joni purred, settling gracefully onto Danica's white couch.

Danica escaped to the kitchen, her mind racing. Why would Joni think she and Asher broke up? And how did she know I had to leave? Did someone tell her everything? They must have. The dragon clutch members in Ectorius are a tight knit group.

She grabbed two glasses from her cabinet and filled them with filtered water, trying to collect herself. When she returned to the living room, Joni was examining the framed photo of Danica with her college friends.

"You have such a beautiful place here," Joni remarked, accepting the water with a smile that didn't reach her green-gold eyes. "So bright and open."

"Thanks," Danica replied, sitting across from her visitor in the armchair. "It's my sanctuary."

A sanctuary now invaded , she thought, watching as Joni crossed her long legs and leaned back against the cushions like she owned them.

Danica pulled her knees to her chest, sinking deeper into her armchair as Joni placed the bag of beignets on the coffee table between them. The powdered sugar dusted the waxed paper, and despite everything, her mouth watered at the familiar scent.

"Go on," Joni urged, pushing the bag closer. "Sugar helps heartbreak. That's scientifically proven."

Danica pulled out a pastry, not bothering with a plate. Powdered sugar dusted the front of her already-rumpled Tulane sweatshirt. "I don't know if science can fix what's wrong with me right now," she said, taking a small bite.

"Try me instead," Joni said, leaning forward with a sympathetic tilt of her head. "Sometimes talking helps."

Danica's eyes filled with tears again. "God, I feel so stupid."

"For what? Falling for Asher?" Joni's tone was gentle and encouraging.

"For falling so completely for him." Danica brushed sugar from her fingers, leaving white smudges on her gray sweatpants.

"I've never believed in love at first sight or soulmates or any of that.

I thought Asher was crazy with all his fated mates talk.

" She looked up, meeting Joni's gaze. "But then I spent more time with him. "

"And everything changed," Joni finished softly.

"Everything." Danica's voice broke on the word. "I went from planning a five-year-old's birthday party to planning a dragon festival to planning my entire future with a man I'd just met. Who does that?"

"Someone who found her fated mate," Joni offered, taking a careful sip of water.

"Four days." Danica shook her head, her messy ponytail swinging.

"In four days, he rewired my entire outlook on life.

On love. Even two days ago, I was still fighting it, still thinking this was just some ridiculous chemical attraction.

" Her hand pressed against her heart. "But now I feel like there's this.

.. this gaping hole where he should be."

Joni nodded, her face perfectly composed in sympathetic lines. "That's the mate bond. It's powerful."

"It's terrifying," Danica whispered. "I've spent my entire adult life avoiding attachment, but with Asher... I didn't even get a choice. My heart just decided for me."

"And now?" Joni prompted.

Danica stared out her windows, watching clouds drift across the blue sky.

"Now I feel lost. I've been accused of murder, exiled from a town I was starting to think of as home, and separated from the one person who makes my soul feel complete.

" Her laugh was bitter. "And the stupidest part? I still believe he can fix this."

"How?" Joni's voice sharpened slightly.

"Asher won't give up," Danica said, a spark returning to her eyes. "I know him. He's stubborn and protective and when he believes in something, he's unstoppable. He'll turn that entire town upside down looking for the truth, and he won't rest until he finds it. He's probably?—"

The sound of glass cracking interrupted her. Danica looked over to see Joni's fingers tightening around her water glass, her knuckles white with pressure.

"Joni?" she asked, suddenly alert. "Are you okay?"

Joni's face transformed, the sympathetic mask melting away to reveal something cold and hard beneath. "You think he's going to save you?" Her voice dripped with scorn. "You stupid, naive little human."

Danica's breath caught. "What?—"

"Four years!" Joni slammed her broken glass down, water sloshing onto the table.

"Four years I'd been there for him. Supporting him.

Building connections. Making myself the perfect mate for an Alpha, even though we weren't fated mates.

" She stood, looming over Danica. "And then you just waltz in, with your party planning and your human fragility, and suddenly he's falling all over himself because you're fated mates. "

Danica pushed herself deeper into the chair, her heart pounding. "Joni, I didn't?—"

"You didn't what? Mean to steal my future?

" Joni's laugh was harsh. "Do you have any idea what it means to be an Alpha's mate?

The power? The respect? The role in the community?

Of course you don't." Her eyes flashed, turning from green-gold to pure molten gold.

"You're weak. Undeserving. Just a passing fancy for Asher to play with before he gets bored and tosses you aside. "

"He won't get bored of me," Danica managed, trying to keep her voice steady. "That's not how fated mates work."

Joni leaned closer, close enough that Danica could see the faint scales rippling beneath her skin. "I could kill you right now," she whispered, her breath hot against Danica's face. "Snap that delicate little neck before you even knew what happened."

Danica's mind raced. Where was her phone? Too far away, on the kitchen counter. Hunter was outside, but would he hear if she screamed?

Danica swallowed hard. "Then why don't you?"

"Because that wouldn't be enough." Joni's smile was terrible to behold. "Not for the town. They need a show of strength. Only then will they accept me as their new leader."

The truth crashed over Danica like a wave. "The poison," she breathed. "It wasn't meant for Garron..."

"Old fool got in the way," Joni snarled. "But no matter. It worked out even better this way. Less resistance."

Danica tried to push herself up, to run, but her limbs felt suddenly heavy. "What did you..." Her tongue felt thick in her mouth.

Joni's smile widened. "Oh, sweetie. Did you think I'd let you leave this room under your own power?" She gestured to Danica's half-drunk water glass. "The dose is very small. Just enough to make you compliant."

The water. When she was distracted talking about Asher...

The room began to tilt, colors blurring at the edges of her vision. Danica tried to call out, but her voice emerged as a whisper. She watched, helpless, as Joni pulled out a cell phone.

"It's done," Joni said into the device, her voice crisp and professional once more. "She's ready. Meet me at our hideout. We're doing this tonight as discussed."

Danica fought against the darkness pulling at her consciousness. Asher, she thought desperately. Help me.

The last thing she saw was Joni's triumphant smile as the world faded to black.