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“I have information!” Mathis cried. “Please don’t kill me!”
Ash was disgusted. He was a coward, like his leader. “I won’t kill you unless you make me. What about the rest of you? Prison or death?”
“Prison,” Gaspard and Leon chorused.
Ash looked at Dani. “Are you satisfied with that? I can leave Jules a crater to come home to.”
Dani shook her head. “I don’t suspect Therian traitors will have a pleasant life in a Therian prison, and these slavers earned their fate. An easy death would be too good for them.”
“You heard her, boys. Pick up your idiot friend and line up.” Ash opened a portal to the palace and sent the others through. Before she left, she spread her hands wide, throwing her fury and destructive desire into the house as a swirling ball of golden fire. She shouted from the force of the chaotic feelings whirling through her and to relieve the pressure.
Adjusting to the reality that her powers were only limited by her imagination was proving terrifying. Ash sought to process the magic at her disposal. The weight of the possibilities sometimes felt like it would crush her, leaving Ash struggling to keep her head above water that only existed in her mind.
It felt like staring into an endless, incomprehensible void that called her to explore until she was hopelessly lost in the labyrinth of her thoughts. As the power surged and threatened her control, she fell back on what she knew and framed her abilities in the context of Dungeons and Dragons spells. It wasn’t a perfect fit for her situation, but it gave her a foundation to build on so she could explore her power without destroying the planet.
The fireball struck the opposite wall and exploded. Ash sent the flames with the intention to burn this place and its contents to the ground but not to spread before they died. She wanted Jules to return to a crater that represented her anger at his audacity, but she had no desire to damage the nearby land.
Then she walked through the portal to deal with the prisoners and retrieve her mate.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Therian Palace, Saturday, January 26, 2013, Pre-Dawn
Ash stepped into the throne room. Those who’d seen the portal open had given it a wide berth, but a crowd had gathered to see what happened. The staff and guards had been on alert since they realized Dani was taken. Looking scared, Mathis and Gaspard came through first, carrying the still-limp Leon, and obediently halted. They made no aggressive moves.
Dani came through next, and several people surged forward to check on her. They’d searched for her for hours and grown increasingly worried. Dani had only been in the palace briefly, but she was universally liked.
With golden flames silhouetting her, Ash emerged from the portal and closed it. She saw Remy’s forked beard and waved him forward. “Remy, these men are my prisoners. They are the remnants of Jules’ forces, and they have valuable information about his plans and current whereabouts.”
The lynx’s eyes gleamed as he nodded. “Certainly, Your Majesty. Do you wish to attend the interrogation, or should I proceed?”
She waved him toward the captives. “Have at it, but no torture. We are better than that. If they don’t talk, threaten to have me come down there. I offered them a last chance, and I meant it.” She pointed at Mathis. “That one in particular should be motivated to share. He needs to give me a reason to keep him alive. I paralyzed the big one, but he’s starting to heal.”
Uuka pushed through the crowd, frantic until he caught sight of Dani. He darted across the space between them to take her face in his hands, desperately scanning her for injuries.
“Are you hurt?” he demanded. Dani smiled and pushed his hands away to wrap her arms around his neck. “No. I was, but?—”
His growl cut her off. He glared at the traitors, but Dani pulled his attention back to her. “I was, but Ash healed me, and I’m fine now. The important thing is I am home and safe.”
“I thought they were going to kill you.” Uuka’s voice was rough with emotion. “When you didn’t show up and we couldn’t find you anywhere…” He stopped, unable to give voice to the dark scenes he’d imagined.
Dani sidestepped further conversation by claiming his mouth, using the warmth and vitality of her body to assure him that she was well. She’d been unconscious for everything but Ash’s badassery, so she hadn’t even been scared. Uuka had been far more affected by her kidnapping.
The rest of the world faded for the couple, but the crowd avidly took in every second of their private moment. Ash thought things were about to get too personal, so she cleared her throat to get their attention and ushered the two to a quiet room where they could express their feelings privately. She tried not to listen, but Uuka’s thoughts came at her like he was shouting them through a megaphone. Ash closed the door behind her and looked for Niletean. She needed to call Luca since she’d left her phone, her purse, and the love of her life at Interpol.
Uuka’s feelings for Dani had grown since he met her. The human woman was a vibrant force of nature, and he’d been unable to resist her funny charm. She was young but wise beyond her years and valiant in defense of those she loved. He would be a fool to let her slip from his grasp.
He wanted to support her growth, help her thrive, and see who she would become as she gained experience and years. He tried to imagine his world without her and drew a blank. An image of Dani and him surrounded by children with the startling combination of his dark skin and her green eyes flashed through his mind.
There had never been a choice. Fate had led him to Dani, and he knew better than to fight Fate.
“Dani, I love you,” Uuka blurted, needing to get the words out.
She hadn’t expected his declaration. She’d loved the panther shifter for a while but hadn’t wanted to pressure him. “I love you too, Uuka, but your reasons for not making it official haven’t gone away. What’s changed?”
He took her hand, needing to feel the warmth of her skin. “I realized that nothing else could overpower how I feel about you. You could have died tonight, Dani. I couldn’t stand the idea of another moment passing without telling you how much I want you.” He punctuated this with a kiss. “Need you.” Another kiss. “Love you.”
Dani’s radiant smile lit her face, and her emerald eyes sparkled with love and desire for the man who held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. “Does that mean?—"
