Page 163 of Ash

Tyrez tried not to pounce on the information, afraid of triggering another anxiety attack. But it was vitally important intel. He lowered his voice to a dull rumble. “Anything you can remember would be invaluable. The numbers, and the abilities of the females.”

She shot him a piercing look in which panic had a disturbing prevalence before she shut it down, looked away again, and nodded. “He was pretty careful to keep us isolated from each other. Most of what I know were things I heard from my pack members. Hardly more than rumors, really.” She shook her head. “If the council had yielded on the female issue sooner, Rindek might not have managed any of this.”

Tyrez grimaced. “But without the army Rindek has amassed, and the threat it poses, the council would never have felt the need to do so.”

She looked up at him. “Would they really have let the Sabres and Dires die out, rather than risk exposing us to the human population?”

The Dragon snorted. “They have scientists looking into the issue. But what they hoped to resolve—I have no idea. There are no easy answers. This is the only solution that might stand a chance.”

“The Dragons don’t have the same issues? You have sufficient females to keep your population going?” Her gaze was suddenly intense.

“We have more than enough females.”

Dani gazed out across the grasslands. Her expression remained remote, unreachable. Before he thought it through, he blurted, “Cara thinks they are close to getting Ash’s collar off.”

That got her attention. For an instant, an undefined emotion flared in her eyes, and something within him responded. She opened her mouth, as though she were going to speak...

Then she closed it again and ripped her gaze away. “I-I’m kinda tired. I think I’ll get some sleep.”

Without another word, she turned and was gone. He listened to her soft footsteps as she retreated down the stone passageway. Why did he suddenly experience a sense of loss?

Despite his efforts since arriving in the Gryphons’ realm, Dani had remained elusive. The only time she’d loosened up at all was when he’d sicced the Gryphlets on her.

He’d even gone so far as to consult with Aphostra, inquiring about Dani’s progress, but the Gryphon had remained relatively close lipped. Or beaked, in her case. All she would say was that Dani hadn’t opened up much to her, either.

It worried Tyrez. Dani was accustomed to handling issues without assistance. An admirable quality in most circumstances. But the woman had been through hell with Rindek and that slimy alpha, Remy. And he wasn’t sure she could deal with that kind of trauma without help.

Why did it bother him so much? Aphostra was good at what she did, he had no doubt that the Gryphon would persist with her gentle form of insistence until Dani caved.

He pondered it for a while, as the sun slowly sank toward the horizon. The only answer he could come up with was that he wanted to be the one to help her.

Even the thought of her turning to someone else bothered him on a fundamental level. Looking down at his hands, he saw that his fingers had sprouted talons. They pricked his palms as they curled into fists.

Ever since Dani had stumbled into his life, it had been turned upside down. It was no fault of hers that he seemed to lose his perspective the moment she walked into a room. But it confused him, too. What Tyrez felt for Ash was so real—how could he be attracted to both of them?

Dani’s every expression, her body language—she just wanted him to leave her alone. Yet she’d hugged him on the beach in a moment of pure, unguarded emotion.

And now, his soul yearned for what he’d experienced over those precious few seconds. The lightning strike that had coursed through him, the way their spirits had synced. She’d felt it too, he was certain—he’d seen that brief flash in her eyes.

It cast the barest hint of doubt on his assessment.

And it gave his foolish heart hope.

37

Dani prowled the Gryphons’ tunnels and caverns. Despite what she’d told Tyrez, she was far too restless to sleep.

She’d barely listened as Tyrez told her about the meeting. Truth was, her mind had been buzzing with images of talons.

The Dragon was popping through her beast.

She’d intended to ask Tyrez about it, but the intensity in his turquoise gaze—followed by that smile, which lit the surrounding air—had tied her tongue in knots. Before she could get it untangled, he’d made the comment about Ash’s collar.

Her own feelings for the Oracle were strong, and the news warmed her heart. But the strength of Tyrez’s relief, as well as the light in his eyes, was a reminder of the longing she’d sensed between them.

A reminder that Tyrez and Ash belonged together.

No way she wanted to interfere with that. Tyrez had sacrificed enough by saving her life. He deserved to be happy.

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