Page 56 of The Mating Frenzy
“Darcy, stop feeding your face. Too much sugar isn’t good for your shifting,” hechided.
“Listen pal, I’m exhausted and hungry. I’ve flown from Denver to Tampa on a plane with a cranky toddler kicking my seat and it was a miracle I didn’t turn into a mosquito and bite his chubby ass. The only rental cars were big, bulky and not fast, so I had to spend money on this bike because I’m not going to get stuck in a car that drives slower than a colicky horse. And, because of you, I’m in the same geographic area as an alpha Lupine who wants nothing more than to get me into his bed, permanently, as hismate.”
She released a breath. Kieran folded his arms, not budging an inch. “That’s your job. Stop whining, youpussy.”
“Pussy! Stop calling me a pussy.” Darcy drew herselfup.
“Gosh, you two sound like you’re related,” Ella murmured. “Darcy, there’s cooked salmon and fresh milk in the fridge. I wasn’t sure what you liked. I mean, what your human formliked.”
“Skin form,” both Darcy and Kieran said at the sametime.
They looked at each other, and Kieran shrugged. “Whatever. Human, Skin, same thing. Tell me what you found out aboutAdrian.”
“Forget about what. How did you find out?” Ella ran her tongue over the spoon and Kieran wanted to die as he imagined her doing that to his interestedcock.
“What did you shift into to spy on them?” Ellacontinued.
Darcy grinned. “A blackbird. You can glean a lot of information from eavesdropping as a bird. I had to be careful, though. Adrian can’t standbirds.
“He moved his pack from North Carolina last year. He bought a 12,000-square-foot McMansion in a wooded development about ten miles away. The pack lives in the ‘hood. Each house has about anacre.”
Ella paused in licking the spoon and Kieran felt a rush of relief. Finally. “You mean there’s such a thing as wealthywerewolves?”
“Most of them are, the ones here, anyway,” Kieran told her. “They’ve lived for a long time, accumulatedwealth.”
“Adrian hasn’t.” Darcy’s expression turned rapt with interest. “He acquired his wealth when he took over his former alpha’s pack. He is quiteruthless.”
“Sounds as if you admire him,” Kieranteased.
“Oh, he’s powerful. And smart. And really sexy.” Darcy gazed at the wall, as if trying to recall something. “His former alpha had an impressive collection of priceless jewels. Adrian sold some to invest the money into taking care of his people, but he still has one. It’s a ruby crystal ball filled withmagick.”
Ella perked up. “What kind ofmagick?”
Then she shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m talking about magick being real. Last week I would have said you werenuts.”
“Last week I was your cat,” Darcy pointed out. “The crystal is a globe, like a crystal ball. It’s one of Adrian’s prized possessions. It might pinpoint the location of the crystal ofCalmach.”
Hope rose inside him. “Then arrange to have us meet this Adrian. Will he let us borrow this crystalball?”
“I don’t know. But I’ll retrieve it.” A sigh fled Darcy. “He’s been chasing me ever since we met ten years ago. If I’m clever, he’ll never missit.”
“Darcy, don’t get into trouble. Stealing is wrong. And dangerous,” Ellawarned.
Her former cat grinned. “Tell me about it. I found out when I swiped all that catnip from your stash. Gave me the runs for a fullweek.”
Leaving Darcy and Ella talking in the kitchen, he stepped out to the porch overlooking the sand and the Gulf ofMexico.
Perhaps he could not influence Ella’s dormant wolf to emerge. But a full-blooded Lupine pack? Being around other Lupines would nudge her into shifting. She was ripe, ready for the transformation. He only had to find a way to coax itout.
When Ella went to bed, he told Darcy to join him on theporch.
Sitting in one of the wicker chairs, he glanced at her as she paced up and down the porch. “I don’t like this, Kieran. Ella’s far too vulnerable in her Skin form. And you’re telling me she can’tshift?”
“Won’t shift. Not yet. She needs a wolf influence.” He caught her hand. “I need you to contact Adrian, have him arrange a Wyldingritual.”
Darcy’s hand trembled in his own. “Oh shit, Kieran, seriously? You know that will do to Adrian? The wolf is horny enough as itis.”
“He’s Alpha, he can controlit.”
