Page 1 of The Mating Quest
Chapter 1
Her prey waswithin easy sight, and her fingers itched to use the short dagger hanging from her hand-tooled leather belt. Not now. Soon. She would get her quarry, and this time, nothing, not even werewolves would stopher.
Even if her prey was a werewolf. Lupines who belonged to a small but lethal pack here in SouthFlorida.
Ilana Simmons leaned back in her chair, sipping the tropical drink the waiter had brought. This dockside eatery and bar on the Intracoastal was a favorite of the Lupine pack as much as it was with humans, or Skins, as OtherWorlders calledthem.
She need only wait for the rightmoment.
In a watermelon sleeveless shirt, white shorts barely concealing her long legs, Brianna laughed with four other members of her pack. Rarely had the young Lupine ventured out alone, especially after last week’s botched raid. Ilana rubbed her right cheek and the wicked scars there, courtesy of Ethan, Brianna’s alpha. The alpha had torn her flesh, leaving her with a warning to never again venture on HIS land, HISturf.
“Right,” she muttered, setting down the drink and nibbling at the excellent shrimp the restaurant fried. “Never say never to aMage.”
Though she couldn’t see it, she knew Brianna carried the lock of hair in a pretty pendant around her neck. The Lupine guarded it well, but Ilana reasoned she might be persuaded to surrender the prize under the point of herblade.
She lifted a shrimp, pretended to study the crisp coconut coating while sizing up the pack members. A young male in sunglasses, wearing a ball cap backwards, his trim muscles showing through his blue T-shirt. Too absorbed in himself and trying to impress the ladies. Another female, Brianna’s friend, who wore a navy blue sundress with anchors on it. No threat there. A male, barely 21, dark hair and wearing a black T-shirt and camouflage shorts. Clothing made the man, and the wolf, and Ilana knew the outfit was to hide his new shifter status. Weak, all of them weak. Surprising that Ethan allowed Brianna out with such punybodyguards.
Then there was Mark, Ethan’s head of security. He made up for the rest of the males. The dark-skinned Lupine with his lean physique and watchful brown gaze missed nothing. He presented the biggest challenge. It was Mark who barked out the alarm after spotting Ilana cutting the barbed wire ringing their land. Mark who tripped her up and then waited for his alpha to rip out her throat, though he could have done ithimself.
Instead Ethan had clawed her cheek, snarling a warning to leave or next time he’d killher.
Ilana set down the shrimp, her appetite gone. Little did the powerful alpha know she would have welcomed his jaws around her throat. Welcomed the spurt of warm blood leaving her body, the knowledge she wasdying.
I can’t die. Not even at your paws, or jaws,Ethan.
She pushed away the plate, her gaze sharp. Brianna had consumed four beers in the past hour. Even a werewolf had to pee… ahyes.
The young Lupine pushed back her chair and stood, the males standing with her. She watched Mark start to walk with her, and Brianna flapped a hand, waving himaway.
Ilana dropped her gaze, but not her glamour as the Lupine walked past. All Brianna could see was a middle-aged woman, looking bored as she nibbled onshrimp.
She slowly rose and followed her prey to therestroom.
Inside, she waited for Brianna to do her business. Two drunk Skins giggled at their reflections. Ilana sent a mental push for them to leave and another tendril of magick prohibiting anyone else fromentering.
Brianna emerged from the stall, glanced her way and offered a winsome smile as she went to the sink to wash her hands. The silver pendant hung between her small breasts, winking in the dimlight.
Ilana crept up behind her, dropping the glamour as she unsheathed herdagger.
“The pendant. Hand it over,Lupine.”
Brianna stiffened as the blade’s edge poked her back. “Never.”
“Give it to me or you’ll lose akidney.”
“I’ve vowed to the goddess to guard this with my life. A kidney is a small loss. So is my life,” the Lupine said in a lowvoice.
Much as she admired the girl’s courage, she needed that lock of hair inside thependant.
The restroom door opened and the other female at Brianna’s table walked inside. “Mark’s worried, what’s taking you solong…”
Brianna bolted. Ilana shoved aside her friend and followed, only to run into Brianna’s three male bodyguards. Snarling, they bared canines and put themselves between Brianna and herself. The youngest held up his hands, showing claws emerging from hisfingertips.
Ilana smiled. It was a good day tofight.
They surrounded her, as wolves usually did. She could take them all down by herself, but she needed that locket. Backwards ball cap attacked first, taking a steak knife and stabbing the air as he approached. “Go away. Leave now, before we hurtyou.”
“I don’t care aboutpain.”
