Page 5 of The Mating Quest
Ilana laughed. “Captain Stubing fromThe LoveBoat?”
The Shadow Wizard gave her an approving nod. “Xavier has accused me of lacking a sense of humor, so I conjured him. It will help ease the tension between you two and perhaps Ethan will get his knackers out of a knot knowing an experienced sea captain commandeers his preciousboat.”
Ethan scowled. “Knackers?”
She snickered again. “I believe he meant knickers. As in your tidywhities.”
“I do not wear underwear,” Ethan said, and he smirked as her gaze inadvertently shot to his crotch. “Care tosee?
Muttering an oath, she turned away, bracing her hands on the metal railing at the boat’sstern.
Caderyn addressed the captain. “Take us down the waterway, away from other boats where we may talkdiscreetly.”
Ethan helped by untying the boat from the dock, and soon they sped off down the Intracoastal. Waves splashed up as they headed south, Caderyn at the stern with Ethan. She settled on the boat’s seat along the port side. A large white fishing cooler took up much of the space on the starboardback.
If not for the company, she would have enjoyed this jaunt, for the brilliant yellow sun beamed overhead, the blue sky had few clouds scuttling past, a cooling breeze ruffled her long hair, and the salty mist on her face felt delightful. She loved being out on thewater.
When was the last time she experienced any enjoyment? It seemed far too long she had wandered, searching for purpose. Using the power that came at a terrible personal price so she could aid Skins and Others in distress, until Ilana realized it didn’t matter. No matter what she did, they would continue hurting each other, fighting eachother.
Killing eachother.
Finally the boat slowed, and Captain Stubing cut the engines. Caderyn nodded. “Thank you. I will summon you again asneeded.”
As the captain saluted, Caderyn waved a hand and the charactervanished.
It was the three of them, Ethan and Caderyn joining her at the port side. The alpha glared and started for starboard, across from her, but the Shadow Wizard snapped a finger and forced Ethan to sit next to her. The silky hairs of his bare leg rubbed against her skin. Awareness, sharp and bright, flared. This was a bad idea, being soclose.
Ilana wanted to move over, but was frozen in place. Nowwhat?
Chapter 2
He hatedthe wizards manipulating him. Accustomed to being in charge all the time, Ethan Powers wanted to howl withanger.
He couldn’t even open his mouth. The Shadow Wizard had immobilized him. A normal alpha Lupine would respect the powerful ancient and wait in perfect obedience. He wasn’tnormal.
Not with the four females in his pack in dire need of protection from both Skins and OtherWorlders likeIlana.
I vowed to them that nothing would harm them and damnit, I’m keeping thatoath.
He managed to flick his furious gaze over to Ilana, wondering if she felt the same awareness of their bare legs touching. Sexual energy hummed from her, but hell, he couldn’t risk it. The woman was a menace. Women like her could take advantage of his interest, and while she was naked, riding him to the heights of ecstasy, either cut his throat or cripple him and then set out to murder her real target –Brianna.
From the moment she set foot in his store a few days ago on the pretense of buying produce, she’d presented a threat to his well-being. Ilana was tall for a female, even a Mage, standing only a few inches below his height of six feet, four inches. Her inky black hair was tied back in a long braid and she’d worn what he knew were fighting clothes – black leather pants, a tight-fitting black cotton shirt that molded to her generous breasts, and biker boots. A belt around her slim waist held adagger.
Her eyes were the color of the deep blue ocean, with gray swirling in the irises. Intriguing, big lovely eyes that missednothing.
Ilana was the most dangerous woman he’d encountered since forming his own pack, and the loveliest to waltz into his life in years. He’d felt the threat seep from her like fog rolling over water as she’d tried to get close to Brianna and thelocket.
For many of his 120 years on this earth, he’d wandered from here to there, then he’d found a home with this pack and took over at the request of the dying alpha. Ethan took his stock investments and sold them, expanding the pack’s palm tree farm in the city of Solaris, south of tony Palm Beach. He’d warded himself and his Lupines so Skins wouldn’t realize theirages.
Ethan studied agriculture and turned to hydroponic farming in greenhouses to produce organic vegetables. Instead of growing plants in soil, he used oxygenated clean water, and the results were far richer produce and less landutilized.
The farm had now more than 20 acres and they’d added bees to the mix. Locals loved PowerFULL local honey and the sweet baked goods the older females in the pack baked. Wealthy Palm Beach Skins bought it by the case. But the organic veggies remained the biggest source of income, sold at the farm store and in local grocery stores andrestaurants.
He got along with Skins, for the most part, selling them products. Every full moon, he took his pack of 42 Lupines to run free and howl on private land he owned near Wellington. He enjoyed all the benefits of living alongside Skins, but every once in a while, it bothered him that he remained single, drifting without purpose, itseemed.
Still, life was good and if quiet, if not boring, well, he couldn’t really complain because his pack was thriving andhappy.
Until his sisters had arrived. Four confused and scared Lupines in need ofrefuge.
