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Ismena took a deep breath and made a mental note to call her mother later.

Maybe it's time she asked.

CHAPTER 4. THE SEARCH FOR HAZEL SMITH.

Ismena arrived home to see a restless Eline wringing her hands together so nervously while pacing the sitting room. Immediately, she opened the door and walked through, the Cougar sentinel was already hurrying towards her.

"Ismena, I was worried sick about you! Especially when the morning blended into noon, and now it's early evening. Where have you been and what have you been doing!? You got me so worried!" The woman cried, checking her out frantically as if she's looking for a physical wound.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. You do sound so worried." Ismena admitted as she walked gingerly to the nearest cushion and lowered herself gently to it. "You were there the night before when he took me away. You shouldn't be so worried."

"I wouldn't be if I saw you earlier in the day. Not that I expected the Alpha King to kill his own mate no matter how much he hates your kind, but I couldn't get it out of my mind how angry he was when he took you away."

Ismena couldn't fault her friend because she remembers clearly his look as he lifted her up and practically carried her out of the club. "Ohwell, as you can see I'm alive and well today. Thank you so much for your concern, Eline. You're such a good friend."

The woman waved her away, still concerned about other things. "What about me? Did he say something about killing me and chewing on my bones for weeks to come?"

"Why would you think that!?" Ismena gawked in horror.

"I took you to the club the night before and you saw the eyes he gave me?" Eline shivered, "Even the cougar felt that look. He wasnotpleased at all. I had nightmares all night just thinking about it."

Her friend is seriously worked up. "Well, if it's any consolation, I really don't think he's gonna do that. He cares about his people too much to do that to you." She consoled.

"I doubt that. The events of the club are still the talk of the whole cougar clan this morning, talk more of other Clans. They must have heard of what happened too. Oh, he really is going to kill me!"

"I don't think he will."

Eline was not convinced but her eyes noticed other things at that moment, "How do you feel?"

"I feel...great." Mentally, she examined her chest. "I've not felt so good in a long time." She confessed.

"Of course, you're gonna feel good, you had sex with your mate, it's bound to do a major healing to your bad heart but that wasn't what I meant and you know it." She paused, arched her brows at a blushing Ismena. "I mean how do you feel, body-wise? It didn't get past me that you developed a limp."

"My God, Eline stop!" Ismena gasped, mortified. She covered her face with both hands.

"Oh, stop being so shy and start talking. You smell of him so much this morning, I would have sworn he mated you the night before if not that I can't see the fresh mating mark on your neck. I only see love bites." She said, bluntly.

Ismena groaned out loud.

"Well? Out with it, human." Eline urged.

"I probably feel like I've been run over by a train...in a good way and a bad way too. I ache all over," she admitted at last, "but Marian, his housekeeper used herbal scent leaves to run a bath for me so I feel a bit better now. And she made food for me."

"Wow. You really did have sex with him." Eline said reverently, looking her over again."Well, at least you're still alive so I'm sure that's a giant plus. For a small woman, you're stronger than you look."

Ismena let out startled laughter at the seriousness in her friend's face. "Of course, I'm stronger than I look. I'll have you know that I took some defense classes which include taekwondo and kung-fu when I was eighteen." She raised her chin with pride.

Eline cocked her head to the side in thought, "Really? Why would you do that?"

"My father suggested I learn how to defend myself and my mother seconded that. So, I did." She pursed her lips and added, "Well, I bet my fighting skills are useless here. Y'all are extra-strong motherfuckers. Not to mention that y'all morph into huge animals too."

A smile ghosted Eline's face at that grumble.

Ismena wasn't finding it as funny as her friend, she continued, "I don't scare easily, but that theory changed since I came to Naturiah. I've been chased by a huge cougar in the woods who turned out to be a thirteen-year-old boy. And what about last night? We were attacked by Wild Ones. I was so scared that the alcohol cleared from my eyes but thankfully, Wolfaraine killed them all."

"Of course, I should have known those brutally torn Wild Ones I heard about when I went to the market would be the handwork of the Alpha King." Eline shook her head, "Poor wild things that can't think. If not, why would anyone in their right mind go to fight the Alpha King? That is a suicide mission."

Ismena thought of the huge male he is in his mortal form, then the mountain lion driven by his hate for humans who chased her down the hall yesterday and the large werewolf that tore those Wild Ones apart the night before.