Page 106 of The Mating Quest

“I told the mushrooms to be quiet and stay in the shadows, but they adore you, Ilana. They could smell youcoming.”

Ilana glanced down at the little mushrooms, looking suddenly upset. She sniffed her armpits. “Smell me coming, eh? I showered today. Do Ioffend?”

The mushrooms burst out into tinny screams oflaughter.

Beckoning to Blinkin, she gestured for him to walk away from the mushrooms. In a hushed voice, she warned him to stay hidden, and gather the mushrooms as well to hide in the cave. It looked like a shadow, and few wouldnotice.

Blinkin nodded. He opened his bright blue apron. “Hop in boys. We’re going to nap for awhile.”

The mushrooms jumped into his apron as he bent down. Ilananodded.

“Watchyourselves.”

Ilana gripped her dagger’s hilt and resumedwalking.

After a while, she heard someone following her. Ilana tensed, but as she turned, she saw a flock of gentle sprites hovering in the air. Following her, singing sweetsongs.

Enchanted, she laughed and held out her finger. One landed, fluttering herwings.

Then a larger creature splashed through the stream, heavy footsteps crushing the fallen leaves on the forest floor. Ilanahissed.

No innocent here. Not a gentle unicorn, nor a sweet sprite or fairy or even a Mage. Only aLupine.

Ethan.

Ilana put her hand on her dagger and the sprites flitted away in alarm. “What the hell are you doing here,wolf?”

He splashed through the water, fording to the other side close to her. “Looking foryou.”

Ilana stared, her emotions in a lather. “Why? You left me hanging there alone, facing everyone as if I were the enemy. I told you I never wanted to see youagain.”

Ethan advanced until he stood a few feet away. Expression calm, wavy hair blowing slightly in the breeze, he looked sexy and powerful and her heart broke all overagain.

“I don’t believe you,Ilana.”

Misery and anger twined together. She glowered at him. “Believe what you want. I don’tcare.”

“I care,” he told her, coming closer as one would approach a dangerous, angryanimal.

“We should have stayed enemies, wolf. Then at least I’d know yourintentions.”

Ethan considered. “You knew my intentions when you screamed my name inbed.”

Infuriated at the reminder of how they’d made love, how vulnerable she’d been to him, she could onlyreact.

Charging, she pushed him into the stream. Ethan fell, then sprang up and ran onto the bank. She attacked again, kicking him and pushing him to the forest floor. She fought him, pummeling him with her fists as he growled. They wrestled together, rolling around on a bed of moss and leaves, as she struggled to gain the upper hand. Dear goddess, he was strong, but this place made him stronger and she became aware he waswinning.

Ethan rolled her over onto her back. She struggled but was aware he’d won this round. Panting, he straddled her, pinning her hands down to the ground, his blue gazeinscrutable.

She hated it. Hating knowing he could dominate her. Do as he pleased as others had. Ilana’s eyes filled with tears. She began tocry.

Pressure eased off as Ethan sat back, his expression contrite and concerned. “Hey, hey, Ilana, stopcrying.”

When he climbed off her and knelt beside her as if to comfort, she sat up, her fist curling into a ball. Ilana punched him in the face. He reeledbackward.

Springing to her feet, she yelled, “That’s for being an ass, you damnwolf!”

Ethan touched his nose. Winced. “Damn, I think you broke my nose.Ow.”