Page 125 of The Mating Quest

Just likehers.

They linked their marked palms, and he felt more power flowing into him. And such joy, his heartached.

“What next?” heasked.

“The potion you will have to drink, but that can wait. You’ll have to journey to Tir na-Nog and meet the goddess. Protocol. Oh and you can meet my twin. Turns out I was never alone after all. I havefamily.”

Amazed, he listened as she told him about Xavier, and how they had been separated as babies. Ethan picked up her palm and kissed the diamond marking. “I love you, Mage. I’m glad you found your family. But you were never alone. I was always with you, I guess from the very beginning. Just didn’t realizeit.”

Ilana kissed him gently and then she rested her forehead against his. He breathed deep, feeling his liferenewed.

Hisheart.

Looking up at him, she grinned. “Wolf, are you going to stand there jabbering at me, or are we going to have hot, amazingsex?”

“Here?” He looked around with doubt. “Not exactly softground.”

Ilana waved a hand and a bed and sheets appeared out of nowhere. Her grin widened. “Courtesy of my newfound wizard powers. Now, are you going to get me naked and ravish me until we both can barelymove?”

He did exactlythat.

Chapter 33

Aweekafter Ethan drank the potion for immortality and they were formally mated in a quiet, but beautiful wedding at the farm, Ilana went to her first assignment as the Starlight Wizard. Danu had asked her to deliver a special talisman to awitch.

A talisman Brianna was happy to surrender. Ethan’s sister told her she only wanted to live quietly with Ethan’s pack, not be a warrior fighting alongside Caderyn. The Shadow Wizard told Ilana he did not need a kick-ass Wylding warrior to aidhim.

“Tis why I trained you all these years, Ilana. I had hopes you would become the warrior and the woman you are today,” Caderyn had toldher.

For once, she was too emotional toreply.

Now, as Ilana materialized before a hairstyling shop using her newfound wizard powers, she fought the dizziness. This mode of transport took getting usedto.

She went inside, appreciating the scent of freshly brewedcoffee.

No one was inside, but for a pretty, young redhead in a green polka-dotted dress. Her blue eyes were sad. The woman looked at herdoubtfully.

“Danica. I am Ilana, the Starlight Wizard.” Ilana let her powers surge and searched the woman’sface.

“Do not worry. I am here to aide you.” She felt grief at Danica’s troubles. “I understand you have tried all manner of potions and spells to regain what you havelost.”

The witch said softly, “Myhair.”

Danica adjusted the wig on her head and then looked away. When her gaze finally returned to Ilana, it was filled withemotion.

“I started losing my hair a few years ago. I lived on the street for a while, it was a rough life and then finally came home. Nothing works to restore my hair. Not nutrition, not rest, nothing. Not even potions I conjured. My mother, Tara, is a powerful witch of the light, but nothing she’s tried has workedeither.”

Ilana touched her arm gently. “Whathappened?”

“Doctors said it was the stress from living on the streets. Or hormones. They gave me medication and it doesn’t work. But my mom says there’s an aura of darkness ringing my own aura. I think… it came from someone who cursed me when I was in a dark place in mylife.”

The woman looked around the shop. “All I could think about was myself after my fiancé broke off our engagement. I caught him sleeping with my bestfriend.”

Ilana winced. “Ouch. That’srough.”

“I didn’t know how to handle it so I ran off. I didn’t want to be around anyone. For a while, I slept in the park with other homeless people. It was dangerous. I thought eventually someone would come along and probably end my life, but I didn’tcare.”

Ilanawaited.