Page 18 of The Mating Quest

A male who didn’t care that a woman was more powerful. Intriguingidea.

Ethan rubbed his chin. “Like many males, my brother-in-law is secure and confident enough that he doesn’t need to prove himself to his woman, oranyone.”

Ilana laughed. “I’ve yet to meet these many males,wolf.”

The alpha folded his arms and gave her a steady look, not saying anything. It seemed a challenge. So he thought himself one of those men who didn’t object to a powerfulwoman?

Right. They’d put that to the test on this mission, she wascertain.

Giving a huge yawn, as if bored or tired or both, she waved a hand. “Whatever. Go meet with your dogs, I mean, your pack and point me in the direction of where I can bunk down. I don’t need much. I can campoutside.”

She expected him to say as much, put her out in the warm Florida night. Ilana didn’t care. She was used to bedding down on hard ground, with only the sky forcover.

“Tristan, is there anything else we need to know?” Ethanasked.

“Be ready at dawn and I’ll take you all there to Montana.” The wizard blinked andvanished.

Ilana stood, ready to crash. Ethan gestured to his sisters. “Gather my people and tell them to meet in the auditorium. I will be there in a few minutes. Brianna, will you coordinate refreshments with the kitchenstaff?”

His sister nodded. Ethan took Ilana’s arm and guided her out of the room. “Your things have already been moved from thelocker.”

She wanted to shrug off his arm, but was too tired to fight him. When he turned down a long hallway, and opened the last door on the right and flipped on the light switch, she thought perhaps he’d made amistake.

Decorated in forest and earth tones, the bedroom was spacious, with a king-sized bed covered with a dark green quilt. A gooseneck lamp next to a comfortable easy chair provided a space to read for all the books on the shelves built into one wall. Plenty of windows allowed in light, and in the ceiling was a skylight. She walked over to thebed.

“You can lie in bed and look at the stars,” shemarveled.

“I had it specially built. I always liked seeing the night sky. Makes the room feel part of the outdoors,” he said, watchingher.

Realization hit her. “This is yourbedroom.”

He threw out his hands. “Give the lady a gold star for the correctanswer.”

“I am not sharing yourbed.”

“No, you are not.” He walked over to a narrow sofa, tossed aside the cushions and pulled at the bottom. It folded into a doublebed.

“I’ll get you sheets and a pillow, unless you prefer a rock andleaves.”

Ignoring his teasing note, she scowled. “I’m not sharing this room withyou.”

“You have no choice,” he said calmly. “I won’t have you in the women’s dorm, because you’ll scare the crap out of my females and they’re nervous enough as is with me leaving. If I put you in the men’s dorm, they could killyou.”

“Let them try.” Ilana tilted her head and thought. “You always have visitors, what about guest quarters outside thisbuilding?”

“Too far away to keep an eye onyou.”

“So you’d rather keep me close. What if I try to cut your throat in the middle of thenight?”

A shrug. “You can try. But I doubt you’ll make an attempt. Not with so much at stake. Because you’re not agreeing to this quest out of the goodness of your heart. Danu must have promised yousomething.”

Ilana didn’t know what to say, or do. Instinct urged her to march outside with her pack, find a nice tree, preferably one not smelling of alpha, to lie under and bunk. Exhaustion claimed her. Though she might sleep soundly, couldn’t risk being here with Ethan. Not that he’d try to make the moves onher.

She worried more about the nightmares constantly plaguing her. They were terrible, fearsome andprivate.

She sat on the pull-outbed.

“Get ready to sleep. I have to meet with my pack and I’ll be back shortly. We have an early starttomorrow.”