Page 23 of The Mating Quest

Ilana dismounted, looked around. “And your logic for looking hereis…”

“Tristan was a wolf shifter before he became the immortal Silver Wizard. We wolves are creatures of the forest, where we can hunt prey. It makes more sense the talisman for Tristan is hidden in thisforest.”

She gazed around the thick pine trees, the slope marching up the mountain. “Kind of like looking for a snowflake in asnowstorm.”

Ethan went to her and tapped her nose. “Not if you use yoursenses.”

Ilana scowled. “I’m no Lupine who can track. Do we have any clue where we can find this magick wolfskin? Or are we wasting ourtime?”

He gave her a level look. “It isn’t wasting time since we’re retrieving something that could be used forevil.”

They hiked through the woods, stepping off the narrow pathway Aiden told them was used for gathering wood. Ethan seemed to know where he was headed, and she let him take thelead.

She could have used her powers, but decided against it. Here on Lupine land, it was best to be as inconspicuous aspossible.

The forest thinned, leading to a stretch of green meadow peppered with blue, yellow and purple wildflowers. Small fir trees grew here and there. Ilana bent over and picked a white daisy, smiling as she inhaled the scent. The air was fresh and clean here, and the sun felt warm upon her cheeks. She could understand the peace of living on a Lupineranch.

Even if she didn’t understand the Lupinesthemselves.

Ethan stopped to consult his map. “Aiden said the pack grows Christmas trees up here, selling them at a discount to locals… helps out the community. There was an incident here a couple of years ago with a bad Lupine and a wolf den. Tristan used to rove up here inwolfskin.”

Walking a little ways away from him, she pretended to squat down and admire the flowers. Ilana opened her senses and closed her eyes. She saw the smells threaded through this area. She sorted through all of them like a woman rummaging through a clothing bin at a garage sale and concentrated on the animalscents.

Wolf.

The strong scent of Aiden, the alpha. A delicate scent of a female. A female associated with Tristan, reflecting the silver scent, who was a mother. Tristan’s mateNikita?

There were other scents as well of Lupines she didn’t recognize, as well as smells of an ordinary wolf pack. But nothing like the distinct scent of the Silver Wizard, silver with strong notes of spices, forest andmetal.

Ilana opened her eyes and used her dark senses to see the spectral trail of magick. Others left such a trail, and though it faded, she could still detect traces months, even years after. She saw traces of ordinary Lupine, the faint silver trace of thefemale.

But nothing indicated Tristan washere.

There was a scent that intrigued her, a female, laced with sweetness and yet tremendous power. It was like smelling a forge where hard-muscled men bent over anvils and fashioned weapons. Suchpower.

She’d smelled this around Caderyn, the Shadow Wizard. Interesting. He was unmated, far as sheknew.

Ilana leaned forward, seeing the traces of gray and gold and green, the same colors she’d seen ringing the ShadowWizard.

“Seeanything?”

She fell forward, straight into the wildflowers. A bee buzzing nearby flew away as if alarmed by herpresence.

Ethan helped her up to her feet. He folded his arms and studied her with narrowedeyes.

“What are you, Ilana Simmons? You looked like a wolf flushing out scents and you’re noLupine.”

Brushing off her clothing, she made no reply. She didn’t have to answer to Ethan, or anyone. The less he knew about her, thebetter.

“Tristan hasn’t been here as wolf or as a wizard. Not in a long time, so I doubt the pelt ishere.”

“Ava said the pelt would be hidden in places associated with Tristan. Doesn’t mean the pelt would be where he used to roam,” Ethancountered.

She wasn’t so sure. “I think you’re wrong and so is yoursister.”

His gaze narrowed. “How do you know where Tristan’s been? I have an acute sense of scent and even I can’t detect his scent at times. He’s an immortal wizard and can cloakit.”

If she told him she could “see” scents he’d have even more reason to distrust her. Perhaps even tell the others, and that would make it extremely awkward, perhaps even dangerous, in a large pack of Lupines. Lupines seldom trusted outsiders and with those likeher?