Page 35 of The Mating Quest

Ethan hustled all of them outside to search for the talisman, late night or no late night. As before, they packed sandwiches and drinks and he paired off with her, only this time Jenny didn’t accompany them. She and her mate, Troy, had opted to search near the barn and theriver.

By late afternoon, tired and gritty, they returned to the lodge. Her hair, despite the ponytail, felt caked with sweat and dirt and her clothing was covered in earth and leaves from crawling over ground to investigatescents.

At least the mountains soothed her restlessness. Sure was pretty here, with the mountains ringing the valley, horses cropping in the pasture and the meadow grass growing green and tall. Like apostcard.

Ilana went to the horse corral and climbed up on the fence. A pretty sorrel mare sauntered over to investigate. She pettedher.

Ethan joined her. “I thought you didn’t likehorses.”

“I love horses. The ATVs are more efficient.” She stroked the mare’s velvety nose, thinking of all the horses she’d loved and ridden. All of them with their unique personalities and all of them gonenow.

He tipped back the white Stetson he’d worn since this morning and ran a thumb around the brim. “Damn, I thought we’d have found it by now. Last night several of us ran, but also tried to flush out scents that might be the wolfpelt.”

She glanced at him. “Hard to do with so many inwolfskin.”

“Not really. Tristan has a special scent associated with him, one that we figure is on the pelt as well since it’s his talisman. Power, the bite of metal, a feralness, and pine. Ava and Ranger came across something like that today, but it was a dead end. There was a lingering smell of skunk in the area, so it couldn’t have been thepelt.”

Something he said clicked in her brain, but she couldn’t narrow it down. It danced out of reach. Ilana rubbed her thighs and the jeans Ethan insisted she wear. Aware that Ethan watched her, she shook herhead.

“I’m amess.”

“You look cute,” he murmured. He tapped her nose. “But you are a bit dirty from getting acquainted with theground.”

Plucking a twig from her hair she gave it a rueful look. “I should clean up, take a shower. Showers always make methink.”

“Yeah, me too.” He winked at her and she flushed, remembering lastnight.

“Not like that.” Ilana frowned. “There’s something about scent that I know we’re missing but I can’t figure out what. I’m going to take a shower, and maybe it will come toyou.”

“Wait.” Ethan went to jump off thefence.

A cowhand headed for the corral saw her, whistled. “Hey pretty lady, where you going in such ahurry?”

Recognizing the scent from one of the male Lupines who circled her last night, Ilana ignoredhim.

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” The cowboy ran up behind her, and when she didn’t respond, pulled her ponytail to yank herbackward.

“You come with a handle, pretty lady. You need to pay attention when someone’s talking toyou.”

She stepped back, turned so she faced him, looped her right hand under his restraining arm, and with her left hand on his shoulder, shoved him down in seconds. Hard. He ate the dirt with a satisfying grunt ofsurprise.

“My handle comes with a do not disturb sign, cowboy,” she snapped. “Touch me again and I’ll break yourarm.”

Ethan hurried up, put a hiking boot on the Lupine’s chest. “I know you from last night, you son of a bitch. Recognize your scent. If this was my pack, I wouldn’t hesitate. I would break yourarm.”

He lifted his boot. “But out of respect for Mitchell, I’llwait.”

With some amusement she watched Ethan hog tie the cowhand, using rope hanging from thecorral.

“That’s impressive, Powers. Where did you learnthat?”

“Aiden taught me. Said it might come inhandy.”

They sat on the fence to wait for the alpha after Ethan radioed him. When Aiden arrived, he gave the cowhand a disgustedlook.

Untied him. Scowling, Aiden gestured to the bunkhouse. “Go there, wait and do not leave.Understood?

The cowhand didn’t look up. “Yessir.”