Page 37 of The Mating Quest

“Twins.” She sighed. “Must be nice to have a sibling thatclose.”

“You don’t have any family?” Niaasked.

Mine died long ago. “No,” she said curtly, and paid attention to her pizza as if it were the most fascinating thing onearth.

As the others chatted about their day, she tried to rack her brain for answers. So frustrating. Ilana bit off a piece of pizza, chewed. Good, but neededcheese.

She took the grated Romano cheese container, sprinkled cheese and more cheese. Ethan whistled. “Whoa Mage, go easy on that cheese. The smell isn’t exactlypleasing.”

Ilana stopped, set down the container. Thesmell…

“You said the pack roamed all over the forest and Ava and Ranger smelled something that reminded them of Tristan, that smelled likehim…”

“Xavier always says the potion they drink smells like his old socks.” Nikitagiggled.

She made a face. The infamous, and detested Crystal Wizard, who always ignored her in the past. “I wouldn’t put much weight on hisopinion.”

“Go on, Ilana. You were indicating scents,” Ethansaid.

“They smelled something in the forest that reminded them of Tristan, but dismissed it thinking it was from a time when Tristan was previously there, Ava. What if you couldn’t discern it because something else was using thepelt?”

Ava’s brow wrinkled. “Something else? Only Lupines are on this ranch and we flushed out thosepossibilities.”

Aiden and Nia looked at each other. “Not exactly,” the alpha saidslowly.

“Sam,” Nia called. “Darius, please comehere.”

The couple came over. Immediately she sensed something different about Samantha, the way she’d sensed about Kyle Morgan, Aiden’s besttracker.

“You’re not fully Lupine,” Ilana toldher.

Rude, perhaps, but she preferred the directapproach.

“Sam is part Fae.” Looking wary, Darius slid a protective arm around hismate.

“Relax, I’m not criticizing,” she toldhim.

Aiden leaned back. “Tell them about your hired help, Darius. Who Sam employed to clean the house, keep thingstidy.”

“A goblin.” Darius frowned. “What does this have to do with anything? Or mymate?”

Ilana released a breath, glad she finally made theconnection.

Goblins were fierce creatures, but not always. Some of them, as they grew older, became ostracized if they lived amongst Skins or Others. They lost their edge and became fearful. She knew this, having helped out goblins in thepast.

She liked the little buggers. They kept her entertained and one even saved herfrom…

Let’s not gothere.

Ilana knew something else. In their original form, without glamour, an elderly goblin smelled. A lot. Kind of like a skunk, which would explain Ava’s story about smelling one. As they aged, they lost their powers and developed the bad odor as a defense againstattacks.

“I hired him to help around the house. I felt sorry for him because he’s always so afraid.” Sam looked confused. “Aiden and Nia approved ofit.”

“Does he sleep in the house?” Ilanaasked.

Darius scoffed. “Of course not. He makes his home in the forest. He’s harmless and even Tristan checked him over, after what happened withKeegan.”

Glancing at Aiden, the alpha sighed. “Keegan, Tristan’s son, was kidnapped a few years ago by adragon.”