Page 38 of The Mating Quest

“Who happened to be Lacey’s mom,” Nia put in. “Lacey is now Drust’s mate. Lacey’s mom meant no harm and Keegan was fine, but still, we take absolutely no chances on thisranch.”

“Plyx is harmless. He’s great with our children and he has no real magick, which is why I took pity on him and hired him. He likes being in our house because my magick is strong.” Sam looked around the table. “You think he isn’t?Because…”

Ilana waved an impatient hand. “No, that’s not it. I’m sure he is harmless. But if he is timid and scared, and relies on you for protection during the day, what does he rely on at night when he is sleeping in theforest?”

Ethan and Ava looked at each other. “A magick pelt aligned with a powerful wizard of the Brehon,” they said in unison andlaughed.

Ilana racked her brain. “The goblin’s name is Plyx? Is he elderly, and when he’s in his original form, he’s missing part of his leftear?”

Sam frowned. “Yes, how do youknow?”

“I’ve met him. But that’s not importantnow.”

She pushed back from the table and looked at Ava. “We need to go find Plyx right now, before it gets toodark.”

In the woodsnear Sam and Darius’ home, they tracked the goblin. Ethan used a rag Plyx used to clean with, inhaled the scent and shifted into wolf form. He bounded up the mountain, Ava, Ranger also in wolf formfollowing.

Ilana trailed behindthem.

Dead leaves barely crunched beneath his paws as he followed the goblin’s scent. Near a fallen, rotting log, in the shade of a majestic pine tree, an elderly man no larger than a ten-year-old child rested. The man wore a brown jerkin andtrousers.

His bedding was a wolf pelt. Now he saw the aura of good magick on the pelt, surrounding the elderlyman.

Several feet away, Ethan shifted back, clothed himself by magick in brown cords and a brown shirt to blend into his surroundings. Ava and Ranger did thesame.

Ethan signaled to Ava to go ahead and approach the goblin. Without fear, the Lupine walked up to the sleepingPlyx.

He had concern for his sister, but she had backup and there was no way he would let anything happen to her. Glancing over, he saw Ranger, intense and watching Ava’s every move. Better yet, Ranger had her back. A protective male guarding his female wasfierce.

Ava touched the edge of the wolf pelt and the goblin awakened. Plyx blinked hard and the Fae glamour vanished, showing his true appearance. Long pointed ears tipped with sharp, tooth-like spikes jutted out from either side of his knobby head. He had a long nose. One ear had the tip missing. He had red eyes as bright as stoplights. He snarled, showing jagged, sharp teeth, but some of those teeth weremissing.

Making a face, Ava backed off. The smell was horrific, like being sprayed by a skunk. Ethan gagged. He felt sorry for the creature, but damn, that was one effective means of protection. He, Ava and Ranger backedaway.

Ilana did not. Maybe because her sense of smell wasn’t as sensitive as theirs. He admired her bravery. She actually drew closer, her manner non-threatening, and sat beside thegoblin.

“Hey Plyx.” Ilana squatted down next to the goblin. “How are you,buddy?”

He blinked again and once more looked like an elderly man, interrupted from a nice nap. The smell instantly vanished. “Ilana!” The goblin hugged her and she hugged himback.

Ethan wondered how the hell they knew each other. Plyx had to be at least four hundred years old, and elderly goblins usually did not frequent places near Mages, seeing as Mages lacked sufficient magick to protectthem.

“I’m okay. You, my friend… are not.” Ilana touched the wolf pelt. “Why are you sleeping onthis?”

“It’s got lots of good magick in it. It makes me feel safe, like youdid.”

“Me?” She smiled. “You’re the one who saved me, Plyx. And paid the price.” She touched the tip of hisear.

Ethan didn’t know goblins could blush, but this onedid.

“We’re friends, Plyx. You have nothing to fear from any ofus.”

Ilana motioned to Ava, who came closer. Ava smiled at the goblin. “Hi Plyx. I’m Ava. I’m afriend.”

“She is,” Ilana assured him. She gestured and Ethan and Ranger approached. “And this is Ethan and Ranger, both Lupines. They’re good Lupines,Plyx.”

Plyx looked wary, but nodded. Then he gazed at Ilana with misery on his face. “Ilana, I’m so tired. So very tired. I want to gohome.”

“They kicked you out, Plyx. Youcan’t.”