Page 52 of The Mating Quest

“Correct. The only strong female Changeling shifter is Darcy, who lived with Ella as her housecat. Because Darcy asked the goddess to use her powers to help others, Danu made her magick stronger. But for the rest of us, our magick isn’t aslasting.”

“Still, you went on to lead your own pack. That’s damnimpressive.”

Ethan wished it were. “I wandered for decades, mostly in Skin, doing odd jobs and living among Skins, but hanging out with packs who needed an extra hand to see if I could fit in. Finally found refuge with a small pack in Florida who needed help and the alpha allowed me to remain, as long as I didn’t exercise my Changeling abilities in sight of the other Lupines. He died a few years ago and left me in charge. I owed him alot.”

They drank their beer. Ethan wiped his mouth. “Look at us. Both wanderers, searching for ahome.”

She tensed. “Not me. You found one. I have no intention of settlingdown.”

“You’ve been wandering for what? A hundred years, close to two hundred? Isn’t it time you settled, found a family to call yourown?”

Ilana pushed aside her mug. “Try seven centuries. I’m around 720 years old, wolf. Maybe older. I lost track longago.”

He stared. A chill raced down his spine. Against his better judgment, he touched her hand, and felt a sudden rush of power racing beneath herskin.

Ilana offered a bitter smile. “Close your mouth,wolf.”

“What are you?” he askedhoarsely.

Only beings of immense power lived that long. And quite frankly, looked that amazing. Ilana looked to be in her latetwenties.

“I told you, a Mage.” Her shoulders slumped. “Can we leave it at that and enjoy the evening. Because tomorrow is going to be a real bitch, fighting whatever is in that cave, and maybe even a fire-breathing dragon. I’ve tangled with dragons before and getting burnt is nopicnic.”

He had to agree, though he’d never fought a dragon. Ethan looked at Ilana with new respect. “Wow. You really are old.” He grinned. “Cougar.”

Sniffing, she took peanuts from the bowl on the bar and tossed them at him. He laughed. She did aswell.

Then he stopped and stared at her. Maybe it was the beer, aw hell no, he could drink ten mugs of frosty brew and it wouldn’t affect him, but with her lovely blue eyes, patrician features and fierce manner, he could fall in love withher.

Maybe he alreadywas.

Damn, he couldn’t do this. He had a mission. His gaze slid over to Chloe, and Ethan’s heartraced.

The man beside his sister grabbed her arm, and she tried to wriggle free. Growling, he slid off the stool. “Excuse me. Brotherly dutycalls.

He ambled over to the offending male and scented him immediately. Skin. Drunk Skin. “Leave my sisteralone.”

“Make me,” the Skin said, breathing in his face. Ethan coughed, waved a hand at thesmell.

“Ethan, it’s okay, he didn’t really do anything. He can’t,” Chloe lookedworried.

“Yeah, and his kind will do something if given thechance.”

Ilana joined him, studying the drunk Skin. The man sneered. “Hey Amazon, looking for a goodtime?”

“Amazon,” she mused. “I take it you mean the tall, warrior women of ancient times and not the enormous website that deliversitems?”

The Skin got in her face, infuriating Ethan. He poked at her chest. “That’s theone.”

“Wrong. I’m prime. I deliverovernight.”

Ilana’s fist connected with the man’s face. He reeled back, rubbing his split lip. Blood welled. The Skin uttered a string of curses. Ethan cursed himself, grabbed Chloe’s arm and shoved Dakota out of theway.

“Call Tristan and get a ride home now. I can’t afford either of you to gethurt.”

The wizard appeared, took their hands and they all vanished. The Skin blinked. “Where’d theygo?”

Another, tall and beefy, joined them, flexing his fists. “Looking for a fight, kid? I stick up for myfriends.”