Page 68 of The Mating Quest

Drust went to Lucas, suddenly embraced him. “You are forgiven. I am proud ofyou.”

As the Coldfire Wizard released him, Lucas looked puzzled. “But I screwedup.”

“Making mistakes is how you learn, youngling. As you grow older, you will realize these are the lessons hardest to swallow, but the most valuableones.”

He looked at Chloe. “Where is the dragon scale? I trust in a safeplace?”

“It’s in the freezer.” Chloe plopped into a rockingchair.

“In a pizza box,” Dakota added. “We didn’t want to just put it on the shelf. Chloe figured it should stayhidden.”

Drust stared. “You put the sacred dragon scale, the talisman my people have revered and guarded for more than nine hundred centuries, the talisman that will give you nearly omnipotent powers… in a pizzabox?”

Chloe considered. “Well, it waspepperoni.”

Sighing, Drust beckoned to Lucas. “Come with me and let us talk. I want to knoweverything.”

He and Lucas went upstairs to chat. Ethan looked thoughtfully after them. Drust had looked paler, and the power always radiating from him seemed less intense. Maybe he was imaginingthings.

They waited for Drust to finish speaking with Lucas. Finally Lucas came downstairs alone. He thrust a hand through his shoulder-length black hair and then rubbed his short beard. “I am worried. Drust isn’t as powerful as he waspreviously.”

So he had beencorrect.

“Tomorrow’s ceremony Drust will take possession of the dragon scale and absorb some of its magick.” Lucas went to Chloe, sat on the floor by her side as she stopped rocking. “The scale is too powerful for you to obtain all the magick. If you touched it with your bare hands in the cave, you wouldhave…”

“Died?” Dakotaasked.

He looked grim. “Gone mad. Then it would have ripped you apart, your skin breaking from head to toe and you would have bled out as your body tried to contain the magick. That much power is not intended for a mere mortal. Our bodies cannot absorb itproperly.”

“What about the dragons tomorrow? Will my sister be safe?” Ethan needed to know because if there was a chance one might pounce onChloe…

Lucas gripped Chloe’s hand. “I will stand by her. She will be safe, on myhonor.”

Ethan felt a little reassured, but still worried. He looked at Ilana, his main concern right now. Too pale, still shivering a little. “Get some sleep. I’ll watch over her,” he toldthem.

Chloe shook her head. “You need rest as well, bigbrother.”

“I can watch her,” Ethaninsisted.

“And we’re not leaving you alone down here,” Dakota toldhim.

“I can keep watch,” Ryanoffered.

“No, I will keep watch. They’re my people, so I know what to do,” Lucasinsisted.

“The condo is warded against enemies. Drust and Tristan reinforced it. It’s Xavier’s building, so there’s no need.” Ethan felt newfound respect for the other males. “Thanks for the offerthough.”

Soon his sisters, and Ryan curled up on the floor. Lucas remained by the sliding glass door, staringoutside.

After tugging off his T-shirt because he was too warm, Ethan couldn’t sleep. Lying next to Ilana, he remembered her courage, her absolute willingness to sacrifice herself to save Chloe.And saveyou.

What an amazingwoman.

He could even fall in love withher.

Caderyn poppedinto the condo living room, gazing down at the sleeping Lupines, and Ilana. Tristan joined him a minutelater.

“Look at them,” Tristan said softly. “This is what packdoes.”