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pheromones being spent on just anybody. Then he shrugged it off. It
was only the lingering affects of her remembered scent making him
possessive, and an excellent example of why Knightin’s suggestion
was a good one. “I’m for it,” he asserted firmly.
    Jayems looked hopeful for a moment and then
scowled. “It can’t be just a lover. By forcing her to stay and
accepting her as a guest of my lady, I’ve declared her my guest as
well. Honor dictates that I can’t scheme her into such a
disreputable position. Besides, a lover wouldn’t be good enough. As
long as she’s not securely attached, the men will still vie for
her.”
    Knightin nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right,
it will have to be a mate,” he agreed, practical as always.
    Keilor noticed Jayems eyeing him
thoughtfully, and the hair rose on the back of his neck. He
scowled. “Forget it, cousin. I’m not wedding to solve your
problems.”
    His lord shrugged. “It will have to be
someone like you, a man of rank. Preferably a warrior of strong
will.” He grinned wickedly. “She would trample anyone less.”
    Decision made, he went to his desk, sat down,
and pulled out a pen and paper. “Very well. What lambs shall we
toss to the slaughter?”
     
    Jasmine hurried through the giant trees at a
fast walk. She was still amazed she’d managed to slip away from the
guards during the game of ‘go find’. Even with Wiley’s long counts,
and the fact that she’d only traveled half this distance before, it
would be a matter of minutes before the Haunt guards caught on, and
they would find her in no time. Lemming wouldn’t know enough to be
slow in her tracking, either. At least they’d managed to work their
way deep into the woods for this last game, and she was certain
gate between worlds was just up ahead. With any luck, her stuff
would still be there; if not on this side, then the other.
    It had better be, otherwise, she was in
trouble. She couldn’t survive the September temperatures of Alaska
for long without protection.
    She caught a flash of wild animal eyes, and,
thinking of the wolves, ran faster. She didn’t want to end up a
Jasmine burger.
    Nothing smelled right. The exotic scent of
the redwood forest seduced her brain, invigorating and enervating
all at once. Odd calls sounded through the deepening twilight, and
she felt something squish against her knee. Giving a little shriek,
she looked down to discover she’d plowed over a huge mushroom. It
had a brown cap the size of a Stetson hat.
    Something skittered through the ferns. She
whipped her head around in time to see a black beetle the size of a
terrier heading away from her.
    She ran.
    Without warning a shadow detached itself from
the forest and stepped into her path. She cried out and staggered
back a step. Then she recognized him. Keilor.
    Oh, oh.
    “Going somewhere?” he asked, and electric
intensity vibrated in his words.
    Though he’d half expected it, Keilor wasn’t
thrilled at the position she’d placed him in. As a Master of the
Hunt, it was one of his responsibilities to see to his people’s
safety. By running away, most likely to bring others of her kind
into his world, she was endangering the Haunt and all he held dear.
That he could not allow, and he would do what he must to keep her
from doing it again.
    Even if he wished things could be
otherwise.
    She hunched over, sucking in air and hiding
her eyes. “We were playing ‘go find’,” she offered, knowing he knew
the truth but hoping he’d accept her excuse.
    He didn’t.
    He stepped forward. “I win.” Her eyes widened
in alarm as he invaded her space. “You seem to have a problem with
authority,” he observed with deliberate menace, and she swallowed.
“Perhaps it’s time to acquaint yourself with the law of your new
land.”
    Jasmine wasn’t immune to intimidation.
Unfortunately, whether he knew it or not, Keilor’s advance was
playing havoc on her body. Nerve endings his dream-self had ignited
in