CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

She needed a swim, Mila decided a few days later. It was always a good way for her to unwind. Always got rid of the tension from her muscles and allowed her to escape from her thoughts. And since she’d spent the past week and a half always glancing over her shoulder, knowing it would only be a matter of time before another hit man struck, Mila was wound far too tight. So she bagged up her bikini, towel, and other essentials before heading down to the communal pool in the basement.

Halfway down one of the stairwells, she came across none other than Adele. Shit. Her inner cat rose to her feet with a hiss. Mila forced a smile. “Adele, hi.”

Adele’s face brightened. “Hey, I’ve just come to pay my mom a quick visit. How are you doing, sweetie?” Always so damn nice.

“I’m good.”

Adele puffed out a breath. “Knowing you’re on a hit list and could have people watching your every move . . . God, your head must be fried.”

Well, yeah. “It’s definitely not much fun.”

“You must be infuriated with Alex for causing trouble and then leaving you to deal with it.”

Mila bristled. “I don’t think it happened quite like that, but we’ll see.”

A playful glint entered Adele’s eye. “On a much lighter note, I heard you’re involved with one of the Phoenix Pack wolves. Ingrid tells me he’s quite a dish.”

Chest tightening, Mila felt her smile falter. This was really the last discussion she wanted to have with this female. “He is.” She hadn’t seen him since the day before Pierson’s second article was released, but Dominic had called her each night and sent her several text messages. Very sexually suggestive text messages, complete with cheesy lines.

“Valentina must really like him if she invited him for dinner. Twice.”

“Yeah, she does.” Mila had expected her mother to be offended on Mila’s behalf when she heard Dominic’s reason for staying away from her. Instead, her mother had found it “cute” that he’d want to protect Mila. It seemed that GQ could do no wrong in Valentina’s eyes.

Adele glanced around, as if checking they were alone. She lowered her voice as she went on. “Joel doesn’t like him much. He worries that the wolf is too much like Grant. But I happen to agree with Ingrid—life’s all about living. If this Dominic guy can make you happy, even for just a little while, you should grab on to that.”

Her cat lashed out with her claws, not liking the sound of Dominic’s name in the mouth of this feline who’d stolen her true mate. Mila tried making excuses to leave, but Adele just kept on talking.

“And I hope you’ll reconsider immigrating to Russia. We’d miss you. And Joel . . . well, he hasn’t made many friends in the pride. Doesn’t click with people easily. But he considers you a good friend, and I wouldn’t like him to lose one of the very few he’s made.”

God, Mila’s mouth was hurting from the strain of keeping the fake smile in place. “I can understand that. He’s very lucky to have you.”

“I’m the lucky one.” Adele put her hand on Mila’s shoulder, and her cat wanted to bite it. “You take care.” With that, she headed up the stairs.

Letting out a long breath, Mila continued her descent to the basement. Pacing within her, her cat hissed and spat—she despised Adele almost as much as she despised Joel.

He’d come to the barbershop that morning to have his hair cut. Strangely, it hadn’t been as hard for Mila to touch Joel as it usually was, but it had been no less easy for her cat. The only thing that had ever calmed the feline in Joel’s presence was having Dominic there. How annoying.

When GQ had called her with the news that Trey wanted him to stay clear of her, Mila had been furious. Some might have said that he was only following the order of his Alpha, but she’d seen the darker side of Dominic and knew there would be no forcing him to do anything he didn’t want to do.

Affronted, she might not have answered any of his subsequent calls, but she’d lost some of her anger after reading Pierson’s second article. It was one thing to hear Dominic give her the gist of it; it was another to read it for herself and see all the lies and hurtful insults spun together.

Both she and her cat remained offended that he’d think she needed protecting from anything, but Mila could see why Dominic would be willing to heed his Alpha in this. Pierson wanted metaphorical blood, and he was slicing out at GQ in whichever ways he could.

Not that she’d have cared if the human turned his attention her way—she could handle a little fart like him, no matter how he came at her—but Dominic would want things to settle down, not escalate. If Dominic were seen with another female, things would definitely escalate. So yeah, she’d taken his calls and responded to his texts.

She’d also kept an online-eye on the responses to both of Pierson’s articles, relieved to find that most people weren’t giving any weight to Pierson’s words. Some females, claiming that they “knew” Dominic well, had sworn he would never drug a woman. A few of the other commenters claimed to be friends of Rosemary’s ex-husband and confirmed that she was indeed pretty disturbed. Whether they were true or not, those particular comments would piss off Emmet—Mila was all for that idea.

As she pushed open the basement door, her cat wrinkled her nose. The strong scent of chlorine permeated the thick, moist air. She was glad to see that the pool was empty. She liked having it all to herself and really wasn’t in the mood to listen to laughter and shrieking echoing around her. She wanted to be alone.

The pool was pretty basic. There was a waterslide at the shallow end and a diving board at the other. Near the life jackets was a pile of water toys and kickboards.

She peered through the door to the attached fitness room but couldn’t make out if anyone was inside. It was quite popular among the males of the pride, especially Tate, Luke, and the enforcers.

In the changing room, she swapped her clothes for her bikini and scrunched her curls up into a hair tie before stuffing her bag and towel in a locker. Mindful of the slippery tiles, she walked back out to the pool. The water gently rippled and lapped at the edges. Thankfully, it was still empty of people.

Holding her breath, she plunged into the pool. The cool water swallowed her, felt almost welcoming. She swam for the surface and sucked in a mouthful of air, shoving the wet tendrils of hair out of her face. For a few moments, she just floated there, enjoying the feel of the water lapping against her skin.

There was something very peaceful and calming about being in the water. There was no bombardment of sensations or list of things to do. Just her and the water. It enabled her to switch off, which she sorely needed to do right then.

The silky water slid over her skin as she swam length after length. Her tension gradually slipped away, but she didn’t stop. She kept going. Pushed herself until her muscles were screaming for rest. Yet, she felt better. More relaxed. Her head no longer felt crowded by thoughts.

Hearing a slight plop of water, she glanced over her shoulder. No one. Not even a shadow under the water. Frowning, she shrugged it off. Ready to get out, she began a gentle swim toward the metal ladder—

Something tightened around her ankle and yanked her under. The shock of it almost stole her breath. She looked down. It was a rope. No, a snake. It was a fucking snake. Triangular-shaped head. Wormlike lure on the end of the tail curled around her ankle. Large dark bands surrounding a black, short, robust body.

Death adder.One so huge that it could only be a damn shifter.

Panic clawed at her insides, but she wrestled it down before it could engulf her. Her heart pounding, she kicked her leg wildly and slashed the fucker’s long body with her claws. Its hold loosened enough for her to wriggle free of its grip and kick for the surface.

Sucking in huge gulps of air, she bobbed there for just a second. Get out, she told herself. Get. Out. She made a frantic swim for the ladder, knowing she had a better chance of fighting the snake if she were out of the water.

Sharp pain blazed up her leg. The little bastard had bitten her. Fuck. Adrenaline racing through her system, she swam faster. Almost there—

The snake snatched her ankle and pulled her under the water again. Raging, she kicked and thrashed and clawed at the creature. Her cat’s fury pulsed in her blood, feeding her anger. The feline wanted the freedom to battle the snake herself, but its smaller body had less of a chance against the creature.

Helplessly inhaling the water, Mila kept on fighting. Or tried to. Her muscles were weakening, and she wasn’t sure if it was from the venom or the struggle. The chlorinated water stung her nose, pricked at her eyes, and burned her throat.

The snake tried to curl around her chest. Oh, the fuck no. She stabbed her claws deep into its body and twisted her hand, making yet more blood stain the water. The snake jerked away, releasing her, and she quickly kicked for the surface again. She gasped for air, spluttering, coughing, and choking.

She clumsily grabbed a metal rung of the ladder. Triumph would have filled her if she didn’t feel so heavy and drained, which was no doubt thanks to the venom. Managing to climb a few of the steps and drag herself weakly onto the tiled surface, she lay flat on her stomach, greedily inhaling huge gulps of air. She wouldn’t get far, she knew. Wouldn’t make it out of there, and her throat was too raw for her to scream for help.

Her frantic daze darted around, searching for a weapon or—

There was a whistle near the kickboards.

Her heart jumped. She could use it to signal for help. Water drizzled down her body onto the tiles as she army-crawled her way to the whistle, conscious that it was her only chance. Snatching it, she put it to her mouth and blew hard. The weak, shaky screech bounced off the walls. She did it again and again, but the sounds got fainter and fainter. No one came.

Something shackled her ankle yet again. A large hand this time. That hand pulled her backward. Her nails scrabbled at the tiles, but it was no use. Panic wrenched the breath out of her as the water swallowed her whole. It gushed into her mouth and shot up her nose yet again.

She didn’t get a chance to properly look at the male holding her tight and dragging her deeper and deeper. The water flooded her lungs until it felt like they’d explode.

Again, she wrestled the fear beating at her. But she lost. Could barely move, let alone swim or fight. Yet, little by little, a sense of tranquility crept in, pushing away the panic. Her vision began to darken, and total paralysis finally set in. Just as the darkness dragged her under, the water shook as if something heavy had landed in it.

Lounging on his bed wearing only his jeans, Dominic pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke into his phone. “Charlene, I said I’m fine, and I’m fine.” He’d been undressing, planning to take a shower, when he’d heard his cell ringing. He’d hoped it was Mila. Hearing her voice would have gone a long way to cheering up his broody wolf.

“Well, you don’t sound fine,” said Charlene. “And I sure wouldn’t be fine if there were two messed-up articles about me floating around.”

“How pissed is Lennie?” he asked with a sigh, referring to her mate.

“He didn’t like seeing my name on an online list of your past bed-partners, but he likes you well enough that he’s more pissed for you than at you. After all, it’s not your fault. Emmet Pierson has made many enemies by posting that list. A lot of the women on it are mated now, and their men will not be any happier than Lennie is. Speaking of Lennie . . . he’s out with his buddies tonight. I could come see you, cheer you up,” she offered.

“I’m good, but thanks. And I don’t think your mate would like it much anyway.”

She snorted. “He knows you and I are just friends. He won’t get jealous.”

“No, but he wouldn’t be happy if someone took pictures of you coming and going from my territory, considering you were on Pierson’s infamous list. The human would twist that information to make it seem like you’re cheating on your mate. Lennie wouldn’t believe it, but others might.”

“Wait, there are people hanging outside your territory?”

“There were earlier. Trick and Marcus keep chasing them off, but they come back.”

She made a noise loaded with sympathy. “I’m so sorry this is happening to you. I wish I could do something.”

“It’ll all die down soon.” That was what he kept telling himself.

There was a slight pause. “I expected to see you at the club on Friday, since you seemed determined to wear Mila Devereaux down,” she said, her tone neutral. “I guess this means you’ve given up. It’s for the best. You should be looking for a girl you like, not another one to enjoy simply for a night. You’re getting too old to be chasing skirts.”

But he did like Mila. In fact, he’d kind of . . . well, he missed her. A little. Sort of. Maybe.

“You sure you don’t want some company?” Charlene asked. “You’d be doing me a favor. I’m bored out of my mind here.”

Hearing a beeping from his phone that indicated another person was trying to call, he glanced at the screen. Tate’s name was flashing there. “Charlene, I have to go.”

“Why, what is it?”

“Probably nothing.” Hanging up, Dominic then answered Tate’s call. “Any news?”

“Don’t go postal,” said Tate.

Dominic sat upright. “What’s happened? Where’s Mila?”

“She’s fine,” Tate assured him. “But there was another attack. Some bastard tried to drown her.”

Dominic’s wolf sliced out his claws. “They did what?” He was already off the bed, grabbing a T-shirt out of his closet.

“In the basement swimming pool. Really, she’s okay. But I figured you’d want to know.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Having pulled on his tee and shoes, he left his room, slamming the door behind him. Then, his blood boiling, Dominic stalked through the network of tunnels, heading for the exit. Fuck, he should have convinced her to move to his territory, where he could have kept a close watch over her, where she’d be safer. Moreover, he should never have agreed to keep his distance from her. If he’d been at her side tonight, he might have put a stop to the attack before it started.

Although he was pissed as fuck at Trey for issuing the order to steer clear of her, Dominic was more pissed at himself for heeding it. He could have protested. Could have declared that Mila was far more to him than a female who warmed his metaphorical bed—Trey would have respected that. But Dominic hadn’t wanted to admit that truth to himself, let alone to others.

He’d told her that he wasn’t using Trey’s order as an excuse to put physical space between them. He’d thought he meant it. But Dominic realized now that he’d been talking out of his ass. He’d done to her what he did best—he’d pulled back. “I’m such a fucking prick,” he muttered under his breath.

Sharply turning a corner, Dominic saw Trey and Dante walking in his direction.

“What’s going on?” Trey demanded, obstructing his path. “You look like you want to rip someone’s throat out.”

He did. “Mila was attacked again.” Dominic quickly relayed Tate’s news to them. “I need to see her.”

“Dom—”

“Don’t tell me to stay away.” Dominic’s voice was quiet but laced with something very, very dark. “I need to see her, and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.” If that meant disobeying a direct order from his Alpha, so fucking be it.

Trey sighed. “If you’re seen with her, you could send more unwanted attention her way.”

“Yeah, you’ve said that already. I listened to you. I kept my distance. I trusted that her pride would take care of her. But she’s been hurt, and I don’t even know how badly.”

“The pride has two healers—”

“You’re not hearing me, and I don’t know why.” Dominic took a determined step forward. “I’m going to see her. You don’t have to like it, but it’s happening.”

Exchanging a look with Dante, Trey sighed again. “Then we’ll come with you.”

“You don’t need to—”

“Mila’s clearly something to you, so if you really feel you need to see that she’s okay with your own two eyes, then fine. But you’re not going out alone. We’re coming with you.”

His jaw clenched, Dominic gave a reluctant nod. “Then let’s go.”

The three of them headed down the steps of the cliff face and into the concealed parking lot. No one objected to him driving. Dante rode shotgun while Trey sat in the back.

“So,” began Dante as they passed through the iron gates, “are you ready to accept the truth yet?”

Dominic flicked him a sideways glance. “What truth?”

“That she’s not just a bed-buddy to you,” the Beta replied. “I know you, Dom, so I’m pretty sure you’ve been doing your best to rationalize why she draws you to her. At first, you no doubt blamed it on her rejecting you—and I’m sure that did play some part. But I think what really drew you was that, from day one, she saw you.”

Dante didn’t say “the way your parents never did,” but Dominic heard the words.

“Also,” the Beta went on, “she expects you to give her more than the facets you choose to show people.”

Something else Dominic’s parents hadn’t bothered to do.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, you’ve been a cranky fucker since Trey told you to keep your distance from her. You haven’t spouted a single cheesy line to any of the females. Haven’t even left pack territory much, which I’m guessing is because you didn’t trust that you wouldn’t go to her. Your wolf wanders off during the pack runs, still pissed as hell at Trey. But your wolf isn’t the only one who’s possessive of her, is he?”

Dominic’s grip on the steering wheel flexed. “No.”

Dante’s tone softened a little as he said, “Stop trying to find a reason why you want her so badly. Just accept that you do. Let yourself have her.”

“If you’re thinking it’s not that simple because she’s not your true mate and has made plans to enter into an arranged mating, you’re wrong,” said Trey. “It’s only as complicated as you allow it to be.”

Dante nodded. “I know you well enough to know you worry you’ll be a shit partner, Dominic. But honestly, I don’t think that’s going to be an issue here. It would be if she were your true mate because, to you, a bond like that can be a trap—you’d have automatically held back from her. But you don’t have that worry with Mila. You know she’s not your true mate. You know that no mating urge will suddenly strike you and take the decision from you. You know you have a way out if you need one—the same way out that your father desperately needed. Imprinting bonds can be broken without either party turning rogue. But they can also be as strong as true-mate bonds if the couple pour everything they are into it.”

“I think what Dante is trying to say is, ‘For the love of all that’s holy, do not walk away from this girl—give it what you’ve got.’” Trey raised a brow at the Beta. “Is that about right?”

Dante pursed his lips. “Yeah, that sums it up. Well, Dom, what are you going to do?”

Reaching a red light, Dominic eased up on the pedal. “The same thing I’d decided to do before I even hopped into this SUV: I’m going to tell her I’ve decided that she’s mine.”

There was a long beat of silence, and then Dante and Trey exchanged a look.

“Our boy’s growing up,” said Trey.

“About damn time,” muttered Dante, but he was smiling.