CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER TWELVE

Mila wasn’t the least bit impressed to once again have a bunch of infuriated cats in her apartment. What made it even more irritating was that it wasn’t just a handful of people this time. No, most of the pride had gathered in her apartment—which was driving her very territorial cat crazy. Especially since two of them were Joel and Adele.

On first arriving, Joel had given Mila a tight hug and then spent a good fifteen minutes trying to convince her to move in with him and Adele for a short while so that she wouldn’t be alone. She’d declined of course, which almost led to a shouting match. But one look from Valentina had made him snap his mouth shut. Now he was standing on the other side of the room, seething, while Adele did her best to calm him.

Mila had anticipated his anger. He didn’t want her for himself, but some deep-seated part of him couldn’t stand the idea of her being unsafe—wanted to protect and watch over her. But since her cat viewed that as an imposition, she kept hissing and spitting at him.

Pulling her attention away from Joel, Mila gave the room a once-over. Her pride mates weren’t just pissed; they were shocked. They’d never felt unsafe in the building before. They’d always considered it impenetrable. Well, impenetrable by anyone other than a wolverine—there was no keeping a wolverine out of anywhere they didn’t want to be.

Speaking of wolverines . . . So far her mother hadn’t said a single word, which was bad. A quiet Valentina was a very dangerous Valentina. She was busying herself making everyone tea and serving them pastries—well, everyone except for Vinnie. She blamed him for the hole in security and had no problems indirectly communicating that. And it wouldn’t be long before she was communicating it directly.

From what Mila could tell, Vinnie also felt that the blame lay squarely with him. He, Tate, Luke, and the pride’s enforcers were currently talking among themselves, discussing various ways the snake shifter could have found his way inside the building.

After questioning the snake, they’d come to Mila’s apartment and given her what little information they had on the male. In sum, he was yet another asshole wanting to claim the bounty on her head. Awesome.

As her father tucked a blanket around her legs, Mila frowned. “I’m really okay.”

“Well, we’re not, so let us fuss over you a little.” James sat next to her on the sofa. “Need more tea?”

“No, thanks.” Despite the tea and pastries her mother had plied her with, Mila could still taste the chlorine. Could still smell it, even though she’d had a very long shower. Could still remember that moment when the water flooded her lungs and made her chest feel like it would burst.

If it weren’t for the pride’s healers, her airways would no doubt be burning, and the venom would probably still be affecting her. And if it weren’t for Tate’s intervention earlier, she’d be dead. Not a happy thought.

Valentina took her empty cup from her. “I called your uncles.”

Mila winced. “Mom—”

“They can help, Mila. They have . . . certain skills.” As in, they were excellent hunters and knew a thousand ways to kill a man. They also never left bodies to find—mostly because they ate them, teeth, bone, and all.

“They also make a point of poking at Dad and trying to convince you to leave him.” She loved her uncles, she truly did. She just preferred they stay away from James.

Valentina jutted out her chin. “Your father can handle my brothers.”

“It’s Skeletor I can’t stand,” said James with a lip curl.

Valentina’s nostrils flared. “James Devereaux, you will cease calling my mother ‘Skeletor.’”

“It’s just a little nickname,” he said, full of innocence. “Nicknames are a demonstration of affection.”

Hearing knuckles rapping on the front door, Valentina shot her mate a “we’re not done here” glare and then stormed off.

Feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on, Mila closed her eyes and rubbed at her temple. It made her a bitch, really, but she wanted everyone gone. She appreciated their concern and support, she just couldn’t deal with having so many people around her right then. And her cat couldn’t relax so long as Joel and Adele were in her private space and—

“Ah, Dominic,” Valentina greeted. “It is good to see you.”

Heart jumping in her chest, Mila snapped her eyes open. Her cat’s pacing came to an abrupt halt.

Seconds later, he came striding into the living area, and his eyes instantly sought her out. Then he was making a beeline for her as if they were the only two people there, not bothering to return any of the greetings he received. Her cat regarded him carefully, a little miffed with him for staying away.

Just like the time he’d spoken with the jackal, his dominance and intensity were pulsing around him. His infectious impishness was nowhere to be seen, but it hadn’t been replaced by anger or tension or any other emotion. No, he was cool and in control. But that shrewd, ruthless, unforgiving side of him had come to the surface.

He sank straight into the spot that her father—who looked rather pleased by GQ’s arrival—voluntarily vacated. Palming her nape, Dominic pressed a light kiss to her mouth. “I came as soon as I heard. How are you feeling?”

She swallowed. There was something . . . different in the way he was looking at her. Something that made her all tingly and wary at the same time. “Okay, thanks to Tate.”

“What happened exactly? All Tate told me was that someone managed to get into the building and tried to drown you in the basement pool.”

Mila took a deep breath and then told him about the attack. “Tate got there in time to drag the fucker off me. While Luke detained him, Tate gave me CPR. The healers took care of the rest.”

“CPR,” Dominic echoed, surprised by how steady his voice was. She’d had to have CP-fucking-R. That was how close she’d come to death. That was how close he’d come to losing her before he even had the chance to explore what was between them.

Tightening his grip on her nape, Dominic shot an accusatory look at Vinnie, asking, “How the hell did he even get into the building?”

“Our theory is that he entered in his snake form,” replied Vinnie. “They can fit through all kinds of small places. We’re working on finding all those cracks so that we can ensure another of his kind can’t repeat the move.”

Dominic’s jaw hardened—because it was too little, too late. He’d trusted that she was safe there. “I’d like to see him. Where is he?”

Vinnie licked his front teeth. “He’s . . . indisposed right now. I’m afraid he can’t talk.” Translation: he was dead.

Trey quickly introduced himself and Dante to Mila before turning to Vinnie. “I’m guessing the snake was a bounty hunter.”

“He was,” confirmed Vinnie. “His name was Roland Blum. He was a lone shifter.”

Trey pursed his lips. “Never heard of him.”

“We had a little . . . conversation with him about who sent him.” Vinnie looked at Dominic. “It went along the same lines as the conversation you had with the jackal at the club. He saw the bounty on the website and tried to cash in. He had no information that could lead us to whoever put out the hit.”

As Vinnie and Trey talked more about the website, Mila turned to Dominic and quietly asked, “Why did Tate call you about the snake attack?”

Dominic moved his hand from her nape to trace the shell of her ear. “Because I told him to contact me if anything happened to you. I call him every day, looking for updates. I also gave him some suggestions for securing the area.”

Mila narrowed her eyes. “You’ve been coordinating with my cousin?”

Dominic shrugged. “I like to be helpful.” She opened her mouth—no doubt to insist that her safety was none of his business—so he used his fingers to gently pinch her lips shut. “We can argue about it later. Or would you rather do it with an audience? Because plenty of people are watching us right now.” She briefly glanced around, saw that he was right, and gave him a look that said “fine.” He released her mouth. “Good girl.” He looked up just as her mother appeared and handed him a cup of tea. “How are you doing, Valentina?”

She sniffed. “I am tempted to slash Vinnie’s throat for not being aware of the weakness in security.”

Dominic didn’t doubt that she was serious. He turned to Mila. “What disturbs me is that the snake knew where to find you.”

“It was more likely luck on his part,” said Mila. “If he got inside through a crack in the foundation of the building, he would have gotten straight into the basement. He probably planned to head to my apartment, but then I walked straight into his grasp. Bastard.”

“There should not have been ways in which intruders could enter,” clipped Valentina, her voice loud enough to carry.

Vinnie grimaced. “We’ll fix any cracks in the building, any uneven doorjambs, and any other gaps we can find to make sure nothing like this happens again.”

That wasn’t enough for Mila’s mother, though. No. She gave the Alpha a ration of verbal shit, and he didn’t bother defending himself. That was one thing Mila respected about Vinnie. He owned his mistakes. Didn’t make excuses for himself. Still, it wouldn’t be long before he lost his patience with Valentina, an eventuality the woman was no doubt counting on. The wolverine was itching for a fight, and that was bad.

Mila looked up at her father. “Dad, I think it’s time you got her out of here.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.” James put a hand on his mate’s shoulder. “Mila’s tired. How about we all go home and give her some space?” When Valentina started to object, James added, “She’ll have Dominic with her, she’ll be fine.”

A conspiratorial look passed between her parents, and Mila rolled her eyes. They liked the idea of her being alone with Dominic. But since she wanted everyone gone, she didn’t complain.

Joel crossed the room. “I can stay with her. Adele and I can keep watch while she gets some rest.” He directed a look of challenge right at GQ that made Mila tense.

Dominic gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze and then smoothly got to his feet. “Not necessary,” he said to Joel. “I got her.” After everyone said their goodbyes to Mila, Dominic herded them to the door, assuring them all that he’d take care of her and call them if they were needed. He also promised to keep Trey and Dante updated on whatever came next.

Joel, the asshole, lingered at the doorway. “It’s sweet that you’d come to her rescue,” he said sardonically, “but you’re not what she needs right now. You’re not what she’ll ever need, and I for one think that—”

“You don’t want to get in my way when it comes to Mila,” Dominic warned him. His wolf wanted to rake the face of this male who, if things had been different, would have claimed her for his own. But things weren’t different. Joel had made his choice, and that meant Mila was none of his fucking business.

The blonde who Dominic was guessing was Adele tried leading Joel away, but he kept his glare locked on Dominic as he said, “I’m Mila’s friend—”

“And if she wanted you to stay, she’d have said so,” Dominic pointed out. “Just as she’d have told me to leave if she wanted me gone.”

Grinding his teeth, Joel took an aggressive step toward him. “I read those articles about you. Yeah, both seemed to be piles of shit. But that list of names—that long, long list . . . I don’t want Mila added to that. I don’t want her to be just another woman whose name you probably won’t even remember a few years down the line. She deserves better than that. Better than you.”

Dominic couldn’t even blame the asshole for thinking Mila was no one to him. Hadn’t he in fact forgotten a lot of those women’s names? But Mila was different. Since he had no intention of explaining himself to Joel, Dominic lifted a brow and asked, “Are we done here?”

Again, the blonde tried leading Joel away. Again, the asshole resisted. “She’s got enough problems right now—as evidenced by the attack on her earlier. She doesn’t need to be dealing with your problems as well.”

“And what do I need, Joel?”

Wincing, Joel turned to look at Mila, who was standing a few feet away. He cursed, taking a moment to weigh his words. Yeah, telling a dominant female what they did or didn’t need wasn’t wise. “I just don’t like that he’s bringing more trouble to your door,” Joel said carefully.

“Well, thanks for sharing that,” said Mila. “But it’s my door, Joel, not yours. I say who can and can’t walk through it—not you or anybody else.”

The blonde gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Mila, he’s just a little tense after hearing—”

“You almost died, Mila,” Joel clipped. “If Tate hadn’t heard that whistle, you’d be dead right now. So fucking forgive me if I’d rather that someone wasn’t piling more danger on you.” With that, he pivoted on his heel and stormed out.

“Sorry,” the blonde repeated, backing out of the apartment.

Closing the door, Dominic turned to Mila. Her face hard, her body rigid, her eyes closed, she just stood there. He slowly crossed to her, eating up her personal space, and skimmed his fingertips down her throat. “Open your eyes, baby.”

He’d expected to see torment there. After all, the male who would have been her mate was acting like he had rights to her—rights he’d given up—and just wouldn’t back the fuck off and give her the space to truly heal. Because despite what she liked to think, she hadn’t truly healed. Not fully. And her cat had a long way to go before she’d feel at peace.

What Dominic hadn’t expected to see when she lifted those eyelids was her cat staring back at him. There was a warning there. The feline had been badly hurt, and she was letting him know that she’d tolerate no more of it. He wondered if, unlike Mila, the cat had sensed from his body language that he wanted “more,” and she wanted him to know that she’d be watching him closely. She wasn’t warning him to stay away, though, so he took that as a win.

His wolf strained against Dominic, wanting to get to the cat, wanting to reassure her. But the feline withdrew, and Mila’s blue eyes took him in.

“I thought you were supposed to be keeping your distance from me,” she said.

He slid his hand up her arm. “Tried it. Didn’t like it. Won’t be doing it again.” He nuzzled her neck, needing a lungful of her scent. It felt like weeks since he’d last been inside her. He wanted to bury his cock deep in her pussy, wanted to taste and touch and take her hard. But she was strung tighter than a bow. Needed comfort. Needed to forget what a shit evening she’d had so far.

Taking her hand, Dominic led her to the bathroom, where he slowly peeled off her clothes, keeping his touch light and easy.

“I already had a shower,” she told him.

“I haven’t, and I don’t want to take one alone.” He shed his own clothes and pulled her into the shower stall. The spray of hot water drummed at their skin and pattered the tiles and frosted-glass door. He soaped her body, working the fruity gel into a creamy lather, filling the humid air with the scent of grapefruit. Neither of them said a word. The only sounds were the drum of the water and the whirring of the fan.

Feeling the stress seep from her muscles, Mila closed her eyes. His cock, hard as a rock, dug into her lower stomach. But he didn’t make any moves on her. Aside from the occasional press of his lips to the corners of her mouth or the column of her throat, he didn’t even kiss her. His touch was soothing. Reverent. Calming. There was also something . . . claiming about it. Like, in skimming the pads of his fingers over every part of her, he was leaving some sort of mark on her. His mark.

But that couldn’t be right, she thought. Dominic wouldn’t go so far as to lay any kind of claim on her—no matter how temporary. He was just . . . comforting her. Exposing yet another side of himself. A sensitive side that would shelve his own anger and frustrations to concentrate solely on her.

After washing her hair, he rinsed them both off and used a soft towel to pat her skin while she used a smaller one to towel dry her hair as best she could. Only when he’d toweled himself off did he shepherd her into the bedroom.

Holding her close, he skimmed the tips of his fingers along her collarbone. “Feel better?”

Muscles deliciously loose, her cat much more relaxed, Mila nodded. “You’re good with those hands in more ways than one.”

Mouth curving, he buried his face in her neck and inhaled deeply. “Missed that scent. Missed you. And you missed me, didn’t you?”

She swallowed. “Maybe.”

He breezed his lips along her jaw. “Give me your throat.”

“Fuck, no.”

He smiled, having suspected already that she’d never submit so easily. “You need—” She yanked off his towel and fisted his cock tight; the pleasure of it made him hiss out a breath. He loved that boldness in her. Loved that she was unashamed of her sexuality and made her own demands.

Devouring her mouth, he thrust into her grip as she pumped him with that talented little hand. A hand that wouldn’t be stroking anyone else like that, he thought with a growl. There was something heady about that. About knowing that no other man could touch her.

Fuck, he was already close to coming, which meant he’d need to remove her hand from his cock before he exploded on her instead of in her. While the thought of his come on her skin held great appeal, he needed to be inside her tonight.

Curling his hand around hers, he peeled her skilled fingers away from his cock. “Not ready to come yet.” Crowding her with his body, he tipped her back onto the mattress but remained standing. “Stay.”

Her mouth thinned. “I’m not a dog.”

“No, you’re a very pretty kitty. My kitty.”

His? Mila snorted to herself, sure he didn’t mean it. He carefully peeled open her towel, like he was unwrapping a present. She drank him in, mouth drying up at all that hard muscle and restrained power. His gaze drifted over her. Hot. Territorial. No one had ever dared look at her that way. And it was more than just a little weird that her cat didn’t bristle.

Wary, Mila licked her lips. “Don’t be getting possessive, Dominic.”

Bending over her, he planted a fist on either side of her head. “It’s too late for that warning. And you know it.” He sucked a nipple into his mouth.

Inhaling sharply, Mila drove her fingers into his hair. He bit and licked and suckled like a master. That clever mouth ravished her nipples, making them throb with pleasure and pain. She pulled on his hair, trying to drag him onto the bed. Instead, his mouth trailed a blaze of fire down her stomach before he got to his knees at the foot of the bed and clamped his mouth around her pussy.

Mila’s eyes fell shut as he licked at her slit. Then he was rolling the tip of his tongue around her clit before expertly pumping it inside her. The friction built and built as she moaned, shook, and bucked. And then she exploded. He didn’t stop. He drove her hard and fast toward another orgasm . . . and then he stopped before she could come, the asshole.

Aching to be in her, Dominic stood upright, gripped her thighs, and angled her hips toward his cock. “Nothing better than fucking you while your taste is in my mouth.” Forcing the head of his dick past swollen muscles, Dominic slowly sank inside her. “Love watching your pussy stretch for me. There’s always that little bit of resistance for just a few seconds, but then I’m in you. And you always take every inch. I wonder how much of my cock your mouth can take.”

She gave him an imperious look. “You’ll just have to keep wondering.”

“Oh, I’ll have that mouth, Mila.” Dominic slowly and smoothly pulled back until just the head of his cock was inside her pussy, grinding his teeth at how fucking hot and slick she was. Just as slowly and smoothly, he buried himself balls-deep. Dominic groaned. “So fucking tight.” Resisting the urge to pound into her, he gave her yet another slow thrust. And another. And another.

Mila tried arching into his thrusts, surprised by his leisurely pace. Dominic was usually aggressive. Forceful. Unrelenting. She wasn’t sure she liked the change, because it was a hell of a lot easier to think of it as just sex when it was earthy and raw.

Fisting the sheets, she shoved her hips at him, hinting for him to pick up the pace. He didn’t. She teasingly squeezed his cock tight with her inner muscles. Again, he ignored the silent demand, letting out a throaty little snarl that made her pussy contract around him. She did not know what it was about that fucking sound, but it totally did it for her.

Never a quitter, she clamped her pussy down on him again. Still, though, the awkward bastard kept up that agonizingly slow pace.

Digging his fingertips into her thighs, he lifted a brow. “What is it, Mila?”

“Move faster,” she ordered. “Harder.”

He slowly dragged his cock out of her pussy, leaving only the head inside. “You want it rough?”

“Yes,” she bit out.

“Why?” He lazily thrust back inside her. “So you can pretend this is just fucking? It’s not, Mila.” He shuffled her up the bed as he knelt on the mattress. “You know it’s not.” Again, he pulled his hips back. “Don’t you?”

“Well—”

Sluggishly sinking back into her pussy, Dominic curled over her and flexed his hips, stabbing his cock so deep that her lips parted and agonized pleasure flashed across her face. “Feel how deep I am. I’m going to come while I’m this deep. Gonna make sure every inch of your pussy feels me and knows it’s mine.”

Mila’s heart jumped. “Yours? Look, GQ, you said yourself that no one’s made you feel possessive before. That’s all this is. The emotion’s so new that you don’t yet know—”

“No more of us pretending this is just fun,” he said, ignoring her. “No more of me leaving in the middle of the night. No more of you talking about going to Russia. We’re going to let this thing between us play out. We’re going to see where it takes us.”

“The arranged mating—”

“Won’t happen.” He swiveled his hips, wrenching a little gasp out of her. “The only reason the idea of it attracts you is that it’s not much different from a business deal. There doesn’t have to be feelings involved. He’ll take you as you are just so he can have the alliance—you’re okay with that because, no matter what you like to think, you don’t feel you can give everything you are to someone. Not yet. But the whole fuckup with Joel left you with a void, and you’re desperate to fill it.”

Mila wished she could argue with that, wished he was wrong, but she was terribly afraid that he wasn’t. “What if you’re right, and I can’t put my all into this? What if you can’t?”

“Neither of us are going to find it easy to be totally open. Maybe that will make this harder. On the other hand, maybe it will make it easier since we’ll both be able to relate to what difficulties the other is having. We’ll soon find out. Like I said, we’ll see where this takes us.”

“And what if it takes us somewhere good?” she asked, her voice cracking. “What if imprinting starts? Are you going to get scared of that? Are you going to run?”

“I’m not afraid of commitment, baby. If this takes us somewhere good, all the better.”

“What about your true mate? If I say yes and we later imprint on each other, I’ll be robbing you of something special—a life with your true mate.”

“The same thing would apply if you mated with that Russian asshole.” His wolf bared his teeth at the mere mention of him. “But, baby, I would never see it as you ‘robbing’ me of anything. I’m making the choice, here and now, to explore this with you. I’d be a fucking fool to walk away from it. I point-blank refuse to. I want to see where this can go. And so do you.” He gave her another slow thrust. “Don’t overthink this, Mila. There’s no need to. Just stay. Fuck Russia, fuck Maksim. Stay with me.”

Slipping his thumb between her folds, Dominic rubbed her clit just right as he thrust forward again and latched on to her nipple. The triple assault scattered Mila’s thoughts, making it difficult for her to focus. “Shit. Not fair.”

“Did you think I’d fight fair?” He lashed her neglected nipple with his tongue. “Stay with me.”

Mila swallowed as his hooded eyes stared down at her, glittering with resolve, possession, and a promise of . . . home, maybe? She couldn’t really describe it. But it was like he was holding out a metaphorical hand—an invitation and an offer. Her cat took a step toward it. And the part of Mila that had worried she’d never feel that she belonged to anybody after having missed her chance with Joel reached out to Dominic.

She tightened her grip on his hair, hissing. “If you fuck me over, GQ, I will plow your ass with a goddamn plunger—and I’ll make you like it.”

He chuckled, relief and masculine satisfaction pouring through him and his wolf. “That’s my girl. My Mila.” Pulling back his hips, he snarled. “Now you’re gonna get so fucked . . .” He slammed home, biting hard into her neck, growling as her pussy clamped down on him. Mine. Dominic hammered into her, keeping his teeth locked on her flesh, spurred on by every moan and gasp and whispered demand.

Curving her body into his, Mila dug her claws into his nape and shoulder. Every slam of his cock was pure bliss, winding her tighter and tighter. Making her burn hotter and hotter. She was so agonizingly close to coming, she shook with it.

Dominic’s balls tightened as her teeth scraped over his neck. He knew she wanted to bite him and leave her own mark. Could sense her fighting it. “Would you want to see me with another woman, Mila?”

“I always do. They flock around you,” she hissed, her eyes flashing cat. And he saw the warning there—the feline wouldn’t tolerate that shit.

“So make sure they know not to go near what’s yours,” he said. Sharp teeth dug down hard into the crook of his neck, acting like a whip of lightning to his cock. “Fuck.” Dominic slammed harder into her pussy, forcing his cock deep, making sure she felt him in her womb. Those teeth didn’t release him. No, they were locked tight on his flesh, and that only made it hotter.

His balls drew up, and he felt that telling tingle in the base of his spine. Dominic snapped his hand around her throat, snarling against her mouth. “Come for me, Mila.”

It was the damn snarl that somehow did it. Mila’s lips parted in a silent scream as white-hot pleasure rippled through her body, sizzled its way up her spine, and shattered her from the inside out.

Dominic swore as her pussy squeezed and contracted around him. Jamming his cock impossibly deep, he came so fucking hard it almost blew the head off his dick, jetting rope after rope of come inside her. Marking her.

As the strength left them both, he released her legs, letting them slide to the mattress, but he didn’t otherwise move. Just lay over her, his face buried in her neck while her fingers lazily danced over his back. He had to be crushing her with his weight, but she didn’t complain.

“Wasn’t kidding about the plunger, GQ,” she slurred.

His lips curved. “Such a vicious little thing; I like that.” He licked over the none-too-subtle bite he’d left on her neck, his smile widening at her little shudder. “I’ve never marked anyone before.”

“Neither have I.”

“Good.”

“What triggered the whole ‘we’re gonna see where this can go’ thing?”

Bracing himself on his elbows, he breezed his thumbs over her cheekbones. “It was always going to happen—Tate’s phone call just sped it up. His first words were, ‘Don’t go postal.’ I got this sick feeling in my gut, and my imagination went haywire. I knew you weren’t dead because Tate would have begun the conversation much differently. But dozens of other scenarios played out in my head in mere seconds, although it felt a fuck of a lot longer.

“And it hit me that we’d wasted so much time dancing around this thing we have—and we do have something here, Mila—rather than just accepting and exploring it. Life’s too short for that shit. I’m not wasting any more time. I’m too old to bullshit myself about what I feel and want. And I’m done trying to rationalize it.”

Satisfied that this hadn’t been some spur-of-the-moment thing that he was likely to regret later, Mila nodded. She could tease him a little, though, right? Glancing at the wall, she blew out a breath. “I guess I’ll have to tell my uncles to postpone the arranged mating.”

He stiffened. “Postpone?”

“Well, this might not work out. I need to keep my options open and—”

Grabbing her wrists with a growl, he pinned them above her head. “You better be fucking kidding me.” But he was smiling because the little witch was laughing. “You’re gonna pay for that, Mila.”

“What, you gonna spank me, GQ?”

“As a matter of fact . . .” Dominic withdrew his half-hard cock, flipped her over, and brought his hand down hard on her ass. The little witch was still laughing.