CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

As Dominic drove his SUV up the rocky trail, Mila drank in the scenic views around them. His territory seemed to go and on—an endless stretch of land that was all majestic trees, steep mountains, and rocky terrain. “This place is huge.”

“The forest goes on for miles,” said Dominic. “Your cat would probably love exploring it.”

Oh, the feline definitely would—she was currently enthralled by the vast amount of territory. Mila couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have this as her backyard. When her pride mates wanted to shift and let their cats play, they either used the rooftop garden of the apartment building or the massive communal yard behind it. The backyard looked neglected to the human eye with its tall grass, thick bushes, nonsensical rockeries, and clusters of mossy trees. But it was a perfect playground for one of Mila’s kind.

Pallas cats were highly territorial and didn’t like sharing their space. But since her pride mates had been forced to do so since they were kits, they were used to it. Her cat would love having this kind of territory to run in.

“See that mountain up ahead?” he asked, pointing. “Look closely.”

Squinting, Mila leaned forward a little in her seat. Surprise had her lips parting. “No way. Am I seeing windows and balcony doors?” There were also narrow stairways carved into the face of the mountain. “You live in an actual mountain?”

He nodded, his mouth hitching up. “It has several floors and a huge maze of tunnels that can be hard to navigate at first, but you get used to it.”

Fascinated, she twisted in her seat to face him. “How set in the Stone Age is it?”

“If you mean, do we go without electricity and running water, no. The dwelling is as modern as your apartment building.”

“Wow.”

“I’ll take you on a tour, but that will come later. I know your cat doesn’t like being in crowded rooms, so I suggested to the pack that we all meet outside. We’ve just finished building a tree house for the kids at the spot where we sometimes camp for the night, so everyone has gathered there.”

Warmed by that, she said, “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“I don’t want you or your cat uncomfortable here.” Dominic wanted both of them to love it, wanted them to come back again and again—which was why he’d warned his pack to be nice and not run Mila through a gauntlet. Honestly, though, he didn’t believe they’d be anything less than welcoming, especially since they were so excited to be finally meeting her.

He drove into the concealed parking lot at the base of the mountain and whipped the SUV into a free space. “Come on. They’ll be waiting.”

As they walked hand in hand through the expansive forest, Dominic took her down the most scenic route. They crossed the river, meandered through a pretty meadow, and passed a frothy waterfall. He watched her carefully, absorbing every reaction, loving it whenever her face lit up. “So you like it then?”

“Yeah, I like it,” Mila replied. Her cat liked it even more. The feline’s excitement built as she drank in every scent, every sight, every sound.

Her stomach fluttering, Mila blew out a breath. She wasn’t nervous. Aside from the moments before a performance, she was never, ever—

Okay, she was nervous. Not about meeting the pack itself but because she knew it was important to Dominic that they like her. Madisyn and Harley had assured Mila that the Phoenix Pack were good people and that they would like Mila for the simple reason that Dominic mattered to her. Still, that didn’t chase her nerves away. And the stomach fluttering intensified when she heard voices and laughter up ahead.

Dominic gave her hand a supportive squeeze. “They’ll be nice, just like your pride mates have been nice to me. Well, most of them have.”

Mila’s head whipped around to face him. “Some of my pride mates gave you shit? Who?”

Her protectiveness made Dominic smile, and he just had to press a quick kiss to her mouth. Though he hated to speak the bastard’s name, he explained, “I meant Joel.”

“Oh. Well, he doesn’t like most people.”

Dominic’s brows drew together as a thought suddenly occurred to him. “He’s very different from me.”

“Yeah, he is,” Mila agreed. Their biggest difference was that whereas Dominic had an easy way with people and could make friends in an empty room, Joel didn’t warm to others easily and didn’t consider many people friends.

“Fate pairs us with someone who’ll suit our personality. It paired you with someone very different from me.”

Something about the way he said that made Mila frown. “And what, you think that means that you and I won’t work in the long run?”

“Don’t you?”

“No. Adele’s very different from me. Sweet, bubbly, and a little oblivious. Yet, she and Joel really do complement each other in many ways.”

Dominic’s brows shot up. “Never thought of that.”

She gave him a patronizing pat on the head. “What have I told you about thinking? You leave that to me.”

He brought her hand to his mouth and nipped at her fingers. “Kind of bitchy when you want to be, aren’t you?”

“You’re only realizing this now?”

The scents of sawdust, tree sap, smoke, and food drifted Mila’s way just as they stepped into a clearing. Some people were perched on the fallen trees framing a man-made fire pit. Others lounged on patio chairs or lay on blankets. Plates, cups, and various foods were spread across the nearby picnic table.

A few camping tents had been set up near a small campervan. Mila supposed they were for the adults, who were hardly likely to sleep in the nearby tree house.

It was no typical tree house. It was more like a miniature cabin built on high, thick tree stumps. There was a rope ladder on one side and a spiral wooden staircase on the other. The cabin had a front porch, cute little windows, and a tube slide attached to the center of its base—she was guessing there was a trapdoor that opened onto the slide. Kids were swarming all over it like insects, laughing and squealing.

Digging cans of soda out of the huge cooler near the picnic table, Trey was the first to spot her and Dominic approaching. Even though her cat had met him once before, she went on full alert, eyeing the Alpha carefully, sensing his level of strength, and identifying him as a potential threat.

Built like a freaking tank, Trey headed toward them. He nodded at his enforcer before inclining his head at her. “Good to see you again, Mila. Welcome to Phoenix Pack territory.”

And then all the chatter just stopped.

Dominic stifled a smile. It was almost comical the way all the adults turned their heads at once. As they took in the sight of his hand joined with Mila’s, they smiled. And he knew that if he hadn’t warned them in advance that it wasn’t wise to get touchy-feely with a pallas cat, they’d have descended on her as a group. Most of them had pestered him at one point or another to bring her here.

Trey gestured at Taryn. “This is my mate, Taryn.”

The Alpha female waved, her smile wide. “Howdy. I was hoping you’d come.”

As Trey called for the kids to come down to meet Mila, Makenna spoke. “It’s really good to see you, Mila. I’m Makenna. The tower of doom and gloom behind me is my mate, Ryan. Ignore the scowl. It’s a permanent thing. Standing next to him is his cousin, Zac. Oh, and that she-demon scrambling over here is my little girl, Sienna.”

Mila smiled at the dark-haired girl, who she’d seen plenty of photos of, thanks to Madisyn. “She’s Madisyn’s goddaughter, right?”

Makenna nodded. “That’s right.”

“Looking better than you did the last time I saw you, Mila,” said Dante. “This is my mate, Jaime, and our boy, Hendrix.”

“I’m so psyched to finally meet you,” said Jaime, cradling the sleeping baby. She tipped her chin toward the people sitting beside her on the fallen tree. “This is my brother, Gabe, and his mate, Hope.”

Sidling over to Dominic, Trey said quietly to him, “We tried to get Allen to come here, knowing Greta would be on her best behavior if he were around, but he’s visiting family in Florida.”

Dominic let out a quiet curse. Before Mila could ask him if something was wrong, Taryn spoke again.

“Let’s get the rest of the introductions out of the way. The boy who’s climbing Trey’s back is our son, Kye. Over there on the blankets we have Lydia, Cam, Grace, and Rhett.” She pointed at the group of people on the lawn chairs. “That’s Marcus and Roni, a pair of mated enforcers. Trick, another of our enforcers, is next to them with his mate, Frankie, who is an amazing sculptor. Sitting on the log opposite Jaime is our Head Enforcer, Tao, and his mate, Riley, who is also the pack’s Guardian. The boy climbing Tao like a fence post is Dexter, and the little girl with pigtails hanging from the branch above my head is Savannah—they belong to Riley and Tao. The little girl peeking at you from behind Riley’s leg is Lilah, she’s Grace and Rhett’s daughter.” Her brow creasing, Taryn gestured at an elderly woman, hesitantly adding, “And this is—”

“I’m Greta, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Smiling, the old woman shook Mila’s hand, all grace and warmth.

Mila’s mouth kicked up into a smile. “Same to you. I’m Mila.”

“Such a beautiful name.” Greta lightly touched Mila’s dark curls. “And such pretty hair.”

“Thank you.”

“You know something? I’ve been waiting for my boy to finally meet someone worthy. You took your sweet time,” Greta chastised him, her eyes twinkling.

“Oh, you’re related?” asked Mila.

“Not by blood, but I think of him as my grandson. He thinks the world of me, just as I do of him.” Greta patted his arm. “Now, Dominic, you go find a seat for your Mila, and then get her some food and—Kye, don’t climb the camper!” She offered Mila an apologetic look. “Excuse me.” Greta walked toward the van and tried to shoo Kye off the hood.

Becoming aware of an unnatural silence, Mila looked to see that everyone was staring at the old woman, their expressions ranging from shock to confusion.

“What just happened?” Taryn asked no one in particular. “Seriously, what was that?”

Frankie looked from Mila to Greta. “What did you do? I mean, she was . . . pleasant to you. While sober.”

“Greta likes pallas cats, remember,” said Dominic.

Makenna’s frown smoothed away. “Ah, that’s right. That’s why she has a soft spot for Madisyn. I totally forgot.”

“Can we go back to the tree house now?” Lilah asked her mother, who nodded.

As the kids dashed off, Dominic led Mila toward an empty lawn chair.

“No, she has to sit by me,” declared Jaime.

Dominic frowned. “She’ll be almost directly across from—”

“By me,”Jaime insisted. “I have about an hour to convince her to be my best friend. I can’t do that if she’s all the way over there, can I? Work with me, Dominic—I’m on a schedule here.”

Rolling his eyes, he led Mila to the fallen tree. Gabe and Hope shuffled over, making room for her and Dominic to join them. Instead of sitting, Dominic went to get them some food.

Jaime smiled brightly at Mila. “Hi, I’ve been so eager to meet you. You can imagine we all love Dominic, and due to his obsessive-compulsive dirty-line disorder, we were starting to think he’d grow old alone. You’ve given us hope.” She held a hand up when Mila might have pointed out that it was only early days. “No, even if you and he later part ways, you still bring us hope. You’re living proof that someone can cope with his weirdness.”

Taryn nodded, her eyes dancing. “I have to tell you, we’ve all loved that you made him work for you.”

Grace forked a piece of potato salad. “Things come easy to Dominic, especially with his gift of persuasion. And women have always flocked around him, ready to hop, skip, and jump at his say-so. But it was all shallow. They didn’t have any real interest in who he was; they wanted him like you’d want a pretty accessory.”

“Or they wanted to be the one who tamed him—it would have done something for their egos,” Taryn added. “No one really tried to get to know him. No one looked past the surface and saw that more lurked beneath. And no one ever mattered to him before, so we all just want to kiss you.”

Lydia nodded. “It’s very true. Even Greta does, apparently.”

“And let me tell you, having Greta’s seal of approval is no small thing,” said Frankie.

“She’s very possessive of Trey, Dante, Tao, and the enforcers,” said Riley, tossing a piece of dry wood into the fire. “Calls them her boys. Doesn’t like having unmated females around them. Each time one of the guys found his mate, she did her best to chase her off . . . and remains a witch to them to this very day. Except for Roni. She loves Roni.”

Roni shrugged. “What can I say? I’m immensely lovable.”

Dominic sat beside Mila and handed her a loaded plate of food. “Here, baby.”

“Thank you.” Mila set it on her lap and then grabbed the can of soda he’d held carefully in the crook of his elbow.

Sighing dreamily, Jaime looked at the others. “Aw, he calls her ‘baby.’”

Dominic’s brow furrowed. “This isn’t gonna get weird, is it?”

Dante snorted, carefully taking Hendrix in his arms. “Dude, if my mate’s involved, it always gets weird.”

Jaime sniffed at him. “So true.”

Mila tucked into her food, feeling surprisingly relaxed as opposed to overwhelmed by the number of people there. But then, they made it easy for her to be comfortable when they were so welcoming and genuinely pleased to meet her. Plus, the territory itself was so peaceful that Mila couldn’t help but be relaxed. Even with the kids squealing, she could still enjoy the serene sounds of fire crackling, birds chirping, and branches creaking in the breeze.

Once her cat got past the need to watch the pack as if they were potential threats, she began pushing against Mila’s skin, wanting out, wanting to explore.

A soda can hissed as Taryn popped it open. “I should probably be up front about this, Mila, and say I’m so jealous of you.”

Blinking, Mila tilted her head. “Why?”

“Because I really want to be a pallas cat.” And the Alpha female sounded amazingly put out that that wasn’t the case.

Jaime chuckled. “Taryn’s been saying that ever since she saw the video footage of Madisyn kicking the asses of three sows in the restroom at Enigma.”

“Speaking of clubs, we were at the Velvet Lounge a couple of weeks ago when you were performing there,” said Frankie. “Can I just say, you have a beautiful voice.”

Mila smiled. “Thank you.”

“On another note,” began Tao, roasting marshmallows, “is your father an art thief, Mila? Because you’re a total masterpiece.”

Chuckling along with the others, Trick said, “I was wondering if your father was an alien, because there’s nothing like you on Earth.”

Another round of chuckles.

“I was thinking of calling God and telling him I found his missing angel,” said Marcus. “Seriously, Mila, is that a ladder in your pants or a stairway to heaven?”

Dominic glared at his laughing pack mates. “I knew you’d all be assholes.”

Marcus shrugged a shoulder. “We’re just getting some payback.”

Mila turned to Dominic with a sigh. “You hit their mates with cheesy lines, don’t you? Honestly, GQ, I don’t know how you’re still breathing.”

Dominic smiled. “I save all the lines for you now.”

“Lucky me, I guess,” Mila muttered. He just laughed.

Standing near the picnic table with Dante and Trey, Dominic drank his beer as he watched Mila help Dexter pile things inside a plastic bucket that was tied to a rope. Kye and Lilah then pulled the rope, hauling the bucket up to the tree house. Dexter was a playful kid but not much for chatting. Right then, though, the cheetah cub was jabbering on and on about something to Mila, who he’d led over there by her pinkie finger the moment she’d finished her food.

Highly protective of Dexter, little Savannah had spent a full five minutes watching Mila with a death glare that spooked most adults. Dominic had tensed when Mila’s eyes went cat as she glared right back at Savannah. But that show of strength seemed to have settled the viper, because Savannah was now twined around one of Mila’s legs while tugging on Sienna’s foot. Yep, the pup also seemed drawn to Mila—Sienna had demanded to be picked up and had been perched on Mila’s hip for at least the past half hour.

Someone else might have been annoyed at having kids crowd them like that. Mila wasn’t fazed. Nor did she seem overwhelmed having all these people trying to commandeer her time—and they really were trying to. She talked easily with his pack mates, not looking awkward or socially uncomfortable. Maybe that came from dealing with a stream of strangers at the barbershop, day in and day out.

Seeing how well she got along with the females of his pack settled him. It wasn’t that she fit in; it was more like she’d slotted into the space as if she’d been there countless times before.

“You know, it’s lucky that Pierson didn’t notice Mila’s mark when he spoke to her the other day,” said Trey. “That would have sent him into a full-blown rage—he’s convinced a bite means an automatic mating bond.”

Taking another swig of his beer, Dominic turned to the Alpha. “She dabs a little concealer over it when she’s at work to avoid questions from human clients—but not so much concealer that a shifter with their advanced eyesight wouldn’t notice it.”

“It doesn’t bother you that she covers it?” Dante asked him.

Dominic twisted his mouth. “It does a little, but I get her reasoning. Humans believe she’s one of them, and they aren’t always nice to people they perceive to be ‘shifter groupies.’ She doesn’t want the barbershop to lose clients or deal with hassle from the kind of religious zealots that turned up outside the Velvet Lounge a few weeks back. Archie conceals his claiming mark while at work for the same reason. Pallas cats like to fly under the radar of humans. So long as other shifters will spot her brand and know she’s taken, I can deal with it.”

“On the subject of the club, I spoke to Jesse earlier,” said Trey. “He mentioned there’s something weird going on with Charlene. You never said anything about it. What happened?”

Dominic told him about the fox’s warnings to Mila, how Charlene had acted at the club that night, and Jesse’s theory about it. “I don’t know if he’s right, but I know she wasn’t happy when she realized I’d marked Mila. She tried hiding it. Smiled as she served us drinks. But she didn’t mention the brand.”

Dante pursed his lips. “I would have thought Charlene would be happy for you. Maybe she doesn’t like pallas cats. But Jesse’s theory makes sense too. With any luck, the fox will get over herself quick enough.”

“For her sake, I hope she does. Because I can’t see Mila or her cat tolerating that kind of shit from Charlene or anyone else.” Trey’s gaze drifted to where Mila stood. “The kids sure like her. Probably because there’s something very . . . calming about her. I can’t really explain it.”

Understanding, Dominic nodded. “She’s very steady . . . genuine. Has her shit together.”

Dante pointed at him with his bottle. “You need that in a partner. Need someone more emotionally mature than you. Someone who lets your weird ways roll off her back. Yeah, she suits you well. I can definitely see you two happily imprinted.”

Dominic stilled. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Mila and I are taking it a day at a time.”

Dante snorted. “If you try to tell me that you honestly don’t see her in the picture whenever you think of your future, you’re only fooling yourself.”

Dominic’s grip on his bottle tightened. “I like to concentrate on the present.”

“Because you had too many bad surprises growing up, so you don’t see the point of planning ahead. Allegra . . . she didn’t have staying power, Dom. She just didn’t. But Mila’s different. Stronger.”

“I know that.”

“Then don’t expect her to pick up and leave. Trust that you have it in you to make someone happy. I get that it’s easier said than done, especially when your parents told you they had you to fix their relationship and yet they were never happy. But the only people who could have fixed that relationship was them. The weight of that responsibility should never have been on you.”

“I know all that too,” said Dominic, a defensive bite to his tone.

“And yet you’ve deliberately never taken your hookups further or seriously before now. You’ve kept them shallow and trivial. That doesn’t mean that it’s all you’re capable of.”

“I never said otherwise.”

“You didn’t have to. I know how your mind works. Think about this.” Dante took a step toward him. “I was there the first time you met Mila. She smiled a little as she talked with you, but I could almost feel the sadness in her. The loneliness. It was right there in her eyes.” He paused, sliding his gaze to Mila. “It’s not there now.”

Feeling like he’d taken a punch to the gut, Dominic didn’t breathe for a second. The Beta walked away, slapping Dominic’s back as he passed.

Dominic looked at his cat, who’d been joined by Roni and Greta. The three were chuckling. Yes, Greta was chuckling. After dumping his bottle in a trash bag, he crossed to the trio.

Finally free of the kids, Mila turned to him, and her face softened. “Hey. Greta’s been telling me some stories about you.”

Dominic curled an arm around his cat’s waist. “Don’t believe a word she says.” Ignoring Greta’s affronted gasp, he stared into Mila’s eyes, and he saw that Dante was right. The shadows were gone. She was healing. Still hurting in some ways, but no longer plagued by the emotions that had once stained those pretty eyes. And now he needed to be alone with her. He’d shared her with the pack long enough.

“Come on, I’ll take you on that tour I promised you.” Unmoved by the protests of his pack mates, who wanted them to stay longer, Dominic guided her through the woods, heading back the way they came. “I like how relaxed and settled your cat feels right now.”

“She likes it here.”

“How about we let our animals go for a run together before I give you a tour of the caves?”

Mila’s eyes brightened. “Yeah, she’d like that.”

They both shed their clothes and tucked the pile between thick tree roots. It was a struggle not to stroke and caress Mila’s naked form, but he resisted, knowing he’d end up taking her right there if he touched her just once. “Let me shift first. My wolf wants a little attention from you.”

“All right.” Bones snapped and popped as he shifted. In mere seconds, a powerfully built wolf with salt-and-pepper fur stood before Mila. “Wow, you shift fast.” She crouched and petted his dense fur as he shoved his way into her space, rubbing his jaw against hers and licking at her face. Then he was circling and rubbing against her, marking her with his scent. “You’re as territorial as Dominic.” Answering her cat’s need to be free, Mila shifted.

The wolf nuzzled the little cat. Sniffed and rubbed against her. She stood tall, watching him, her eyes narrowed.

The wolf bowed down, sticking his rear in the air and wagging his tail, inviting the cat to play. Claws sheathed, she batted at him with a playful hiss. They tussled. Pounced. Wrestled each other to the ground.

Done playing, they leisurely loped through the woods. Skirted thick trees. Leaped over logs. Chased small animals.

The cat bared a fang when the wolf tried herding her back to their clothes, but her human side insisted it was time to go. With an unhappy growl, the cat followed him . . . but not before first biting into his flank. The wolf didn’t even flinch.

Once they’d shifted back to their human forms and dressed, Dominic took Mila into the cave dwelling. She’d expected the tunnels to be dark, but the light-cream sandstone walls kept them surprisingly bright. He showed her around each of the levels, giving her a glimpse of the living area, kitchen, kids’ playroom, and the infirmary.

Mila’s cat loved it. For the feline, the cave dwelling was like the ultimate rockery.

Stopping outside a particular door, Dominic said, “This is my room.”

She followed him inside, surprised by the sheer size of it. She’d expected a standard bedroom, but it was more like a luxury hotel suite. It didn’t have the impersonal touch of a hotel, though. Not with the charming earthy color scheme, rich oak wood, and little keepsakes scattered around the place.

She skimmed her fingers along the spines of the books that were jammed into one of the small niches in the wall. “This room is awesome. I’m used to having way more living space, but this doesn’t feel . . . confining. It feels cozy.” But maybe that was because it smelled of him.

Dominic crossed to her and drew her close. “I’ve been wanting to get you alone for hours.” He took her mouth in a slow, lazy kiss. “I don’t like sharing your attention.”

She chuckled. “Brat. I heard you were very good at sharing.”

Knowing she was referring to the women in his sexual past, he said, “They weren’t you.” He raked his teeth over her lower lip. “I told you I’d never share you.”

She slanted her head to the side as he nipped and licked at her neck. “But last night, you said you were here to fulfill my every fantasy. What if I was curious about a threesome?” She wasn’t, but it was fun to tease him. Mila flinched as he bit her pulse hard.

“No other man will touch you, Mila.” He sucked her pulse into his mouth, soothing the sting.

“Who said it had to be another guy?” Mila quipped. “What if I want a threesome with another female?” She expected him to flash her an impish smirk and say he’d make it happen. Instead he gave a careless shrug, his face serious.

“You’ll just have to use your imagination.” He tossed her on the bed. “Now, let’s get those jeans off. I want a taste of what’s mine. Only mine.”