CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

On Sundays, Mila often woke to the feel of Dominic’s mouth exploring some very interesting places on her body. That particular Sunday morning, she woke to him snuggled into her side as she lay on her stomach, his fingers doodling patterns on her back. There was nothing seductive in his lazy, casual touch. And yet, there was so much greed and possessiveness. Even as the rough pads of his fingers lightly breezed over her, they clearly stated “Mine.”

Her cat arched into his touch, purring. She was remarkably cheery. As a rule, the feline didn’t do “cheery.”

Mila opened her eyes to find his own staring back at her, glinting with masculine contentment and . . . was that worry? She couldn’t quite tell. “Morning.”

“Morning.” He kissed her shoulder, tracing the bumps of her spine. “Did you know that you frown a lot in your sleep?”

She blinked. “Frown?”

“It’s almost like your default sleep-expression. My wolf finds it cute.” Dominic kissed her shoulder again, his mouth curving into a secret smile.

“You look rather self-satisfied.” She narrowed her eyes. “What? Why are you smirking? I feel like I’m missing something.”

He danced his tongue over the little cluster of freckles on her shoulder. “You’re wearing my scent. And I’m wearing yours. You know what that means.” Imprinting had started. Although Dominic worried a little that she might not be enthusiastic about it, he couldn’t help feeling just as smug as his wolf.

Now she was no longer just a woman he cared for, she was his mate. It didn’t matter to him that they wouldn’t be officially considered mates until the imprinting bond formed—he had no intention of letting her go. Any shifter she came across would instantly scent Dominic on her and understand she was taken. When the imprinting progressed, his scent would be permanently embedded in her skin.

Realizing he was right, Mila smiled. “No wonder my cat’s in a good mood. How do you feel about it?”

“Smug. Happy. Relieved. I didn’t let myself really see how much I wanted this until now. What about you?”

“Happy. Surprised. Annoyed that I didn’t sense it straightaway.” Her brow creased. “I thought it would make me feel more secure.”

“It doesn’t?”

She slid her fingers through his hair. “Trying to hold on to you would be like trying to hold on to the wind. All I can do is hope you’ll choose to stay.”

God, if he could kick his own ass for making her doubt him, he would. Dominic snuggled closer to her. “You don’t have to hold on, baby. You have me. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You say that now. And I believe you mean it, but—”

“Mila, I don’t have to tell you that I’ve known a lot of women in my time. None of them captured my attention the way you have. None of them made me want more than a bit of fun. I never dreamed about them. Never obsessed over them. Never marked them. Never cared for them. Imprinting is a huge deal for anyone, but it’s even bigger for someone like me.

“I want this. I want you as my mate. Fuck, if I could get away with it, I’d put a claiming mark on your neck right now even though we’re not fully imprinted yet, but I know you won’t go for that.” He cupped her nape. “Are you hearing me, Mila? There’s no danger of me walking away from you. None.”

Mila took a deep breath. “Okay.”

Relief whooshed through Dominic. Just “okay.” Just one word. But there was a wealth of acceptance and faith in it. She trusted his word on this, even though his eventful sexual past might have suggested that he wasn’t ready for commitment.

She’d never once thrown his past in his face. Never once judged, condemned, or bitched at him for it—not even when females tried their luck with him right in front of her. It would have been easy for her to take that out on him, to blame him for the hurt she’d felt at the time, but Mila never once had.

She couldn’t imagine how much it meant to Dominic that she hadn’t given up on him after he’d messed up and hurt her last night. His parents had always found fault in him. Always criticized and lectured him for the slightest infraction. Mila hadn’t judged or slammed him. Hadn’t tossed him out on his ass, verbally struck back at him, or pushed him away. Instead, she’d left him to either walk out or clean up the mess he’d made. And then, having listened as he’d shared his secrets, she’d demonstrated a level of understanding and compassion—not pity, which he couldn’t have taken—that no one else had ever given him.

That was one of the things about Mila that had always made him feel comfortable around her, he realized. She accepted people for who they were—accepted their good points and bad points. Never expected them to be anything else. Never expected perfection. Never expected more of them than what they could give.

Dominic needed that acceptance. Having someone who cared for him exactly as he was . . . he’d never had that before. He wanted to cling tight to it.

“Kiss me,” he whispered. She gave him her mouth—no hesitation, no defiance. The kiss was soft, deep, drugging. And he soon had her flat on her back, spreading her legs wide for him. He took her slow and hard, gave her no reprieve. When they were both close to shattering, he snarled, “Mark me again, Mila. On my throat this time, where everyone can see it.” The moment her teeth closed around his flesh, he came with a growl of her name.

Her parents popped in to check on Mila just before she and Dominic were about to head to Phoenix Pack territory. Both Valentina and James were delighted to see that the imprinting process had started, and Mila could tell that they intended to take full credit for the fact that she and GQ were together. Yeah, her parents’ little plot had certainly paid off.

As all four of them were leaving her apartment, James whipped out his cell to call Ingrid and pass on the news. And seeing how fast her mother was dashing up the stairs to her apartment, Mila just knew that Valentina was intending to call her own mother.

“Ingrid is quite the Chatty Cathy,” Mila told Dominic as they descended the stairs. “So it won’t be long before the entire pride knows we’re partially imprinted.”

He squeezed her hand. “Good. The sooner everyone knows, the better.”

“How do you think your pack will feel about it?”

He pursed his lips. “That depends.”

“On what?”

“On whether they bet it would happen sooner or later. They won’t like losing a bet. Still, they’ll be happy for us.”

Her brow furrowed. “Surely they wouldn’t bet on something like that.”

“That’s just—” Dominic cut off as a familiar unwelcome scent drifted to them. And then, just as they turned to descend the next stairwell, they saw Joel coming toward them. Dominic’s wolf stood to his full height, his upper lip curling.

“Hey, Mila, it’s good to see that you’re—” Joel’s nostrils flared, and he came to an abrupt halt, obviously having detected that Mila and Dominic were wearing each other’s scents.

Joel looked at Dominic and sighed. “Guess I was wrong in thinking you weren’t serious about her.” His gaze cut to Mila, and his expression softened. “I’m glad I was wrong. You deserve to be happy.”

“Does that mean you’ll start being civil toward Dominic now?” Mila asked him.

Joel’s mouth curled. “Let’s not ask for miracles. I’m assuming this means you’re not moving to Russia.”

“She’s not going anywhere,” Dominic cut in. As far as he was concerned, it was only a matter of time before they were fully imprinted on each other.

Joel gave a curt nod. “Good. Well, I can see you’re going somewhere, so I’ll be off. Take care of her, wolf.” Brushing past them, he jogged up the stairs.

Quite frankly shocked that the male cat hadn’t voiced any objections, Dominic frowned as he and Mila continued down the stairwell. He waited until Joel was out of earshot before saying, “I didn’t expect that.”

“He only disapproved of you because he thought you were a user like my ex,” explained Mila. “Now that he knows I matter to you, he’s okay with it.”

Some part of Joel had needed to know that his predestined mate would be cared for. Dominic understood. Still . . . “I expected jealousy.”

“He’s devoted to Adele. Anything he feels for me is purely platonic. I know it might seem strange that someone could feel nothing romantic for their true mate, but—to put it simply—the love he feels for Adele and the commitment he’s made to her pretty much render the bond we might have had invalid.” And Mila could finally say that without feeling a hint of hurt over it. Her cat hadn’t even hissed at Joel, she suddenly realized.

Dominic gave a slow nod. “I get it.” He couldn’t imagine that anyone—not even his predestined mate—could ever lessen what he felt for Mila. It was too strong. Too deep. As such, there was no reason why it would be any different for Joel. “But I’m going to be a pain in your ass over this.”

“Over what?”

“I can accept that he has no romantic interest in you. But I’m never going to like the little bastard being around you. I’m never going to be okay with you and him hanging out alone or shit like that.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to.” In his shoes, Mila would feel exactly the same way.

“I don’t just mean I won’t like it, I mean I won’t allow it. My wolf would never stand for it either.”

Mila and her cat shot him a narrow-eyed look. “Using the word ‘allow’ was a misstep, GQ. Don’t do it again.” Reaching the ground floor, she added, “In regard to Joel, I don’t intend to spend time with him alone, so just chill.”

Dominic opened the front door of the building and gave the area a once-over. Satisfied that no one was lingering around, he pulled Mila toward his SUV. “Just making sure we’re on the same page.”

She tilted her head. “You don’t worry I pine for him, do you?”

He cast her an incredulous look. “Who would ever pine for someone else when they had me?”

“Right,” she said, stifling a smile. “Silly question.”

“It was. I mean, come on, cocks like mine don’t grow on trees, you know.”

Sighing, she shook her head. “You are so disturbed.”

“I resent that.”

Glancing up at the sky, she frowned at the frothy gray clouds. “I hope your pack isn’t holding a gathering outdoors this time. It’s gonna rain for sure.”

“I’m not a meteorologist,” he began with an impish grin, sliding into the SUV, “but I’d say you can expect a good few inches tonight.”

She groaned, clicking on her seat belt. “I should have seen that coming.”

“Speaking of coming—”

“Drive, GQ. Just drive.”

Laughing, he reversed out of the space. He kept one hand splayed possessively on her thigh throughout most of the drive to his territory. After parking in the concealed lot at the base of the mountain, he led her up the stairs of the cliff face. Fine drops of rain began to fall from the sky, but they managed to make it inside the caves before the light drizzle picked up.

Holding Mila’s hand, he tugged her through the tunnels. He found most of the pack in the living area, lounging around talking and watching TV.

Taryn beamed at them. “Hey there, you two. Hope you’re hungry, because Grace is cooking up a storm in the kitchen.” She crossed to them. “We were going to have a barbecue, but the weather . . . Oh my God.”

Trey sidled up to his mate. “What? What is it?” He glanced at Mila and Dominic, his nostrils flaring. “Oh.”

Taryn did a little clap. “This is so great!”

“What?” asked Jaime.

“They’re imprinting!” the Alpha female practically squealed. She held out her hand. “Now pay up, losers.”

Some groaned as they handed cash to the members who were flashing triumphant smirks.

Mila slanted her head. “You really bet on how long it would take for me and Dominic to begin imprinting on each other?”

Counting the bills in his hand, Marcus shrugged. “Me and a few of the others said it would happen by the end of this week.”

“I won’t say congratulations, because you’re not fully imprinted yet, and I don’t want to jinx it,” said Makenna. Ignoring Ryan’s mutterings about jinxes and logic, she went on, “But I’m completely confident that the bond will form soon.”

Hand on her heart, her eyes glistening, Greta crossed to them. “I’m so happy for you both.” She caught Dominic’s face with her hands. “You’ve done me proud, boy. Very proud. It’s about time one of you brought home a female that was worthy,” she added, giving the other males the side-eye.

Roni frowned. “I thought you liked me.”

“I do, but you were already coming here when Marcus snapped you up,” said Greta. “But Dominic . . . he went out there and found himself a worthy female. I couldn’t be happier. Wait till I tell Grace.” She left the room, smiling in delight.

Burping her son, Jaime stared at the empty doorway. “She hasn’t been this psyched up about anything since Kye’s birth. Anyway, how are you doing after yesterday’s incident, Mila?”

Letting Dominic lead her to the sofa, Mila replied, “Just pissed that I didn’t get to kick the cheetah’s ass myself.”

“I spoke with Vinnie,” Trey told Dominic. “He told me you did a fair bit of damage to that bastard.”

Carefully taking Hendrix from Jaime, Dominic sank onto the sofa beside Mila. “It was nothing the cheetah didn’t deserve,” he told his Alpha. Dominic would have gone back and delivered the killing blow if he’d been willing to leave Mila.

“Still no luck finding your brother’s location?” Roni asked her.

Gently stroking the side of Hendrix’s chubby face, Mila gave the she-wolf a sideways glance as she replied, “No, but my uncles are on it. They’ll find him.”

Just then, the other children came dashing into the room, closely followed by Riley and Tao.

Sienna waved a newborn baby doll at Mila. “Look! Look!” She roughly dumped the doll onto the coffee table and jammed the bottle of fake formula into the doll’s mouth.

Makenna winced. “And that is why we don’t let her hold Hendrix.”

Dominic watched with a smile as Dexter curled his hand around Mila’s fingers and tugged her to the corner of the room, where the boxes of toys were kept. The other kids joined them, showing her the various toys and arguing over who they belonged to.

Sitting at his side, Dante said, “So . . . you’re not at all panicking that imprinting has started?”

“Nope. There’s nothing to panic about. I want this. I want her as my mate.” Dominic put his fist to his heart, smiling. “She’s got me, D. I’m gone.”

Dante smiled. “Yeah, I know the feeling.” He held out his arms. “Hand my boy over.”

Instead, Dominic nuzzled Hendrix’s head. “I’m not done cuddling him yet.”

“Don’t be an ass. Give him to me. I only had him for five minutes before Jaime took him, and now you’re hogging him.”

“You’re just mad because he likes me better than you.”

“Yeah, I’ll own that. But I still want my son back.”

Chuckling, Dominic handed the baby to Dante.

“Rhett’s been keeping track of any mentions of you online, Dom,” said Trey, sinking into a plush armchair. “You should know that someone snapped photos of you carrying Mila down the street yesterday. They uploaded them onto a blog dedicated to ‘shifter hunks.’”

Marcus gestured at himself. “I’m on there, obviously. They constantly whine that I’m mated, see it as a great loss to the single women out there.” He grunted when Roni jammed her elbow into his ribs. “Dammit, woman, did you have to do it that hard?”

“No.” Roni turned to the TV, dismissing him.

Taryn perched herself on the arm of Trey’s chair. “It’s likely that Pierson will see those photos of you and Mila.”

“Only if he’s keeping tabs on Dominic,” said Makenna.

Trey rubbed his jaw. “I’d like to say that Pierson will lose interest in you and back down, but I’m not convinced of that.”

Dominic shrugged, not caring either way. Nothing could spoil his mood right then. “The other two articles didn’t do much damage. I doubt a third will.”

“Which is why he might step up his game.” Trey’s breath hitched as his son literally flung himself at him. “Jesus, Kye.”

“Dad, when I’m Alpha of the pack and you’re a sad old man with nothing to do—”

“Wait, a sad old man?” Trey asked him.

“It’s gonna happen,” Kye asserted. “Anyway, after I kick your butt and take over the pack—”

“That’s how you’re planning to become Alpha? By kicking my butt?”

“You can’t take it personally, Dad.”

Chuckling, Taryn ruffled her son’s hair. Like her own, it was various shades of blond. “Go get your tribe from the corner where they’re harassing Mila. Dinner should be ready.”

While they were eating at the long kitchen table, Dominic watched his mate interact with the pack. She was used to eating meals alone, with him, or with her parents. Now she was sharing a meal with almost thirty people, most of whom she’d only met once. Yet, she was just as relaxed as when she was alone with him, as if she’d eaten at his territory dozens of times before.

The incessant chatter didn’t bother her, nor did the children’s persistent attempts to get her attention. And she handled Greta like a pro. The old woman had insisted on sitting beside her. Each time Greta looked about to dish out a bitchy comment to someone, Mila expertly redirected her attention . . . making it the most peaceful meal the pack had shared in a long while.

He loved that Mila was comfortable here and got along with his pack mates so well. It would make the transition from her apartment to his home so much easier. And he fully intended to have her living with him soon.

As the rain had eased off, he and Mila went to his room after dinner, changed into their animal forms, and then padded out of the caves and into the woods. The soil was damp, the grass was slick with rain, and droplets of water kept dripping from the branches above their heads. Neither the wolf nor the cat cared.

They ran. Played. Relaxed. Enjoyed the clean, fresh scent of the rain.

Back in his room, they shifted.

Dominic was about to topple her onto the bed and ravish her when he got a text message from Trey, summoning him to the Alpha’s office. Cursing silently, Dominic pulled on his clothes. “Trey wants to talk to me about something. It won’t take long, I’ll be back soon.” Dominic bent and kissed her, then turned to head out. “Don’t get dressed,” he added before closing the door behind him.

Not a fan of sitting around naked, Mila dug out one of his shirts and slipped it on. Bored, she walked around the room, browsing the shelves and—

Her phone rang. Fishing it out of her purse, she frowned at the screen. Private Number. Tapping the “Answer Call” icon, she greeted, “Hello.”

“Hey, Mila, it’s Charlene.”

Mila silently sighed in annoyance while her cat let out a put-out hiss. She hadn’t heard or seen anything of the fox since the night that Dominic marked Mila at the club in front of God and everyone. Charlene had hidden it well, but she’d been a very unhappy bunny.

Dominic had stopped taking the woman’s calls, pissed at her persistent interference. Mila had to admit that it was something of a relief—she didn’t particularly like the thought of him being friends with a female from his past, but she’d have dealt with it if said female was a good friend who was at least a little supportive of his relationship with Mila.

It was tempting to end the call, but her catlike curiosity got the better of her. “Charlene. Hey.”

“Are you okay, honey?”

Mila blinked at her gentle tone. “Yeah, fine.”

“I saw pictures on the internet this morning of Dominic carrying you down the street. You were so pale, and it looked like he had blood on his hands. There was a brief mention of him being part of a group of people who chased after a shifter. What happened? I tried calling Dominic to ask him about it, but the call went to voice mail. Is he there with you?”

So, wait, the fox had called in the hope of speaking to him through Mila? Was the bitch fucking high? Biting back the urge to order Charlene to cease trying to contact him—which would let Charlene know exactly how much this pissed Mila off—she replied, “Not at this moment.”

“Oh.” There was an awkward pause. “I, um, I wanted to apologize for the things I said. For warning you that Dominic wouldn’t give you a happily-ever-after. It appears that I was wrong. I shouldn’t have made assumptions. Shouldn’t have interfered.” She sounded genuinely miserable about it, but Mila wasn’t convinced.

It was on the tip of Mila’s tongue to ask why Charlene thought she should care either way. “Apology accepted.” Ha, such a lie.

Charlene sighed in what seemed to be relief. “Thanks. I hope he’ll stop being pissed at me. I don’t want to lose him as a friend. We were always close, and we’ve seen each other through difficult times.”

Well, that wasn’t the impression that Mila had gotten from Dominic.

“I know I must have seemed like a bitch, but I just didn’t think his interest in you would last. You’re not his usual type, and he gets bored pretty quickly. It was a damn good idea to play hard to get so that he’d see you as refreshing. Go you!”

An angry flush stained Mila’s cheeks. Her cat whipped her tail, baring a fang. “You’re implying he’s only with me because I played him?”

“No, I just mean it was a good approach to have taken. Most girls just throw themselves at him. I’m sorry to say that probably won’t change, even though he’s marked you. It’ll just make them think he’s finally ready to settle down, and they’ll view you as competition—”

“I can handle it,” Mila bit out.

“Handle what?” asked a voice behind her.

Whirling around, Mila saw Dominic staring at her, his shoulders tense.

He prowled toward her. “Who is it?”

“Charlene.”

Beyondfucking annoyed that a female from his past had called his mate—especially one who seemed intent on coming between them—Dominic said, “Well, hurry up and finish the call. I have a pussy to eat. In fact . . .” He picked Mila up, tossed her on the bed, and spread her legs.

Mila swallowed as Dominic nuzzled her folds. “Um, Charlene, I have to go.”

“Wait, I was hoping to talk to Dominic.”

Biting back a moan as he licked at her slit, Mila said, “She wants to talk to you, GQ.”

“I’m busy.” He grabbed her cell, ended the call, and buried his face in her pussy. It wasn’t long before she came hard and loud, thighs squeezing his head.

Collapsing on the bed beside her, Dominic pulled her close and nuzzled her neck. “I love that you smell of me.”

Feeling his cock throbbing against her, Mila made a mental note to take care of it once she could feel her legs. “What did Trey want? Pierson hasn’t written another article, has he?”

“No. There are photos of me online carrying you down the street. The same person who wrote the articles for Pierson contacted Trey, asking him for comments about the photos, claiming to want our side of the story. Trey blew him off, but he wanted to tell me about it face-to-face.”

“Good decision by Trey. The journalist is very anti-shifter, so he probably would have twisted whatever Trey told him. Charlene mentioned the photos just now.”

“Did she call to chat more shit to you?”

Mila’s cat liked the threat of repercussions in his voice, even though she could take care of the fox herself. “She apologized for interfering before. Said she’d only done it because I’m not your usual type and you get bored easily, but that sounded more like a warning than an effort to excuse her actions.”

Jaws grinding, Dominic narrowed his eyes. “She’s trying to shake your confidence in me.”

Mila nodded. “She said she’s worried that she’ll lose your friendship. Claims you two were close and have seen each other through rough times.”

He frowned. “Well, that’s a load of bullshit.”

“Yeah, I thought as much. She also praised me for playing hard to get—she thinks that’s how I ‘won’ you. Then she pointed out that girls will continue to throw themselves at you, viewing me as competition—they’ll think the mark you left on me indicates that you’re ready for a relationship.”

Dominic swore. “I’d call her and give her a ration of shit, but I’m getting the feeling that she wants me to call her. That she purposely pissed you off to provoke me into talking to her, since I haven’t been taking her calls.”

“I’m getting the same feeling, although she did seem to enjoy pouring crap down my ear.” But if Charlene thought she had a chance of coming between Mila and Dominic, she was dead wrong. And since Mila didn’t want the woman to be a topic of conversation between them, she decided it was time to change the subject. She kissed his throat. “Forget about her. She’s not important.”

“You’re right.” Dominic didn’t want another female or male in that bed with them. Just him and Mila. “Besides, I have a job for you. It kind of blows, but . . .”

She rolled her eyes, her mouth quirking. “Hopeless.”

Brushing his nose against hers, Dominic pulled her flush against him. “Move in with me, Mila.” Okay, that had come out of nowhere. He hadn’t intended to mention it just yet. But having her in his bed, seeing her so relaxed on his territory, he just couldn’t hold back. “I’d move in with you if you asked, but you love it here. Your cat loves it here. Let this be your home.”

She bit her lip. “It’s a big step.”

“You don’t have to give up your apartment yet, if that makes you feel better about moving. Think of the pluses. You and your cat will have all this land. It will be even harder for an assassin to get to you. Your brother can’t break into your home in the middle of the night.”

“Don’t count on it. Wolverines go where they want to go—there’s no stopping them.”

He ignored that. “You’ll also have even more space from Adele and Joel. No bumping into them on the stairwell. No Joel knocking on your door to say hey. Your cat will have the room she needs to fully heal.”

That was certainly appealing for Mila, but . . . “It’s not that simple. If I move here, I’m joining your pack. That means leaving my pride.”

Dominic snorted. “You’re Vinnie’s niece—he’ll always consider you an Olympus cat, no matter where you live. Trey will understand that.”

“Wouldn’t you rather wait until we’re fully imprinted?”

“You mean wouldn’t I rather wait to be sure we do fully imprint,” he accused, bristling.

She shrugged. “I don’t take things for granted—especially if they’re as important to me as you are.”

Just like that, his annoyance fizzled away. “We might only be partially imprinted, but any level of imprinting is a big deal. It makes you my mate, and I want my mate with me.” He gave her a tight squeeze. “Come on, baby, move in with me.”

She sighed. “Let me think about it.”

“Sure,” he said.

Mila’s mouth thinned at his easy agreement and lazy smile. “You’re confident you’ll get what you want, aren’t you?”

“Of course.” He chuckled when she play-punched his shoulder. “Damn, that hurt. You should make it up to me. Sucking my cock will work.”

She rolled her eyes again. “Like a dog with a bone.” But she pushed him onto his back and slid down his body.

“I do in fact have a boner and—” He hissed out a breath as she took his cock deep. “Fuck, you’re good with that mouth.”