CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY

Knuckles rapped on the door. “I got a bunch of people at the gate, wanting to see Mila,” Trey called out from the tunnel. “No, demanding to see her.”

Dominic paused in massaging her scalp. After flipping her over and possessing her once more, he’d rolled onto his back and sprawled her over his chest, silently relishing the knowledge that she’d claimed him as her own. They’d been lying there for a while now, relaxing, talking, and enjoying the time alone. Now it was apparently over. “Who?”

“Vinnie, his sons, her parents, and her brother.”

Lifting her head, Mila sighed. “Well, at least they showed enough respect not to sneak in.”

Dominic’s brows pinched together. “You really think they could bypass our security?”

“My mother and Alex could do it, no problem,” she said.

“Quick warning,” Taryn called out. “They’re not happy bunnies right now.”

Yeah, Dominic had figured they’d be annoyed with him for not returning Mila to her apartment. “Let them through the gates,” he told the Alphas as he and Mila rose from the bed and snatched their clothes from the floor. “Mila and I will meet them at the entrance to the caves.”

Mila dragged on her jeans, but since there was blood all over her top, she didn’t remove Dominic’s shirt. Hearing her cell ring, she fished it out of her jeans pocket. Joel. She instantly canceled the call.

“I’m guessing that was Joel by the face you pulled,” said Dominic.

“It was,” she confirmed. And then her phone was ringing again.

“He’s gonna keep calling until he hears your voice and knows for sure that you’re fine,” said Dominic, beating back the resentment he felt at that. “His instincts will hound him until he does.”

She shrugged. “That sounds like his problem, not mine. We both made our choices. Adele’s his choice.” And neither she nor her cat felt any bitterness about it. “And you’re mine.”

Fully dressed, Dominic lifted his brow. “If you hadn’t known that your true mate was spoken for, would you still have claimed me?”

Mila frowned at the idiotic question. But then, she supposed she’d wonder the same thing in his position. “My claiming you had nothing to do with him or anyone else. I claimed you because, well, I love you. Which is seriously annoying, by the way, because I don’t like mushy stuff. If I hadn’t known about Joel, I still would have loved you. In which case, yes, I still would have claimed you.”

His face all soft and warm, he gathered her close. “You love me?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

“Yeah. As I said, it’s annoying.”

He brushed his nose against hers. “Since you don’t like mushy stuff, I won’t tell you that I love you right back.”

Mila’s mouth curled, and warmth trickled through her and her cat. “You just did.”

“You can pretend I didn’t.” He took her mouth in a soft, slow, deep kiss that—

Knuckles rapped on the door again. “Um, hello,” called Taryn. “You guys ready or what?”

Sighing, Dominic reluctantly drew back. “We’ll continue this later,” he promised Mila. Crossing to the door, he opened it wide to find both his Alphas standing there.

Taryn smiled. “Thanks for finally joining . . .” She trailed off as her eyes dropped to Dominic’s claiming mark. Spotting the matching one on Mila’s neck, the she-wolf lifted her brows. “Well. I have to say, I was not expecting that so soon. I’m doing a happy dance in my head right now.”

Trey didn’t look so surprised by the claiming marks. “It’s about damn time.”

“The bond hasn’t formed yet,” Taryn observed.

“It will.” Dominic took possession of Mila’s hand and said to her, “Now let’s go greet your family.”

“Taryn and I will join you,” Trey stated. “It’s important that Vinnie, as another Alpha, receives an official welcome from the two of us.”

Aware of the dynamics, Dominic gave a curt nod and began a brisk walk through the tunnels. “Where’s the rest of the pack?”

“Some have gone with Riley and the kids to the playroom,” began Trey, keeping pace with him. “Others have retreated to various rooms within the caves. Only Dante and Ryan are in the living area, waiting for us to join them.”

Dominic understood why Trey had sent their other pack mates away. If there were more Phoenix members than Olympus members present in the living room, it might look both confrontational and as if Trey didn’t trust that he could deal with any problems without additional backup.

“How pissed do you think your family will be with Dominic?” Taryn asked Mila.

Her nose wrinkled. “Not much. My parents adore Dominic, and the others like him a lot too. They just won’t be happy that they weren’t with me when I woke up.”

“Understandable,” said Taryn. “If Kye were hurt, and then fell unconscious, I’d want to be one of the first people he saw when he woke.”

Finally reaching the entrance to the dwelling, all four of them stood just outside the door. Dominic kept possession of Mila’s hand, skimming his thumb over her knuckles. Whoever was manning the security shack must have given the Olympus Pride directions to the dwelling, because Vinnie’s vehicle soon came into sight. It followed the rocky trail into the parking lot at the base of the mountain.

Vinnie took the lead as he and the other pride members began to climb the steps of the cliff face, but Valentina pushed past him when they neared the top.

She pulled Mila into her arms and hugged her tight. “You are fine, yes?”

Pulling back to meet her mother’s eyes, Mila smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

James stroked her hair. “Hey, sweetheart.”

As Mila and her parents talked quietly, Trey turned to Vinnie and said, “Welcome to Phoenix Pack territory. You’ve already met my mate, Taryn.”

Vinnie gave her a respectful nod. “Yes, I have. I don’t believe you’ve met Mila’s brother—he wasn’t present at Madisyn and Bracken’s ceremony, or the battle on Mercury Pack territory.”

Alex inclined his head respectfully at the Alphas and then slid his hard gaze to Dominic. “Not impressed that you drove off with my sister, wolf.”

“Don’t care,” Dominic said simply, and nor did his beast.

Vinnie twisted his mouth. “I see that you and Mila have officially claimed each other. But I don’t sense a bond.”

“You will soon enough.” Dominic could feel the promise of it—like a low buzz of static electricity in the air.

Valentina turned to him, her hands on her hips. “You did not take Mila to her home. This does not make me happy.”

“As I told you at the barbershop, Mila’s my priority,” said Dominic. “I needed her to be somewhere safe. This is far safer and more secure than her apartment building.” And he wouldn’t apologize for putting her first, even though he liked Valentina and understood why she was upset.

Valentina’s mouth tightened. “I cannot argue that.”

“But you want to,” James said to her, his lips twitching. Valentina sliced him a look that should have made his balls crawl up into his stomach.

Trey gestured at the door. “Let’s go inside so we can talk.” He and Taryn led the way as they stalked through the tunnels.

Valentina looked around. “It is an unusual home you have, Dominic.”

“My cat loves it,” Mila told her just as they reached the living area where Dante and Ryan were each sprawled on an armchair. When both males stood, Mila introduced them to Alex, who made himself comfortable on the reclining end of the sofa like he’d been a regular visitor for years. Yeah, her brother wasn’t the type to lean against a wall, on guard. He’d lounge around, casual and composed, fully confident that he could eliminate any threat at a moment’s notice. Which he could.

At Taryn’s invitation, the others all took a seat. “What happened to Rosemary?”

“She was arrested,” said Vinnie. “The police may not charge her for shooting you, Mila. Some will say it’s shifter business, since you’re Dominic’s mate. I told them you are also part of his pack. But others will claim that the human authorities should intervene since Rosemary didn’t just shoot you, she held two supposed humans—meaning Archie and Evander—at gunpoint in the barbershop. The cops won’t care about the bobcat or the hyena who were also present.”

Luke scratched his chin. “Looks like Rosemary got sick of waiting for an assassin to take you out, Mila. She took the matter into her own hands.”

Trey exchanged a look with Taryn and then cleared his throat. “I have news. Nick called me ten minutes ago. With the help of other hackers, his contact cracked the anonymity network.”

Dominic blinked. “Well, fuck.”

“It’s run by a polar bear shifter by the name of Dale Forester. I’ve personally never heard of him.” Trey looked at Vinnie, his brow raised in question.

The Olympus Alpha shook his head. “His name doesn’t ring any bells.”

“He’s a lone shifter with more money than sense,” said Trey. “Invents security systems for a living, and he’s damn good at it. His estate is well protected. Getting to him won’t be easy.”

“Leave the matter to my brothers,” Valentina told Trey. “They need only his address. They will get to this shifter and make him pay. No security system can keep them out.”

Taryn glanced at her mate and then nodded at Valentina. “If you think your brothers can reach him, tell them to have at it. I want the bastard to feel the pain he’s caused others.”

“My brothers will ensure that he does,” Valentina assured her.

“Nick’s contact collapsed the site, which means there is no longer a price on your head,” Trey told Mila. “It wasn’t John Norton who put the hit out on you. Nor was it Emmet Pierson or his daughter. Does the name Dean Simmons mean anything to you?”

Mila’s brow furrowed. “He’s one of my clients. He sometimes brings his nephew, Finley. In fact, Dean was at the barbershop when Rosemary barged in earlier and . . . Wait, you’re saying he put out the hit?”

Trey simply nodded.

Totally stunned, Mila gaped. Even her cat was taken aback. “But why would he do that? I barely know him, and I’ve never had any trouble with him.” She looked at Dominic. “This doesn’t make sense.”

Dominic squeezed her hand, anger building inside him. He’d been so close to the fucker responsible for the hit, and he hadn’t even known it. “How long has the bobcat been a client of yours?”

She frowned thoughtfully. “Since about a month before the jackal attacked me.”

“Am I the only one thinking it’s a hell of a coincidence that he was there when Rosemary shot Mila?” asked Dante, to which Ryan grunted in what was probably a “no,” but Dominic couldn’t be sure.

“Rosemary didn’t know him,” said Mila. “He tried to sneak up on her, and she warned him off. There was no flash of recognition on her face.” Mila shook her head, repeating, “This just doesn’t make sense. I never got the impression that he had any beef with me.”

“He watches you,” Dominic remembered. “Not with lust, though. Not with distaste. But something about you has his attention.”

Vinnie rubbed at his jaw. “I only spoke with him briefly earlier. He left the barbershop shortly after you did. Do you have his address, Mila?”

“All his information is in the client database,” she told him.

Tate whipped out his phone. “I’ll get the address from Archie.”

“Good,” said Vinnie as his son left the room to make the call. “Then I’ll pay the bobcat a visit.”

Mila straightened in her seat. “I’ll be with you.”

Dominic stiffened as everything in him rebelled against the idea of her being anywhere near the bastard who, for some unknown reason, wanted her dead. Especially while she wasn’t at 100 percent. “Baby, you’re still tired from blood loss. You haven’t had enough rest to recover.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted.

“No, you’re not. You’re pale and shaky. And don’t even lie and tell me you’re not drained—I can feel it.” Her exhaustion brushed at his mind somehow, and he knew it was a result of the imprinting process progressing.

She frowned. “Feel it?”

“You can’t feel what I’m feeling right now?”

Mila realized that, yes, she could feel the echo of an emotion that wasn’t hers. A soul-deep anxiety. She sighed. “Dominic—”

“You almost died today, Mila.” The reminder made his chest tighten and his wolf snarl. “No one can bounce back from something like that in a matter of hours. Rest. Get your strength back.”

Mila couldn’t deny that she needed that rest, but she also couldn’t sit back while others apprehended the person who’d put her life in danger. She lifted her chin. “I’ll stay if you stay.” Which she was positive he’d never agree to do.

His brows snapped together. “Excuse me?”

“If you get a grip on Dean, you won’t ask questions. Not while you’re in this mood. The only thing on your mind is eradicating the threat to me.” She could sense it as clearly as she could sense the tension in the room. “You won’t even give him a warning. You’ll just kill him. I want answers.”

Dominic clenched his jaw, not bothering to refute her accusation. “The ‘why’ of what he’s done doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me. If you stay, I’ll stay. If not, we both go.” In which case, she could stop him from killing Dean until she’d at least questioned him. Mila shrugged, leaving the decision up to Dominic, but pretty sure he’d back down. Seconds of uncomfortable silence ticked by, but she met his cold stare boldly.

His nostrils flared. “Fine. I’ll stay.”

Her head almost jerked back. “Seriously?”

“I know you were counting on me being so determined to get to Dean that I’d backpedal and agree to not fight you on coming along, but your health is more important than my need to rip out his throat.” Even though that need pounded through his system, fraying the edges of his control. “Besides, it’s best if you keep a low profile for a while.”

Mila’s spine would have snapped straight if she hadn’t been so tired. “It’s not in my nature to hide.”

“I’m not asking you to hide. I’m asking you to lie low—that’s different.”

“No, it’s not,” she clipped. “And you don’t get to dismiss my strength.”

Dominic ground his teeth, anger blowing through him hot and fast. “A jackal tried to shoot you. A death adder tried to drown you. A cheetah poisoned you while I was standing right there. At no point did I ask you to hide, even though I wanted to, because I know exactly how strong you are. I didn’t even fight you on your determination to stay in your apartment building.

“I know you’re a force to be fucking reckoned with, Mila. And I know it would hurt you if I implied differently, so I shelved my own fears for you. But today, a neurotic bitch shot you in the fucking chest. A human. Easy to take down. But none of us managed it before she could hurt you. None of us. Sometimes, being strong isn’t enough.”

Mila couldn’t argue that, but . . . “There’s no longer a price on my head, and Rosemary is no longer a factor, so the danger has passed.”

Dominic shook his head. “Pierson’s articles and my pack’s responses garnered a lot of attention. His daughter just tried to kill you. This is going to turn into a media circus. He’s going to lose his shit, and he’s going to somehow blame us for Rosemary’s actions. Extremists will side with him, deeming you a shifter groupie, and they might try to attack you.

“All kinds of people are going to show up near your building and the barbershop. Reporters, video bloggers, nosy-ass people. It’s going to be a security nightmare for your pride. There is no way they can keep a close watch on you during that time.”

Vinnie sighed, his expression grim. “He’s right, Mila. The street was packed with people when we left. This will be plastered all over the internet. You know from what happened to Bracken’s family exactly how far the extremists will go. You know how much they love tossing firebombs through the windows of shops, houses, and apartment buildings.”

“Don’t think of staying here as lying low,” Luke said to her. “Think of it as making it hard for any bastards to get near you. Think of it as protecting the pride, even. If the extremists choose to target you, and they believe you’re here—”

“They’ll bomb Phoenix Pack territory,” Mila snapped. “Does that not matter to anyone here?”

“The dwelling is too deep within the land for any bombs to hit it,” said Trey. “They might cause damage to the surrounding woods, but that would be all. And we have precautions in place to deal with such events.”

James tilted his head as he spoke to Trey. “It won’t bother you to have her here, knowing it could bring danger to your territory?”

“She’s Dominic’s mate—that’s all I need to know,” said Trey. “And there’ll always be a possibility of danger coming our way, because there’ll always be extremists. That’s the reason why no shifter in their right mind would ever start a war with the fuckers. You can’t kill prejudice. It’ll sadly always exist, which means there will always be people who want to act on it. A war would only lead to pointless deaths, nothing more.”

Alex nodded. “The Movement does a good job of handling the extremists anyway. The rates of attacks have lowered dramatically, and the extremists have lost a lot of support from their own kind. With all the PR work that shifter groups have been doing, humans and shifters are coexisting more peacefully than ever before. But, as you said, there’ll always be prejudice. Dean’s problem with my sister could be that he has something against pallas cats.”

“I didn’t pick up any prejudice from him,” said Mila. “He was just . . . normal.”

“The wolf said Dean watched you,” Alex pointed out. “That’s not exactly normal.”

“It doesn’t have to mean that he was thinking anything bad,” said Mila. “And could you please call Dominic by his name?”

“No.”

Just then, Tate strolled back into the room, pocketing his phone. “According to Archie, Dean Simmons is part of the Birch Pride, which isn’t more than a mile from here.”

Vinnie pushed to his feet. “Then let’s go pay him a visit. I won’t call his Alpha in advance; we don’t want to give Dean a heads-up that we’re coming. I’ll call you as soon as I get ahold of him, Mila.”

Everyone else stood, and Valentina crossed to Mila. Pulling her into yet another hug, Valentina said, “I know it is hard for you to stay behind. But this will go more smoothly if you are not in sight of this male who put price on your head.”

Mila exhaled heavily. “I know, but—”

“Four times, Mila,” said James. “In a short space of time, you’ve almost been killed four times. Take pity on our hearts, and give us a rest from the worry.”

When she didn’t argue, Valentina nodded in satisfaction and patted Mila’s arm. “I will pack some of your things and bring them here.” She turned to Trey. “I want whatever information you have on creator of website. My brothers will make him pay—that I promise you.”

After accepting hugs from each of her pride mates, Mila followed them to the entrance of the dwelling and waved them off. She stood stiffly in Dominic’s arms, leaning against him as he held her tightly from behind.

He nuzzled her neck. “I know you’re pissed at me for asking you to stay. I don’t even blame you for it. But I can’t watch you get hurt again, Mila. I just can’t fucking do it.”

Thawing at the tortured note to his voice, she turned in his arms with a heavy sigh. “I know. But for someone who wants me to rest, you sure do keep me awake a lot. I’m not complaining, because your cock is rather outstanding when put to good use. I’m just pointing out the hypocrisy here.”

His mouth quirked. “This time, I won’t make any moves on you. I’ll just hold you while you sleep.”

“Or you could go do enforcer stuff rather than just lie there with me, bored out of your mind.” Not that it would be easy for her to drift off, despite how tired she was. She’d be on edge until Vinnie called her with news on Dean Simmons.

“There’s nothing boring about holding my mate. Besides, I like watching you sleep. You make the oddest expressions, kind of like your cat.” Linking their fingers, Dominic led her through the tunnels once more. When he was about to make the turn that would lead to his bedroom, a thought occurred to him. “You hungry? We didn’t eat the food Grace left for us.”

“A sandwich would go down nicely. I’m too tired to handle a big meal.”

“A sandwich it is.” Switching directions, he took her to the kitchen. Grace, Roni, Marcus, and Trick were gathered at the long table, their eyes locked on Roni’s cell phone. And every one of them looked close to cursing a blue streak.

“Tell me that’s not Emmet Pierson’s voice I’m hearing,” Dominic growled.

Roni tapped the screen of her cell, and the sound cut off. “I wish I could. We’re just watching footage from the press conference he held outside the police station.”

Dominic ground his teeth. “Let me see.”

“I’ll restart it,” said Roni. Dominic and Mila stood behind the others as the she-wolf played the footage from the beginning.

On the screen, cameras flashed and people shouted questions at Pierson. He stood tall, his expression solemn, his eyes cold. “My daughter did not try to kill anyone,” he asserted. “Did she hold the people in the barbershop at gunpoint? Yes. But it was only a replica gun. She used it to scare the woman who is trying to steal her mate. Was that a rational move? No. And it goes to show just what mental damage can be caused when a person’s mate abandons them. If you want to blame anyone for what happened, blame Dominic Black.”

Mila hissed. “Motherfucker.”

“People will tell you that Rosemary shot Mila Devereaux,” Pierson went on. “If that is true, where is Miss Devereaux’s injury? Oh, I’m sure the wolf will claim that his Alpha female healed the human, just as the police were told. But the truth is simple: Miss Devereaux wasn’t hurt at all, she was merely taken away so that the shifters could spin a story. Yes, the wolf would have his own true mate locked in a cell just so that he could be free to have fun with his tart. Anyone with any sense can see that truth. I hope all of you have such sense.”

Tart?Mila snarled. “God, I think the guy could twist just about anything.” Her gaze cut to Dominic. “Not that he’s done a good job of it. People aren’t likely to buy that your pack would go to that trouble just so you could sleep around. Reporters will want my side of the story now. And if I don’t give it, it’s as good as saying that his account is true.” Dominic had warned her that the media would latch on to it, but she hadn’t been so sure.

He smoothed his hand up her arm. “We can post a written statement on the pack’s blog, but it won’t be a response to this interview. That load of bullshit doesn’t deserve the credit of a response. It will just be your account of what happened, but we’ll craft it in a way that pokes holes at Pierson’s story. We’ll also mention Rosemary’s history of instability again as a gentle reminder that she’s fucking nuts.” He guided her to a seat, but she shook her head.

“I’ve kind of lost my appetite.”

“You need to eat. Sit, I’ll make the sandwiches.”

Grace stood. “I’ll make them. You two sit down.”

Mila genuinely didn’t think she’d be able to eat, but the smells of fresh bread, tuna, and mayonnaise made her stomach rumble. She scarfed it down without really tasting it, her mind elsewhere. Done with her sandwich, she pushed the empty plate aside. Instead of feeling energized by the food, she felt even more tired than before.

She was midway through a yawn when her phone rang. She dug it out of her pocket, and her pulse spiked when she saw that it was Vinnie calling. She answered with, “Tell me you have him.”

“Well, I spoke with him,” said Vinnie. “But the Dean Simmons I just talked to in his Alpha’s office is not the bobcat who was at the barbershop earlier.”

Her lips parting in surprise, Mila rubbed at her temple. “The guy you just met could still be the person who put out the hit, though, right?”

“He swears he didn’t, and I believe him. Plus, he does not have a nephew called Finley. That means the bobcat you know did in fact lie to you.”

Mila swore and shoved a hand through her hair. Only Dominic’s fingers massaging her nape kept her from shooting to her feet and pacing up and down.

“My guess is that he picked a random bobcat and used his identity while at your barbershop,” said Vinnie. “Did he ever tell you anything that might hint at who he really is?”

Many of her clients gossiped or talked about their lives, but Dean hadn’t been one of them. “No, nothing. We just chatted about general things.”

“Hmm. If he notices that the website has collapsed, he’ll suspect we’re onto him. He’ll keep his distance from you.”

“That all depends on why he put out the hit.” Mila sighed. “I really don’t get why he would want me dead, Vinnie. I never picked up even the slightest hint of animosity from him.”

“Some people are good at acting.”

True enough. Ending the call, Mila looked at Dominic. “Did you hear all that?”

He nodded. “I heard.”

“I don’t understand any of this.” She twisted slightly in her seat to face him better. “You said he watched me. Watched me how?”

“It wasn’t ogling. He didn’t display any sexual interest in you, so I didn’t pay as much attention to it as I should have.”

Mila hadn’t picked up any sexual attraction either. He’d never flirted with her, but he’d been friendly and polite. “He only ever complimented me once, and that was to say I had a nice voice. He said he saw me perform when he took his girlfriend to the Velvet Lounge.”

Dominic’s brow furrowed. “You saw him there?”

“No. He just told me about it. But then, it could have been yet another lie, right? I never saw him anywhere but the barb—” Noticing that Dominic had gone stiff as a board and that his eyes were glittering with something very, very dark, Mila asked, “What? What is it?”

“He might have lied to you about having a girlfriend, but he didn’t lie about going to the Velvet Lounge. I saw him there. He was alone, sitting at the bar in the VIP section. The only reason I paid him any attention was that he was talking to someone I know well.”

Mila narrowed her eyes. “Who?”

A short while later, Dominic was leaning against the security shack when a familiar car drove through the tall gates. She’d gotten here faster than he thought she would. But then, he’d been sure to sound a little lost and forlorn over the phone, not wanting her to suspect the real reason he’d invited her here. He’d told her he needed to talk to someone he could trust, which was true. He hadn’t said that she was someone he could trust, but he’d known she’d take his comment to mean exactly that.

At his urging, Charlene parked the car in the turnout near the shack and then rushed out of the vehicle, looking somewhat flustered. “Are you okay?”

“I’m good,” he replied, hiding the urge to grip her by the throat. Because if his suspicions were true, Charlene had a lot to fucking answer for.

“I heard about the shooting on TV.” Her nose wrinkling, she glanced around. “Where is Mila?”

“With her family.”

Charlene’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Ah, you let it leak to reporters that she was here so that they wouldn’t look for her in the right place. Clever.” She edged closer to him, and her brows drew together. “You wear her scent. And her claiming mark.” Neither of which seemed to make her happy.

Dominic smoothly stepped back when she would have touched him. No, he couldn’t tolerate that right then. “Walk with me.”

Charlene blinked. “Sure.” As they walked through the fringe of tall, regal trees, she said, “You look so . . . on edge. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without a smile in your eyes.”

“Not much to smile about when I just watched my mate get shot.”

“I guess not,” she muttered.

“You really don’t like Mila much, do you?”

“I don’t know her,” Charlene answered, evasive. “She seems nice enough, but . . .”

“But what?”

The fox opened and closed her mouth a few times. “I just don’t see it going the distance, that’s all. I mean, like I’ve said before, she’s not your type.”

“That night at the Velvet Lounge when you realized I’d marked her, you had a sour look on your face. Even seemed to rant about it to the guy at the VIP bar. Just who was he exactly?”

Tension stiffened her muscles. She lifted her shoulders, nonchalant. “Just some guy. One of our usual patrons.”

“You know him. I could tell.”

She averted her eyes. “I know him a little, sure.”

“Who was he?”

“I doubt it’s anyone you know.”

“Try me.”

She halted, turning to face him. “What’s wrong? Why all the questions?”

Dominic took a confrontational step toward her. “Who is he, Charlene?”

She swallowed. “Dominic—”

“Tell me who he is.”

“Just a friend of Lennie’s.”

“His name,”Dominic pushed, but she clamped her lips shut. He growled. “If our friendship ever meant anything to you, you’ll tell me what I want to know.”

She threw up her arms. “Dean Preston. See, you don’t know him, do you?”

“Here’s what I do know. You’ve been doing your best to make Mila keep her distance from me, and Dean Preston put a fucking hit out on her. You knew about the hit, didn’t you? You knew she was in danger, and you didn’t want me in the line of fire, so you tried to drive a wedge between us.”

Charlene’s eyes flickered. “It’s not what—”

“Why didn’t you say something?” he demanded, rage curdling through him. “Why? The fucker wants her dead!”

“No, he doesn’t. He didn’t put out a hit; he just wanted her hurt.”

“Is that what he told you? Because if so, he lied.”

“No, you’re wrong. He has no need to put a hit out on her. He doesn’t want her to die.”

“Then what does he want?”

“He wants his true mate.”

Dominic frowned. “What?”

“He found his mate a few months back. Recognized her as his. But she’s imprinted on another.”

“If she’s imprinted on another male, he couldn’t possibly know that she’s his.”

“Dean has visions. He’s not a Seer, but he has witch-blood in his family. Long ago, he had a vision of his true mate, and he saw her happy with someone else. He’s been determined to find her and prevent that future from happening, but he didn’t find her in time. He befriended her, though. He’s done his best to get close to her, and he’s managed to convince her that she’s his true mate. He wants her to leave the guy she imprinted on, but she won’t. I can understand that. I love Lennie. I couldn’t leave him for someone else.”

“What does any of this have to do with Mila?”

“Like I said, Dean befriended his true mate. She trusts him. Confides in him. Told him how hard it is to see her partner fuss over her cousin. Told him how she strongly suspects that the guy she imprinted on is the predestined mate of said cousin.”

And then the light bulb went on. Dominic swore. “Adele. Dean’s mate is Adele.”

“He hates the guy she’s with. I think he said the cat’s name is Joel. But Dean won’t hurt him because it would only hurt her.”

“And what, Dean put a bounty on Mila’s head at Adele’s request?”

Charlene gave a fast shake of her head. “No. Nothing like that. As I said, he truly doesn’t want Mila dead. He just wants his mate. His theory is that if Mila’s in enough danger, it will stir up Joel’s protective instincts; it will reach the part of him that acknowledges who she is to him. Dean was excited when he realized that things seemed serious between you and Mila. He hoped it would bring out Joel’s possessiveness too.”

“Dean wants Joel to realize who Mila is to him. He can’t make Adele leave Joel, so he’s hoping to make Joel leave Adele.” Dominic’s jaw hardened. “And you knew? You knew he’d put a price on Mila’s head?”

Charlene shook her head. “He told me he only ordered for her to be hurt.”

“Well, he fucking lied. Probably because he didn’t trust that you wouldn’t warn her. But regardless of whether he wanted her hurt or dead, you should have told her.”

Charlene licked her lips nervously. “She’s a pallas cat, Dominic. They’re tougher than rock. I figured she’d be fine.”

Dominic stilled, disbelief smacking him in the face. “You figured she’d be fine? That’s your defense?”

“I didn’t think she’d ever come to mean anything to you. I figured you just wanted to test the bedsprings with her.”

“That has no bearing on the fact that you should have toldher.”

“I promised Dean I wouldn’t! I honestly didn’t think anyone would be dumb enough to even try to cash in on the contract. I mean, who’d want to fuck with a pallas cat pride? They’re insane. But after the attacks started, I thought about coming to you. I did. But you would have been angry with me for not saying something sooner.”

“I’m still not hearing an excuse that’s even close to valid.”

Switching from beseeching to defensive in an instant, she jutted out her chin. “Yeah? Well, she almost died today. And it wasn’t because of Dean. It was because of your ex. You brought that fucked-up shit into Mila’s life. So don’t get all high and mighty with me about how I could have helped her. You could have helped keep her safe by staying away, but you didn’t. You just can’t keep your dick in your pants. And if she thinks that claiming you will change that, she’s a fool. Some people aren’t made for commitment—you’re one of them.”

“Is that what you tell yourself so that your ego isn’t hurt by his refusal to commit to you?” asked Mila as she strolled out of the trees, grass rustling beneath her feet.

Charlene whirled to face her, paling. “Mila—”

She put up a hand. “I heard all your excuses, Charlene. Don’t need to hear them again. I have only one question for you, and I’d say you owe me the answer. Where do I find Dean Preston?”

“He really doesn’t want you—”

“Dead,” Mila finished, her voice flat. “Yeah. I heard that. But, see, I don’t care.”

“There would be no point in me telling you anyway. He has visions; he could have one that warns him you’re coming. He’ll run.”

“We’ll take our chances,” said Dominic. “Where is he, Charlene?”

The fox’s eyes closed, and her expression turned pained. “You’ll kill him.”

Yeah, he would. “And if you heard someone had put a price on Lennie’s head, no matter the reason, what would you do?”

Opening her eyes, Charlene sighed. “I’d break their fucking neck.”

“Believe me, Charlene, I’m close to breaking yours. You knew my mate was in danger, and you said shit about it. You tried to separate me from her, which would have left her more vulnerable to attack. I’m guessing you did it because you didn’t want a stray bullet sinking into me—I don’t care, and that’s not good enough. Her life is more important to me than mine.”

“I didn’t know he put out a hit. I swear to God, I didn’t!”

“You still should have told her what you did know.” Dominic paused as several of his pack mates—all of whom looked mighty pissed—stepped out of the trees to circle the three of them. He watched it sink into Charlene’s brain that she was surrounded.

“There is only one way you’ll walk off this territory alive, and that’s if you tell me where I can find that fucker right now,” Dominic told her. “Bear in mind that you’ll tell me one way or another. Dante will get the information out of you. Whether you volunteer that information or need to have it tortured out of you will decide your fate. Choose, and do it fast.”