CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Charlene made the right choice and confessed all, which unfortunately meant that Mila couldn’t kill her. She did, however, deal the fox a blow to the jaw that knocked her clean out for a few minutes. The moment Charlene was kicked off pack territory, Mila called Vinnie and brought him up to speed. Annoyingly, that also meant telling him that Joel was her predestined mate. He hadn’t taken that too well, growling, “We’ll discuss this after I’ve paid Dean’s Alpha a visit.”

It was later on, while she was gathered in Trey’s office with Dominic, his Alphas and Betas, Tao, and the other enforcers, that Vinnie called her. She placed him on speakerphone as he relayed the conversation he’d had with Dean’s Alpha, Jonah, who claimed he hadn’t seen Dean in days. Apparently, Dean also wasn’t answering anyone’s calls.

“Do you think Jonah bullshitted you to protect his pride mate?” Trey asked, his arms folded, his back against his desk.

“I wouldn’t have blamed him if he had, but no,” replied Vinnie. “I think Jonah was telling the truth. He agreed to call me if Dean returned, but very few Alphas would put an outsider before their own pride mate, no matter that person’s crime.”

“I wonder what made Dean cut contact with his pride.” Roni poked her inner cheek with her tongue. “I mean, that’s not something that anyone would do lightly. Especially if they had family there.”

“According to Jonah,” began Vinnie, “Dean hasn’t had trouble with any of his pride mates, so we can rule that possibility out.”

His arm draped over his mate’s shoulder, Dominic twisted his mouth. “Maybe Dean did it to protect them.”

Mila’s brow puckered. “From what?”

Dominic shrugged. “He could be worried we were close to discovering the truth. Maybe he thought that if he made it clear he was acting alone by cutting contact with his pride, they wouldn’t suffer any blowback. Especially if he heard from Adele that there were people working on cracking the website.”

“It’s possible,” allowed Taryn, sitting in the leather office chair. “Do you think Adele knows that Dean’s responsible for the hit, Mila?”

“My gut says no,” Mila replied.

“She told Dean that she suspects you’re Joel’s mate and that she finds it hard to see how attached he is to you,” Taryn reminded her. “If you were dead, she wouldn’t have to be hurt by it anymore.”

“I know,” said Mila, “but she’s just not the type of person who would wish anyone dead.”

“I agree,” Vinnie declared. “In fact, Adele’s more likely to be feeling guilty that she’s claimed her cousin’s predestined mate.”

“But not so guilty that she’s told Joel the truth or given him up,” Trey pointed out.

Mila shrugged. “She loves him.” Something that no longer pained her or her cat. “If I met someone who I suspected was Dominic’s true mate, I’m not sure I’d be selfless enough to share that suspicion with him. I certainly wouldn’t be willing to give him up.” If that made Mila a shitty person, so be it.

Dominic kissed her temple. “Just as I wouldn’t give you up, no matter what.”

“You should have told me about Joel, Mila,” Vinnie chastised. “I’m not just your Alpha, I’m your uncle.”

Mila sighed. “I didn’t tell anyone other than my parents and Alex. My mother constantly pushed me to tell Joel the truth so that he could decide for himself who he wanted. You would have done the same, because you love me and would have hated that I was hurting. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Vinnie gave a low, frustrated growl—no doubt annoyed that he couldn’t deny it. “It’s unfair of you to make that decision for Joel.”

“I didn’t. He made the choice when he claimed Adele, which he knew meant forsaking his predestined mate. And I’m okay with that now. Even my cat is no longer bitter about it. So if we can get back to the point at hand—which is that Dean Preston is Adele’s true mate and needs to be found—that would be great.”

Tao propped his hip against the wall. “My guess is that Dean’s either staying with a friend or at a motel. He’d stay close to Adele, right? He’d want to be close enough to watch over her.”

Jaime pursed her lips. “We could check out the motels local to her address. Does she live in your apartment building, Mila?”

“No. She and Joel live in a house that’s about a ten-minute drive away from the building.”

“You know,” began Dominic, doodling little circles on her shoulder with his fingertip, “it strikes me that we don’t actually need to search for Dean. Vinnie could talk to Adele, convince her to lure Dean to meet with her, and then we could make a grab for him.”

Jaime grimaced. “But if Charlene’s warned him that we know his identity, he’ll suspect it’s a trap. I know she promised she wouldn’t tell Dean if we agreed not to inform her Alpha of her part in all this, but foxes are vindictive.”

“So is a male whose mate was wronged,” said Dominic. “Charlene wronged my mate in a major fucking way; she knows I won’t hesitate to report it to her Alpha if she betrays her promise. The guy would be pissed to hear that she made an enemy of us, since her behavior reflects on him. She won’t risk being banished.”

“I doubt Adele would be willing to help lure Dean out into the open,” said Roni. “I mean, she might not want him, but she’ll feel some loyalty toward him. Probably more loyalty than toward her own Alpha—that’s a primitive instinct she won’t be able to ignore.”

“It’s unlikely that Adele will give him up to me,” said Vinnie. “But she might give him up to Mila. I know you don’t like the idea of Mila leaving your territory, Dominic, but she’s our best chance of getting Adele to talk. Your pack mates can’t deal with this—Adele would feel threatened if a bunch of strangers turned up at her home.”

His muscles rigid, Dominic growled. Hadn’t they just had a fucking conversation about how it was best for Mila to lie low? His nostrils flared. “Why Mila?” he bit out.

“Adele will feel that she owes her something,” replied Vinnie. “The guilt of claiming her cousin’s true mate has probably been weighing on Adele for a long time. She’ll only feel worse when she realizes that Dean put Mila’s life in danger.”

“She’ll be home from work by now, but Joel won’t be—that means she can talk openly,” said Mila. “If I point out that Dean’s been acting behind her back, trying to split her from the man she loves, she’ll see that as a betrayal. And if I add that it’s only a matter of time before Dean gets desperate enough to talk with Joel and tell him everything, she’ll panic. Seeing that Dominic and I have officially claimed each other and that I have no designs on Joel might mean she’ll see me as an ally.”

Marcus shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. The worst that can happen is that she refuses to help you and then warns Dean that we have his real identity.”

“The worst that can happen is that Mila is attacked again,” Dominic argued, a snap to his voice. His wolf was no less tense at the idea of her leaving their territory.

“We’ll keep her safe, Dominic,” said Trey. “That I promise you. You know none of us would let anything happen to Mila.”

“You won’t be able to come inside her house with me,” she told Trey. “Dominic will, of course. But Adele won’t confess her darkest secret in front of strangers.”

Trey inclined his head. “Dante, Ryan, and I will wait outside.” His gaze slid back to Dominic. “If you want the threat to Mila to be completely gone from her life, this is the fastest way to see it done.”

Dominic swore under his breath. “Trey—”

“We’ll keep her safe,” the Alpha repeated.

Mila intertwined her fingers with Dominic’s. “I know you want me here, resting. And I swear to you that I’ll do exactly that when we get back. I’ll lie low for a while, and I won’t even moan about it. Out loud. So the quicker we speak to Adele, the quicker I can go to bed. I want this shit with Dean over with, and so do you. Trey’s right, this is the fastest way to make that happen.”

They all talked for a few more minutes, and then Mila ended her call with Vinnie and pocketed her phone.

Dominic drew her close and rested his forehead against hers. “It goes against everything in me to take you away from here right now.” His stomach sank just thinking about it.

She touched his jaw. “I know, and I appreciate how hard it is for you to push past that.” After all, the guy had watched her bleed all over the damn floor of the barbershop. It was little wonder that he wanted to tuck her away somewhere safe. She’d be lying if she claimed that she’d act differently in his position. “But we need to know where Dean is, and Adele’s the one person who might have his location. We have to talk to her.”

Dominic hissed out a breath. “This whole thing fucking sucks.” Especially because he couldn’t deny that she made sense.

“Yeah, I’m with you on that one.”

As Dante pulled up outside Adele and Joel’s house, Mila raised a brow at Dominic. “Ready?”

He gave a curt nod. “If she doesn’t spill everything, I’m going to be fucking pissed—just so you know.”

“I’m not leaving that house until she tells me what I want to know,” said Mila.

Riding shotgun, Trey twisted in his seat. “Ryan will canvass the area just in case Dean is close.”

“There’s no way to sneak up on a pallas cat,” Mila warned.

“Ryan’s like a ghost when he tracks,” Dominic told her, sliding out of the SUV. “Trust me, if Dean’s nearby, Ryan will find him.” Hand in hand, they walked up the cobbled pathway toward the townhouse. “You’re all right going into the home your predestined mate shares with another female? Can your cat handle it?”

“Handle it? She’s surprisingly uninterested. Not because she’s forgiven Joel but because she no longer considers him worthy of the energy it took to hate him.” Mila rang the bell and blew out a breath. “Let me lead here. I know Adele better than you. We need to go easy at first, okay?”

“Lull her into a false sense of security?”

“We have to slowly lead up to the point and—” Mila cut off as the door swung open.

Adele blinked. “Mila, hi.” Her shock was understandable, since Mila had never visited before. Adele’s eyes cut to Dominic, and she forced a polite smile. “Hello. Um . . . come in, come in.” She stepped aside for them to pass. “How are you doing after the shooting, Mila?”

“I’m good, thanks,” Mila told her, her nose wrinkling at the scents of citrus cleaner and freshly cut flowers.

“That’s a relief. I would have called you, but your mom told everyone to give you space.”

“I figured she would.”

Adele rubbed her hands down the sides of her shirt. “If you’re here to see Joel—”

“We wanted to speak with you.”

“Oh. Okay. Sure. We could—” Her eyes dropped to Mila’s neck and then widened with excitement. That excitement bloomed when her gaze snapped to Dominic’s neck. “Oh wow! You claimed each other? This is amazing news. Congrats! I mean, I can sense that the bond hasn’t formed yet, but I don’t doubt that it will. You two suit each other so well.”

“Thank you. I agree.” Dominic also sensed a large dose of relief mingled with Adele’s excitement. If Mila was taken, she’d hardly want Joel.

“Would you guys like some coffee?” Oh, Adele was all grace and courtesy now.

“Coffee would be good,” replied Mila. She followed the female down the hall, her footsteps muffled by the lush carpet.

Coats hung neatly on the hooks near the door. Shoes tidily tucked in the nook beneath the stairs. No clutter anywhere to be seen. The large mirror gleamed, possessing not a single smear or fingerprint. Damn, the couple liked their home spotless.

Mila had never believed she’d ever step foot in their home. But seeing the life the couple had made together didn’t hurt the way it once would have. In fact, Mila felt a smile curve her mouth as she took in the cute portraits adorning the magnolia walls. Pictures of Adele and Joel laughing, hiking, partying, and dancing at what appeared to be their mating ceremony. Yeah, he was happy.

Mila had never begrudged him that, but she hadn’t exactly been happy for him. Not until right then. Now that she’d found that same happiness with Dominic, Mila could be truly glad that Joel had it with Adele.

In the kitchen, Adele waved a hand at the table. “Take a seat.”

Mila almost hesitated. Seriously, everything was so clean and orderly that it was somewhat off-putting.

“So what brings you here?”

“Actually, I just have some questions about the imprinting process,” Mila told her, gingerly perching herself on one of the cushioned dining chairs. “And well, I figured you’d be a good person to ask.”

Adele’s smile widened. “I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you have. Fire away.”

Feeling a little less tense when her mate took the seat beside her, Mila braced an elbow on the table. “How long did it take for you and Joel to fully imprint?”

“A few months, but I heard that it differs from couple to couple.”

As Adele made the coffees, Mila asked a few other inane questions. She needed Adele to relax, lower her guard, and open up. That wouldn’t happen if she was tense or on the defensive.

The whole time, Dominic kept his hand on Mila’s nape, circling the same spot with his thumb over and over. Keeping himself calm, she thought.

While Adele was distracted pouring the coffees, Mila turned to him and whispered, “You okay?”

“I want this over with,” said Dominic, his voice equally low. He didn’t like being in Joel’s house. Didn’t like that Mila was in Joel’s house. His wolf really didn’t fucking like that his mate was on the asshole’s territory.

Dominic had worried that she’d find it hard to see the life her predestined mate had built with someone else—he’d have understood, would have comforted her even though it would have hurt him to see that this pained her. But she was fine, albeit tired. Likewise, her cat wasn’t tense or edgy. And that showed him that neither she nor Mila felt any regrets at the way things had turned out. Dominic had needed to know that.

“Here we go.” Adele placed three steaming mugs on the table and then settled on the chair opposite Mila. “Anything else you want to ask?”

Mila cocked her head. “Do you ever feel guilty for choosing Joel over your true mate?”

Her smile dimming, Adele froze with her cup halfway to her mouth. “Guilty? Well, um, I’d like to think that our predestined mates wouldn’t begrudge us happiness.” Her gaze dropped to the table. “It would be natural for them to be unhappy because we’d chosen another over them, but they could still want us to be happy.”

Dominic picked up his mug. “Mila stupidly feels guilty that she’s ‘stolen’ someone else’s mate. I keep telling her I’m with her because I want to be, but she still feels bad about it.”

Adele gave a wry smile. “That’s the thing about imprinting. It’s special, but it’s easy to feel guilty for renouncing your mate or claiming someone else’s.”

“Yeah.” Mila sighed. “But I guess life’s too short for torturing yourself.”

“Something Rosemary proved today when she shot you in the chest,” Dominic rumbled. His throat tightened at the memory. “Thank God for Helena. And for Evander, since he tackled Rosemary to the floor after you kicked the gun out of her hand. And for Dean, since he dived for the gun.”

Adele stiffened. “Dean?”

“He’s one of my clients,” Mila told her. “A bobcat shifter. It turns out, he’s also a friend of one of Dominic’s past flings. Charlene told us his story and . . . wow.”

“His story?” Adele echoed, swallowing hard.

“He has premonitions, and he once had a vision of his true mate; saw her imprinted on another,” said Mila. “He tried to find her before that future could come to pass, but he was too late. Although Dean was able to convince her that she’s his true mate, she won’t leave the guy she imprinted on. But then, neither would I. It’s a shame he can’t respect that. Isn’t it, Adele? Shame he won’t just let you enjoy the happiness you’ve found with Joel.”

Panic flitted across her face. “I don’t—”

“He named you to Charlene; he told her about Joel too.”

Adele shot to her feet. “I need you both to leave.”

“He told her how you suspected that Joel was the predestined mate of your cousin.”

Adele paled. “Mila—”

“I already knew.”

Her lips parting, Adele stared at her, incredulous. “What?”

“I knew it the second I saw him when you first brought him to meet the pride.”

As if the shock of that was too much, Adele plopped back onto the chair. “But . . . you . . . you didn’t say anything.”

“He loves you; he’s happy. I let that be enough for me. You never said anything either.”

Her eyes falling closed, Adele let out a shaky breath. “I thought about telling him, but it would have destroyed me to watch him walk away.” Her eyes opened, glittering with guilt. “I know what I stole from you, but I need him. I love him. I can’t be without him. He would have chosen you over me.”

Mila shook her head. “I don’t believe he would have.”

Adele snorted. “I see how drawn he is to you. See how he worries about you, how he seeks you out, how easy it is for him to be around you.” Her voice cracked. “It kills me, Mila.”

Honestly, Mila never thought she’d ever find herself feeling sorry for Adele, but she did. “I know what it’s like to love someone who fate gave to another female. I don’t know her, true—she’s just a hypothetical person to me. But I’d be lying if I said I’d have been up front in your position. I wouldn’t want to lose Dominic.” Mila pinned the other female’s gaze. “You hear me? I’m happy, Adele. I don’t want Joel. I’m not interested in coming between you. But I can’t say the same for Dean.”

Her brows squished together. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that he’s the person who put the bounty on my head.”

“What?” Adele let out a surprised laugh. “No. That’s ridiculous. Why would he ever—?”

“He can’t talk you into leaving Joel, can he? Dean hoped that my being threatened would somehow stir up Joel’s protective instincts and make him see the truth—make him leave you.”

Adele vigorously shook her head. “No. No, Dean wouldn’t do that. He said he was happy as long as I was happy.”

“And I’ll bet he meant it. But I’m guessing he thinks he can make you happier than anyone else ever could. The name of the person who put the price on my head is Dean Preston.”

Adele flinched. “I just can’t believe he’d do that. No. No. You have to be wrong. He wouldn’t risk my cousin’s life. He wouldn’t do anything that would hurt me.”

“Where is he?”

“With his pride, of course.”

Mila shook her head. “They haven’t seen him in days.”

“Call him,” Dominic told Adele. “You’re in contact with him, so you must have his number. Call him. Arrange to meet him somewhere. You can ask him yourself.”

“And you’ll be waiting, ready to pounce,” Adele accused, her eyes narrowed.

Dominic shrugged. “If he’s innocent, we’ll have no need to pounce.”

Adele rubbed at her temples. “I promised myself I wouldn’t meet with him again. It’s not fair to Joel. Oh God, I’ll need to tell him everything, won’t I?”

“That’s up to you,” said Mila. “You might have a chance at convincing Vinnie to keep a chunk of the story quiet from Joel and the rest of the pride.”

Adele swallowed, and the movement looked painful. “He’ll leave me. Joel. He’ll choose you.”

Dominic’s nostrils flared. “Mila’s not a fucking option for him.”

Mila put her hand on Dominic’s thigh. “I think you’re wrong, Adele. Joel loves you. I’m not saying it won’t be a shock, and it might hurt that you haven’t been straight with him about a lot of things. But he will understand why you didn’t tell him you suspected I was his predestined mate. He’s more likely to be upset at you secretly communicating with your true mate. So be sure to remind him that although you may have been in contact with Dean, you refused to leave Joel—he’s your choice.”

Dominic leaned forward. “Call Dean.”

Adele licked her lips. “I don’t have his number. I—”

“He’s not going to walk away from you, Adele. Just as Joel’s drawn to Mila, Dean is drawn to you. The difference is that Joel doesn’t want Mila, but Dean sure as fuck wants you. And since Dean’s little plot didn’t pay off, how long do you think it will be before he takes Joel out of the equation himself?”

The color left Adele’s face in a rush. “Dean wouldn’t do that.”

“Would you bet Joel’s life on that?” Dominic tapped the table. “Call Dean.”

“I told you, I don’t have his—”

“Call him.”

Adele pulled her phone out of her pocket and tapped at the screen with her thumbs. “I don’t believe he did this,” she said, putting the phone to her ear.

“I hope you’re right,” said Mila.

After a few moments, Adele’s brows snapped together. “He’s not answering. He always answers.”

“Try calling him again,” said Dominic.

She muttered under her breath but did as he asked. “He’s still not answering.”

Just then, Mila’s phone rang. She whipped it out of her pocket. “It’s Vinnie.” Swiping her thumb across the screen, she answered with, “You have Dean?”

“No, I have news.” Vinnie sighed heavily. “Rosemary Pierson tried to hang herself in her cell.”

Mila’s mouth went slack. Shit. Mentally fumbling, she asked, “Is she okay?”

“No,” replied Vinnie, grimly. “She’s alive, but she’s in a coma. And the docs don’t expect her to wake up. Her brain went without oxygen for too long.”

Mila shoved a hand through her hair, feeling a momentary pang of sympathy for the woman.

“Does Adele know where Dean is?” Vinnie asked.

Mila met the female’s eyes. “No, and he’s not taking her calls.”

“Tell her I expect to see her at the antique store in an hour. She and I are going to have a long talk.” The line went dead.

Pocketing her phone, Mila said, “Vinnie wants—”

“To see me in an hour,” finished Adele, her expression pained. “I heard.”

“So did I.” Dominic sighed, giving his mate’s neck a gentle squeeze. “I guess we should have expected Rosemary to try something like that. She’s never been good at facing reality. Not to sound insensitive, but this will feed that media circus I mentioned earlier.”

Mila puffed out a breath. “Her father will now officially want us both dead and buried.”

“It will never come to that,” Dominic said, his voice low and menacing. “I’ll kill him before I let him touch you.”

“Not if my cat gets there first.”