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.