“Everything will be fine,” said Mila, settling on the chair in front of the vanity.

He watched as she swiftly and expertly dabbed on some makeup, her hands constantly in motion. And she was humming. Yes, humming. He didn’t know how she could be so relaxed. But then, performing was her outlet for stress, he remembered. Being here was probably comforting for her.

Hearing a knock on the door, Dominic felt his body go rigid.

“No enemy is going to politely knock on the door,” Mila pointed out gently.

Making a mental note to tell Harley to add a peephole, Dominic opened the door a little. The sight he found sent rage whipping through him. His wolf’s ears flattened as a dark, guttural sound rumbled in his chest. “What the fuck?” Dominic burst out.

Joel raised his hands in a gesture of peace. “I just want to talk to Mila.”

“Are you shitting me right now?” If Dominic had even suspected the guy would show up there, he’d have asked the doormen to keep the asshole out. Joel hadn’t done anything wrong, true, but his commitment to Adele was no longer absolute; he might now covet the one thing that Dominic and his wolf couldn’t live without. They didn’t want Joel anywhere near Mila.

“I just want to talk to her for a minute, that’s all,” said Joel, sounding so fucking reasonable that Dominic wanted to punch him.

“There’s nothing you’ve got to say that she needs to hear.”

Joel’s jaw set in a hard line. “You do know she can speak for herself, right?”

Dominic’s wolf snapped his teeth. “Don’t test me.”

“I’m not here to stir shit up. I’m here to speak with her. You’re her mate, I get it—”

“Then leave.”

Joel jutted out his chin. “What I have to say is between me and Mila—”

“There’s nothing between you and my mate,” Dominic ground out, his fingers contracting like claws. “There never will be.”

“I know. Like I said, I just want to talk to her.”

Crossing to Dominic, Mila stood a little behind him and placed her hand on his rigid back. She could feel echoes of his anger and sensed that he felt threatened. No, she thought, he wasn’t intimidated by Joel, but he viewed the male as a threat to their relationship. She couldn’t have that. Didn’t want him ever feeling insecure with her the way he’d felt as a child. “Let him in, Dominic.”

“No.”

“Let him in.” Mila needed to get this done. Not just because Joel would keep hounding her until he got to say his piece—he was stubborn like that—but because she needed Dominic to see that there was nothing between her and Joel. Especially since the imprinting bond would never form if he had any doubts.

“We can give him a few minutes, right?” she said, purposely using the word we to show that she viewed herself and Dominic as a unit. The tension didn’t leave his spine, but he did relax his hands and back up two steps, allowing Joel to cross the threshold. Mila also backed up, remaining a little behind Dominic.

He jabbed a finger at Joel. “That’s enough. You don’t move any farther than there.”

Joel halted, although his gaze was on Mila. There was no yearning or lust there, only regret and a hint of self-condemnation.

“How did you know I’d be here tonight?” she asked.

“Someone from the pride told me,” replied Joel. “They knew I wanted to talk to you.”

“Make it quick,” Dominic ground out, but Joel didn’t glance his way.

His brow furrowing, Joel swallowed. “I didn’t sense it, Mila. I really didn’t sense that we were true mates. Didn’t even suspect it.”

“Because Adele is your world—I understand that.” Because Dominic was Mila’s world.

“But I hurt you,” he said, his voice thick. “Didn’t mean to. Didn’t know I had. My only excuse is that I love her, I always have.”

“I don’t expect you to feel sorry or guilty for that. I never did.” Her cat did, but Mila kept that to herself.

“I still can’t believe Adele didn’t tell me her suspicions. We always promised there’d never be secrets or lies between us. She betrayed both of us.”

“She obviously didn’t want to lose you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? You didn’t even hint at it.” He didn’t seem angered by that, just confused.

Mila shrugged. “There would have been no point. Mostly because Adele might not have been meant for you, but she’s it for you. Just like you’re it for her.”

He snorted, pain flashing across his face. “If that were true, she wouldn’t have been meeting her true mate in secret, would she?”

“She didn’t choose him, though,” Mila pointed out, marveling over how it didn’t feel odd to be pushing her predestined mate toward another female. “Dean tried convincing her to leave you, but she didn’t.”

“That doesn’t mean it was okay that she had coffee with him a few times and that they called each other regularly.” Joel shoved a hand through his hair. “She said she was just curious about him, which I guess is understandable. But she’s refusing to cut all contact with him, since she doesn’t truly believe he put you in danger. She figures that if I can be friends with you, she can at least have indirect contact with her true mate.”

Mila suspected that Adele was hoping Joel would offer to sever his friendship with Mila in exchange for Adele’s promise to cut contact with Dean.

Joel licked his lips and took a deep breath. “I just want you to know that I never wanted to hurt you. And I’m so, so sorry that I did. I should have seen that you were mine—”

“I’m not yours,” Mila said quickly, splaying a hand on Dominic’s back when he prepared to protest Joel’s words. “I might have been yours, if things had been different. But they’re not.”

Joel nodded. “Still, I should have seen it. And it must have been hard for you that I could be so close to you yet be blind to it. Which is why I just wanted to say that I do see it now. In your position, I’d want that acknowledgment, if nothing else.”

“Thank you for that, but it really doesn’t matter now. We both made our choices.”

“Whether it means anything to you or not, I’m still sorry. It cuts me deeply to know that by pushing for friendship, I was hurting you all this time.”

“Apology accepted.”

“And you’re happy?” he asked her, sliding a meaningful glance at Dominic.

“I’m happy,” said Mila. “I have no regrets about how things have turned out. And if you were honest with yourself, you’d admit that neither do you. You’re hurting, but you love Adele. Imprint bonds can be broken, Joel. Don’t let that happen.”

He swallowed. “I can feel a strain on the imprint bond. Like it could start crumbling any second.”

“You don’t want that. You’re angry with her, but you wouldn’t want to be without her.”

“It’s just hard to—” He cut off, his muscles tensing. And then she heard the snick of a gun.

“Do not move,” a new voice snarled.