Having watched his mother give up on her mate and son because she’d been too deeply mired in her own issues, Dominic had always known he’d have trouble fully trusting his partner to stick around through thick and thin. But Mila had shown that she was no quitter; that she had the kind of staying power his mother had lacked. He’d grown to trust her in a way that he hadn’t thought himself capable of. Still, it had been hard for him to feel secure in the knowledge that she was his when she lived in such close proximity to her true mate.

It wasn’t that Dominic doubted that she loved or was fully committed to him. She never let him doubt it. But a small part of him—the part he’d hidden behind a mask for years, where no one could hurt, reject, or criticize it—had held back, fearing she wouldn’t find him “enough,” just as he’d never been enough for his parents. Fearing that he’d been a substitute for Joel, just as he’d once been a substitute for Tobias.

But faced with the choice of having to save Dominic or her predestined mate, she’d chosen Dominic. She’d stayed with him on what was effectively a battlefield and done her best to keep him alive until help came, even if it meant that Joel might die just a few feet away from her. And she didn’t regret or feel guilty about it—he would have sensed that. No, she hadn’t struggled with her decision whatsoever. And the last little piece inside Dominic that had held back from her for so long took a deep breath and reached for her.

A razor-sharp pain lanced through his head and panged through his chest, disorienting him. He gripped her hips, as if she’d anchor him. And she did. She anchored him in every way a person could. Especially now that the imprinting bond joined them, bright and strong. He closed his eyes, relief and satisfaction spiraling through him. Those same emotions flooded his wolf as their mate became a part of them in a way Dominic couldn’t describe.

Licking her lips, Mila double-blinked. The abrupt forming of the bond had taken her completely off guard, and now it was warming every cold spot and filling every empty space. Her cat purred and did a long, languid stretch, feeling so much more than just peaceful. She felt whole. And lamely, all Mila had to say was, “Wow.”

His mouth curved. “Yeah.”

“How did it happen?”

A bone-deep contentment settling over him, Dominic tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “I needed to believe—fully believe—that I wasn’t second choice for you. I was second choice for my parents, just a replacement for Tobias. And I knew they’d give me up in a heartbeat if it meant having their perfect child back.”

Mila glared at him for doubting her. “You’re not second choice to me. Never have been.”

“I guess my subconscious wasn’t so convinced. But it is now.” He caught her face with his hands. “Nothing ever has—or ever could—matter to me the way you do. I want everything I can get with you and from you. You’re not gonna get a minute’s peace, and you’re gonna move here.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, and then you’ll become my sex slave—something that won’t change even when we have pups.”

Her lips twitched. “You mean kits.”

“I’m good with having both.” Sobering, he rested his forehead against hers. “I’ll never make you regret choosing me, baby. Not ever.”

“I’ll never regret it. And I hope you won’t regret choosing me either.”

“Never,” he promised, knowing to his bones that it was true. Knowing she’d always be his “center,” just as Jesse had said she could be. Knowing he’d do whatever it took to keep the bond going strong between them.

The funny thing was . . . he’d always thought he’d prefer an imprinting bond to a true-mate bond, because the latter didn’t come with a get-out clause. But now that he had this bond with Mila, he detested that it wasn’t irrevocable.

Mila tilted her head. “What are you stressing about? I can feel that something’s bugging you. The bond doesn’t make you feel trapped, does it?” Because she’d worried that would happen.

“No, but I wish it did. I wish it was irreversible.”

“You know better than anyone that a true-mate bond doesn’t guarantee a lifetime of happiness, Dominic. Only we can ensure that. This bond is strong, and it will stay strong. I’ll make sure of it, and so will you.”

He nodded, taking a deep breath. “I need your mouth, baby.” And she gave it to him. The kiss was soft, wet, languid. His blood pooled low, and his cock began to thicken. “I want in you.”

Her lips curled. “I can tell.” She could feel his dick hardening against her and, thanks to the bond, feel his arousal buzzing through his bloodstream. Her nerve endings sprang to life, and a slow burn began in her pussy. “I’ve never had sex in a bath before.”

“Me neither. I’ve never let anyone as close to me as I’ve let you.”

“Good. It means there are no skanky asses I have to kick.”

Dominic grinned. “My wolf really loves that possessive streak of yours.”

Kneeling, she snickered. “So do you.”

Yeah, he did. He sucked in a breath as she fisted his cock and brushed it between her folds, flicking her clit with each pass. Then she was sinking down on his cock, slowly impaling herself on him. And it felt like fucking heaven. “Fuck, Mila. I can feel how much you love having me in you.”

“Now you’ll feel how much I love you coming deep inside me.”

Keeping her inner muscles tight around his cock, Mila rode him slow. Teasing him with spiral downward thrusts and little bites to his neck. It wasn’t long before he expertly toyed with her clit, forcing her closer to her climax. And then she broke with a silent scream, her pussy squeezing and milking his cock.

She rested against him, panting, feeling totally at peace. Just as her cat did, she thought with a smile.

Knuckles rapped on the bathroom door. “You guys done in there?”

Lifting her head, she frowned at the sound of her brother’s voice. “What are you doing here?”

“A better question would be: Why did my pack mates let you into my room?” clipped Dominic. He could understand them letting the wolverine pass the gates and enter the caves, but not enter Dominic’s personal slice of territory.

“They didn’t,” replied Alex.

Mila sighed. “You snuck onto their territory, didn’t you?”

“Why are you wasting time asking me stupid questions?” complained Alex.

Dominic sat up straight. “Wait, how the hell did you bypass our security?”

“You ask that like it’s hard,” said Alex.

Mila gave Dominic a wry smile. “The sad thing is . . . this won’t be the first time you find him in our room. You should probably warn Grace that he’ll often raid the fridge when he comes here.”

“Already did that,” Alex told them.

Mila lifted a brow at her mate. “See what I mean?”

“Wolverines go where we want to go—the end,” said Alex. “Which brings me neatly to why I’m here. Thought you might want to know that Dale Forester, the asshole who created the website for bounties, is gone for good.”