“I’m serious.” He flicked her earlobe with his tongue. “My wolf wants to roll around in it.”
She snickered. “Your wolf is even more possessive than you are.”
“He was never possessive before you. Neither was I.” Dominic traced the bite on her neck with his fingertip. He often found himself doing that. The sight of it gave him a strange sort of . . . comfort. Each time the mark began to heal and fade, he bit it again. It was one of his favorite things to do.
“You still up for having dinner with my pack tomorrow?” he asked. Since he’d first taken her to his territory two weeks ago, his pack mates had hounded him to bring her for another visit.
“Sure. My cat will want another run on your land, though. Shit, I walked past the bagels.”
“I’ll get them.” Releasing her, he retrieved a pack from the shelf and placed it in the cart.
“We still having pizza tonight?”
“Sure. Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s my second favorite thing to eat in bed.”
Mila almost choked on her own saliva. “You’re such an asshole.” Especially since he’d said it loud enough for the people passing to overhear him.
He chuckled. “I bring life to grocery shopping. Admit it.”
“Life? I guess that’s one way to put it.” A man brushed past her, and Mila almost flinched at the short sharp prick in her arm. The sensation faded so fast, she wondered if she’d even felt it at all. Maybe it had been static electricity or something, she mused as she watched him walk away. He looked completely innocuous, casually strolling down the aisle with a half-full basket. Still, her hackles rose.
“You okay, baby?” asked Dominic.
She blinked up at him. “Yeah, fine.” But the words sounded . . . wrong. The voice just didn’t sound like hers. She tried again. “Fine.” It was a slur this time. Her vision swam, distorting Dominic’s form until it was like looking in a fun house mirror. The fluorescent lights seemed too bright, and the world was spinning around her. Her cat lunged hard, trying to surface. Couldn’t.
Mila reached out. Weakly fisted Dominic’s shirt. “White male. Blue tee. Black jeans. Dreadlocks. Get him.” And darkness fell.
Dominic caught Mila as her legs gave out. “Fuck.” Panic racing through him, he gave her a little shake even as he held her gently. “Mila? Mila!” Hearing the squeak of rubber on tile, he looked to see a male of Mila’s description running down the aisle like his ass was on fire. Dominic whipped out his phone and called Tate, who answered fast.
“Yep?”
“Some bastard just drugged Mila.” Dominic could smell it on her now. He fired off a quick description of the male. “He’ll be coming out of the grocery store any second now. Get the fucker, Tate. Shit, her lips are blue.”
“Take Mila to the deli section—one of our healers works there.”
Pocketing the phone, Dominic scooped up Mila and ran. Her heartbeat was slowing, faltering, and his own was pounding with fear. His wolf paced, anxious and enraged.
Her eyes wide, a familiar graying woman—Helena, he remembered—dashed out from behind the deli counter. “What’s happened?” Her nose wrinkled. “Drugged.” She put her hand on Mila’s head, and he almost felt a surge of power in the air.
The hairs on his arms and nape stood on end, but his focus was on the female in his arms. Soon her heartbeat stabilized, her lips lost their blue tinge, and the color came back to her face. But it didn’t chase away his fear. Didn’t give him even a hint of relief.
Mila’s lids fluttered open, and her big blue eyes stared up at him and the healer. Realization flashed across her face, and she gripped Dominic’s arm. “Did you get him?”
“Tate will get him.” Dominic wanted that to be enough for him, but his muscles trembled with the need to hunt the motherfucker who’d drugged her himself. His wolf was pushing Dominic to track him down and make him pay.
“I have her, Dominic,” Helena told him. “She’s fine, just a little groggy. You go help Tate and the others get whoever did this to her. They probably have him by now, of course, but I’m sure you’ll only be satisfied when you see that for yourself.”
Mila nodded, sitting upright. “I’m fine. Woozy and shaky, but fine. Go.”
Dominic pressed a fast kiss to her mouth and then shot the healer a glare. “I’m trusting you with her.”
“And I’m trusting you to avenge her,” said Helena.