Burping her son, Jaime stared at the empty doorway. “She hasn’t been this psyched up about anything since Kye’s birth. Anyway, how are you doing after yesterday’s incident, Mila?”
Letting Dominic lead her to the sofa, Mila replied, “Just pissed that I didn’t get to kick the cheetah’s ass myself.”
“I spoke with Vinnie,” Trey told Dominic. “He told me you did a fair bit of damage to that bastard.”
Carefully taking Hendrix from Jaime, Dominic sank onto the sofa beside Mila. “It was nothing the cheetah didn’t deserve,” he told his Alpha. Dominic would have gone back and delivered the killing blow if he’d been willing to leave Mila.
“Still no luck finding your brother’s location?” Roni asked her.
Gently stroking the side of Hendrix’s chubby face, Mila gave the she-wolf a sideways glance as she replied, “No, but my uncles are on it. They’ll find him.”
Just then, the other children came dashing into the room, closely followed by Riley and Tao.
Sienna waved a newborn baby doll at Mila. “Look! Look!” She roughly dumped the doll onto the coffee table and jammed the bottle of fake formula into the doll’s mouth.
Makenna winced. “And that is why we don’t let her hold Hendrix.”
Dominic watched with a smile as Dexter curled his hand around Mila’s fingers and tugged her to the corner of the room, where the boxes of toys were kept. The other kids joined them, showing her the various toys and arguing over who they belonged to.
Sitting at his side, Dante said, “So . . . you’re not at all panicking that imprinting has started?”
“Nope. There’s nothing to panic about. I want this. I want her as my mate.” Dominic put his fist to his heart, smiling. “She’s got me, D. I’m gone.”
Dante smiled. “Yeah, I know the feeling.” He held out his arms. “Hand my boy over.”
Instead, Dominic nuzzled Hendrix’s head. “I’m not done cuddling him yet.”
“Don’t be an ass. Give him to me. I only had him for five minutes before Jaime took him, and now you’re hogging him.”
“You’re just mad because he likes me better than you.”
“Yeah, I’ll own that. But I still want my son back.”
Chuckling, Dominic handed the baby to Dante.
“Rhett’s been keeping track of any mentions of you online, Dom,” said Trey, sinking into a plush armchair. “You should know that someone snapped photos of you carrying Mila down the street yesterday. They uploaded them onto a blog dedicated to ‘shifter hunks.’”
Marcus gestured at himself. “I’m on there, obviously. They constantly whine that I’m mated, see it as a great loss to the single women out there.” He grunted when Roni jammed her elbow into his ribs. “Dammit, woman, did you have to do it that hard?”
“No.” Roni turned to the TV, dismissing him.
Taryn perched herself on the arm of Trey’s chair. “It’s likely that Pierson will see those photos of you and Mila.”
“Only if he’s keeping tabs on Dominic,” said Makenna.
Trey rubbed his jaw. “I’d like to say that Pierson will lose interest in you and back down, but I’m not convinced of that.”
Dominic shrugged, not caring either way. Nothing could spoil his mood right then. “The other two articles didn’t do much damage. I doubt a third will.”
“Which is why he might step up his game.” Trey’s breath hitched as his son literally flung himself at him. “Jesus, Kye.”
“Dad, when I’m Alpha of the pack and you’re a sad old man with nothing to do—”
“Wait, a sad old man?” Trey asked him.
“It’s gonna happen,” Kye asserted. “Anyway, after I kick your butt and take over the pack—”
“That’s how you’re planning to become Alpha? By kicking my butt?”
“You can’t take it personally, Dad.”
Chuckling, Taryn ruffled her son’s hair. Like her own, it was various shades of blond. “Go get your tribe from the corner where they’re harassing Mila. Dinner should be ready.”
While they were eating at the long kitchen table, Dominic watched his mate interact with the pack. She was used to eating meals alone, with him, or with her parents. Now she was sharing a meal with almost thirty people, most of whom she’d only met once. Yet, she was just as relaxed as when she was alone with him, as if she’d eaten at his territory dozens of times before.
The incessant chatter didn’t bother her, nor did the children’s persistent attempts to get her attention. And she handled Greta like a pro. The old woman had insisted on sitting beside her. Each time Greta looked about to dish out a bitchy comment to someone, Mila