He rushed to his mate’s side, catching him around the waist when Dominic staggered forward. His pulse quickened, and his legs shook, panic flooding him when his hand came away wet and sticky.
“I should be asking you that.”
“I’ll heal.” The stubborn fool started trudging toward the porch, dragging Sammy along with him. “I just need to rest.”
“You need a doctor,” he argued.
“When did you start working at the club?”
The question was so unexpected and so completely separated from the situation, Sammy could only blink at him.
“Sammy?”
He rattled off the date, the ten-year anniversary less than a week away. “Is that really important right now?”
“Kiev tried to summon you with the locket,” Dominic told him. He sounded stronger, and every exhale no longer ended on a faint whistle. “That’s what he meant when he said it wouldn’t work.”
By the time they reached the top of the stairs, he stood upright, and blood had stopped seeping from the wound on his back.
“What does that have to do with when I started working at the club?”
“The contract is time-based.” He paused at the door and turned, a smile tugging at his lips. “Not even your mom can summon you before the contract is up.”
That explained so much, like why she hadn’t come for him after Chandler’s death. And why he was walking free even when she had the relique in her possession.
More importantly, it bought them time.
“We can talk about it later.” Right then, Sammy wanted to get his mate inside so he could rest and finish healing.
Dominic caught his hand when he reached for the door and cradled it gently. “I’m really okay. You don’t have to worry.”
Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. “But you—”
“Besides,” Dominic interrupted. “We have something to do later.”
Sammy tilted his head in question.
“It’s the full moon.”
And he lived, at least temporarily, with a pack of werewolves. “What happens on the full moon?”
His mate smirked. “You’ll see.”
Chapter eight
La Madriguera backed up to over a hundred acres of mostly untouched woods, with three ponds, a creek, and a large open field located almost directly in the center. For most of the year, they left it to the wildlife, but every full moon, the night and the forest belonged to the wolves.
With a few exceptions, members had their own lives—jobs, relationships, hobbies—that didn’t involve the pack. They enjoyed status and protection, and in exchange, Dominic knew he could count on them if the need arose.
Scattered throughout parts of Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, the full moon gatherings offered them a chance to catch up with old friends and reestablish bonds. Of course, not every pack member made it to every gathering, but the invitation stood.
It started with a bonfire, good music, and enough food to feed a small army. Which Dominic supposed they kind of were.
More than half the pack had turned out for this particular run, their largest showing in years. He suspected his new mate might have something to do with that.
News of his mating had spread like wildfire, helped along by his inner circle no doubt. Over the past twenty-four hours, he had received numerous congratulatory texts and emails, and even a couple of phone calls.
Although no one had stated it explicitly, they hadn’t exactly been subtle about the reason for their attendance. Everyone wanted to meet the male who had finally tamed their alpha.