“Fornicating all night, were you?” spat the old woman, to which Shaya rolled her eyes. For whatever reason, Greta never used the word sex.
Taking some toast from the selection on the table, Jaime gasped at Greta in mock outrage. “We were simply bouncing on the bed to test the endurance of the springs. Is your mind always in the gutter?” Dante snorted a laugh, but said nothing. She was thankful for that. She liked to fight her own battles.
“In my day, we didn’t share a room with a male unless we were mated.”
“Oh, here we go,” grumbled Shaya.
“There was none of this sleeping around,” continued Greta. “We saved ourselves for our true mate. Anyone who didn’t was branded a jezebel.” She huffed. “As if it’s not bad enough that you’re a jezebel, you’re unstable. A ticking bomb is what you are.”
Her wolf growled, but Jaime just cocked her head as she said, “I suppose I’d find you kind of interesting if I was a psychologist, huh.”
“There’s that bad attitude again.”
Jaime gave her a sympathetic look. “Aw, Greta, haven’t you figured out yet that I’m bad with or without the attitude?”
“That’s another problem: you’ve no respect.”
“It doesn’t feel like a problem.” Hunk suddenly jumped onto her lap and snuggled against her, making Jaime smile even in spite of the drivel she was listening to.
“You think you can behave however you want because my Dante’s protecting you, don’t you?
Humph. I’ve got news for you. He can’t protect you against Trey, and I know my grandson doesn’t want you here. The last thing he needs when Taryn’s nearing the end of her pregnancy is any danger or trouble, and that’s exactly what you are. Dante’s mad to keep you around.”
“Greta,” murmured Dante, cautioning her with his eyes to stop.
“It’s true,” she insisted. “She could turn on any one of us at any time. How can you let her fool you like this? She’s only fornicating with you to make you keep her around. And she’s constantly disrespectful to me—you’ve heard how she talks to me.” She sneered at Jaime. “You’re jealous of the relationship I have with Dante.”
Jaime cocked her head, looking at Greta curiously. “You know, I used to think you were snarling at me, but now I see that…it’s actually just your face.” Dante’s coffee sprayed out of his mouth and over the table. Jaime patted his back as he coughed and laughed at the same time.
“Dante, son, can’t you see the danger she brings to the pack? She’s unstable, for God’s sake!
Crazy!”
Jaime turned to Shaya. “Ever played that game, ‘hit Granny with the polo mallet’?”
“Forget it!” Greta jumped to her feet. “If you’re not willing to listen, Dante, there’s no point in me continuing. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Now that he’d recovered from his coughing fit, Dante drained the last of his coffee and ran a hand over Jaime’s hair. “You okay, baby?”
She smiled. “Fine.”
“I’ll drive you to work. Don’t argue, I hate the thought of you in that tin can.” Of course she argued. It was what she did best. Eventually, though, she caved and let him drive her—mostly because she liked being around him, even when he was subjecting her to that gruesome training that she was aching from. He kept his hand on her thigh throughout most of the journey and gave her a deep, drugging kiss when he finally arrived at the sanctuary.
“I’ll pick you up at the end of your shift.”
“You have enough things you need to be doing.”
“I’m still picking you up. Deal with it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, by the way, the Toyota SUV is parked outside Ivy’s house. I drove it there last night before we went clubbing, but I had to leave it there. No way would I drive when I had every intention of drinking.”
“I’ll have one of the guys pick it up later.”
She told him Ivy’s address and was just about to hop out of the vehicle when he suddenly gripped her neck and tugged her to him, bringing his mouth down hard on hers. It was a devastating kiss with an edge of possessiveness to it. The second he released her, she understood why. Shawn was watching from the door of the main building. “One night of f**king doesn’t give you a right to mark me as your territory,” she told him, growling.
He collared her throat with his hand again. “I told you at the club, you’re mine. I want more than one night, and I want more than just f**king. We’ll discuss it later. Go on.” Unsure whether to be happy or doubtful, Jaime got out of the SUV and headed to the main building to change into her work clothes. Shawn never said a word to her, and she hadn’t expected him to. Ivy and Riley, on the other hand, grilled her for information. Was he good in bed? How many times did he make her come? When did he bite her neck?
“He said he wants more than one night.”
“More?” Ivy’s brows shot up. “You don’t believe him,” she surmised by Jaime’s expression.
“I don’t know. I mean, I don’t think Dante would lie about something like that, but he never does relationships. I know there must be some kind of story behind it, but I’ve no idea what.”
“Why are you finding it so difficult to believe that he’ll make an exception for you?”
“Look at me, Ivy. I’m not saying I think I’m ugly, but I’m plain and I know it. If it wasn’t for the big br**sts, I doubt I’d get much attention at all. Dante’s own words were that I’m not his type. Plus, it’s worth noting that it wasn’t until he thought I was with Shawn that he showed any interest in me at all. Maybe it’s one of those guy things.”
Ivy went to object, but then sighed. “I get what you mean. It would make sense that his ego got stepped on and so he wanted it stroked. But it would also make sense that he’d make an exception for you. Jaime, I’ve told you, like, a million times, you are not plain. I know you think of yourself as a bad catch because of your situation with your wolf, but that doesn’t mean that guys will think so.” Jaime snorted. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I know better than to keep up the compliments. Your low self-esteem stops them getting through to you. But what I will say is that I saw the way Dante looked at you last night. He looked at you like he thought you belonged to him. I honestly thought he was going to tear the falcon apart limb by limb.”