“She’ll never forgive me for the way I was with you when we were kids,” he told Dante. “She didn’t feel that she could respect and follow me as she should be able to with her Alpha.” That was what her behavior was all about? That was why she left the pack? Dante swallowed hard, touched by the idea, and ran a hand down her hair. He’d known she was angry at all his brothers, but he hadn’t suspected that this anger was what made it impossible for her to follow Josh.
He hadn’t suspected it was enough to make her leave the pack she had been born and raised in.
Another redhead suddenly approached and gently nudged Rhea. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
As Rhea’s sister’s gaze raked over Dante, Jaime had the urge to poke those ogling eyes right out of her head. That same urge had repeatedly come to her throughout the night when various females had flashed him smiles that said they were remembering good times with him. Jerk.
Rhea nodded. “Dante, this is my sister, Marley. Marley, this is Josh’s brother. He’s also Beta of the Phoenix Pack.”
Marley gave him a dazzling smile and began chatting away to him, not even sparing Jaime a glance. Not that she and Jaime had ever been good friends or anything. Quite the opposite. It was kind of hard to be friends with someone who once tried to shove your face in a toilet, and Jaime was a grudge holder. Seeing that Marley was now licking her bottom lip invitingly at Dante and had moved even closer, Jaime clenched her fists. Her wolf was urging her to bare her teeth. “I take it the staring and drooling are side effects of your meds?”
Marley’s eyes finally went to Jaime, and she actually blushed. “Oh. It’s you.” She turned back to Dante. “Please tell me you’re not with her. I mean, she’s had nearly every guy here.” Just like that, Dante’s blood was boiling. His attention shot to Jaime, who, rather than looking angry or defensive, appeared bored.
Jaime sighed. “You never let the facts get in the way, do you, Marley?”
“She’s lying?” Dante had to hear her say it loud and clear.
Offended, Jaime gawked. “Of course she’s lying! How could you think she wasn’t?!” Insulted, her wolf flexed her claws, wanting to take a swipe at him.
Marley’s expression was sympathetic when she spoke to Dante. “Oh, you didn’t know? Well, I guess I wouldn’t want to broadcast that if it was me. I can understand why she’d lie about it.” Seeing that Dante was actually looking doubtful, Jaime wasn’t sure who she wanted to hit more. It wasn’t as if the guy was the Virgin freaking Mary anyway, was it? How hypocritical was that! What hurt her most was that he would actually think Marley was telling the truth.
“Marley, enough,” chastised Rhea.
“He has a right to know. I actually figured he already knew.” She shook her head at Jaime.
“You really have no one to blame but you, though.”
Somehow suppressing her wolf, who was eager to slice open Marley’s stomach, Jaime simply gave her an unpleasant smile. “You know, I watched an old episode of Friends yesterday. It was so damn funny it could have made your boobs fall off…Oh, you saw it.” Startled laughs burst out of both Rhea and Josh. In an instant, Marley’s expression went from amused to horrified.
Jaime jabbed Dante in the chest with her finger. “And you…It’s almost as though you have a curiosity about testicle retrieval surgery.”
As she began marching off, Dante strode after her and looped his arm around her, pulling her back against his chest. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“Get off me.”
“I shouldn’t have doubted you, I’m sorry. My head’s just full of all kinds of stuff right now.” Of course it was. She sharply shrugged out of his hold and turned to face him. He stiffened as if bracing himself for impact. What, did the workaholic jerk think he’d actually cracked her hard-won self-control and she was going to lunge at him? He should. She was thinking about it. Now would be good.
“Don’t be mad, baby—”
“We’re leaving.”
“What?”
She couldn’t believe that he sounded genuinely surprised. “You might be standing right there, but you’re not actually with me. Your head’s somewhere else, just like always. Sorry to see that spending time with me bores you so much.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with you. You know I do.”
“When there’s sex involved, sure. Or when you know that sex will soon be involved, sure.” He felt his face harden. “It’s not like that.”
Ignoring him, she continued, “But any other time, your head is back in your office.”
“You knew my job was demanding, Jaime.”
“Yeah, I knew I’d have to share you with your job. What I didn’t know was that I’d come second to it.”
“You’re not second.” How could she even think that?
“Yes, I am. But I don’t deserve to be.” He looked about to say something, but then a tall, regal-looking brunette decorated in pearls appeared, and his mouth dropped open wide, making Jaime frown inwardly. Was it admiration? Shock? Horror? All three?
“Laurie,” he muttered to himself, stunned.
The bottom fell out of Jaime’s stomach, and suddenly it felt as though her lungs had been pierced. God, not her. Not the woman he’d once loved enough to imprint with. Her wolf instantly growled, viewing her as competition. Then Jaime looked down and saw the boy at her feet, a boy who looked just as Dante had when he was ten years old, and a sickening feeling overcame her. It was well known that female shifters couldn’t get pregnant by anyone they weren’t mated to, but Laurie had been partly imprinted with Dante. She had been his mate—well, half mate—for a short while.
Could that count?
“Dante, how are you?” Laurie stepped forward and hugged him hard. When Dante’s hand left Jaime’s back and he awkwardly returned the hug, Jaime honestly thought she was going to be sick. Or slaughter them both right there and then.
Stepping back and trying to regain his sense of equilibrium, Dante replied, “I’m great. You?”
“Fabulous, thanks. Who’s this?”
Double-blinking, he turned to Jaime and saw how stiff she was. Her face was totally blank, but he could sense that she was pissed with him. Hugging another female was asking for trouble. Hugging a female he had once been partially imprinted with was pretty much suicidal. He had a feeling that he might have to do some serious groveling tonight. “Jaime, this is Laurie, Blane’s mate. Laurie, this is Jaime, my—”