“Packmate,” Jaime finished.
Dante winced. Oh yeah, he was in deep shit. It wasn’t as though he’d wanted to hug Laurie.
He’d just been in shock, and she’d practically dived on him. He’d always thought that if he saw her again, he’d at least feel a mixture of sadness and yearning, but there was nothing. There wasn’t even anger at the pain she had once put him through. That pain had been dulled since being with Jaime and was now nothing more than a slight prick of betrayal. How could he possibly yearn for someone else when he had a woman as amazing and perfectly suited to him as Jaime?
Despite recognizing Laurie as the female he had once been partially mated to, his wolf paid her no attention. He was more concerned about Jaime, fretting over how agitated she was. Right now, Dante was thinking of killing Josh for not warning him that he’d invited their eldest brother and his mate. “Where’s Blane?”
“He couldn’t make it. So it’s just me and Leif.”
Dante hadn’t even noticed the kid until then. He felt the color drain from his face. He decided to ignore the fact that the kid looked so much like him. He also decided to ignore that the boy was approximately ten years old and it had been ten years ago that he and Laurie were together. Lots of people had kids who resembled their siblings. It didn’t mean anything.
Laurie curled an arm around Leif and hugged him to her side, smiling proudly. “Isn’t he the best looking boy you ever saw?”
Jaime noted that Leif tensed at the contact and was peering up at his mother with a confused expression, almost as if her affection and pride in him was unusual.
“It’s the Garcea blood, isn’t it, kid?” Dante said to him.
Leif smiled a crooked smile that looked so much like Dante’s, and Jaime’s heart almost broke.
The possible implications were just too much for her to take in right then. She needed to get away, even though it wouldn’t be a good move to leave while the only woman he’d ever loved was practically lounging all over him, talking madly about a kid who was quite possibly his. The jerk wasn’t even removing her hands from him!
At any other time, Jaime would have clawed the bitch and made her claim on Dante clear, but what was the point in her making any kind of possessive gesture? Jaime cared for Dante—more than she was willing to admit, in fact—but that was part of the problem. Just as she’d anticipated, it ate at her to be with him, caring so much for him, when those feelings weren’t returned.
She “mattered,” he’d say. Yeah? Well, “mattering” to him wasn’t enough to make her feel secure in the relationship. Because of that, he didn’t feel like he was hers. If the delighted look on his face was anything to go by, he was still very much in love with Laurie anyway. He looked the happiest he had looked all night. Far be it for her to ruin the prick’s cozy reunion with the female who had once betrayed and left him. If he actually stupidly preferred someone so disloyal and fickle, they deserved each other.
Fifteen minutes had gone by since Dante first noticed that Jaime wasn’t beside him. He’d guessed that maybe she’d gone to get another drink or use the restrooms, but she still hadn’t reappeared. She could have just gotten to talking to someone, but both he and his wolf had the feeling that that wasn’t it.
“Excuse me,” he muttered to Laurie, who was jabbering on about something or other. He’d forgotten how vain and superficial she was. Or maybe he just hadn’t noticed before. He hadn’t taken more than four steps before he heard her calling him.
“Dante, wait.”
He turned. “I can’t, I need to find Jaime. I don’t suppose you saw which way she went, did you?”
She studied his face and then her smile fell. “She’s more than just a packmate to you, isn’t she?” She bit her bottom lip, suddenly looking nervous. “Could we go somewhere to talk? Alone?”
“About what?”
“I just wanted to clear things up. I know the decision I made, leaving you for Blane…I know it must have hurt you and—”
He quickly cut her off. “Laurie, you chose to be with your mate. I can’t blame you for that.”
“I heard that you stopped dating after I left you.”
And that had flattered her, he realized. “What happened made me hesitate to get involved in a relationship again, yeah.”
“But you’ve made an exception with Jaime?” She didn’t sound too happy about it. As if she thought he should be still pining after her.
“Yes. Look, I need to go find her.”
“Wait.”
“What, Laurie?” he asked impatiently. She flinched at his tone.
“You hate me, don’t you? Please don’t, Dante. I couldn’t bear it if you hated me.” Why did he get the feeling that this was all an act to get him to stay with her and comfort her?
“I don’t hate you. It was a long time ago. Say bye to Leif for me.” He moved away before she could say another word and headed to where Josh stood only a few feet away. “You haven’t seen Jaime, have you?”
He chuckled. “I’m the one person you can be sure she’d avoid.”
“So you haven’t seen her?”
“No. I’m surprised you let her leave your side.”
“You could have warned me that Laurie was here.”
Josh had the grace to look sheepish. “I actually hadn’t expected any of you to come and—”
“Whatever, it doesn’t matter.”
“Well, if you’ve been distracted so much by your ex that you neglected Jaime, you can bet your ass that she’s left by now.”
Dante was thinking the same thing. Nodding, he delved into his pocket and retrieved his cell as he walked away, continuing to scan the crowds. To his surprise, she answered on the fourth ring. Oh.
He’d sort of expected the silent treatment. Maybe she wasn’t pissed after all. “Hey, baby, where are you?”
“What the f**k do you care?”
No, she was definitely pissed. “Where are you?”
“I’m in a cab, and I’m about five minutes away from pack territory.” He picked up his pace until he was practically marching to the SUV. “I’m on my way back now.”
“Oh don’t leave on my account! Stay with your precious Laurie and have a for-old-time’s-sake f**k! I hope she strangles herself with those damn pearls!” It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to tell her that her jealousy was making him hard. “Keep giving me attitude, baby. I’m looking forward to f**king it right out of you.”