“You’re more important to me than a position. I hate that I’ve been without you all these years.” Never would he be without Jaime again. Never.

“I’m here now.”

“And you’re staying. Even though I’m going to mess up repeatedly, and even though I still keep tripping over your damn shoes, you’re staying.”

“Hmm, I’m not so sure. Maybe you could convince me by finishing what you started right here a few months ago.”

His playful smile matched hers. “Now that sounds—”

“Dante!” called a voice that had both him and Jaime cringing.

He didn’t move his gaze from Jaime when he replied. “If there’s something you want, go to Trey or Tao.” The idiotic woman didn’t. Still, Dante didn’t move from his position against Jaime, refusing to let this female take his attention from his own mate.

“Sorry to interrupt.” She didn’t sound sorry. “I just wanted to ask if you—”

“Look,” began Jaime, wanting to be rid of Laurie and wanting to rub reality in her face,

“unless you get off on watching, you might want to scamper. As you can probably tell, we’re both hot and horny, and Dante’s about to Google my Yahoo and Twitter my cli—”

“I’ll, um, I’ll catch you later, Dante.” She was gone in seconds.

Shaking with laughter, Dante kissed Jaime softly. “Google your Yahoo, huh?”

“Oh yeah.”

“I’d like to try out the whole ‘Twitter your clit’ first. I remember wanting to taste you last time right here, like this.” He dropped to his knees, tugged down her jeans and panties, and proceeded to make her come four times before finally thrusting inside her and taking what was his, growling her name when she marked him again.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Dante wouldn’t have guessed that Laurie had developed suicidal tendencies since they parted, but apparently she had. Why else would the odd female have repeatedly leaned across the table toward him at breakfast, trying to engage him in conversation? She had been careful not to touch him, but only barely. Anyone could tell that Jaime was close to snapping her in half, yet she persisted. He could have spent some time alone with her to try to figure out her game, but he knew that would be hard for Jaime, and he didn’t want to be around the confusing woman anyway.

When he and Jaime had returned from the animal sanctuary after he’d worked another shift with her, Laurie resumed her odd behavior throughout lunch and was doing it again now as they sat in the living area where most of the pack was congregated. Even though he wasn’t giving Laurie any encouragement, he could feel that the whole situation was hurting Jaime. When she hurt, he hurt.

His protective instincts were going crazy, and it had become automatic to pretty much curl himself around Jaime whenever Laurie was near, just like he was now on an armchair. One thing he wouldn’t allow the female to do was make his mate doubt his commitment to her. So whenever Laurie reached out to him, he drew back and avoided her touch. Whenever she spoke to him, he responded politely and then turned his attention to Jaime. At no point would he add to the hurt that his mate was already going through.

Burying his nose in the crook of her neck, he took that caramel-and-honeysuckle scent into his system. His dick twitched instantly. He licked at his claiming mark before whispering into her ear,

“You’re too tense.” When he sucked the lobe into his mouth, a tremor ran through her and she squirmed in her seat, making him smile. He loved that he had such an immediate effect on her.

Quietly, she explained, “I’m just worried for Shaya.”

So was he. Taryn’s uncle Don, his mate, and Nick—as he was their Alpha—were due any minute now to visit Kye. “Originally I decided that if he ever ignored my warning and tried coming here again, I’d tell Trey everything. But it’s hard to not feel a twinge of sympathy for him.” Jaime nodded. “Maybe we should give the guy one last shot to do the right thing.”

“If he doesn’t, well, we’ll make sure he understands that this is his last visit.”

“Sounds fair.” Jaime sighed. “I still don’t like the idea of Shaya being in pain.” He pressed a calming kiss to her temple. Not that he thought it would truly work. Jaime was very protective of those she considered hers, and now that she was Beta female, they were all her wolves to look out for. As such, not much could soothe her right now.

“Hey, Dante, do you remember that time when you and I went ice-skating and I got a concussion after falling?”

He sighed inwardly. Laurie liked to talk about “old times” a lot, something that agitated the hell out of Jaime, who was now stiff in his arms. Ignoring Laurie, he curled himself even tighter around his mate. “You’re doing so much better than I would be if the situation was the other way around,” he said quietly.

“No, I’m not. I just know perfectly well that the best way to annoy an attention seeker is to not give them a reaction.” That wasn’t to say that Jaime didn’t often visualize cutting off the bitch’s air supply until she resembled a Smurf. And it would be so easy to do it now that Bitch Face had moved to the end of the sofa, putting herself within arm’s reach.

Laurie continued, “Do you remember how you picked me up and took me to—”

“It won’t work,” Greta told Laurie with a huff, gaining the attention of most in the room.

Laurie smiled nervously. “I’m sorry?”

“You want to cause a little rift between my Dante and Jaime. It won’t work. They’re solid.”

“I’d never hurt Dante like that.”

Dante almost laughed as snorts erupted from both Greta and Jaime, who gave each other looks that said, “Is this female for real?” Apparently, they were prepared to band together against a common foe.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you did to him all those years ago,” Greta snarled. “You and Blane deserve each other, in my opinion. You could never have made a good Beta female. That requires loyalty, you see. That’s something you don’t know anything about. Not like Jaime. No. Our Beta female could wipe the floor with you any day.”

Jaime exchanged a stunned look with Taryn, who was on the reclining end of the sofa, chuckling silently. “Thanks, Greta.”

“No problem, sweetheart.”

“She’ll be vile to me again when Bitch Face is gone,” Jaime whispered to Dante.

“Yep,” he agreed with a smile before reading the text message he’d just received from Ryan, who was guarding the gate. “They’re here.”

Wanting to give Shaya a warning so that she could be as prepared as possible, Jaime looked over to where she was seated next to Taryn and gave her a subtle nod. She responded with a tiny, but grateful, smile.

A few minutes later, Don entered the living area with Tia, Nick, and Nick’s Beta behind him.

Their eyes ran over everyone in the room as they smiled, and everyone exchanged polite greetings—

other than Nick and Shaya.

“Where’s my nephew?” Don gave Taryn a gentle kiss on her cheek and peered down at the sleeping baby in Shaya’s arms. His smile was filled with pride. “Look at the little guy. He’s so tiny.

Can I have a hold?”

“Sure.” Shaya carefully handed him to Taryn’s uncle.

“Meet Kye River Coleman,” Taryn told Don.

“His name suits him. I like it.”

“Give him here,” said Tia excitedly. Disgruntled, Don handed the baby to his mate. “Aw, he’s so gorgeous.”

“Don’t you be getting broody,” Don told Tia. “The girls are hard enough to deal with.” Nick shook Trey’s hand and gave Taryn a smile. “Congratulations.” Peeking at Kye, his brows arched. “Wow, he’s just Trey with Taryn’s hair.”

Tia nodded in agreement. “Want a hold?”

“Um—” But Tia was already placing Kye in his arms. A little awkwardly, Nick cradled the baby and a little smile surfaced.

He peered over at Shaya, and what passed between them was a longing so deep and so primal that it made Jaime hitch in a breath, bringing back a lot of memories. It had been pain and pleasure.

She had no idea how they’d both ignored it for so long. Jaime wondered if this moment might do to him what it had done to her and Dante: strip him of his defenses and doubts and give him a moment of pure clarity.

Apparently it did, because quickly Nick looked away and handed Kye over to Grace, who was waiting impatiently for her turn. “Um, I have some things I need to get done. Don, I’ll send an enforcer to pick you and Tia up in a couple of hours.” In other words, he needed to get out of there and away from Shaya fast.

Looking confused, Don said, “Okay.” Then the Alpha and his Beta were gone.

Tears immediately pooled in Shaya’s eyes, and it was a blow to Jaime’s gut. Using the distraction that Kye created, Shaya stealthily left the room.

“I need to go see she’s okay,” Jaime told Dante, who nodded and allowed her to stand.

When she found Shaya sitting on the edge of her bed sobbing her heart out, Jaime sat beside her and curled an arm around her. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not entirely surprised that he left again without speaking a single word to me,” said Shaya through her tears. “I know why he can’t claim me. Nick’s in high demand with the females—I’d be challenged by a different one every five minutes if I tried to hold a position as Alpha female. I guess I just hoped that if fate had matched me up with an Alpha, then there was a reason for it, a way to still be bonded to him.”

“There still could be.”

“Yes, if he gave up his position as Alpha. I know that’s selfish for me to want that.” Jaime tightened her arm around her. “Hey, you have a right to be selfish when it concerns your mate.”

She sighed. “I guess I just thought that I’d be more important. It’s clear that I’m not.” Jaime was about to speak again when Taryn suddenly walked in. “Shaya? Shaya, what is it?” When her best friend didn’t respond, she crouched in front of her. “Shaya, talk.” Taking in a preparatory breath, she admitted, “I found my mate.” First Taryn looked relieved, thinking this should be good news. Then, expectedly, confusion crossed her face when she realized that it clearly wasn’t good for Shaya. “I don’t understand.”

“I found him, but I can’t have him.”

“You can’t have him? Why? And who is he?”

Shaya shook her head as if unable to speak the name.

“It’s the bastard who just left,” Jaime revealed for her.

Taryn gaped. “Noooooooo. How long have you known, Shaya? You knew at my mating ceremony,” she quickly surmised.

Shaya nodded, still avoiding eye contact.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“You know why. I want him to claim me because he wants to.” She shrugged. “He doesn’t.

He’s not going to claim me.”

Taryn shot to her feet and began pacing. “The son of a bitch is, believe me. I’ll make sure of it.”

Finally Shaya looked up. “And if the only reason Trey wanted to claim you was because someone else bullied him into it?”

Taryn paused briefly in her pacing. “Damn it, Shaya.”

“I understand why this is complicated for him, but I thought that maybe he’d give up his position. I can’t be his Alpha female. You know that.”

“You’d make a better leader than any of the females I’ve ever seen him with.”

“But I’m not an alpha, and nothing will change that.”

“Well, let me assure you, he’s banished from here. He does not set foot on our territory again.

And he can go shove his alliance up his arrogant ass.”

“That won’t be enough,” said Shaya quietly. “You’re mated to an Alpha, Taryn. You know how they work.”

It was obvious by Taryn’s pained expression that she knew where this conversation was heading. “So we’ll make it damn clear that he is not to go near you.”

“Are you going to stop him from going near any guy I decide to date?”

“He confronted Dominic when he thought he was dating Shaya,” Jaime told their Alpha. She didn’t want Shaya to leave any more than Taryn did, but this was about Shaya, not them. “He told him to break it off.”

Shaya sounded so tired and defeated when she spoke, yet there was steel in her words. She intended to make Taryn understand. “He wouldn’t even have to do that to every guy who’s interested.

After two or three times, the rest will make it a point to stay away from me unless they have a wish to piss Nick off.”

Taryn shook her head vehemently. “No, Shaya. If he doesn’t want to claim you, then he should stay out of your business.”

“But he won’t.”

“Shaya, please don’t ask me to sanction this.” It was a genuine plea from this very strong female who they all knew could order her friend to stay if she wanted. “I can’t.”

“It’s the only choice I have.”

“No, it’s not!”

Shaya got to her feet, her expression apologetic but determined. “If I want a life of my own, a connection with another guy, then yes, it is.”

Shaking her head again, Taryn stated in an unsteady voice, “You can’t leave. I need you here.