CHAPTER TWO
“I’m guessing by your amused smile that you haven’t called for this meeting to defend Glory’s honor,” Dante said to Nick after he, Tao, Trick, and Marcus had all exchanged respectful nods with Nick, his Beta, his bodyguard, and Head Enforcer.
“No,” said Nick once they were all seated at the long table. “Not only does Glory make a habit of telling tales, but I think I know you well enough to know that you wouldn’t walk away from your mate.” Although his posture was casual, Dante knew there was nothing relaxed about Nick Axton.
Power seemed to hum around him, coiled in his muscles as if ready to strike at the slightest signal.
Nick didn’t have Trey’s menacing air or unapproachability, but he had an indomitable look about him that could unnerve people. Darkness lurked in his sharp green eyes, almost stained them. They were the eyes of someone who had seen many things he hadn’t wanted to see.
Each of them ordered coffee, and Marcus—apparently still hungry—also ordered a burger.
“As you’ve probably guessed, I can’t, and won’t, let what she’s done slide,” he told Nick. “A false claim is a serious thing, and no shifter would tolerate it. Having said that, I do acknowledge that, as her Alpha, you have a right to deal with her. So the question is, are you willing to order her to stop spouting this false claim, or do I need to get involved?”
Nick was quiet for a moment. “I’ve already spoken at length with Glory. She claims that she was mistaken, which we all know is a load of bullshit. She has been punished appropriately and ordered to cease making a claim on you. But I can’t do anything about her brothers. They all mated into different packs, so I have no control over whether they come after you for supposedly abandoning her.”
“I don’t suppose you have any idea why she’d lie about something like this, do you?” Tao asked the Alpha.
Nick puffed. “To answer that question, I’d have to understand how women operate. I’m still working on that one.”
“There’s one thing you need to understand, Nick.” Dante’s expression was grave. “I appreciate you contacting me about her claim and that you’ve taken her to task. But if she continues to make a false claim and spread any more lies about me, I will not ask you to interfere on my behalf.
I’ll act on it myself, with or without your say-so.”
Nick shrugged. “I’d say the same if the situation was reversed. I take it Trey didn’t let Taryn come to the meeting because of the pregnancy.”
“We’re planning to tell them later,” explained Tao.
“Good decision.” Nick nodded approvingly. “She can’t battle to come to a meeting that’s already taken place. So how’s she getting along with the pregnancy?” Dante smiled. “She’s not impressed about the waddling or the swollen belly, and she has a mood swing about every eight minutes, but other than that she’s fine.”
“Is she in touch with her dad, or has he disowned her again?”
“She’s talked to him a few times over the past month, but that was mainly because she was negotiating Shaya moving to our pack.”
“And, um, how’s Shaya doing?” The casualness with which Nick had spoken was forced, Dante knew.
The guy was genuinely interested in Shaya, Dante was sure of that. Whenever Nick was in their territory, he watched her with the same naked voracity that he had at Taryn and Trey’s mating ceremony. Oddly, though, he never spoke to her, and the bubbly female never made any attempts to speak to him—as if by mutual agreement they were each pretending the other didn’t exist. It was weird, to say the least. “She’s fine.”
A tall, slim blonde suddenly passed by, wiggling her ass provocatively…which was most likely why the guys at his table were practically drooling. Dante probably would have reacted the same way if he hadn’t felt…distracted. There was a trace of a familiar scent in the air that made his nerve endings come alive.
He scanned the diner slowly, confused and curious…and his mouth fixed into a hard line as his gaze landed on a particular table.
Motherfucker. Dante’s wolf leaped to attention as he recognized that plush mouth, long sable hair, and pair of smoky-blue eyes that had a mischievous twinkle. But even as his c**k was jerking and hardening, his mood was swiftly changing from relaxed to agitated.
Because she wasn’t alone. No, she was sitting opposite some guy, giving him that beaming smile that never failed to affect Dante. Whereas usually that smile shot straight to his groin, it was now twisting his gut, because it wasn’t directed at him.
He’d felt the same way this morning after witnessing Jaime joking around with Dominic.
What, you’d expected her to sit with you even though you give her no encouragement whatsoever?
Well, yeah, he had, actually. It was what she normally did each morning.
He was conscious that conversation was continuing around him, and he was even occasionally contributing to it, but his attention was mainly on Jaime as he willed her to look at him. Willed her to move her focus from that ass**le, whoever he was, for just one f**king minute. Then, suddenly, she did and her eyes found his. He could have sworn she shuddered slightly, but then she gave him a cool, polite smile and returned her attention to the guy at her table.
Dante’s wolf growled at her aloofness, pushing at him to go to her. So this was the reason she was no longer interested in him. What was so damn special about that guy? He just looked like some pretty boy. Not that Dante truly cared or anything. His ego cared, but that was different—Jaime’s abrupt indifference was a blow, and no dominant wolf reacted well to an ego blow. That was all it was.
Swallowing back a growl, Dante forced his gaze away from Jaime. He should be relieved that she had gotten the message that he wasn’t interested. Instead, he was annoyed. And he was annoyed that he was annoyed. He hadn’t realized until now that although her crush had made him feel uncomfortable, he’d liked it. He’d liked that there was someone around who wanted him that much, someone who would give him her undivided attention. His ego had liked it. And now he was battling the urge to go over there and drag her away from the other guy. With her attention suddenly gone, it felt…cold.
When the sound of her husky laugh met his ears, arousal shot through Dante in spite of his irritated state. Clearly, the guys had also heard it, because their heads all swerved around.