most people would be gone by now. She’d kind of hoped that Greta would be included in that number, because she had no doubt in her mind that the old woman would torment her about her wolf’s state.
“Good morning,” drawled Grace from the stove of the modern kitchen. The twinkle in her eye said she knew about Dante and Jaime, and she approved. Yet she lacked her usual enthusiasm, and Jaime knew it was because the woman was now wary of her.
“Thanks,” said Jaime, inhaling the coffee. She decided to ignore the fact that Lydia, Cam, and Rhett wouldn’t even look at her. Gabe, Hope, Shaya, and Dominic gave her genuine smiles and gestured for her to sit with them—like she would have sat anywhere else. It didn’t take a genius to work out why the others had been sure to sit at the opposite end of the table.
Jaime’s ass had barely touched her seat before Greta started speaking.
“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