Suzanne Wright - Wicked Cravings

Only once before now had his wolf ever been so incited by a female. Naturally, Dante hadn’t had a problem with answering that craving—over and over again, in fact—because he hadn’t suspected that things would get as complicated and painful as they later did. Never would he chance that happening again. Never.

Gathered with the pack in the living area after dinner, Jaime pretended that she couldn’t feel Dante’s eyes on her. His gaze had been drilling into her since she came home—and not in a good way. It wasn’t the kind of look that would heat a girl’s blood; it was a piercing scowl that sent a shiver down her spine. He had shot Jaime the same look in the diner, but rather than making her nervous, a bolt of heat had lanced through her the second her gaze met his. But then, Jaime had never responded appropriately to danger. She didn’t seem to have a “flight” response. That had gotten her into all kinds of shit.

Unable to think of a reason Dante suddenly found her scowl-worthy, she paid no attention to him. Instead, she allowed herself to be distracted by the blond pervert beside her on the gigantic sectional sofa who could always make her laugh.

“Look at you,” drawled Greta from a black leather armchair. “One minute you’re chasing Dante, and the next minute you’re all over Dominic like a rash.” Hunk, who was snuggled on Jaime’s lap, hissed loudly, but Jaime simply smiled at the fuzzy-haired old woman. Her face was twisted into a scowl that wasn’t all that different from the decorative swirls carved into the sandstone of the main wall. Greta had always terrified Jaime as a kid, just as she’d terrified every kid other than Trey, Dante, Tao, Marcus, Trick, Ryan, and Dominic —her boys.

“At one point, you practically stalked poor Dante.”

“Stalked?” echoed Jaime. “No, I just watched him. At night. From behind a bush. Using night-vision goggles.”

To her surprise, Dante’s frown melted into a smile. No one ever stepped in to defend the old woman, because they all knew that the only way to deal with her was tit for tat. If the unmated females couldn’t handle Greta, they’d never survive in the pack.

Greta sneered at her. “You shouldn’t be surprised that he isn’t interested. What would he want with a big-breasted, fat-assed slut like you?”

Jaime sighed dramatically. “I wish the wizard had lived up to his promise and given you a heart.” In some ways, Jaime found her amusing. Her wolf didn’t, however. The cranky animal wanted to lunge at Greta and take a bite out of her. No surprise there. Her wolf’s answer to everything was, sadly, “attack.” Once again, Jaime found herself grieving the patient, nurturing, playful wolf that had once lived within her until that fucked-up night all those years ago.

“I suppose you look a tiny bit better nowadays. You’d always been a fat child.”

“I prefer the term ‘charitably shaped.’”

“If you thought being thinner would bag you one of my boys, you’re very wrong. They can see right through power-hungry sluts like you. You wanted to be Beta female, and when that didn’t work you moved on to one of the enforcers, didn’t you? I told them that that’s the only reason you’d applied to switch packs. I told them not to accept you. But did they listen to me? Noooo . Don’t think that means you’ve won. I’ve got my eye on you. I always look out for my boys. Dante and Dominic are just as much my grandsons as Trey.”

“That’s nice. Maybe that means they’ll help you out with this emotional crisis that you’re going through.”

Greta narrowed her eyes. “That’s a terrible attitude you’ve got.”

“Yep, and I know how to use it.”

“You’re no better than her.” She nodded toward Taryn, who was laughing on the reclining end of the sectional sofa. Trey placed a possessive, protective hand on her pregnant belly. Their bond was so strong and solid it was almost visible. It had Jaime feeling a little jealous.

The tiny, blonde Alpha female gave the old woman a smile that dripped with pity. “Greta, maybe you should take a Valium and have a nice nap. You’re only raising your blood pressure, and we don’t want that.”

Ignoring her, Greta curled her upper lip at Jaime. “Have you always been such an insufferable flirt?”

“‘Minx’ would be the word I’d use.”

She pointed hard at Jaime. “Just remember that I’m onto you. Your cards are marked. So I’d give up your little seduction plan if I were you, because it won’t get you far. As if any of my boys would go for a submissive tramp like you anyway—big boobs or not!” Jaime cocked her head and frowned. “You know…it sounded like English, but…”

“There’s that smart mouth again.”

“If you don’t want to listen to it, by all means, go back to Narnia. I’d imagine you’re missing your wand and crown anyway.”

Greta glanced around the room. “Have you all heard the way she speaks to me?!” Many of them looked like they were holding back a laugh at the look of outrage on Greta’s face. Taryn, unsurprisingly, didn’t.

When the old woman again sneered at her, Jaime gave her a beaming smile. “Be honest, Greta, you’ve missed me all these years, haven’t you?”

“Ignore her,” Taryn advised Jaime. “Don’t let the senile old crone wind you up. It’s what she lives for.”

“I heard that,” said Greta.

“Well, it wasn’t like I was whispering.” Taryn gave Jaime a pleading look. “Any tips on how to deal with Old Mother Hubbard here? You’ve known her longer than I have.” Jaime pursed her lips. “Don’t get light in her eyes, don’t get her wet, and never feed her after midnight.”

“I’ve had enough.” With a humph, Greta rose from her seat. “I don’t have to sit around here and be insulted.” She practically marched out of the room, mumbling to herself.

Lydia shook her head, chuckling. “That woman will outlive us all.” Tao smiled, running a hand through his tousled chocolate-brown hair. “She’s more strong-willed than all of us put together.”

Strangely, Jaime found herself wondering why though she favored the shade of chocolate-brown over walnut-brown, she preferred Dante’s hair to Tao’s. In fact, if any of the enforcers should be her type, it was Tao. All her past boyfriends had been similar to him: intense by nature, hair that was short but long enough to ruffle, and with a body that was muscular but more athletic than burly.

Dante didn’t fit into her type at all, and yet it was him she was drawn to. And didn’t that just chafe.

“So,” drawled Trey, turning to Dante. “Tell us more about this meeting you went to.” Once Dante was done telling the tale, Taryn cursed a blue streak that would have made any sailor proud. Oh, he’d definitely made the right decision by not telling her sooner.

“I never liked that bitch. She flirted with Trey when I went to that mating ceremony on Nick’s territory. I was five feet away at the time.”

“Yeah, but you scared her off.” Trey affectionately rubbed circles on her belly.

“Want me to kill her?” she asked Dante, sounding hopeful.

“No, I don’t,” he chuckled.

“Seriously, Trey can hold my hair back out of the way and I’ll—” Trey cupped his mate’s chin. “You will not get into any kind of confrontation with anyone.

Besides, Nick’s said he’s dealt with it. Let’s hope that’s the end of it.”

“There’s still the matter of her brothers,” Marcus pointed out, running a hand through his short, dark curls as if trying to straighten them.

Dante crossed his arms behind his head and sank farther into his chair. It was pissing him off that his eyes kept darting to Jaime of their own accord, but he managed to veil his irritation from the wolves around him. “It might be better to let Glory and her brothers sweat, leave them wondering what we’ll do or if we’ll do anything at all.”