“Are you sure you can’t take us on the tour?” Bitch Face’s sensuous smile was back. “Leif would love to spend some time with his uncle, get to know you and—” Jaime groaned. “Oh dear God, have some pride, woman!” It was impossible not to cringe for her.
Leif’s mouth twitched into a smile, which he hid by ducking his head. It was the same smile that every female, even Greta, was wearing as they all openly showed their disdain for this intruder who seemed intent on spending time with Dante.
Well, every female other than Taryn, who was snarling at Trey. “Only a man would allow a mated male’s ex-girlfriend to stay with the pack and stupidly think that everything will be fine.” Trey cuddled Kye against his chest as if his son could somehow protect him. There was no denying that his tiny mate could be scary at times.
“Well, I have to get to work.” Jaime didn’t miss how Bitch Face’s expression turned cunning, as if she was dreaming up a way to get Dante alone while Jaime was gone. That expression was replaced by one of frustration when he spoke.
“I’m coming with you again.”
Jaime didn’t object for two reasons. One, although she trusted Dante, she really didn’t like the idea that Bitch Face would have the opportunity to get him alone. Two, she had to admit that she liked it when he went along with her. She liked having him around her. Her wolf liked it, liked to be surrounded by his scent.
Although her wolf didn’t totally trust him not to harm her emotionally, she was happy with the bonding and acknowledged that he was her mate. Jaime had to wonder if her wolf would have been content with the mating a few months ago. Her wolf had been much more temperamental back then, so eager to distrust and avoid everyone around her. Now she seemed to be open to trusting Dante. She just didn’t feel that she could yet.
As Jaime wasn’t so opposed to him working with her occasionally, she didn’t overwork him this time. Just as when they were doing Beta duties together, they worked well as a team, tackled the work together and did it peacefully. That was, however, until a certain incident cropped up. One of the dogs that had been transported in a rescue van had gotten out of his crate and stood in the parking lot, growling at anyone who tried to approach.
“Jaime’s best at this,” Ivy declared, electing her for the job of calming and collecting the Doberman. “I’ll be ready with the tranquilizer gun just in case her charm doesn’t work on him.”
“No fucking way.”
Jaime narrowed her eyes at the giant who was suddenly planted in front of her. “Move, Dante.”
“You are not going near that dog. Look at him.” Dante blanched at the mere idea of her going anywhere near it.
“I see him,” she said patiently, understanding that he would feel so overprotective. “I see a scared animal who is feeling defensive right now, and I fully intend to help him.” He folded his arms across his chest. “I said no.”
Those words might not have rankled so much if it hadn’t been for the dominance that coated them. He was actually trying to pressure her into yielding to him, pulling the Beta act on her. Jerk.
“Haven’t we already established that you have no control over me?”
“This isn’t about trying to control you. It’s about keeping you safe from a vicious dog that would happily eat you.”
“Now you’re just being melodramatic.”
“I’m making up for your lack of a flight response.”
She rolled her eyes, losing her tolerance and not prepared to let her mate try to dominate her into giving in to him. It hurt that he would actually do that. “Step aside.”
“No, I will not let you near some traumatized animal that could easily go crazy and attack you!” Realizing what he’d just said, Dante squeezed his eyes shut. By insinuating that the dog behind him was beyond help and could easily snap and hurt people, he was insinuating that things were just as hopeless for Jaime’s wolf. In truth, he didn’t really believe that about her wolf, but his words had given an altogether different impression, and he hadn’t missed the pain that flashed across his mate’s face. He hadn’t had to see it, he’d felt it. “Jaime—” With anger dripping from every word, she spoke in a flat voice. “Move out of my way and let me do my job.” She shouldn’t really be surprised that Dante had never believed her wolf could fully heal, but it hurt all the same, because she had wanted to believe him.
Knowing that nothing he could say would make her budge on this now, Dante reluctantly stepped aside. He’d hurt her enough already, and he didn’t want to push her further and hurt her again.
But if that dog made any threatening moves, Dante would be on it before it could blink.
Blocking out Dante and shoving aside her emotions to deal with later, Jaime passed him and took the leash that Riley—who, along with Ivy, was scowling at Dante—was holding out. Jaime had been in this situation enough times to know what to do. Keeping a safe distance between her and the dog, which was in a challenging stance and baring his teeth, she knelt down. Towering over him would make him feel intimidated, and that would negate her chances of making him see her as no threat.
She spoke to him in a calm voice, hoping it would reassure him and that her sense of calm would, in turn, help him calm. She wasn’t fazed by his growls, as she knew that more often than not, growls were warnings as opposed to acts of aggression. Still, not heeding those warnings could result in a bite, and she didn’t want one of those. She’d been bitten a few times in the past. When the bulldog had locked onto her hand, it had hurt like a motherfucker.
Wanting the dog to understand that she posed no threat, she avoided eye contact, as that was something he would interpret as confrontational. Digging her hand into her pocket of her coveralls, she fished out a few of the dog treats she kept there. She threw some to the side of him and waited.
After sniffing the air, he eventually nibbled on one of the treats. Once he’d eaten each of those treats, she tossed a few more.
Turning to the side to communicate that she wasn’t challenging him, she slowly inched forward. After only a few feet, she stopped and tossed him some more treats. She waited patiently as he ate them, and then gently patted the ground before holding out her hand, encouraging him to come to her. At this point he had stopped growling, but his posture was still alert. After several minutes, he seemed to adjust to her presence and decide that she wasn’t a threat, because he began to approach her.
Jaime stayed totally still as he sniffed the back of her hand. Only when he seemed calm did she, still talking to him in a soothing voice, slowly take the leash from her other pocket. Without gripping his collar, she simply clipped the leash to it, all the while speaking quietly to him. Although she wanted to stroke him, she avoided it. There was no way of knowing whether he had what Ivy called “hot spots”—places he disliked being touched that could set him off.
Jaime’s entire body was a hot spot right now. If Dante touched her even once, she’d kill him.
As if he sensed that, he made no attempts to touch her or speak to her as they worked the rest of their shift. In fact, it wasn’t until they were almost on pack territory in the SUV that he reached across and placed his hand on her thigh. By that point, she had calmed down enough not to shake him off, especially since she could feel how mad he was at himself.
“You know I wasn’t talking about your wolf.”
“Really?” she drawled with skepticism heavy in her voice.
“I admit that my choice of words was bad and the whole thing came out wrong, but I do not think your wolf is beyond help.”
Although she sensed that he was speaking the truth, it didn’t improve Jaime’s mood much.