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.

And what about Kye, huh? I picked you as his godmother, you can’t leave!”

“I don’t want to, but—”

There was a knock at the door followed by Trey speaking. “Taryn, what is it?” Clearly he’d felt his mate’s distress through their bond.

“Nothing. It’s nothing, I’ll be right out.”

Apparently, Trey didn’t accommodate “alone time” any better than Dante did, because he barged in. “Taryn?”

She turned to him, her lips wobbling. “Shaya’s going to leave.”

“What?”

Instead of elaborating, she dived at Shaya and wrapped her hands around her. “When?” whispered Taryn, tears streaming down her face just as they were streaming down Shaya’s.

“Not until after Jaime and Dante’s mating ceremony. I’d never miss that.” Even in this agony, the female was prepared to sit through a mating ceremony that wasn’t her own and be reminded of what she was missing out on. Jaime couldn’t allow that. “Shaya…”

“Don’t.” She gave Jaime a hard look over Taryn’s shoulder. “I would never be envious of you having that.”

Taryn’s shoulders shook as more tears flowed. “You deserve better than him. Fate is a bitch.”

“Yeah.” Shaya laughed shakily, hugging her friend even harder.

Jaime was close to crying herself, even though she wasn’t one who was prone to having emotional outbursts. Hearing Shaya’s pain, Jaime had to wonder if that was how Dante had felt when she denied him. She wished she could have told Nick to put Shaya first, to claim her and trust that together they could work through what came next. They would always be stronger together than apart.

So why wasn’t she practicing this herself?