White Tiger (A Shifter's Unbound Novel) (16 page)

*   *   *

K
endrick ate breakfast at the far end of the table, trying not to watch Addison’s warm eyes as she conversed easily with Seamus, Charlie, and the boys.

He burned for her, and nothing was going to be simple. Addison was right that Seamus had been teasing the hell out of him by nuzzling her this morning. Seamus would have sensed Kendrick’s need for Addison and decided to play with him a little—Kendrick hadn’t exactly hidden his interest.

If Kendrick kept Addison at arm’s length and focused on the problems at hand, he’d be fine, he told himself.
Yeah, and snakes will sprout wings and fly.

His resolve went out the window as soon as Addison laughed out loud at something Charlie said. She was like sparks from a firework, filling the space with beauty and heat.

Kendrick could easily solve the problem by sending her away. He didn’t believe she’d instantly send the police and Shifter Bureau out here to arrest them all, though his trackers like Jaycee and Francesca would tell him he was thinking with his hormones.

The thought of Addison being out there in the bad world, though, where he couldn’t reach her and protect her, was anathema. She was staying. Kendrick would just have to deal with his mating frenzy.

Like he’d dealt with it so well last night. The only reason Kendrick had come to his senses and gotten away from her was because he’d started to shift while he kissed her. Terrified he’d hurt her, he’d forced himself off the bed and gotten the hell out of there.

He’d spent the night on the porch, as a tiger, too hot and needy. And crabby as hell when he woke up. Seeing Seamus nuzzling her had been too much.

Seamus left after breakfast, though. Kendrick held himself in check to take Seamus aside and talk with him a moment, leader to tracker, laying plans.

Seamus then said good-bye to the cubs and Charlie, and approached Addison, enfolding her in a hug right in front of Kendrick. When Kendrick growled, Seamus released her and shot him a grin.

“Keep it together,” Seamus said to him. “Or go for it. I guarantee, it’s better to give in.”

Kendrick only growled again. Seamus, laughing, walked out to the dusty little pickup he’d driven here. The truck didn’t look like much but its motor hummed with smooth efficiency when Seamus started it up. He raised his hand in farewell, the cubs excitedly waving back to him.

He was gone. Now all Kendrick could do was wait and keep himself away from Addison.

Addison made it easy for him by plunging seriously into her nanny duties. She had the boys washed, helped them clean up their room, then helped Charlie in the rest of the house.

Kendrick followed her example and went around fixing numerous things that needed repair in the basement, barn, and sheds around the property. When he returned, Addison was baking pies.

The smell of warm baking filled the kitchen, fruit pies from the fresh berries Addison had found in town—blueberry, blackberry, strawberry. Odors wafted from the oven and lingered in the house.

They ate the pie after dinner that night, the only time Kendrick allowed himself to sit down with Addie near. The blackberry pie melted on his tongue, the crust crisp and tangy.

“These are better than the pies at the diner,” Brett said. He looked perplexed. “How can that be?”

“Homemade is always better,” Addison said, her fork loaded with blueberry pie. “That is, when you have a big kitchen and lots of good ingredients.”

And a fine cook
, Kendrick thought but didn’t say.

“My mom could cook,” Robbie said.

Kendrick’s gaze shot to him. Robbie rarely mentioned
his family, not at all if he could help it. The fact that he volunteered the information meant . . . something, though Kendrick wasn’t sure what. He was a Shifter leader, not a psychologist.

Robbie said nothing more, only went back to eviscerating his pieces of pie.

“More of my friends might be here soon,” Kendrick said to Addison abruptly.
If I’m lucky.
“Jaycee can be . . . forthright. Go easy on Dimitri—he has a speech impediment and is shy around people he doesn’t know.”

“He stammers a little,” Zane said. “But when you get to know him, you don’t notice. Is Dimitri really coming, Dad? When?”

“I don’t know, son.” Kendrick’s blackberry pie suddenly tasted like dust. “I told Seamus to put the word out. We just have to wait.”

“I hate waiting,” Zane said.

So did Kendrick, but he didn’t have much choice. Waiting was always the price when un-Collared Shifters did anything in the human world. They had to not hurry and keep silence.

Kendrick spent another night walking the bounds and sleeping on the porch to keep himself from Addison. She again busied herself with the cubs, as though doing her best to keep from
him
. He wasn’t sure he liked that.

He did, however, enjoy being able to sleep out of doors in his tiger form, something he couldn’t do when they lived in the compound. He was starting to truly like this place.

At dawn he was dragged out of sleep by the scent of another Shifter screaming into his brain. Kendrick was on his feet, snarling, even as he recognized the scent.

Jaycee Bordeaux, in human form, sprang from the shadows of shrubs below the porch and landed on the railing with the grace of her leopard.

“Psych!” she said. “Never thought I’d catch you napping, Kendrick.”

Kendrick remained where he was, waiting, as he had done with Seamus, to see whether she had turned against him.

Jaycee, who had plumpness and strength at the same
time, leapt down from the railing and threw her arms around his neck without inhibition. “Damn, it’s good to see you, Kendrick. If I didn’t want to just hang on to you and cry, I’d ask you for a shag.”

“Figures,” said another voice. A tall man with short red hair and the dark gray eyes of a wolf, who’d climbed leisurely off a motorcycle, walked up to the porch. He spread his arms. “Dimitri’s here. Time to s-start the . . . party.”

A
ddie heard the rumble of the motorcycle that stopped in front of the house. She grabbed a robe and hurried to the big living room.

On the porch was Kendrick, as a tiger, with a red-haired man and a woman with golden hair and brown eyes hugging him and crooning over him. Kendrick rolled onto his side, not objecting to them holding and petting him. The woman was busy covering his face with kisses.

“Uncle Dimitri!” The shriek came from Zane, who shot out past Addie before she could stop him. Hard on his heels was Brett, and then Robbie.

“There’s my b-boys.” Dimitri rolled to his feet and caught the little tigers in his arms.

For Robbie, Dimitri leaned down and growled at him. Robbie put his hands on his hips and growled right back. Then Robbie broke off and started laughing. Addie hadn’t heard such merriment from him before. He sounded like a normal, delighted little boy.

“I missed you!” Robbie yelled up at him. “Addie, come and meet Uncle Dimitri! And Aunt Jaycee!”

Addie stepped out onto the porch, very aware she was in a robe with her uncombed hair hanging every which way. She smoothed the hair out of her face and found herself pinned by the stares of the new Shifters.

Dimitri gazed at her in open appreciation. “Who’s this b-beautiful thing? Don’t worry, baby, my stutter goes away when I’m wolf, and
howlin’
.” His words were softened by the warm wink he gave her.

“Goddess, do you have a hose?” Jaycee gave Dimitri a disgusted glance and turned her gaze back to Addie. Jaycee sniffed delicately, then a sharp, jealous light entered her eyes.

Oh, great. She’s in love with Kendrick
, Addie realized. Addie might not be Shifter, but she recognized when another woman coveted a man.
That makes me her new en
emy.

Well, Addie would have to show Jaycee that she had nothing to worry about. Kendrick had made it plain he wanted to keep Addie away from him. Or, she’d have to fight the woman to the death. Looking at the curvaceous but tough body on Jaycee, Addie didn’t have much confidence in her chances.

“All right, who’s hungry?” Addie asked, pretending she was neatly dressed and coiffed. “Charlie and I are making lots of pancakes today.”

“Woo-hoo!” Brett yelled, jumping straight from Dimitri’s arm to the porch floor. “Addie makes great pancakes. Can I have pie too?”

Without waiting for the answer, he raced inside, followed by Zane, who scrambled down from Dimitri, and then Robbie.

Jaycee put her hand on one hip. She wore a tight red tank top, equally tight black bicycle pants, and sneakers, as though she’d been jogging when called to meet up with Kendrick.

Jaycee looked Addie up and down but spoke to Kendrick. “Is she for real? What did you do, Kendrick, hire a Mary Sue human housekeeper? And why?”

Dimitri lost his infectious grin. “Hey now, she looks f-fine to me.”

Addie decided she needed to stand her ground right away. “Watch who you’re calling a Mary Sue, sweetie.”

Kendrick’s reaction was to rise slowly to his feet, face Jaycee, fix her with his green stare, and snarl. His nose wrinkled with the rumbling, his body stiff, eyes full of anger.

Jaycee’s hand came off her hip, her face went pale, and she jerked back as though she’d been slapped. “Kendrick, I was just . . .”

Kendrick let out a full-throated roar, and Jaycee’s tawny-brown eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry.”

“You sh-should be apologizing to
her
, not him,” Dimitri said.

Jaycee flicked her gaze to Addie, the misery in it so great Addie’s irritation turned to sympathy. “Sorry,” Jaycee said, her voice sharp.

Addie waved her hand and spoke lightly. “Forget it. Come on in and have breakfast.”

Jaycee drew a long breath, which pushed her ample bosom high. “Sure. You have meat?”

“Sausage and bacon. Plenty for carnivores.” Addie turned away and went into the house, breathing a sigh of relief at the cool interior. The porch had heated up in more ways than one.

A touch on her arm stopped her, and Addie looked into Dimitri’s handsome face. He had very nice eyes, dark gray and full of depth.

“D-don’t mind Jaycee. She’s just intense.”

“I see that.” Addie led the way to the big table in the front room. “Since you’re first in, you get to pick where to sit.”

Dimitri’s grin returned. “Next to you, sweet babe.”

No stammering at all that time. His look was warm, his interest apparent.

“I see what she means about a hose,” Addie said. “Sit down over there.” She pointed. “You can make sure the cubs don’t spill anything.”

*   *   *

B
reakfast commenced without much problem. Kendrick disappeared into the bedroom, then reappeared in human form, dressed. He squeezed the shoulders of Jaycee
and Dimitri as he passed them, and both Shifters visibly relaxed.

They need him
, Addie realized.
The way they have to keep looking at him—it’s like they’ve been incomplete without him.

She wasn’t sure how the two new Shifters would view her. Jaycee was already wary, angry that Kendrick had brought Addie into the fold. Dimitri, whose last name was Kashnikov, seemed friendly enough, but even he kept a cautious eye on Addison and Charlie.

The cubs were oblivious to any tension and ate heartily. Jaycee and Dimitri put away plenty of food, Jaycee making no secret of her vast appetite. As much as Addie knew she’d have problems with Jaycee, it was nice to share a table with a woman who didn’t say,
No, I shouldn’t eat that, it goes right to my hips
; or
Nothing for me, I’ll be fine
while staring hungrily at the two bites of lettuce on her plate.

After breakfast, Addie as usual started to help Charlie clean up. She found the plates she’d picked up taken out of her hands by Dimitri.

“We’ll d-do that, sweetie. It’s our job.”

Addie let him take the dishes, surprised. “You do the housework for Kendrick? What are you, his maid?”

Dimitri’s chuckle vibrated in his throat. “Ain’t you c-cute. A tracker’s job is to help the leader, in any way p-possible.”

Jaycee hadn’t said a word but simply started carrying plates and bowls to the sink, moving Charlie out of the way to wash them.

“No offense, you two, but you’re human,” Jaycee said, mostly to Charlie. “
We
look after Kendrick. We do the stupid shit so he doesn’t have to worry about it. He has more important things on his mind.”

Addie watched them a moment, knowing she should not feel offended that someone else wanted to do the dishes. She should hand them the dirty plates and run. It was the
way
Jaycee took over that was offensive, she decided.

“I didn’t notice Seamus rushing for kitchen duty,” Addie pointed out.

Dimitri, who seemed to find everything funny, gave another chuckle. “Seamus is high on the d-dominance scale. Not much below Kendrick. He and Kendrick f-focus on large-scale plans. Jaycee and me t-take out the garbage.”

“In more ways than one,” Jaycee said, adding a snicker.

Charlie folded his arms and leaned against the counter. “Fine, but you be careful with them dishes. My wife spent a long time putting together that set.”

“No one’s more adept than a Shifter, old-timer,” Jaycee said. “Don’t you worry.”

Charlie did not like being called
old-timer
, that was apparent. He shot a glance at Addie but jerked his chin in a gesture that told her to go.

Kendrick had disappeared again and so hadn’t been around for the conversation. The cubs had moved to the wide front porch, the morning nice, playing with the toys Addie had bought for them at the discount store.

She sank down on a chair to watch them. “Where’s your dad?”

Robbie shrugged. “Around. It’s okay. Dimitri and Jaycee are here to watch us.”

“Do they watch you a lot?”

“They take care of Dad,” Robbie said. “So does Seamus, but in a different way. The three of them are—what does Dad call it? His inner circle.”

“I see.”

Addie sank into silence. Robbie, after giving her a puzzled look, went back to playing with the cubs.

Kendrick seemed to be surrounded by people who’d do anything for him. Even Robbie readily looked after the two younger boys so Kendrick wouldn’t have to worry so much. Seamus had come charging out here as soon as Kendrick called to him, and so had Dimitri and Jaycee.

Addie thought about the embraces each of the trackers had exchanged with Kendrick, the nuzzling, the blatant demonstrations of affection. She wondered whether Jaycee leapt into Kendrick’s bed every time he needed to work off some tension. She’d certainly intimated that she was willing.

All three Shifters had given Addie assessing stares, wondering how she fit into Kendrick’s world.
Temporary aberration? Lover? Babysitter?
Seamus had been kinder, but Seamus was now in love with a human woman and likely understood better. Not that Addie herself knew what she was to Kendrick.

Dimitri bounded out onto the porch, evidently done with kitchen work. The cubs greeted him with glee.

“Uncle Dimitri—will you play big bad wolf for us?” Robbie asked him.

Dimitri growled. “I’m already a b-big . . .” He struggled with the next word, and gave up. “Wolf. Mean.” He curled his fingers like claws.

The cubs laughed. “Do it, Uncle Dimitri.”

Dimitri glanced at Addie and actually blushed. “C-can’t be s-stripping down in front of Addie.”

“Addie can turn around,” Brett said. “Come on, Uncle Dimitri.”

Addie rose. “I’ll go inside. Just be careful.”

All three boys cheered. They started chanting
Big Bad Wolf
,
Big Bad Wolf.

Addie closed the front door, shutting herself into the dim interior. A few moments later, she heard vicious snarls, and quickly opened the door again.

A huge wolf stood on the porch. Its coat was not the gray or black she expected but a deep shade of red-brown. Dimitri had lowered himself to his belly, and was stalking the cubs, his ears flat, growls coming from his mouth. The boys were pretending to be afraid—Brett and Zane had become tiger cubs, but Robbie remained a boy, scrambling out of the way to come around behind Dimitri and pull his tail.

Dimitri howled in feigned outrage, saw Addie watching, and winked at her.

Addie bit back a laugh and decided to leave them to it.

She left the living room for the back, to make sure the cubs’ room had been put to rights this morning. As she entered the hall, she saw Jaycee just going into the bedroom Addie was more or less sharing with Kendrick.

Addie hurried in behind her. Jaycee had halted in the
middle of the room and was looking around with her quick eyes.

“Hey,” Addie said before the other woman could speak. “I’ve heard Shifters have a thing about territory. Well, this is mine.”

Jaycee turned around and gave her a big, false smile. “And that’s fine. I’m just getting the lay of the land. But Kendrick can’t stay in here with you. Not safe.”

“I think that’s Kendrick’s choice,” Addie said stiffly.

“You’re wrong about that.” Jaycee looked her over. “We’re Kendrick’s seconds, his trackers, his bodyguards. He doesn’t need human scent all over him. If he wants a quick release with you, that’s okay, but unless he’s crazy enough to mate-claim a human—and we’d do our best to talk him out of it—he can’t cozy up to you. Too dangerous. Trust me, I’ve been keeping our guy out of danger for years.”

“I see. How about when your compound was destroyed?” Addie said, angry.

Jaycee’s condescending but tolerant look vanished. She zipped across the room before Addie could blink, grabbed Addie by the throat, and pinned her against the nearest wall.

“How do you know about that?”

“Kendrick told me,” Addie said, or tried to say. Hard to talk with a hand squeezing her windpipe.

“He didn’t tell you the whole of it—he never will. We were taken by surprise, we fought like hell, and then we followed protocol. We laid low until he summoned us. Well, now he’s called us, and
we
take care of him, honey. Get that through your pretty head.”

Jaycee shook Addie, not enough to hurt, but enough to tap her head against the wall. Jaycee released her, strode back to the dresser, and resumed pulling Kendrick’s clothes out of the drawer.

Addie rubbed her throat. “You don’t have to bother with that. I’ll take mine out, instead.”

Jaycee, her hands full of Kendrick’s T-shirts, stopped, nodded, and put the shirts back into the drawer—neatly.

“That’s a better solution. Find a small bedroom away from the rest of us. Don’t worry, sweetie, I don’t sleep with
Kendrick without his permission. If he wants
you
, he’ll come to you.”

Addie fetched the small tote bag she’d bought in San Antonio, stepped past Jaycee, and started putting her new clothes into it. She didn’t say a word, because she knew she’d only start a knock-down, drag-out girl fight, and she was realistic enough to know she couldn’t win. The strength in Jaycee’s hand around Addie’s throat, even with the woman holding back, had told Addie that.

Jaycee moved to the high bed and began to strip off its sheets. “No offense, honey, but I have to wash these. Too much human scent.”