White Tiger (A Shifter's Unbound Novel) (25 page)

“What the hell are you, anyway?” Zander asked him. So much for being polite and giving him his privacy.

“Goblin,” Ben answered readily. “That’s as good enough term as any. I and my kind were kicked out of Faerie by the mofo bastards.”

Interesting. “Out here is better,” Zander said. “No Fae. More channels. Internet. No women who try to kill you after you have sex with them. Well, usually the women out here don’t.”

“Depends on your point of view,” Ben said. “What about you? Special someone back in Alaska?”

“Nope.” Zander folded his hands behind his head. “I’m a free spirit, not tied down, always on the move.”

“You mean you struck out?” Ben asked, grin gleaming in the starlight.

“I mean I’ve never tried,” Zander said, not offended. “I’m crazy, hadn’t you heard? The Goddess reached out and gave me healing powers when I was ten years old and too young to fight her. Not that anyone can really fight the Goddess. But it made me half insane, and other people don’t want to be near me for long, unless they’re in serious pain or dying.
Then
they’ll put up with me.”

“I feel your pain.”

Zander glanced over at Ben, who sat upright, head tilted back as he studied the heavens. “So, Ben, how about you and me blow this place, get roaring drunk, and find a few ladies for the night?”

Ben kept his gaze on the stars. He was silent a long moment, then said. “Nah.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Zander said. “Who needs uncontrolled, no-strings-attached, no-holds-barred sex?”

Ben chuckled. “You do. Tell you what—we’ll sit this one out and next time we’ll make a night of it.”

Zander settled back down, staring up at the sky until he felt as though he were floating among the stars. “All right. It’s a date.”

Ben grunted another laugh and then they both fell silent, contemplating the night, lost in their own thoughts.

*   *   *

A
ddison woke to bright daylight and her nose against Kendrick’s forehead.

For a moment, the previous day blurred, to coalesce into the memory of the fantastic lovemaking she’d had last night with Kendrick. He was here, lying with his chest against hers, his hand heavy on her side.

Addie lay motionless, soaking in his warmth, the scent of him. Sunlight touched his mottled hair, the white luminescent against the black.

The light traced his cheek, the dark lashes against sun-bronzed skin, his mouth, which had so thoroughly kissed hers. Addie slid her gaze down his tight shoulder, arm folded against his body, his hand relaxed, fingers splayed just above her breast. The sunlight touched his bare hip and backside, down his leg to the curve of his calf.

Addie couldn’t see the front of him, because it was pressed against her. But she could feel him. The hard planes of his chest cradled her breasts, and his cock, no longer rigid, rested heavily against her thigh.

Addie raised her gaze to his face again and found his green eyes open and looking straight at her.

“Hey,” she said, suddenly shy.

Kendrick touched her cheek with a gentle fingertip. “Hey.” His deep voice vibrated the mattress. “You okay?”

A
ddie considered. “The morning after great sex? Yeah, I think so.”

Kendrick let out a small breath. “Good.”

“Why good?” Addie frowned. “Why do you sound so relieved?”

He brushed back a lock of her hair. “Because I could have hurt you. I can be . . . focused.”

“Focused on taking me to the best orgasm of my life?” Addie brushed a brief kiss to his lips. “I didn’t mind.”

A small smile touched his mouth. “The best?”

“Don’t get a swelled head. But yes. Although the thing in the barn—that was pretty good too.”

His smile turned wicked. “You bring out the playful in me.”

“Oh, yeah?” Addie kissed him again. She liked how Kendrick tasted in the morning, and the fact that he kept his eyes open to watch her kiss him. “Do you feel playful now?”

“A little.”

The growl in his throat made her shiver. “The others will expect you to get up soon, go out and see them,” Addie said. “Maybe make a speech.”

The growl escalated. “They can wait.”

The warmth that squeezed Addie’s chest grew. “Really? What for?”

Kendrick pushed her down into the bed, his fine weight on top of her. “The more you tease me, the less gentle you make me want to be.”

“Mmm,” Addie said, stretching under him. “Intriguing.”

Kendrick’s ongoing growl became a snarl. He backed away swiftly, seized her by the hips, and flipped her over. Addie squealed and struggled, but not very hard.

She went rigid in surprise, though, when his hand landed on her backside, the hot tingle of the swat spreading. Addie looked back at him. Kendrick knelt behind her, his cock straight out, his eyes sparkling like water under the sun. His palm smacked her backside again.

Addie squirmed. “What in the world are you—”

Her words cut off as Kendrick swatted her one last time, then raised her to her hands and knees and slid smoothly inside her.

Addie’s eyes rounded, and she said, “Oh.”

Kendrick slid out and back in, making Addie emit a louder,
Oh.
Then again, and again. In a short space of time, Addie was clutching the sheet, dragging it half off the bed, invocations to every deity coming out of her mouth.

“Goddess,” Kendrick said harshly behind her. “Addison. Mate.
Mine!
”

Addie’s words turned to screams, Kendrick’s to mere sounds. The sun rose to heat the room, but nothing could be hotter than Kendrick, taking Addie to pleasure she’d never experienced.

Addie balled her fists into the bed to keep herself from falling, and let him.

*   *   *

K
endrick walked out of the bedroom an hour later—stiffly—to find Dimitri exiting Jaycee’s room, buckling his jeans, a T-shirt resting on his shoulders but not pulled down.

Dimitri saw Kendrick and froze. They stared at each
other for a few heartbeats. “K-Kendrick. This is . . .” Dimitri’s mouth worked, his agitation stealing his words.

“Not what it looks like?” Kendrick finished for him.

“No.” Dimitri shook his head. “It’s exactly what it l-looks like.”

Kendrick waited while Dimitri settled the shirt on his torso and followed him down the hall toward the kitchen.

“How is she?” Kendrick asked in a low voice.

“Jaycee?” Dimitri paused a moment, then a beatific smile bloomed on his face. “She’s fantastic.”

Kendrick made himself not laugh. “Not what I meant, shithead.”

“In all ways,” Dimitri said. “Though she might try to k-kill me when she w-wakes up.”

Kendrick and Dimitri made it through the living room and into the big kitchen. Seamus and several other dominant Shifters were grouped around the table, along with Zander and Ben. They looked up from eating when Kendrick came in, and burst into applause and hooting. Robbie and Kendrick’s boys were there, and they cheered just as hard.

Dimitri went bright red, then he caught on and started clapping. “That’s for you.”

“Stop.” Kendrick lifted his hands and swept them all with a severe look. “Don’t embarrass Addison.”

“I think y
ou
were the one embarrassing her,” Zander said, drowning his waffles in syrup. “I’m surprised you can still talk. And that the windows stayed in one piece.”

The only one not smiling was Charlie. Kendrick sat down in the empty chair at the head of the table, pushed there by Dimitri, who wouldn’t let him serve himself. Charlie clumped over with a plate of eggs and sausage and clattered it in front of Kendrick.

“You do right by that little girl,” Charlie said. “Or you’ll hear it from me.”

“Don’t worry,” Seamus said smoothly. “If he doesn’t mate with her under sun and moon, we’ll kick his ass.”

“She has the right to say no,” Kendrick reminded him.

“She won’t,” Dimitri said with confidence.

Seamus shrugged. “If she refuses, then we’ll let her go with our blessing. If she accepts you, we’ll make sure you make her happy for the rest of her life.”

“Or,” Zander said. “You know, the ass kicking.”

Interesting that Zander thought he’d be looking in on Kendrick’s Shifters. Well, they could use a healer these days.

Robbie, who’d finished his breakfast and slipped outside, now came running back in. “Dad. He’s here.”

“Who?” Kendrick was on his feet, expecting the twisted face of Lachlan to appear at the door, but the man who came in was Dylan Morrissey.

The Shifters around the table tensed until the air crackled with it. Seamus rose, both to confront Dylan and to keep the other Shifters from charging the man.

Kendrick got himself up and around Seamus. He needed to make it clear this was a leader-to-leader meeting, not an attack. There was no way Dylan had come out here without backup, and the situation could escalate into a pitched battle if Kendrick didn’t keep things calm.

Kendrick spoke before Dylan could. “Welcome. Thank you for your help at the fight club.”

His Shifters relaxed a fraction, though only a fraction. Kendrick was indicating to all present that this was his territory, Dylan was a guest, and so far, he would be tolerated.

The alpha in Kendrick couldn’t help a touch of triumph. He’d been under Dylan’s thumb for a while. Knowing he could throw Dylan off his turf anytime made him want to do a victory dance, like Brett did when he won a tussle.

Kendrick restrained himself. “What’s up?”

Dylan gave him a conceding nod. The man was three hundred years old, venerable even for a Shifter, but he was strong, with the energy of his sons. His blue eyes were clear, his hair bearing only a touch of gray, and the lion in him could still win every fight in the fight club.

With the nod, he acknowledged that this was indeed Kendrick’s territory, and Kendrick was master here.

“Tell me about this Shifter,” Dylan said. “The one who tried to kill you last night.” He shot a blue gaze past Seamus and around the table, knowing these were Kendrick’s top
men, who would defend their leader to the death. “And I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee, if you have it to spare.”

*   *   *

K
endrick launched into his tale.

Twenty years before, Kendrick had joined forces with a half-human Shifter called Lachlan. They’d agreed, after the Shifters had been outed, that letting themselves be rounded up into Shiftertowns was a bad idea.

Though Lachlan was Lupine and only a half-blood Shifter and Kendrick was Feline, they had a common cause, and they became good friends. They wanted their families to remain free and without Collars.

They’d escaped from the humans rounding up Shifters and hidden out together in the wilds of the Yukon, staying far away from any human settlements. They’d realized that if they could find a place remote enough, they could live without detection.

If they didn’t allow themselves to be Collared, with a record at Shifter Bureau and all that crap, most humans wouldn’t even know they were Shifters. Lachlan, especially, could blend in, proving Shifters could live alongside humans—holding jobs, buying property, opening bank accounts—with no one being the wiser.

Since Kendrick was a Guardian, and Guardians by tradition weren’t leaders, they agreed that Lachlan would be Shifter leader, with Kendrick as his second and the group’s Guardian.

All went well at first. Kendrick found like-minded Shifters, helped them get away from the humans rounding them up and saving all the family members they could. It was tough—the humans ruthlessly herded Shifters into holding areas where they’d be processed. Cubs were separated from parents. Shifters young and old were taken away for experiments. By the time humans who were horrified at the treatment of Shifters had enough influence to stop the abuse, too much damage had been done.

In the meantime, Lachlan and Kendrick set up their hidden Shiftertown, chose trackers, established a hierarchy,
made sure cubs were kept with parents, and that orphaned cubs were matched with adults who would care for them.

Different species who hated each other in the wild came together, willing to work to keep their families safe.

It was a heady feeling in the early days, Shifters joining together to be stronger, without having to surrender themselves and their entire lives. They made plans to grow the community, and in time, rescue every single Shifter from captivity.

And then Lachlan turned out to be insane.

It started with small things. Lachlan would make decisions—about whether a mate-claim would stand or a cub would or wouldn’t accompany his parents into town—without consulting Kendrick. The decisions were arbitrary, and Kendrick received complaints.

Then Lachlan began to change his stance in the matter of Shifters breaking rules.

It had been agreed that a Shifter who broke one of the small laws of the community, such as taking a step into another’s territory or getting into a fight, would be brought before Lachlan, who’d mete out justice.

At first Lachlan was reasonable—a territory violation meant an apology and the offending Shifter owing the offended a favor, to be called in at any time. An unwarranted fight had the two parties agreeing to let Lachlan or Kendrick listen to grievances and settle the question. Or, set up a controlled fight if the two Shifters simply had to battle it out.

Worse transgressions—hurting a cub, trying to force a female, robbery, assault—rarely happened, but when they did, the Shifter in question was banished on threat of death if he or she returned.

The simple justice worked. Then Lachlan decided to punish a Shifter who had borrowed another Shifter’s motorcycle and then wrecked it, with a flogging. Kendrick had been away and had only learned about the flogging when he returned the next day. The punished man’s family had cornered Kendrick about it, and Kendrick had confronted Lachlan.

Lachlan argued that making the transgressing Shifter buy the other another motorcycle was too tame. They needed to learn to take care of each other’s things or there would be chaos.

Kendrick argued with him, until Lachlan became angry and said that Kendrick should be judge and jury by himself for a while, see how he liked it.

Things settled down, until a wolf cub got lost in the dead of winter. A search was made, the cub finally found deep in the frozen woods, and restored home alive and well. Lachlan decided that the father of the cub should be put to death for not watching him better.

Lachlan backed down quickly when Kendrick countermanded his decision, Lachlan explaining that he’d been very angry and worried about the cub. Now all was well, but in Lachlan’s opinion, another Shifter should move in with the family to watch the cub.

As the winter wore on, Lachlan kept inventing transgressions that the cub’s father had done, and finally claimed that he himself was the cub’s sire. This was why he’d been so angry when the cub had gotten lost.

The cub’s mother wasn’t there—she’d been taken, Collared, and they’d been unable to rescue her. Therefore, she wasn’t able to say whether Lachlan had fathered him. A DNA test was out of the question, because when a human lab saw Shifter DNA, they’d be betrayed.

Lachlan wanted to settle it with a fight—winner took the cub. The father protested that he was the true father but agreed to the fight. Kendrick forbade it but when Lachlan and the other Lupine met in secret and the Lupine was killed, Lachlan claimed the cub for his own.

When Kendrick confronted Lachlan, Lachlan said that the fight was just a battle for hierarchy. From now on, he said, claims on cubs and females should be settled by this method, which had worked for centuries. What bothered Kendrick was that other Shifters agreed with him.

Then had begun the split. Lachlan wanted to go back to the old ways—why should they follow human rules if they lived far from cities and towns? Shifters should be Shifters.

Kendrick had calmed things down and for a while there was no violence, but it simmered under the surface.

Then came the mate Challenges. Females were scarce and males who were lucky enough to make a mate-claim had to face Challenges from other males. Lachlan did not like the new rule that females could refuse the claim—their group didn’t have enough cubs for females to be choosy, he said. Males claimed, and other males Challenged, whoever won the Challenge kept the mate, and that was the way it was.