Robbie didn’t want to, she knew, but he straightened his shoulders, liking that Jaycee put him in the same class as herself—those who looked after Kendrick and his family. Being a tracker involved more than scouting and intrigue. They were the leader’s right-hand men . . . and women.
Dimitri stepped in front of Jaycee before she could lead the cubs inside. He put one hand on her shoulder, his strength unnerving, and gave her a swift kiss on the mouth. She couldn’t help kissing him back. And then he was gone—just like that—starting to tell Kendrick what they’d found out. Kendrick gave Jaycee a long look but said nothing.
Still shaking from the kiss, Jaycee hustled the three boys into the house.
The door opposite the cubs’ room opened and Kendrick’s mate emerged. She wore a sleep shirt, and her thick dark hair was tousled, but she was wide awake, her blue eyes alert.
“If you can get them to go to sleep, I’ll kiss you,” Addison said to Jaycee.
“No, you need to kiss us!” Zane bellowed. “We’ll be good, Addie.”
“Speak for yourself,” Brett answered.
“Come on.” Jaycee pulled Brett and Zane into the bedroom, where they scampered away from her to their bunk beds.
Robbie followed at a more dignified pace to his single bed across the room but looked as anxious as his little brothers to be kissed good night and told a story.
Between Addie and Jaycee, they had the cubs tucked in, a story told, the lights finally turned off. Addie held on to the doorknob as she closed the door and slanted Jaycee a look. “Wine?”
Jaycee let out a breath. “Would be nice.”
Addie led Jaycee to the kitchen, now deserted, found the stash of wine she kept for herself and Kendrick, and took out a bottle and two glasses.
There was no sign of Dimitri and Kendrick, and Jaycee couldn’t hear them either. They’d probably gone for a walk, or to Dimitri’s small house to speak in private.
Addie poured Jaycee a large measure of red wine, but she filled her own glass with bottled water. Addie was pregnant.
The blatant evidence that Addie was Kendrick’s mate once would have made Jaycee miserable. But she’d come to realize that Addison and Kendrick were not only deeply in love, they were meant for each other—Kendrick was happier than she’d seen him in years. Addie was good for Kendrick and for their Shifters in general. She was also a fun person with extraordinary kindness, and Jaycee now counted Addie as one of her closest friends.
“Rough night?” Addie asked as Jaycee took a gulp of wine and closed her eyes to savor the rich taste. Charlie knew how to choose a good bottle.
“Confusing night.” Jaycee told Addison about their encounter with Casey, keeping her voice low so any Shifter passing outside wouldn’t hear. Kendrick shared everything with Addie and had instructed his trackers to as well, but Jaycee couldn’t be certain which Shifters he wanted let in on this knowledge.
“I can see you don’t know what to make of this Casey,” Addie said when Jaycee finished. “Friend or foe? Scouting for converts or innocent bystander?”
“If Dylan hadn’t put the suspicion into our heads, we might consider him a new friend.” Jaycee sighed and sipped wine. “Sometimes it sucks being a tracker.”
“I bet most bodyguards feel the same way,” Addison said. “Can’t let yourself trust anyone, because they might be bamboozling you to get close to the person you’re protecting.”
“Something like that.” Jaycee rested her arms on the table, toying with the stem of her wineglass.
“There’s more going on with you, though, isn’t there?” Addie asked. “More on your mind than this assignment.”
Addie knew, with Shifter-like perception, when things weren’t well in Jaycee’s world.
“You know Dimitri drives me crazy,” Jaycee said with a little growl. “He keeps pushing me to accept the mate-claim, but what then? I don’t know if I’m cut out to be an alpha’s submissive little mate. But if I refuse Dimitri—I’ll lose him. Plus I’d have to see him every day, work with him.” She balled her fists on the table. “Why’d he have to make the claim? Things were so much easier before.”
Addie gave her a wise look. “No, they weren’t. He still drove you crazy. You weren’t sure how he felt about you. Or how you felt.”
“Don’t rub it in.” Jaycee deflated. “You’re saying I’ve always been confused about Dimitri. Well, you’re right. Anyway, he made the claim because he wanted to tell me what to do. Remember? He didn’t want me endangering myself protecting you and made the claim so he could forbid me to do things. See how well that worked? But he won’t take it back.”
Addie listened without expression, but Jaycee spied a twinkle deep in her eyes. “I was uncertain when I met Kendrick,” Addie said. “You know that. Once I realized it was meant to be—everything was fine.”
“Oh, right.” Jaycee narrowed her eyes. “I was there, Addie. It wasn’t fine at all. Getting you two together was a lot of work.”
Addison flushed. “I know. But in my heart, all was good. If you look at your heart, you’ll know.”
Jaycee groaned and rested her head on the table. “I was just thinking it would be easier on me if he wasn’t so hot.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” Addie said briskly. “You like him, the man behind the hotness.” She traced a design on her water glass as Jaycee lifted her head. “But, you know, having the guy you’re lusting after be sexy really doesn’t hurt.” She flushed, dropping her gaze to her fingers on the glass.
Jaycee burst out laughing. Kendrick and Addie went at it with great enthusiasm and sometimes wall-shaking noise.
“Look at you blushing,” Jaycee said. “Now I know why everyone was awake when we got home. You weren’t waiting up in worry, were you? You and Kendrick were locked in a love crush, and the cubs were running around with no one to stop them.”
Addie had not yet grown used to the blatant way Shifters teased each other about sex. She turned redder, which made Jaycee laugh even more.
“It’s all right, honey,” Jaycee said. “You’re madly in love. So is Kendrick. I’m really glad. I know I used to hope I’d be the one to make him this happy, but I knew I never could. I’m too much of a bitch. You are a sweetie.”
Maybe it was the wine, on top of dancing with Dimitri after her heart-pounding worry watching him fight an unknown Shifter, that made Jaycee sappy. She slid from her chair, caught up Addie, and dragged her into a hard hug. Addie had Kendrick’s scent on her and his warmth—no doubt at all what they’d been doing.
“You’re the best, Addie.” Jaycee laid her head on the taller woman’s shoulder. “I’m so glad Kendrick found you.”
Addison wrapped her arms around Jaycee in return. “And I’m glad I found you,” she said. “I need a friend.”
Jaycee released her and wiped her eyes, which were wet for some reason. “Yeah, me too.” She took Addie’s hand in hers. “We chicks need to stand together against all these Shifters.”
Kendrick and Dimitri chose that moment to rattle into the house, still talking. They stopped just inside the door to the kitchen when they saw Jaycee and Addie.
Jaycee and Addie looked back at them and collapsed into laughter. Kendrick frowned, perplexed, and Dimitri’s eyes narrowed as Addie and Jaycee hung on to each other.
Still laughing, Addie broke away and went to Kendrick, but Jaycee walked hurriedly down the hall to her room, not sure she could face saying good night to Dimitri again. Her heart beat swiftly as she closed the door and leaned back against it.
“Nope,” she whispered to herself. “Not at all a hardship that he’s hot.”
* * *
Dimitri strode in through the house and knocked on Jaycee’s door early the next morning. At her muffled “Come in,” he entered without hesitation.
She was sitting up in bed, in the act of dragging her thick hair back from h
er face with one hand, a tight tank top covering her essentials.
Was she trying to kill him? She looked beautiful all sleepy and tousled. He so needed to wake up next to that.
Jaycee glared at him, but she had to have known it was Dimitri at the door. He’d knocked their special knock and her sense of scent and hearing was very good.
“Morning, gorgeous.” Dimitri let his smile stretch as her glare turned to a scowl. “We’re off to N-new Orleans.”
Jaycee’s sudden perplexity erased all other expressions. “Kendrick’s sending us? Already?”
“He’s intrigued. And worried. It’s either that or w-wait around the f-fight club for someone else to tranq me.”
“Did Kendrick talk to Bree?” Jaycee reached for pants but didn’t throw off the covers.
“Seamus did.” Dimitri spoke quickly so he’d stumble over fewer words. “She doesn’t know m-much. She saw C-Casey around at the New Orleans clubs, but he didn’t seem to be any better or worse than any other Shifter. Never hit on her, she says—apparently wasn’t interested in h-humans.”
“What about the other guy, the one Casey implied could help your stutter?”
Dimitri shrugged. “Bree didn’t know who he was t-talking about.”
Jaycee gave him an incredulous look. “So we go to New Orleans, hang around their fight club, and see if someone tries to tranq us?”
“More or l-less. Wait for C-Casey anyway.” Dimitri leaned on the doorframe, pretending to be relaxed. “We have a house to stay in outside of t-town. P-perfect for s-s-surv-v . . .” He closed his eyes and let the word go.
“Surveillance—yeah, I get that. I guess all that’s left is for us to go.”
“P-pack light,” Dimitri said. “Going on my b-bike.”
“Seriously?” Jaycee pushed her hair from her face again. “Hours and hours hanging on your back?”
“Yep.” Dimitri flashed her a gleeful look. “Get your lazy butt out of bed. We gotta g-go.”
* * *
Jaycee didn’t take long to pack. Dimitri leaned on his motorcycle’s seat and watched her exit the house, a backpack slung over her shoulder. She’d put a light jacket over her tank top to break the wind and leather pants to protect her legs, low boots over those. With her hair pulled back and her sunglasses on against the glare of the morning sun, she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
Kendrick came to see them off. It was early, not long after sunup—the nocturnal Shifters had finally fallen groggily into bed and those who loved the day were just opening their eyes.
Kendrick looked fresh for having been awake most of the night. Dimitri felt like shit, but he’d not been able to sleep much. Jaycee’s laughing with Addie in the kitchen last night, Jaycee’s eyes lit with mirth, had made him itch too much to go tamely to bed. He’d shifted and gone out for a run instead, grabbing shut-eye under the open sky.
Jaycee too looked great for someone who hadn’t had much sleep. But then, she always looked good.
“No unnecessary risks,” Kendrick was saying in his deep rumble. “Find out what this Casey is up to, if anything, and report. If he’s not part of any shit going on, then come home. Understand?”
Jaycee slid off her sunglasses and tilted her head to study Kendrick. “He means don’t go into New Orleans and party until we can’t walk. Kendrick is all business, all the time.”
Kendrick gave her a deprecating look. “You can party when we’re sure we’re safe.”
“Which will be never,” Jaycee said. She shoved the glasses back on. “Thanks, Kendrick. I’ll remember this on your next birthday.”
Dimitri swung onto the bike and lifted his helmet. “I’ll keep her in l-line.”
“I was thinking Jaycee would keep you in line,” Kendrick remonstrated. He softened his tone. “Go easy, my friends.”
He went to Jaycee and hugged her. Dimitri watched Jaycee hug him back, Kendrick giving her comfort. It was different now, the way they hugged. Before, Jaycee might have tried to make it seductive, with Kendrick breaking the contact before she could go too far. These days, the embrace was of a Feline leader reassuring a pride member, and that pride member responding with gratitude.
Kendrick came to Dimitri and clasped his wrist, Shifter fashion, Dimitri taking Kendrick’s in return. “Goddess go with you.”
“With you t-too,” Dimitri answered. Behind the formal words, he felt the mystical bond between himself and Kendrick, who was both leader and Guardian. Kendrick had left the Guardian’s sword in the house, under the protection of his mate, for this brief good-bye, but he radiated the Guardian magic that would be there for them, right until the end.
Kendrick released Dimitri, helped Jaycee climb onto the bike, and stepped away. Dimitri started up. Jaycee slid a helmet onto her head, clasped Dimitri’s hips, and lifted her feet as Dimitri glided the bike down the drive.
He glanced back to see Kendrick standing like a sentinel in front of the house. Behind him, on the porch, was Addison, his mate, never far away. Addie lifted her hand in a wave. Dimitri waved back, and then they were on the road.
* * *
The eight hours from Kendrick’s ranch to New Orleans was hot, heavy with traffic in places, and distracting for Dimitri. Jaycee’s soft body behind him constantly took his mind off the road—he kept having to snap his focus back to riding.
They stopped in Houston to eat, blending in with other bikers in a café near the freeway. Dimitri and Jaycee had taken off and stashed their fake Collars before leaving Kendrick’s so they could go where humans did. Anyone who knew anything about Shifters would recognize them as such, but if they kept themselves under control and didn’t look anyone in the eye, they could pass for human well enough.
The local bikers eyed them curiously, but Dimitri used his friendliest grin and indicated that he and his lady were only passing through. The men eyed Dimitri’s fighter’s body and left him alone. The women eyed Dimitri as well, but then saw Jaycee’s careful look and decided to leave him alone too.
Jaycee insisted on driving a stretch. Dimitri let her with trepidation, leaping on behind her before she could do something smart-ass like drive away without him. Jaycee laughed at him, knowing his thoughts, then let the motorcycle leap forward, nearly dislodging him.
Jaycee took the insane speed she liked, weaving in and out of traffic with heart-stopping ruthlessness. Dimitri kept an eye out for cops, and he knew Jaycee did too. She liked to enjoy herself, but Dimitri had to admit she was cautious while pretending not to be.
The sun was at its hottest in the July sky when they turned south at Baton Rouge and followed the wide river. Just shy of New Orleans, Dimitri, having wrested control of the bike back from Jaycee some miles ago, took them down a smaller road along the river toward the house that would be their secret headquarters.
Earlier this year, a Lupine called Mason, youngest of the wild McNaughton brothers, had taken a mate. That mate was a human woman, Jasmine, who owned this house, an ancient mansion from the bygone plantation days. Jazz was currently living in the Austin Shiftertown with Mason, and she’d graciously offered the house to Shifters who needed a place to stay when they ventured to New Orleans.
“Well, this is nice.” Off the bike, Jaycee tucked her helmet under her arm and slung her backpack over her shoulder to admire the house.
A wide front porch ran the length of the brick and stucco structure, the porch decorated with white wrought-iron railings between brick posts, the roof hung with brackets, spindles, and other curlicued items. Rose vines and ivy entwined everything, a riot of red and yellow blossoms among the green.
The air hung heavy with moisture, the river not far away. However, the smell of river water, plus the encroaching industry, seemed to vanish in this place, the scent of roses taking over.
Jaycee walked up the stone steps of the porch, the ring of keys Jasmine had sent to Kendrick ji
ngling in her hands. Dimitri followed close behind, both protectively and so he could admire her backside.
A soon as Dimitri set foot on the porch, the entire floor trembled. He drew back with a snarl, ready to grab Jaycee and drag her away from the house if the earthquake continued.
But nothing else was rocking. The heavy lantern that hung from the porch ceiling was utterly still. Dimitri moved forward on wary feet, but the movement had ceased.
Jaycee was fumbling with the lock. “I think Jazz gave us the wrong keys. None of them fit.” She touched the key she held to the lock, but it was obviously too wide for the hole.
As soon as the key made contact with the big iron lock, the porch floor trembled again. The door clicked and then began to open slowly, with a faint but ominous creak.
Jaycee, key still frozen between her fingers, glanced inside with Dimitri at the wide, shadowed hall that ran the length of the very large house.
“So,” Jaycee said, her voice subdued. “This is creepy.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jaycee entered the house, ignoring Dimitri, who tried to get in front of her like the alpha male he was. She brushed by him, his body heat warming her in the sudden chill, but her hackles rose as she moved down the quiet hall. Her leopard wanted to come out so she could sniff, sniff, sniff, and figure out what was up with this place.
Doors lined the hall, all closed, the house overlaid with the stuffy odor of an abode not used in months. Halfway along, the hall widened to the right, where a large staircase rose from the ground floor up three flights to the top of the house.
A ponderous iron chandelier hung from the ceiling high above, the bulk of it hovering between the second and third floors. Jaycee spied switches on the wall and flicked them on.
The chandelier came to light, burnishing the mahogany of the staircase and its railings. Oil paintings depicting the house, the countryside as it must have looked centuries ago, and people in their best clothing hung at intervals along the pale white moiré-patterned wallpaper.