Cade had a bandage wrapped around his muscular arm, and Jamie had one around his middle—cracked ribs. The two were nearly as robust as usual, though, Bowman being the one the most hurt. Kenzie had escaped severe injury by being quick, a fact she absolutely would not rub in with the trackers in this room.

No one could answer Bowman’s question, so he went on. “Any trace of it?”

“Nope,” Cade said. “We’ve been looking. Disappeared like it never existed. Like we imagined it.”

“Nothing that stinks that bad is an illusion,” Bowman said. In spite of his injuries, he was still the strongest person in the house, which Kenzie knew with every part of her. Only the presence of Cade and Jamie kept her from sliding out of her clothes and snuggling in beside him. She needed contact with him as a Shifter for her pack leader, as a mate for her mate, as a woman for a man.

And what a man. Bowman’s upper torso, exposed above the sheet, was tight, sun-touched skin over smooth cords of muscle. The hard planes of his pectorals were dusted with black hair that curled around her fingertips whenever she touched him in bed. His dark nipples beckoned her tongue—she loved the pebble-smooth feel of them.

More wiry hair covered his solid forearms, fading to smooth skin on the inside of his wrists, where he liked to be licked. One firm, blunt-fingered fighter’s hand rested on the covers, while the other braced Bowman’s head, making his short dark hair stick straight up on one side. He’d leave the house like that if Kenzie didn’t grab him and smooth down the unruly hair. Bowman rarely looked into a mirror.

Kenzie almost bit down on her spoon. Bowman was hurt, and here she was, getting horny simply looking at him, lying there so lazily, his gray eyes holding fire.

She hastily ate more soup. Cade and Jamie would pick up on her mating frenzy if she weren’t careful, and tease the life out of her.

“We take it as real,” Bowman said. “I want every tracker in Shiftertown in that woods and in the bar, getting its scent—”

“Won’t be hard,” Jamie broke in. “The thing stunk like the shit of something that’s been dead twenty years.”

“Not what you smelled, catbrain,” Bowman said. “Its actual scent, not the one it threw out to distract you.”

Jamie growled, ready to snap a comeback, but something in Bowman’s face made him swallow it.

“We’re on it,” Cade said seriously. “We know what you mean.”

“Kenzie, go with them.”

Bowman was looking straight at her, holding her gaze as he did when he wanted no argument.

Kenzie wanted to protest. No, I need to stay with you, make sure you’re all right . . .

Bowman must have sensed what was in her head, because he said, “I need someone there to keep an eye on everyone. I’m down, Kenz. I need you.”

He did. If a Shifter wasn’t strong enough to fight, his mate needed to fight for him. Otherwise, those next in power would sense an opening and try to fill it. In the old days, such a thing happened often, and whoever pushed out or killed the leader would steal his mate and offspring. Hardly ever occurred these days, but this Shiftertown was still divisive, and there were those who liked to challenge Bowman’s power. Kenzie knew exactly who Bowman was worried about, and exactly why she needed to keep up a strong front.

She gave him a nod, as though leaving him while he was hurt was no big deal. “You mean keep these buttholes in line?” she asked, meeting Bowman’s gaze. “I can do that.”

Jamie pretended to look offended, but Cade grinned. He knew what was going on.

Speaking of offspring, Bowman’s and Kenzie’s decided at that moment to walk in.

CHAPTER FIVE

Bowman’s protective instincts went off whenever his cub was near, no matter how much he trusted the other Shifters in the room. It made him cranky, which Kenzie would be quick to point out.

Bowman scented twelve-year-old Ryan’s fear, his worry. His extraordinary love for the boy rose up and made him soften his question to only a faint snarl.

“Why the hell aren’t you still with your great-grandma?”

“I couldn’t stay,” Ryan said. His hair was dark, like Kenzie’s—in fact, he looked a lot like Kenzie in the shape of his face, and in his eyes, which were golden like hers. He’d also inherited Kenzie’s back-talking sass. “Had to come make sure you hadn’t been knocked off, because then I’d have to take over Shiftertown. But it looks like you ran fast enough this time, Dad.”

Kenzie should have said, Ryan, don’t be a smartass, but she only gave her son a look of sparkling good humor. “I made sure the monster didn’t catch him.”

“Yeah, your mom kicked some good ass,” Jamie said. “Your dad was down in the first five minutes.”

“The other guy looked worse,” Cade said. “But not because of your dad. Kenzie was fighting like crazy. You should have seen her. She didn’t even get hurt.”

“Didn’t get hurt much,” Kenzie said. She’d been bruised and winded, but she’d recovered quickly. “But, sure, I did pretty good.” She huffed on her curled fingertips and rubbed them against her shirt. “Think I should go a few rounds at the fight club?”

“Girls can’t fight in the fight club,” Ryan said, but he sounded uncertain. “It’s the rules.”

Cade broke in. “Because they’d all win, and make us big, lumbering males look bad.”