Jaycee’s eyes widened. “Seriously? You’re launching a full-scale hunt, and you want me to play babysitter?”

“Jaycee’s right,” Addison said quickly to Kendrick. “You should send her out to kick Lachlan’s ass. She deserves that after he tried to snatch her.”

Kendrick knew right then he was in for an interesting time with his beautiful mate. She’d never roll over and do what Kendrick said just because he said it.

“No, she’s wrong.” Kendrick fixed Addison with his gaze, which she met. “Lachlan will know that the best way to get to me is to go after my mate and my cubs. I’m sure he’s even now gathering intelligence on who is most important to me these days. I’ve got Ben and Zander on my cubs—I want Jaycee with you.”

“Why me?” Jaycee argued. “Zander, as crazy as he is, could do as good a job. Better—he’s bigger and stronger than I am.”

“But he can’t follow Addison into the bathroom,” Kendrick pointed out. “Can’t watch over her while she takes a shower. I’d have to kill him if he did that.”

“Aw, come on,” Zander said from the yard. “Let a bear have some fun.”

Kendrick ignored him. “I need you on this, Jaycee. Sort it out.”

“You mean suck it up.” Jaycee slammed her arms over her chest. “Fine. I’ll do it. But only because she’s nicer to me than you are.”

Kendrick simply gave her a nod. He felt the change in dynamic between Jaycee and Addison, and again, he knew Addison was behind it. He stepped to his mate, who stood above him on the porch steps, leaned into her, and kissed the curve of her neck.

Her scent flowed around him like a meadow of sweet flowers. Kendrick wanted to sink into her and stay there forever.

When he was finished with Lachlan, he would. He would take Addison someplace safe, and not come out for days.

Kendrick raised his head, uncaring that Ben, Zander, Jaycee, and Dylan surrounded them, not even pretending not to watch. Kendrick brushed a kiss to Addison’s lips. “Goddess bless you.”

The tender moment was broken by the ring of Dylan’s cell phone. Dylan walked away to answer it, and Kendrick brushed his fingertips over Addison’s cheek, touched her parted lips.

Dylan was back in less than a minute, his expression grim. “We don’t have to worry about hunting Lachlan,” he said. He hadn’t spoken a word to whoever had called him, simply listened, grunted a syllable, and hung up. “That was Spike. He and Tiger found Lachlan.” He met Kendrick’s gaze, the bleak rage in his eyes enough to flatten a mountain. “He’s taken over the San Antonio Shiftertown.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“How many live in that Shiftertown?” Kendrick asked as Dylan headed to his pickup.

“Sixty-five.” Dylan turned back to answer, tension boiling off him. “Lots of females and cubs. I’m more or less its leader though there’s another Shifter technically in charge. A strong alpha—but I can’t find him anywhere.”

“Lachlan’s tricky,” Kendrick said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if your alpha is dead—I’m sorry.”

Dylan sent him a severe look over the roof of his pickup’s cab. “Don’t take the blame for someone else’s evil. You weaken yourself and allow him to win.”

Kendrick shared a look with him for a long moment. “You’re right,” he said. “Let’s go rip him apart.”

Dylan gave him a nod and slid into his truck, starting it up.

Kendrick returned to the porch where Addison waited with his sons. His fury with Lachlan rose. He’d found hope, a chance, and Lachlan had arrived in time to take it away from him. Knowing Lachlan, he’d planned that.