Kendrick caressed Jaycee’s cheek again. “Addison is my mate. When I first saw her, something inside me knew.”

Jaycee jerked away. “Don’t rub it in. But don’t worry—I’ll make sure nothing happens to her at the fight club. I’m not that much of a bitch.”

“I trust you.”

Jaycee heaved a sigh, the anguish in her eyes receding the smallest amount. “I guess I’ll have to be fine with that.”

She swung away, started to run, shifted to her leopard, and sprinted for the horizon.

*   *   *

Fight clubs didn’t meet every night, according to Kendrick, but most nights there was a fight club somewhere. Shifters couldn’t stay penned up for long, even voluntarily.

Addie knew Kendrick was furious about her involvement, but she was going nonetheless.

She would go with Seamus to the house where his mate and her brother lived with their mother, and they’d leave from there for the fight club. Seamus and Bree were well-known at the fight clubs already, and there wouldn’t be much surprise to see them there tonight. Addie’s presence would be explained as being a friend of Bree’s.

The others had already dispersed before Addie departed Charlie’s, except for Ben, who’d go with her and perform the spell after she’d changed her clothes. Ben lingered as though in no hurry, lounging on the sofa while the cubs played at his feet.

Kendrick barred Addie’s exit as she tried to follow Seamus out. His eyes held fire.

“Goddess go with you, Addison,” he said in his deep voice. “Come back to me safe.”

Addie’s words got lost in her throat. She lunged at him, wound her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

Kendrick caught her against him, the strength of his embrace telling her how much he didn’t want to let her go. It told her also that if he decided to insist she stayed, she couldn’t fight him.

The force with which he kissed her back left her breathless. But Kendrick slowly released her, standing her away from him, holding her only with his gaze.

“Goddess go with you,” Addie said softly.

Kendrick cupped her cheek with one hand, his eyes flaring heat, then he gave her a nod, stepped back, and let her go to where Seamus and Ben waited at the bottom of the steps.

*   *   *

Seamus drove Addie and Ben away from Charlie’s ranch in a pickup that hummed smoothly beneath them. Ben rode in the bed, saying he wanted to enjoy being out in the air and alive.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Seamus said as Addie watched the flat Texas landscape be swallowed up by late twilight. “I won’t let one hair on your head be touched tonight. I love my mate, and I don’t want to die.”

“Kendrick won’t kill you,” Addie said with conviction. “I won’t let him.”

“Hunh.” Seamus said skeptically, his eyes on the road. “You never know what Kendrick will do. When his mate died bringing in Zane, he went a little crazy. We were sure he’d die too, and he’s the Guardian. Only a Guardian can send another Guardian to dust, and that was going to be a problem. And anyway, I love the guy. I hurt for him.”

“All of you are devoted to him,” Addie said, curious. “Why? I mean, I like him—he’s compelling, and . . .” Hot as a box of rocks on a summer afternoon.

What do you mean, you “like” him? Addie told herself. You’ve been jonesing for him from the minute he walked into the diner.

Seamus glanced at her, amusement in his tawny eyes. “Kendrick’s amazing. He held us together, protecting us, when we might have exploded from within. Shifters living together in close quarters—all different species—could have ended in a bloodbath or most of us going feral. He wouldn’t let us. He’s got an iron will, Kendrick does. I’ve never seen him as easygoing as I’ve seen him with you.”