He became aware of Addison, leaning on the doorframe, listening. When Kendrick looked up at her, he read shock and sympathy in her eyes.
Dylan spoke into the quiet. “So you didn’t dust him.”
“No.” Kendrick let out a breath. “I should have, but I didn’t. I fucked up.”
“He was dead.” Seamus leaned forward to emphasize his words. “No one could survive being ripped up like that. He had no more flesh on his bones. I was there. I saw him.”
“Dead as a d-doornail,” Dimitri added.
“Apparently not,” Dylan said dryly. “Though the odds of his survival were not good. Not unless he found himself a Shifter healer.” His unnerving blue gaze went straight to Zander and stayed there.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Zander looked around with a start as everyone stared at him. He raised his hands. “Hey, there are more Shifter healers in the world besides me.”
“There are.” Kendrick agreed, but Addie saw him give Zander a thoughtful look.
“And what would I have been doing in Canada anyway?” Zander went on, his eyes snapping. “I was trekking the polar ice back then.”
“You still could have done it,” Dylan said.
“Could have,” Zander returned. “Or a passing Shifter might have helped him out, not knowing who he was. Or a passing human—same thing. Or a mama bear dragged this Lachy to her den and nursed him back to health.”
“Was he feral?” Dylan asked Kendrick. “Being confined, even voluntarily, can do that.”
Kendrick shook his head. “No, this was different. Lachlan never lost himself to his animal. He remained clearheaded the whole time.”
Zander nodded, his expression grim. “There are other ways to go insane.”
“I plan to ask him,” Kendrick said. “Right before I dust him for certain this time. Any idea where he went last night?”
Seamus broke in. “I followed him, with some of Dylan’s trackers, including Tiger. We lost him.”
“Tiger lost him?” Kendrick asked, surprised. “I thought he was some kind of tracking genius.”
“He is,” Dylan said in a hard voice. “This Lachlan is apparently tricky. But we’ll find him. Tiger won’t give up. Lachlan has met his match in him.” Dylan paused. “If I find Lachlan first, do you want me to save him for you?”
Addie watched Kendrick ponder Dylan’s question, emotions flickering rapidly behind his eyes. “Make the kill,” he said finally, his voice quiet. “We can’t risk him hurting others. That’s more important than me facing Lachlan personally to gloat. But I’ll send him to dust. I’m his Guardian.”
“And the others?” Dylan asked. “His followers?”
More emotions. These kinds of decisions were hurting Kendrick, Addie saw, but there was no one else who could make them. “Contain them. I’ll speak to them. But be careful. Lachlan’s followers have been using guns and knives.”
“That’s all we need,” Seamus said. “Shifters with guns. I hate the things, meself.”
“That’s because you’re s-sane,” Dimitri said. “Don’t know how humans can st-stand them.”
“Don’t be so hard on humans,” Ben said quickly. “They can’t turn into ferocious beasts to fight their enemies. They’ve had to invent ways to defend themselves.”
Kendrick ended the discussion. “Whatever the philosophy on human weapons, Shifters shouldn’t have them. It would be the end of us.”
“Agreed,” Zander said. “We’ll rip the guns out of Lachlan’s hands and stomp them into little pieces. But we need to find him, first.”