Addie sat down again. “He hugs everyone,” she said. “You were kissing all over his tiger face.”
“That’s him being leader,” Jaycee said. “He comforts and reassures us. When Shifters are with someone as dominant as he is, we turn into kittens. Or puppies.” She gave a dismissive wave to the Lupines. “It’s part of the whole being Shifter thing. But Kendrick does shut people out, retreats into being leader so he doesn’t have to deal with them one-on-one. Dimitri thinks it’s because of what happened with his stepdad. Did he tell you about that?”
Addie nodded, remembering Kendrick’s terrible story about his abusive stepfather and having to kill the man to save his mother. “He did.”
“Kendrick was only sixteen, which for Shifters is still a young cub, but he had to fight the man who should have been taking care of him. Then Kendrick had to watch his mother die. It broke him.”
Addie sat quietly, trying not to imagine Kendrick as a cub, finding himself suddenly orphaned and alone. He’d have been crushingly lonely.
Jaycee laid her hand on Addie’s, her touch surprisingly gentle. “Don’t let him shut you out, Addison. He needs you.”
Addie nodded. “I’ll try.”
“Do more than try. Don’t be afraid of being with him. Own it.”
Addie made a noise of exasperation and got off the bed. “You are a smartass, missy. Come on and get out of bed. Comb your hair, get back to your beautiful self, and don’t let those guys out there have all the fun.”
Jaycee gave her a startled look. “You think I’m beautiful?”
“Well, yeah.” Addie said. “Look in the mirror. But don’t take too long. They’re going to go hunting for Lachlan soon and I want someone with them who will keep them out of trouble.”
Jaycee was gazing at her in stunned amazement but Addie was finished playing counselor. She’d started the fence-mending with Jaycee. Now to see if it took.
* * *
Kendrick noted Jaycee slip into the crowd as the Shifters gathered outside, awaiting his orders. He knew damn well Addie had something to do with rousting her—Addie remained on the back porch but looked pleased when she glanced at Jaycee.
Addison astonished him more every day. Jaycee, when she experienced what she perceived as a failure, could be morose for days. Kendrick didn’t have time to rally her and Addie had done it for him, as though she’d known exactly what both Jaycee and Kendrick had needed. His blood warmed.
Kendrick stepped back into leader mode and began to instruct the Shifters what to do. His role now fitted him like a glove—a change from the very first time he’d faced these men and women. He’d been shaking and sick and knowing he needed to take care of them all and not entirely certain how.
He quickly divided up the forces into teams, each led by one of his top trackers. The Shifters looked eager but confident as they broke off into groups they’d worked in all their lives.
Dimitri, Seamus, and two other trackers turned to their assigned Shifters to prepare them for going after Lachlan but Kendrick decided to hold Jaycee, Ben, and Zander in reserve. Jaycee gave Kendrick a look of fury as he approached the porch where she and Addie waited.
“What, I don’t get a troop because I was tardy?” Jaycee growled. “You need me, Kendrick.”
“I know.” Kendrick studied his hot-tempered female tracker who gave him her usual belligerent look. Something had changed about her, something he’d figure out when he wasn’t so distracted. “I need you for the most important mission of all, Jaycee. To take care of Addison.”