Kendrick pushed those thoughts aside for now. More immediately, he’d have to deal with Addison threatening to tear his mating frenzy out of the cocoon he’d stuffed it into. He’d vowed to protect her, so she needed to stay here for now. He’d simply have to suppress his need for her until this was over.
Right, like that was so simple.
Maybe he could pound his head against the ground until all thoughts of her smile, the sly look she’d given him when she’d confessed she liked the same pie he did, the feeling of her against his body on the motorcycle went away. Sure, there was a good solution.
Kendrick huffed a breath and turned his steps for the house. He couldn’t put off facing Addison, so he had to find a way to suck it up, as Brett liked to say. He had his cubs to take care of.
Didn’t help that the phrase suck it up made him think of covering Addison with whipped cream and licking it off her.
Halfway back to the house, Kendrick halted. Addison filling his thoughts had distracted him from a faint scent on the edge of his senses. Not human, not Shifter. Not Fae either—he’d encountered a few of those in his day, and their smell was nose-curlingly distinctive.
The scent faded. Whatever, whoever, it had been, was gone. Kendrick let out the breath he’d been holding and moved silently through the dark to where he’d left his clothes.
* * *
Addie woke shortly before six in the morning—according to the luminous digital clock next to the bed. She took a moment to realize where she was, and another to realize the electricity must have been restored if the clock worked.
The room was cold, no air flowing. Charlie had probably turned off any fans, heat, or AC once the generator was down. All the lights were off too—nothing shone under the door.
Addison groped for the lamp she’d seen on the table by the bed, groped some more for a switch, and flicked it on.
She blinked at the glare, then swallowed a strangled yelp when she found the reclining form of a giant white tiger on the floor beside the bed.
“Holy . . .” She cut off her exclamation and lowered her voice to a whisper. “. . . shit.”
The tiger released a breath and slowly raised his head. Addie found herself meeting Kendrick’s green eyes in a broad white face. Black stripes formed a series of upside-down Vs on his forehead, and black spots dotted the base of his white whiskers. His ears, round, furry, and sticking straight up, moved in her direction, then one swiveled, listening behind him.
“Please tell me that’s you, Kendrick,” Addie said in a hushed tone. “Not a white tiger that’s escaped from a zoo, walked a hundred miles, and broke into the house to find a snack.”
The tiger huffed again, eyes glinting in amusement. Kendrick heaved himself to his feet, which put his back level with the high bed. He butted Addie’s hand, like a cat might do, and her palm landed on the top of his head.
“Well, aren’t you warm and soft?” Addie stroked him a couple of times then daringly scratched behind one ear. The tiger’s eyes half closed, and he let out a quiet growl.
The growl would have been a purr on a cat but the tiger was so large the vibration shook the bed. He rubbed against her hand, pressing so hard he threatened to dislodge her from the mattress.
“I don’t think there’s much room for a tiger up here,” Addie said as she continued to bask in the silken feel of his coat. “Though you’d be soft to sleep against.”
She had a sudden flash of curling up against him, gathering this wild beast into her arms as she slept without fear.
The tiger ducked away and Addie’s fingers slid from him. She bit back disappointment then uttered a soft cry as the tiger’s fur rippled. Its limbs shrank, and the tiger’s head flattened until it became Kendrick’s face. Only his eyes didn’t change, the green pinning Addie with a piercing stare.