White Tiger

Kendrick was even more beautiful.

Zander sent Jaycee running back to the main house to bring help and more supplies. They’d need rope if they were going to climb down and fetch Kendrick.

Tiger said nothing at all, never returned to his human form. He simply dug.

The moon was high by the time Dylan had arranged for more diggers, equipment to move the earth and solidify the hole, and rappelling gear.

“You know I’m going down there,” Addie said to Dylan.

Dylan looked at her a long time, then amusement entered his hard eyes. “I know.”

“Don’t be crazy,” Zander said. He still hadn’t bothered with clothes. “I’m a Shifter healer. There’s nothing to say I can help you if you get hurt.”

Addie faced him, hands on hips. “Well, one thing about working for Bo is he was good about making sure his employees had an insurance plan. If I’m hurt, just drive me to a hospital in Austin. I’m covered.”

Zander stared at her, eyes unmoving. “Not my point.”

“I know. But if I worry about shit like that, I’ll break down and never get up. I have to go down and help Kendrick. That’s all there is to it.”

Zander watched her for another moment. “If you’re hurt, you know he’ll kill me.”

Addie shrugged. “Suck it up.”

Zander gave her another black-eyed stare, then he nodded. “You’re his mate. What’cha gonna do?”

Jaycee wasn’t so sanguine but she declared she’d go down right in front of Addie. She’d been assigned to be Addie’s bodyguard, and that was that.

Finally they had the shaft clear to the depth Tiger wanted it, the ropes and pulleys ready.

“I go first,” Tiger said.

No one argued with him. Addie was coming to understand, both from observation and comments by the others, that Tiger had unique abilities for search and rescue.

Tiger had resumed his jeans, shirt, and boots before he approached the hole and settled the rappelling gear around his chest and thighs. Now he leapt backwards into the hole, not bothering to wait to see if Dimitri, who was securing the ropes, had done it right. He simply trusted Dimitri had.

The nylon ropes whirred as Tiger went down, snapping tight when he stopped. He made his way gradually down into the darkness—he had no light, saying he could see better without it.

The ropes went slack abruptly, then Tiger tugged at them, indicating Dimitri should haul them back up. “Wait,” Tiger called, then went silent.

Addie heard a faint clinking of metal against rock. After an interminable time, Tiger’s gravelly voice floated back to them.

“I’m through.”

Addie breathed a sigh. Tiger had found a way into the tunnels after all.

“Me next,” Zander said.

“No,” Tiger called upward. “No room. Jaycee, then Addison.”

“No,” Dimitri said abruptly. “Z-zander, and that’s it.”

Jaycee glared at Dimitri. She’d restored her clothes, but they were too shredded to cover her much. Dimitri glared right back at her, his red hair shining in the moonlight.

“Addie’s insisting,” Jaycee said. “Which is her right, as mate. And I have to take care of her. That’s my job.”

Dimitri’s wolf gaze landed on Addie. “Add-Addie . . .”

“I’m going down there, Dimitri,” Addie said. “Jaycee doesn’t have to come.”

“Yes, I do.” Jaycee heaved an exasperated sigh. “What am I supposed to do? Disobey an order from my alpha to keep his mate safe? Because you might be worried?” She pointed at Dimitri. “There’s no connection between you and me. I don’t care if we had a great night in the sack.”