White Tiger

Dimitri shouldn’t have shifted—bones were different in each shape, and he might have caused more damage. Kendrick felt the arm, finding the pieces that moved. A clean break at least. He’d be fine by tomorrow.

“Charlie, do you have any bandages?” Kendrick asked. “A splint would be even better, but I’ll take what you have.”

“Lemme see.” Charlie went, in his limping trot, around to the back of the house—not past the tiger lounging on the steps.

Kendrick caressed Dimitri’s arm. “I’ll do it quickly.”

Dimitri nodded. He knew what was coming, but he gave Kendrick a stoic look.

Kendrick kneaded Dimitri’s shoulder and then neck, trying to loosen him, send reassurance. But it would hurt, and any painkiller Charlie might have, short of a hefty dose of tranquilizer, wouldn’t help.

Addison watched anxiously, dividing her attention between them and Tiger. Kendrick dimly wondered where she was asking Charlie to take her, but first things first.

He put firm hands on Dimitri’s arm, waited until Dimitri steeled himself, and then snapped the bones back into place.

Dimitri yelled once, then let the yell cut off to be replaced with snarls. No words this time, just noise.

Charlie came hurrying with bandages and a sling. Kendrick had Charlie hold them while he quickly and competently wrapped Dimitri’s arm. He’d done this kind of thing before—setting breaks, sewing up shallow wounds, removing bullets and pellets from Shifters who ran into hunters. Trackers had their jobs; Kendrick had his.

Dimitri’s face was chalk white, moisture in his eyes, but he bore up, letting Kendrick settle his arm in the sling.

“You keep it still all day, even when it feels better,” Kendrick admonished. “Perfectly still, you got that?”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Dimitri said, his voice barely above a whisper. Apparently, he remembered English again. “H-hey, Addie, wanna play n-nurse?”

“He’s all right,” Jaycee said, her usual robustness dimmed.

“Good,” Addison said. “Now what are you going to do about the tiger on the porch steps?”

She had a point. Kendrick approached, lifted a protesting Brett from Tiger’s back, and nudged the Bengal with his foot. “You need to talk to me.”

Tiger glanced up at him, worry in his tawny eyes. She was trying to leave. She must stay.

Kendrick didn’t need to ask who he meant. His gaze shot to Addison. “Where were you thinking to go?”

She gave him a stubborn look. “Home. Only I didn’t want to make a big production of it. Obviously, that ship has sailed.”

“Why?” Kendrick asked, but he was drowned out by his sons who swarmed off Tiger and made for Addison. They clung to her legs, the little tigers’ mewling shrill. Robbie sat down and howled.

“You can’t leave the cubs,” Kendrick said firmly. At the same time, he wanted to howl too. The thought of her going, and him discovering her absence too late, made a hole open up inside him. “You volunteered to help with them, remember?”

“You have plenty of people to take care of them now,” Addison said. “I came along to make sure they were all right, and they are.”

“Dimitri’s down for a bit,” Kendrick continued. Dimitri gestured at his sling, agreeing. “I need you here.” Kendrick turned his head and scowled at Jaycee. “Jaycee, why didn’t you tell me she was trying to leave? You were supposed to be watching out for her.”

Jaycee flicked a hard glance at Addison. Addison returned the look neutrally.

Jaycee swallowed. “It’s my fault,” she said in a quiet voice. “I told—”