She went rigid in surprise, though, when his hand landed on her backside, the hot tingle of the swat spreading. Addie looked back at him. Kendrick knelt behind her, his cock straight out, his eyes sparkling like water under the sun. His palm smacked her backside again.

Addie squirmed. “What in the world are you—”

Her words cut off as Kendrick swatted her one last time, then raised her to her hands and knees and slid smoothly inside her.

Addie’s eyes rounded, and she said, “Oh.”

Kendrick slid out and back in, making Addie emit a louder, Oh. Then again, and again. In a short space of time, Addie was clutching the sheet, dragging it half off the bed, invocations to every deity coming out of her mouth.

“Goddess,” Kendrick said harshly behind her. “Addison. Mate. Mine!”

Addie’s words turned to screams, Kendrick’s to mere sounds. The sun rose to heat the room, but nothing could be hotter than Kendrick, taking Addie to pleasure she’d never experienced.

Addie balled her fists into the bed to keep herself from falling, and let him.

*   *   *

Kendrick walked out of the bedroom an hour later—stiffly—to find Dimitri exiting Jaycee’s room, buckling his jeans, a T-shirt resting on his shoulders but not pulled down.

Dimitri saw Kendrick and froze. They stared at each other for a few heartbeats. “K-Kendrick. This is . . .” Dimitri’s mouth worked, his agitation stealing his words.

“Not what it looks like?” Kendrick finished for him.

“No.” Dimitri shook his head. “It’s exactly what it l-looks like.”

Kendrick waited while Dimitri settled the shirt on his torso and followed him down the hall toward the kitchen.

“How is she?” Kendrick asked in a low voice.

“Jaycee?” Dimitri paused a moment, then a beatific smile bloomed on his face. “She’s fantastic.”

Kendrick made himself not laugh. “Not what I meant, shithead.”

“In all ways,” Dimitri said. “Though she might try to k-kill me when she w-wakes up.”

Kendrick and Dimitri made it through the living room and into the big kitchen. Seamus and several other dominant Shifters were grouped around the table, along with Zander and Ben. They looked up from eating when Kendrick came in, and burst into applause and hooting. Robbie and Kendrick’s boys were there, and they cheered just as hard.

Dimitri went bright red, then he caught on and started clapping. “That’s for you.”

“Stop.” Kendrick lifted his hands and swept them all with a severe look. “Don’t embarrass Addison.”

“I think you were the one embarrassing her,” Zander said, drowning his waffles in syrup. “I’m surprised you can still talk. And that the windows stayed in one piece.”

The only one not smiling was Charlie. Kendrick sat down in the empty chair at the head of the table, pushed there by Dimitri, who wouldn’t let him serve himself. Charlie clumped over with a plate of eggs and sausage and clattered it in front of Kendrick.

“You do right by that little girl,” Charlie said. “Or you’ll hear it from me.”

“Don’t worry,” Seamus said smoothly. “If he doesn’t mate with her under sun and moon, we’ll kick his ass.”

“She has the right to say no,” Kendrick reminded him.

“She won’t,” Dimitri said with confidence.

Seamus shrugged. “If she refuses, then we’ll let her go with our blessing. If she accepts you, we’ll make sure you make her happy for the rest of her life.”

“Or,” Zander said. “You know, the ass kicking.”