Page 75 of Stray Cat

He could hang onto the house he’d worked so hard to buy, and either rent it out, or use it for private getaways for himself and Lindsay. Shifters liked to be in everybody’s business.

But … “Cubs?” Was it too soon to be thinking about having them?

“Lindsay is already carrying one,” Tiger informed him as he lumbered by.

“What?” Xav stared at him, but Tiger continued into the warehouse without pausing. Xav hurried after him. “Tiger, what did you say?”

Tiger lifted an inert man over his shoulder with ease. “I said Lindsay is already carrying a cub.” He pointed to his own golden eyes. “I can see.”

“Crap. How do you …?” Xav broke off. Tiger had unusual abilities that no one, even Tiger, understood. “Are you sure?”

Tiger gave him a grave nod. “I’m always sure.” He walked away from Xav and out to deposit his load in the SUV.

Vehicles began to start up. “Xav!” Diego’s shout came.

It meant he was ready to go and not wanting to wait. Like Lindsay and her parents, Xav and Diego didn’t always need a lot of words to understand each other.

“Linds,” Xav called into the recesses of the warehouse. “We’re going.”

Did she answer right away? Pull Cassidy and her mom out with her to hurry to their mates?

Nope. Xav paced while he waited, and Diego leaned on the horn.

At long last, Cassidy and Lindsay strolled out from one of the aisles, arms full of clothing, shoes hanging from fingers. Leah followed with a more modest bundle, which she carried past Xav and out of the building.

Lindsay dropped half the shoes she carried. “We should grab one of these empty crates,” she suggested.

“Good idea.” Cassidy made for one. She and Lindsay piled their stuff inside, then they both looked hopefully at Xav.

“You are kidding me,” Xav said. He should be annoyed they wanted to use him as a pack animal, but the merriment on Lindsay’s face made him want to laugh.

Thinking about what Tiger had just told him sent Xav to the crate. He peered inside at the folded shirts, skirts, and dresses, and small pairs of shoes arranged in neat rows. The shoes were for children, not full-grown Shifter adults.

“You’ll never fit into those,” Xav joked. “I remember you agreeing to AC’s job because you said you needed more shoes. And asked Dean to let you go hunting for them.”

“I did.” Lindsay’s eyes sparkled as she pushed her hair from her face. “I didn’t say the shoes were forme.”

Cassidy grinned at Xav. “They’re for Jinx’s cubs.”

“All the littler ones are still growing,” Lindsay said. “They go through shoes like you wouldn’t believe.”

Xav gaped at her until he realized he was, and snapped his mouth shut. Lindsay was confirming what Xav had known all along—that she could act frivolous and empty-headed, but she did so to hide a kind heart and keen understanding.

Xav would have to show her she didn’t have to hide anymore.

Lindsay nodded at the crate. “Ready to go. Though … wait a sec, Cass. There was that blue satin sheath you were debating about?—”

“No.”Xav cut her off. He hefted the crate in his arms, trying not to stagger under its weight. “Let’s roll, before Diego wears out that horn.”

Cassidy laughed. “You’d think living with Shifters would teach him patience. Coming, love.” She hurried out the door, waving at Diego as she went.

“Let me help you with that.” Lindsay caught a sagging side of the crate, balancing it between them. “The two of us can do anything together. Right?”

Xav lifted the crate out of her grasp. “You keep savingmyass,” he said. “Now, let me save yours.”

“I’m plenty capable of balancing abox, Escobar,” Lindsay said hotly. “You should have seen me leaping around those shelves.”

Xav grimaced. “I’m glad I didn’t. Especially after what Tiger told me.”

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