Midnight Wolf (Shifters Unbound #11)(14)

Angus only growled.

“I’m a rogue Shifter,” Tamsin said to Ben. “We aren’t real people to the Collareds.”

Angus stifled a grunt of impatience. Why couldn’t she be the sullen, crazed, evil woman he’d pictured? He could have dealt with that—he’d have had her tranqued and trussed up in the back of the station wagon and already on his way to the bizarre location where Haider wanted to make the exchange. Haider had told Angus where to meet him with a smirk on his face—glad the man was so amused.

Instead, Tamsin was funny, brave, resourceful, and in serious trouble. Why else would she be running around alone, playing poker for cash when she hadn’t eaten in a while? Now that Angus had her trapped, with her hurt, she acted as if she’d only hit a temporary setback.

Angus had to admire her guts, but he didn’t have a choice other than to turn her in. If Ciaran weren’t involved, he’d be more than tempted to help her get away—hell, he’d have done it by now.

But Ciaran was the stakes, and Angus would wrestle down the Goddess herself to win him back.

Tamsin continued to chatter to Ben, asking him about himself, while Angus made sandwiches with the meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and condiments Jazz always made sure were on hand.

This house had become a refuge for Shifters needing to get away from the confines of Shiftertowns for a while. Shifters like Angus weren’t supposed to leave the state they lived in without permission, which they had to apply for well in advance. Couldn’t have Shifters running around where they pleased, in case they all turned violent and ate the entire population of humans, could they? Why Shifters would want to do such a thing, Angus didn’t know, but old fears died hard.

Humans didn’t come to this house, except on planned tours through a tour company, because the house was haunted. Or at least it was very good at giving that impression.

Angus wasn’t sure how much he believed in the house’s powers, but he’d seen a lot of weird things happen inside it. Doors leading to other worlds, things moving around on their own, the doors locking and unlocking at the house’s whim. Downstairs, he’d asked the house to keep Tamsin inside, and the house had complied. Because it wanted to, Angus knew. When it decided to let Tamsin out, there was nothing he’d be able to do about it.

“A gnome,” Tamsin was saying behind him. “How cool is that. Hey, Angus, did you know Ben was a gnome?”

“Or a goblin,” Ben said. “But those are human terms. We don’t call ourselves either one.”

“Yeah?” Tamsin asked in curiosity. “What do you call yourselves?”

“Well, there’s only one of me that I know of now, but the name for our people is Ghallareknoiksnlealous.”

“Oh.” Tamsin went silent as Angus sliced the sandwiches and put them on plates. “How about we stick with goblin?”

Ben chuckled. “Probably for the best.”

“Why is there only one of you?”

Angus carried plates to the table, setting one each in front of Tamsin and Ben before going back to fetch his. Tamsin didn’t look at the sandwich Angus brought her—she kept her gaze on Ben, waiting for his answer.

“Fae killed them all.” Ben picked up his thick sandwich filled with roast beef, ham, and cheese, dripping with mayo. “Or as good as.”

Tamsin stared at him, openmouthed. Ben didn’t notice, focusing on his sandwich.

Tamsin glanced at Angus as he sat down, and he gave his head the slightest shake. Ben might pretend to be blasé about the Fae slaughtering his people and then exiling the few that remained to the human world—Ben had told him the story one day—but he lived in boiling fury about it. Had for about a thousand years now.

Tamsin shot Ben a look of sympathy that he didn’t see and took up her sandwich with her unhurt hand. Her other hand lay curled on her chest, the bandage stark against her cotton shirt.

Tamsin closed her eyes as she chewed the first bite of her sandwich, letting out a tiny sigh of relief. Angus had been right—she was hungry, terribly so, which wasn’t going to help her injury.

What the hell was she doing running around half-starved and evading Shifter Bureau? What had she done that they wanted her so much? Haider said he thought she killed the Shifter Bureau agents, but Tamsin’s small paws couldn’t have made the large claw marks on the men in the gruesome photos Haider had insisted on showing Angus.

Angus’s resolve to simply hand Tamsin over and not get involved was crumbling. That was his problem—he had the habit of getting involved. He wanted to help people and keep them safe, and he couldn’t seem to stop himself.

Meanwhile, Tamsin was enjoying the hell out of her sandwich. She took another bite, eyes closed again as she savored the meat and bread, lettuce and tomato. She chewed slowly, sitting back in her chair, a look of rapture on her face as though the simple meal were ambrosia.

“Mmm.” She made the sound long and sensual. Tamsin swallowed, opened her eyes, and bathed Angus in a warm smile. “Been a while since I was able to sit down and eat. You have talent. Ever thought about being a cook?”

Her eyes were so full of mischief Angus wanted to grin back at her.

He resisted. She was playing him, trying to get him to trust her. The minute he did that, she’d be gone, leaving Angus wondering what the hell happened, and Ciaran at Haider’s mercy.