Midnight Wolf (Shifters Unbound #11)(44)

Angus noted several things about this speech. First, that Dylan mentioned three sons—Sean, Liam, and Kenny. Kenny had been killed by feral Shifters years ago, and Dylan rarely spoke of him. Dylan was noticeably conferring trust on Angus by this oblique reference.

Second, that Dylan didn’t say his mate would see to the home-cooked meal. His mate, Glory, was a powerful Lupine, a clan leader, and didn’t do anything so tame as cooking. Sean was the chef at the house he and his mate shared with Dylan, Glory, and now Sean’s cub.

The third thing Angus noted was that Dylan made no mention of Tamsin. Dylan clearly wanted Angus to take Ciaran far from this motel, possibly having Sean accompany them, while he and Tamsin remained.

Angus folded his arms. “This seems like a nice place. I haven’t noticed Shifter Bureau running around outside, it’s quiet, and it’s off the beaten path.”

“Dylan means he wants to interrogate me without you breathing down his neck,” Tamsin said, not sounding worried. “So—if we stay here, Angus, are we sharing a room? I don’t mind, but other people might get the wrong idea.”

The thought of curling up next to Tamsin in bed, body to body, her warmth against his skin, licked sudden heat through him. Angus felt himself flush.

Tamsin grinned. “Isn’t he adorable when he blushes? Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom. Talking about my interrogation is making me have to pee.”

Sean rose from the chair and made a gallant gesture to the open door of the dark bathroom. Dylan’s eyes narrowed.

Angus scowled at him. “Let her, Dylan. What is she going to do, flush herself?”

“The bathroom has a window,” Dylan said.

Sean snorted a laugh. “A little tiny one by the ceiling, for ventilation. Even the smallest Feline cub couldn’t get through it, and Tamsin’s not Feline.” He gave a sniff in her direction. “I’ve been Feline all my life and recognize one when I smell one. There aren’t any giant ducts in the ceiling for her to crawl through either—I checked.”

Sean, a good tracker himself, would have located every way into and out of this room before he’d let them in.

Tamsin swung her legs off the bed and landed gracefully on her feet. “I don’t think you should prevent me, gentlemen. It’s been a long drive, and Angus wouldn’t stop at any gas stations.”

So speaking, Tamsin sauntered past Sean and into the bathroom, turning on the light and pointedly closing the door.

“Sean,” Dylan ordered. “Stand there and make sure.”

Tamsin’s voice rose from within the bathroom. “Only if he sings!”

Sean folded his arms, leaned on the doorframe, and began to croon. “She was a bonny red-haired lass, from where we do not know . . .”

Tamsin’s laughter floated to them. Sean was making up the song, but behind the door, Tamsin began to sing a similar one, a true Irish ballad. Sean switched to that, singing along with her.

Ciaran left the bed now that Tamsin wasn’t on it and came to Angus. He stood tightly by Angus’s side, though he didn’t wrap his arms around Angus’s leg as he would have a few years ago.

Tamsin and Sean continued to sing the ballad of a lady who’d lost her love and turned into a ghost. Dylan waited in silence.

The toilet flushed, and the water in the sink began to run, Tamsin continuing the song.

“I’m not leaving her here with you,” Angus told Dylan. “Whether we take you up on your hospitality or not, Tamsin stays with me.”

“What do you know about her?” Dylan asked, his blue eyes expressionless.

“The same as you do. Her name is Tamsin Calloway, and my brother fooled her into joining his freedom-for-Shifters club. She grew wise to his idiocy and left the group before Gavan was stupid enough to get caught.”

“Convenient that she was already gone when that happened.”

“You’re saying you think she betrayed them?” Angus asked in surprise. “Doubt it. Gavan was careless enough to get caught without outside help. It’s out of character for her anyway.”

“Even though you met her last night and know as much about her as I do,” Dylan stated calmly.

“Yes.” Angus hardened his voice. “If you don’t—”

“Dad,” Sean said in alarm. He rattled the handle of the bathroom door.

The sink water was still running, but Tamsin had stopped singing, and all was quiet.

Dylan strode to Sean. “Get the door open.”

Ciaran closed his hand around Angus’s, looking up fearfully at him as Sean slammed his shoulder into the flimsy door and quickly broke it open.

The light was off. Sean snapped it on to reveal the faucet pouring water into the sink.

The window above the shower, about four inches high, was wide open, a few moths drifting in, attracted by the light. Tamsin’s clothes were on the floor, and Tamsin was gone.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN


Angus smothered a chuckle. The look on Dylan’s face was priceless. So few Shifters ever put one over on him.

Ciaran didn’t hold back his jubilation. He punched the air. “She got away! Tamsin got away!”

“How did she get away?” Sean sounded less angry than amazed. “What’s her Shifter? A bird?”

“No such thing as bird Shifters,” Dylan snapped. He glared at Angus. “What is she?”