Midnight Wolf (Shifters Unbound #11)(71)
But did that other person want half of your burden? When he hadn’t had to worry about it before?
Tamsin watched Angus stride to the men fixing the hydraulics system on the pirate ship ride and bend to take up a tool. The guys nodded at him, accepting his help without hesitation.
How many of the humans here realized they were Shifters? Dante had won their trust, apparently. Would that trust extend to Angus? Or should he and Tamsin leave, before this haven grew too dangerous?
Life was simpler when Tamsin only had to fend for herself, trusting to her swift feet and fox ability to get her out of any situation.
No, not simpler. Just lonely.
Angus looked up and around, focusing on Tamsin as she moved to the tent where she’d help Celene and Ciaran rehearse. She felt his gaze on her, watching, protecting, warming.
Simple was overrated. She’d take complicated and crazy, as long as she could have the big growly Shifter with the cloud-gray eyes looking out for her every day.
Saturday and Sunday went off without a hitch. No broken rides, no lost kids. There was an angry father of four unruly children, who decided that the ticket prices were way too high for what was offered and demanded to see the manager. Dante soothed him down with enviable swiftness. He could sweet-talk anyone, Tamsin observed. His colorful coats and hat were distracting, his large build with a hint of predator intimidating. The irate father ended up apologizing and even returning the next day, bolstered by the free coupons to a few of the booths that Dante had given him.
Dante had winked at Tamsin as he’d gone back to work, full of himself.
They tore down on Monday and moved on, heading west for Amarillo. Once there, they couldn’t set up because there was a tornado watch, and it was best not to get caught with tents and rides in a high wind. If storms hit, they’d have to hunker down and move on, eating the rent Dante had already paid to the fairgrounds.
“It’s why I don’t linger in Texas this time of year,” Dante told Angus and Tamsin as they sat in his trailer drinking coffee and waiting for weather reports. “I’m heading into New Mexico for the rest of fall, where the weather is better. We’ll hit the low deserts by November, in time for snow to start falling in the high country. More people will be in desert cities by that time anyway. Snowbirds are my friends.”
Tamsin couldn’t fault his logic. She’d never been farther west than Louisiana before she’d met Angus, and to her, every weekend brought a new adventure.
The storms didn’t brew up, so the carnival opened on time. Still, Dante watched the sky with a suspicious eye.
That weekend, around training Celene and Ciaran—neither of whom needed much coaching—Tamsin started helping out in the ringtoss booth for a small cut of the profits. She paraded around in the booth’s goofy hats and encouraged patrons to try their luck. It was easier than it looked—see?
She’d demonstrate, then everyone would want a try. The guy who owned the booth didn’t cheat. If people won, they got a prize. If a little kid did really poorly, he or she might be allowed an extra toss for free and something tiny and cheap as consolation.
After hours, Tamsin, Angus, and Ciaran retired to their RV to eat and sleep. Angus didn’t sleep on the bench anymore or spend half the night prowling. He curled up around Tamsin, and deep in the night, when Ciaran was well asleep, he made hard, silent love to her.
In their rare moments alone, Tamsin and Angus would contemplate what to do about Gavan’s arsenal.
“Where is it, exactly?” Angus and Tamsin strolled on the edge of a farmer’s field on Saturday, blue sky arching over flat land stretching for miles.
“In Louisiana. Around Shreveport.”
Angus halted, hands on hips. “Where a rogue Shifter killed Bureau agents. Was that rogue Shifter trying to get you to take him to the arsenal?”
“Sort of. He’d heard rumor of it, and he was trying to pry out of me whether it was true. He insisted on going to Shreveport, and I couldn’t risk letting him go there and poke around on his own. I was busy playing the stupid innocent when Shifter Bureau interrupted. There was a fight. Two agents died.” Tamsin closed her eyes, not wanting to think about the screams, the sharp scent of blood, the fanatic fury in Dion’s eyes. “I don’t know if they ever caught Dion. The agents were able to report in before Dion attacked them, so they described me. I tried to go to ground, and was doing fine.” She swallowed and tried to make her tone light. “But then a Lupine tracker hunted me down.”
Angus’s scowl clouded the day. “Not my choice.”
“I know. I hated you at that moment, but you’ve grown on me.” Tamsin playfully bumped into his side. “Anyway, I’m pretty sure I can find Gavan’s hiding place again. If Gavan didn’t move everything before he was caught, or others didn’t find it and steal it.”
“If it’s gone, then we might be off the hook. You can’t give up information you don’t have.”
Tamsin shrugged. “Or Haider might convince himself I’m lying about the location and torture me. I don’t want Shifter Bureau finding out about the arsenal at all, because it will blow back on other Shifters. I don’t want everyone punished because of Gavan.”
“Neither do I.”
Angus turned away, studying the sky, his rage making his back quiver. He must feel grief too—while Gavan wasn’t exactly a prize, he’d been Angus’s brother, his kin, his pack, his family.