Midnight Wolf (Shifters Unbound #11)(94)

Tiger wasn’t a man given to lengthy speeches—these were the most sentences Angus had ever heard him string together—but Tiger was right. All Shifters had to learn what to do with what had been bred into them.

The only reason Haider’s men had managed to snap photos of Tamsin was because she hadn’t known they were taking them. She’d been a long way off, unaware of the photographer’s scrutiny. Angus was willing to bet that if she had known they were there, they’d never have caught her on camera. She’d slipped away from Gavan’s group and evaded being rounded up with them, knowing instinctively when to go. She’d speculated Gavan had blabbed to Haider about her—if Gavan had kept his mouth shut, Haider would probably have never realized Tamsin existed.

Angus had spotted her right off without much trouble when Haider had sent him on her trail. Because he’s your mate, dear, Lady Aisling had said to Tamsin. Angus didn’t believe in the your-one-true-mate-is-out-there crap, but perhaps his wolf had known, even then, that Tamsin was meant to be his.

He’d help her get through this. It’s what mates did—comforted, soothed, supported, loved. Angus would put things in motion once they reached the hotel. No more wasting time running from Shifters and Shifter Bureau.

Lady Aisling had given them a gift indeed.

Tamsin’s anguish lessened slightly on the remainder of the ride to the motel, which she put down to Angus’s touch. But she continued to mourn.

If she had known about her abilities, if she’d been aware she could do something similar to what Ben could, she might have helped her mother, saved her sister.

Also if Tamsin had realized she could move about unseen, she’d have tried to see her mother much more often. She’d given up sneaking into her mother’s Shiftertown or convincing her mom to meet her near it, fearing her mother would be punished if Tamsin were caught. It had been hard for Tamsin to make herself stay away.

When they reached the motel, Tiger strode into Ben’s room, easily finding the door Ben had glammed, leaving Angus and Tamsin alone.

Tamsin wanted to bury herself in Angus and pour out her troubles, but once he had her safely inside the room, damned if he didn’t duck back down to the truck to talk on his cell phone. She supposed he figured it was safe now that Haider seemed to have forgotten about Tamsin.

She showered and dressed in clean clothes, her heart heavy. By the time she finished, she heard Zander and Ben return, and she went out to meet them. She found them in Ben’s room with Angus, the three Shifters and Ben gazing down at Dion, who glared back at them.

“So what do we do with him?” Ben asked Zander and Tiger.

“You let me go,” Dion snarled. “They were only fucking Shifter Bureau agents.”

Zander stepped hard on Dion’s leg, and Dion howled. “Oops, must have slipped,” Zander said, but he didn’t move his foot. “I think with an attitude like that, you need a little therapy. I know just the guy you can talk to. Name of Dylan Morrissey.”

Dion’s eyes widened. “Morrissey? He’s hand in glove with Shifter Bureau. Everyone knows it.”

“Everyone is wrong,” Zander said. “I’ll take him off your hands, Angus. He might need a healer when Dylan is done explaining things. Or maybe a Guardian.”

Dion began to shake.

“Coming with you,” Ben told Zander. “Have to, if you want the binding spell to continue.”

“What are you going to do?” Tamsin asked Ben, her curiosity working its way through her moroseness. “Have him bound to the back of your motorcycle?”

Ben shrugged. “Should work. Take care of yourself, Tamsin.” He enfolded her in a hug. “Come to the house anytime. The door will always be open for you.”

“Will open itself for you,” Zander corrected. “Creepy house. I like it.”

“What about you, Tiger?” Ben asked. “Come with us?”

Tiger shook his head. “I will see that Angus and Tamsin are safe and then return to my mate and cub.”

“Yeah, I understand why you want to get home,” Ben said. “Give my best to Carly.”

Tiger sent Ben a brief nod, but Tamsin saw the warmth in Tiger’s eyes when he spoke of his mate and cub. The mate bond was strong in him as well. Tamsin could no longer see hers—not the silken threads she’d observed when Lady Aisling had let her see—but the feeling had not ebbed. She was bound to Angus, and he to her, just as Tiger was bound to his mate.

The Shifters managed to get Dion up and out the door, down the stairs, and onto Ben’s bike. Dion sat rigidly behind Ben, and Zander dropped a helmet over Dion’s head, slapping it in place.

Zander then embraced Tamsin in a flurry of coat, braids, and hard warmth. “Give him hell, Tamsin,” he said and kissed her cheek. “And call anytime. I’m living in Montana with Rae now, but we always enjoy a road trip.”

Zander pulled Angus into a Shifter hug as well, winking at him before he turned away. “Don’t have too much fun, Angus. I know you can really let yourself go if you want to. Later, my friends.”

He turned away, straddled his motorcycle, started it, and rode smoothly out of the lot, Ben following with Dion.

Tamsin was in the truck again not long later. Neither she nor Angus much wanted to stay another night in the motel, so they quietly agreed to go. Tiger joined them in silence, and they headed back west toward Albuquerque.