CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Tamsin’s screams jerked Angus awake. “Tamsin, what the hell?”
“I saw it. I didn’t dream it. I swear.”
Angus dug sleep from his eyes and looked to where she pointed. The curtained window looked normal, flashes of yellow and red from the rides rippling across it.
“Saw what?” he demanded.
“A tiger. I swear to the Goddess it was a—”
Angus was out of the bed, dragging on his jeans, and out the door before she could complete the sentence.
The corner where their RV was parked was relatively quiet. The trailers around them belonged to ride and booth operators who were still working, so their windows were dark, and all was silent.
Angus inhaled, taking in the scents of dust, food, humanity, waste, exhaust, excitement. Somewhere among that he scented Shifter, though that could be Dante. His scent lingered on everything, this being his territory.
Dante himself appeared around the corner of a trailer, his feathered hat a smudge in the darkness. “My bounds were breached,” he said with a low growl. “I feel it.”
Angus nodded. A Shifter always knew when his territory was invaded by another Shifter, which was how Dante had found Angus the first night.
Angus faced the darkest patch at the end of the trailers, where a fence separated the lot from the open fields beyond. “Let’s get this over with,” he said softly to the air. “Tell me who sent you.”
“Who the hell are you talking to?” Dante asked, but Angus held up his hand for silence.
The darkness seemed to part, and a large man walked out of it. He’d dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, but the clothes pulled at him as though he’d rather be out of them and in his animal form. He carried running shoes in one hand, walking barefoot on dirt, pebbles, and thorns without flinching. He had mottled black and orange hair and yellow eyes that glowed in the lights from the midway.
“Sweet Goddess, what is he?” Dante breathed.
The Shifter ignored him, fixing his golden gaze on Angus. “Ben sent me.”
Angus let out a long breath, his tightness easing. He smelled no duplicity on the man; he never did. “Not Dylan?” he asked, just to make sure.
“No.”
A simple statement, and Angus believed him. Tiger didn’t lie—he saw no point in it.
“Thank the Goddess for that. Dante, this is Tiger. He’s a friend. At least I’d like to think so. He probably could use a beer.”
Tamsin led Ciaran by the hand across the parking area to Dante’s trailer. It was lit, and she banged on the door with her fist.
Celene opened it. She took in Tamsin’s face, nodded her understanding, and let her in.
“Males make me crazy,” Tamsin announced as she stepped into the living area. “Could you bother telling me what’s going on?”
She found herself pinned by the yellow stare of a Shifter she didn’t know. He sat on a kitchen chair while Dante and Angus shared a padded bench, and he was holding a set of spangled bracelets that Brina had made and was apparently showing him.
The Shifter held the bracelets carefully, as though worried he’d break them. He took in Tamsin and Ciaran standing next to him, and then he turned his attention back to Brina.
“They are very well done,” he said, handing them back to her.
“I’m going to sell them,” Brina said. “Ciaran’s going to help me.”
Ciaran, not shy, went to Brina’s side. He showed no fear of the giant Shifter in their midst, and in fact held out his hands so the man could gently slap them, Ciaran doing the same in return. Ciaran’s tiny hands were lost under the big man’s, but Tamsin sensed the Shifter holding back his strength to keep from hurting him.
“This is Tiger,” Angus said. “Tiger—Tamsin Calloway.”
“Your mate.” Tiger lifted his gaze from the two cubs, and his eyes narrowed. “You are a fox.”
“Steady.” Dante, who’d removed his hat and coat and looked almost normal in his T-shirt, started to laugh. “She’s mate-claimed. Keep your thoughts to yourself.”
Tiger frowned, while Tamsin’s heart thumped. She gave her head the slightest shake, but Tiger spoke again. “I mean, her animal is a fox.”
Dante didn’t lose his amusement. “No such thing. We have Lupines, Felines, and Bears. Best for last . . .” He trailed off under Tiger’s serious expression. Tamsin clenched her fists and tried to glare Tiger into silence.
“Seriously?” Dante swung his gaze to Tamsin, an interested glint in his eyes. “Okay, I’m starting to believe it. That would explain a lot. Like why I couldn’t decide whether you were Lupine or Feline.”
“How did you know?” Tamsin demanded of Tiger.
“I have met one before. His name is Miles, and he is a boat pilot.” Tiger clamped his mouth shut as though that was all the information he was willing to part with.
“Well, shit,” Dante said. “Who knew?”
“Keep it to yourselves.” Angus sent a frown to Dante, Tiger, and Celene.
“I’m cool.” Dante took a sip from his can of beer. “I’m trying to convey that you can trust me, Angus. Have been trying for a while now.”
Tamsin answered him. “We’re naturally a little reticent. Angus more than me. He doesn’t have a trusting nature, but I can’t blame him. He’s had issues.”
“Thank you, Tamsin.” Angus gave her a weary look, and Tamsin playfully stuck out her tongue. “Tiger and I need to talk.”
Dante waved his beer as if to say, Go ahead, then realized Angus meant Dante wasn’t to be included.
“Use my trailer if you want,” he said, rising. “As long as what he’s come here for isn’t going to hurt my people, mess up my carnival, or bring shit down on me from police or Shifter Bureau, by all means, have your private chat.”
“It shouldn’t,” Angus said. “But no need to give up your space. Tiger and I will take a walk. Tamsin, will you put Ciaran back to bed?”
“No, I will not,” Tamsin said. “I’m not letting you out of my sight with a strange Shifter who’s bigger than any I’ve ever seen. Besides, I want to know all the details right away, instead of having to pry them from you later one question at a time.”
“You’re not going without me,” Ciaran said.
“Yes, we are,” Angus countered.
Ciaran took on his stubborn look. It was time for Dante or Celene to step in and offer to look after him, but both simply watched, interested to see how this would play out.
Tiger rose. “I will put Ciaran to bed. And then we will talk.”
The man had to bend his neck so his head didn’t bang the ceiling. Ciaran, instead of arguing, nodded. “Do you tell stories?”
Tiger considered. “I can.”
“Then cool. Come on.” Ciaran took Tiger’s hand and pulled him out the door.
Tiger had some kind of mojo, Angus reflected, that he wished he could learn. Tiger had Ciaran in his bunk, telling him a disjointed story of fighting a contingent of Fae, humans, and traitor Shifters in a battle on the Olympic Peninsula, with Zander and Rae by his side.
Ciaran listened with avid interest, asking plenty of questions, then when Tiger told him it was time to sleep, Ciaran nodded, snuggled down, and dropped off. No trying to stay awake, no insisting he be part of the forthcoming conversation.
“Does your own son obey you like that?” Angus asked. Tiger had a cub, a small boy called Seth.
Tiger thought for a moment. “No. He has much of his mother in him.” He sounded proud.
Tamsin sat cross-legged on the bed, where she’d gone after kissing Ciaran good night. “Should we talk here? Or have Celene stay with Ciaran while we retreat to a cold, muddy field?”
Tiger glanced about. “We will talk here. There are no listeners.”
“How do you know?” Tamsin asked, tilting her head as she did when she was skeptical, a very fox-like move.
Tiger gave the trailer another once-over. “No listening devices. They make a sound I can hear. I have very good hearing.”
Angus believed him. Tiger had been bred in a lab, and the researchers who’d made him had apparently done some weird shit to him.
“So, Ben told you where we were?” Tamsin went on.
Tiger sent her a nod. “He said Angus had contacted him. He and Angus are to rendezvous at your next destination, which is Albuquerque. Ben asked me to help. I had already been hunting for you, and once Ben told me you were in Amarillo, I was able to narrow down your coordinates.”
Tamsin’s eyes widened in alarm. “Why were you looking for us? For Dylan? Is he on his way?”
Tiger shook his head. “Ben was worried about you when you left the house. He asked me to keep an eye out. I do not work for Dylan.”
“Don’t you?” Angus asked in surprise. “You’re helping him recruit his army for when we face the Fae. And you’re one of Liam’s trackers.”
Tiger bent his head in another nod. “I work with Dylan. He is right to plan for the Fae. But I do not work for him. Likewise, I help Liam in return for his hospitality—Carly and Seth and I live in his house,” he explained to Tamsin. “I work for no one now. I am free of that.”
His emphasis made Angus believe him.
Tamsin pointed at Tiger’s bare neck. “You don’t wear a Collar. How do you live in a Shiftertown without Shifter Bureau noticing that?”
Tiger reached into his pocket. “I have one.” He drew out a black and silver chain with a Celtic cross pendant dangling from it. “It is fake. I take it off when I am in the human world and put it on when I am with Shifters.”
“Oh, nice.” Tamsin pressed her hands together. “What a great idea. So you can blend in wherever you go. Well, as much as someone like you can blend in.”
Tiger tucked the Collar into his pocket. “The Morrisseys made it for me. I will have them make one for you.”
Tamsin looked alarmed. “I think they’d prefer to kill me. I ran out on Dylan, and he’s extremely pissed off about that.”
Tiger studied her. “I won’t let them kill you. Fox Shifters are too rare, you are Angus’s mate, and besides . . .” He squared his shoulders. “No more killing.”
Tamsin shot Angus a grin. “I really like him.”
Angus did too, but he wasn’t sure how far to trust him yet. “What did Ben tell you? All I said was we had a unique problem and that I’d like to talk to him. I picked Ben because he’s not Shifter and he knows how to be discreet.”
“Ben thought I could help,” Tiger answered. “What he said was that you would not have called him if the problem had been ordinary and easy. He has alerted Zander as well. The three of us are strong, we have special abilities, and we can protect you.”
“You’ll be protecting us from other Shifters, not just Shifter Bureau,” Angus said. “Can you do that? Even against Dylan?”
“Especially against Dylan,” Tiger said without changing expression. “I will guard you to your rendezvous, and stay until you decide what to do.”
“Why would you?” Tamsin asked. “We’re asking you to act against Shifters from your own Shiftertown, ones who help you. Why would you do this for us? Not saying I’m not grateful. I seriously am. But why are you choosing our side?”
Tiger gave her one of his assessing looks that said he’d understood everything about her after only one glance. “Ben and Zander told me about you, Tamsin Calloway. They are concerned for you and want you to be well. And Angus has become my friend.”
He spoke as though there was no doubt. “Thank you,” Angus said warmly.
Tamsin slid off the bed and went to Tiger. “I’d like you to be my friend too,” she said. She carefully put her arms around him and pulled him into a Shifter embrace. “Sorry I screamed when I first saw you.”
“I am frightening.” Tiger rested his hand on Tamsin’s shoulder, the strength of it unnerving. “That is what my mate tells me. Then she laughs.” His face softened. “Carly has a wonderful laugh.”
Tamsin released him and straightened up, giving him a grin. “Sounds like someone has it bad. Don’t worry, Tiger. We’ll get this wrapped up, and you can go home to your mate.”
“And my cub.”
“And your cub. Give them both a kiss for me.”
Tiger sent her a solemn look. “I will.”
Tiger asked no more questions. He refused the offer of a bed in the RV for the night and departed, saying he would guard them.
In the morning, he joined Angus and Tamsin as they made their way to the tent for breakfast. Dante welcomed him and accepted Tiger’s offer to be a security guard for the day.
Tiger started this job after breakfast and proved to be very good at it. He stopped six shoplifters and prevented a preteen girl from being lured from her parents, nearly killing the predator in the process. Tiger dragged the man off by the neck to lock him into a porta-potty until the police arrived.
Tiger stayed out of sight when the police came to fetch the man, and then resumed his duties, finding two lost dogs and catching a little boy who started to fall from the carousel, restoring him to his panicked parents.
At the end of the day, Dante tried to offer Tiger a permanent job, but he declined. Tiger helped break down the carnival on Monday, and rode in Angus’s RV on Tuesday down the straight ribbon of the I-40 toward Albuquerque.
In that city in New Mexico, they finally found autumn. In southern Louisiana and across Texas, the weather had been hot, but once they reached Albuquerque’s altitude, in the shadow of its big mountain range, the air was crisp, the mornings cool.
Ben met them in a restaurant in the old town, a street thronged with tourists among low adobe buildings. The restaurant served Mexican food with Hatch chiles—the famous chiles of New Mexico that spawned a yearly festival—and handmade tortillas, and it was packed. Ben already had a table and was chatting and being friendly with the waitress. A pitcher of beer and two bowls of salsa waited on the table to go with the mountain of fresh tortilla chips.
“These are awesome,” Ben said, waving at the bowls of salsa. He lifted a chip coated in green sauce. “This one is like eating fire. The red one is slightly milder but still very tasty. Hi, Tamsin, sweetheart. I see you haven’t ditched him yet.”
Ben stood up and gave Tamsin a hug, then a careful one to Ciaran.
“Tiger.” Ben gave him a cordial nod. “Don’t ask him how his cub is, anyone. We don’t have enough time for the answer.” He grinned at Tiger, who looked nonplussed. “Now, then, this place is so noisy no one will be able to hear what we say. What can I do for you?”