Page 10 of His Place in the World (Legendary Shifters #9)

Angus felt ridiculous. He usually spent his days in front of his computer, wearing jeans and t-shirts, but today, he had on light flowy pants and a vest that left his chest bare.

He felt ridiculous.

It didn’t matter that Del was looking at him as if he was the most beautiful man in the world. If Angus had a choice, he’d cover himself up, then hide in his office for the rest of the day.

“Do I really have to wear this?” he asked no one in particular.

“I tried to convince Remi to let you wear a t-shirt, but he nixed the idea,” Ryland answered.

He was wearing a suit and looked perfectly at ease in it. Angus understood why he shouldn’t be dressed the same way, and he didn’t want to wear a suit, but there had to be something better than the pants and vest.

He looked at Remi, ready to beg, but Remi didn’t even let him speak.

“Ryland already has bodyguards. That’s not why you’re there.”

“I know we’re hoping people will presume what my role is in Ryland’s life, but do I really have to expose so much skin? I feel ridiculous.” Angus plucked at the vest. “I can’t believe the other shifters there will be dressed the same way.”

“Some of them will. Some will wear even less. If this is too hard for you to deal with, you need to tell us now.”

Angus swallowed and shook his head. He knew this was the only way to make the mission happen.

He could complain all he wanted, but at the end of the day, he’d do it, and he’d do it with a smile on his face.

He was only acting, but the other shifters he’d meet tonight wouldn’t be.

He’d do everything he could to free them and ensure they wouldn’t be hurt again.

Unfortunately, that meant he’d have to keep himself in check at least tonight and that he’d have to wear ridiculous clothes.

“You don’t have to go if you don’t feel up for it,” Del said from the corner of the room.

After getting dressed, they’d all met in Cam’s office.

Mercer and Matt were there, too, and like Ryland, they wore suits.

Theirs were black and didn’t look as if they’d cost more than Angus made in a month, but still.

They were handsome, and no one would look at them and think Ryland had bought them at an auction.

“I’ll do it,” Angus said, defying Del with his gaze.

They hadn’t talked about this again. They’d only had a few days to prepare, and Angus hadn’t wanted to make things even more awkward between them.

They’d both agreed that they needed to talk about big decisions, but also that they had to let the other do what he felt was for the best. Del hadn’t tried changing Angus’s mind, but Angus didn’t doubt that he would if he could.

He wasn’t okay with Angus putting himself in danger. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t said anything about it again and that he probably wouldn’t. Angus and he both knew his feelings, and Angus was having a hard time dealing with them.

Before, he hadn’t had to think twice about making decisions. He was the only one involved, and it had been freeing. Now, whenever he needed to do something, he thought about Del. He couldn’t avoid doing so and didn’t want to. Del was in his life to stay, and in the end, that was all that mattered.

But it wasn’t easy. They were both learning their boundaries and limits and how to be together, and it was still unsteady. It felt like something might break with every single thing Angus said or did, and he didn’t like that feeling.

“If everyone’s ready, we should head out,” Remi said.

He was still pissed about not going with Ryland, and he’d accepted it as gracefully as Del had accepted that Angus would be doing this. There was a lot of grumbling and glaring, but like everyone else, he was doing his job, which was organizing everything behind the scene.

Everyone moved toward the door. Angus was the last one to get there, but Del was right in front of him, and he stopped moving once they were alone in the room. He turned to face Angus, and they stared at each other for a moment.

“I’ll be fine,” Angus said.

He didn’t promise it because he wasn’t sure he could keep that promise, but he hoped he’d come home in one piece.

Del nodded. “I know. My father will protect you.”

When he’d seen Matt train with Mercer, Angus had been impressed with his capability. They’d only had a few days, and Angus had been forced to refresh his self-defense moves. He wasn’t any better at it than he’d been before, but it might give him the upper hand if he needed one.

Matt had been great, though. He’d taken Angus to the side one day and had promised him that he’d keep him safe. He was doing this for his son’s sake, and keeping Angus safe would mean that Del was happy. That was all Matt wanted and the only reason he’d volunteered for this.

“He will, and I’m not unable to take care of myself.”

“I’m not worried about you not taking care of yourself. Your body isn’t the only way someone can hurt you, Angus. I’m terrified of what seeing those shifters at the auction will do to you.”

Angus couldn’t say he wasn’t worried, but he still had to do this. “I’ll be fine,” he repeated.

“I hope so.”

Del dragged him into his arms, and for a moment, nothing existed beyond the two of them. Angus was able to forget about the auction, the party, and the clothes he was wearing. He breathed in his mate’s scent, knowing that soon, he’d be back in Del’s arms.

He had to be.

They didn’t say anything else when they separated. They’d already talked, and it wouldn’t be useful for them to waste more time. Instead, they finally headed outside, where everyone else was waiting for them.

Del would be going with Remi. They’d be staying outside the place where the party was held, ready to intervene if something happened.

They wouldn’t be the only ones present, either.

A few pack members had volunteered, including Doyle’s mate Marcus and Carey.

Carey was a phoenix shifter, and he’d seemed way too excited about the prospect of kicking ass.

But Angus, Ryland, and the others would be protected, whatever happened.

“Ready to go?” Ryland asked as he moved closer to Angus.

Angus nodded. He was nervous, but he knew what he had to do.

Everything he’d need was hidden under his clothing. If there was one good thing to be said about loose clothes, it was that it was fairly easy to hide things under them. Ryland had offered to carry everything for Angus, but Angus felt better having it on himself.

Ryland guided Angus toward the limousine they’d use for the night. Mercer and Matt followed, sitting in the front, with Mercer at the wheel. The door closed behind Angus, the noise sounding final and heavy.

“You’ll be fine,” Ryland said. “Even if Mercer and Matt are busy, I can protect you. I did create a private security company, after all.”

“My safety isn’t what I’m worried about.” It was only part of it.

Ryland’s smile faded. “It’s not the only thing I’m worried about, either.”

They were silent after that. Luckily, it seemed like most of the people involved in the auctions were local, so it didn’t take them long to reach the place where the party was held, just over half an hour.

Ryland didn’t do or say anything during that time, but Angus kept bouncing his knee and looking out the window.

Once they reached the building, which looked like nothing interesting from the outside, Mercer and Matt sprang into action.

They led Ryland and Angus out, then toward the building.

Ryland offered Angus his arm, and Angus took it, grateful for the reassuring contact.

He wouldn’t have to say or do anything specific right now.

He needed to act as if he was Ryland’s property, and property didn’t speak.

“My invitation?” Ryland asked when they reached the door.

He didn’t sound like himself anymore, which was kind of scary and made Angus shiver. Ryland noticed and wrapped an arm around Angus’s shoulders, lightly kissing his temple. “Relax,” he whispered.

Angus dared look up. Two massive men framed the door, and one of them was talking with Mercer. He was checking the invitation Angus had created, and Angus held his breath as he waited to see if it would work.

It did.

The man checking the invitation nodded at the other, who opened the door and gestured them in. Mercer went first, then Ryland and Angus, and finally, Matt.

The inside of the building couldn’t have been any more different from the outside.

Outside, it had been plain and gray, nothing more than a big box. Inside, it dripped with gold and luxury. Everywhere Angus looked, he saw marble floors, expensive wooden furniture, and people dressed as if they were millionaires.

They probably were.

“Ready?” Ryland asked.

Angus squeezed Ryland’s waist with his arm in answer. This was it. They were doing it, and while Angus couldn’t wait to get out of here, he had work to do and was more than ready to do it.

* * * *

Del was starting to wonder if insisting on coming along had been a good idea. The only one inside not wearing a camera and microphone was Angus, but between Mercer, Matt, and Ryland, Del could see and hear everything Angus was seeing and hearing.

And he hated it.

The five of them were crammed into the back of the van parked a few streets away from where the party was being held.

There wasn’t a lot of room to move or breathe, but Del was focused on the screens in front of him anyway.

From the cameras the men inside were wearing, he could see dozens of elegantly dressed people moving around.

Some of them were alone, although most had at least one man dressed in a suit hovering by their shoulder, no doubt a bodyguard.

Then there were the shifters.