Page 4 of His Place in the World (Legendary Shifters #9)

The meeting was over, and Angus should be headed home. He was happy to give Angela some time to chat with Cam, though. It gave him the opportunity to waste more time, which meant he’d get back to Wakefield late, which was what he wanted.

He shouldn’t. Wakefield was his home, and by now, he should be used to it. He was, but that didn’t change the fact that he dreaded going back.

He had a house in Wakefield. It wasn’t big, but he was the only one who lived there.

He was friendly with several people, but he didn’t really have friends, and he certainly didn’t have anyone he could have talked to about Mike and Leonard.

They’d have told him that they were just joking around, but he was sure there was something else to their behavior.

They felt he didn’t belong. Maybe it was because he wasn’t a wolf shifter, or maybe because he was a rare shifter.

Either way, they’d ensured he knew they didn’t want him there, and he couldn’t forget that.

Even the people who were friendly with him didn’t help, and every time he came to Rosewood, he couldn’t help but imagine what his life would be if he lived here instead of in Wakefield.

He was tempted to ask Angela to let him go, but she wouldn’t.

He wasn’t a prisoner in Wakefield, but she knew what she had in her hands.

Angus wasn’t just a rare shifter. He was also a hacker, and while he might not be the best, he wasn’t bad at it.

He’d helped protect the Wakefield pack in the past, and Angela wouldn’t want to lose that, especially if he didn’t have a good reason, and to her, a good reason wouldn’t be Leonard and Mike keep bothering me .

So Angus was stuck, which was why he took advantage of what little time he still had in Rosewood.

The bottom of Angus’s stomach dropped when he noticed Angela stepping away from Cam. He held his breath, hating himself for it. Wakefield wasn’t that bad. He shouldn’t be dreading going back the way he was.

Thankfully, Angela didn’t come toward him. Instead, she moved toward Ryland, giving Angus a bit more respite.

Or at least, he thought so until he realized Cam was staring at him. He looked around, eager to find an escape, but the alpha was on him before he could.

“You’re quiet today,” Cam said.

Angus found himself smiling. “I didn’t have anything to add. Everly’s doing most of the work. I’m just here to support him.”

“Still. I’d like to know what you think of the situation.”

“What everyone thinks. It’s horrible, and we need to step in. I’m glad you found Ryland, because it gives us an edge we didn’t have before. Hopefully, between him and our packs, we’ll manage to do some good.”

“That’s all I want. My people were lucky not to run into these auctions, although Everly was close. We know how much danger the rare shifters are in, and if I could, I’d save all of them.”

Angus’s gaze drifted to Angela. “You’re not the only one.

” Although he still wasn’t sure why Angela was helping rare shifters.

Was it because she thought it was the right thing to do, or because she believed they could be useful to her?

Maybe it was a mix of the two, and Angus couldn’t blame her.

She was an alpha, which meant her first focus was to keep her pack safe.

If taking in more rare shifters helped with that, she’d do it without hesitating.

She wouldn’t force anyone to stay with them, but she’d find a way to make them want to stay.

The only problem was that it wasn’t working for Angus anymore.

He was ready to move on. He was grateful to Angela for everything she’d done for him over the past few years. Without her and her pack, he might have been dead right now, or maybe auctioned off like so many rare shifters. Instead, he had his own home and a job, and he was safe.

But he wasn’t happy.

Angela had given him what he needed back when he was alone, but he was ready for more.

He wanted to find love, have a relationship, and build a life.

He knew everyone in the Wakefield pack, and there was no one for him to share his life with there.

He’d need to meet someone external to the pack, and while he hadn’t met anyone in Rosewood, he felt like maybe here, he could.

At the very least, he wanted to find out if that would be true, and there was no way for him to do that from Wakefield.

Besides, even if he didn’t meet anyone in Rosewood, he felt more at home here than he ever had in Wakefield. Surely that should be reason enough for him to move on.

Shifters weren’t obligated to stay with their birth pack or the pack they’d lived with the longest. They could move, and they didn’t even have to find a new pack to do so.

Shifters preferred to live in packs because it was safer, but Angus could leave Wakefield and drift around if he wanted to.

Of course, for him, it would be more dangerous than it would be for a wolf shifter, for example.

He could escape in a pinch if someone tried to catch him, but it would also be too easy for someone with bad intentions to capture him, and he’d never wanted to be in that situation.

Where did that leave him?

He hesitated. He’d never told Cam he was a rare shifter, but maybe he should. At the very least, Cam should know who he was working with, right? It would help Cam feel like he could trust Angus even more than he already did, or at least, Angus hoped so.

He cleared his throat. “You created a safe place for rare shifters,” he started, unsure how to bring it up.

“After meeting Sam and Toby, it was the least I could do,” Cam said.

“You could have taken them in but refused everyone else. Rare shifters are safe here, but you’re also putting your pack in danger by having so many of them living with you.”

Cam frowned. “That’s not going to stop me.

No shifter deserves to be treated the way rare shifters are.

They’re exploited and sold off as if they’re nothing more than objects, and I don’t want that to happen to any of them.

Besides, while having so many here puts my pack in danger, it gives them a home they’re willing to fight for.

They help keep the pack safe just like the pack keeps them safe. ”

Angus was making a mess out of this, and Cam was turning defensive. “I realize that. I wasn’t trying to say anything negative. I just wanted you to know that as a rare shifter, I’m in awe of what you’ve created.”

Cam’s jaw dropped open. “You’re a rare shifter?”

“I am. The Wakefield pack gave me home when I didn’t have anyone else, and I’ll always be grateful to them for that.”

Cam cocked his head, still staring at Angus. Angus felt the alpha could read right through him, and maybe he could. From what Angus had seen, Cam was more in touch with his people than Angela ever had been.

She kept a certain distance between herself and her pack members.

Angus wasn’t sure she did it on purpose, but he felt like she believed she shouldn’t be too familiar with them if she wanted to keep her authority.

There was none of that here, though. Cam felt more like a friend than an alpha, although Angus had seen him take control when he had to.

He didn’t know if that was the right way to behave, and frankly, he didn’t care.

He just knew he felt more at home here with Cam than he ever could in Wakefield.

Cam leaned closer, lowering his voice. “I’m glad you trusted me enough to tell me,” he murmured.

Angus looked around, but Angela was still talking to Ryland and Remi. She didn’t look happy, but then, she seldom did.

“And I want you to know that whatever happens, you’ll always have a place here in Rosewood,” Cam continued.

Angus blinked at him. “I’m sorry?”

“I want the Rosewood pack to be safe for everyone, not just rare shifters. They’re not the only ones who live here, and I never intended for that to be the case. I’m open to new pack members, whoever they are and wherever they come from.”

“I’m not sure what you’re telling me.”

“I’m just throwing it out there. Feel free to contact me if you need anything.”

Angus was confused and felt like it would be better for him if he stepped away, so he nodded and did so. His heart raced. He wanted to believe what Cam was saying so badly.

Could he really have a home here in Rosewood? Could he take that step?

He was lost in his thoughts, so much that he didn’t notice the man standing in the doorframe. He just needed out of this room and a breath of fresh air, and unfortunately, it meant that he slammed right against the guy standing at the door.

The man turned around and reached out to catch Angus before he could fall backward. The man—Del—frowned at Angus, who’d clearly interrupted his conversation with someone standing just outside the office.

He asked something, but Angus wasn’t listening to him. He was staring because he couldn’t look away, and it had nothing to do with the way Del looked this time.

When Angus had slammed against Del, he’d smelled him. Del wasn’t just a cute guy Angus had noticed, and he never had been.

He was Angus’s mate.

* * * *

Del stared down at the cute guy, who didn’t seem to have heard his question. “Are you okay?” he repeated.

Angus blinked. “What?”

Del frowned. Had Angus hit his head? That wasn’t possible because Del would have seen it, but still. Something felt odd, and Del couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

“I asked you if you were okay,” Del said slowly. He hadn’t heard Angus speak today, but maybe English wasn’t his first language. Maybe he didn’t understand what Del was saying.

Angus blinked again. “I’m fine,” he croaked.

His English sounded flawless, so maybe he was from here. That meant Del still didn’t have an explanation for how bewildered Angus appeared.

He dropped his hands now that he was sure Angus was steady on his feet. “Do you need to leave the office? I’m sorry I was blocking the way,” he said as he stepped to the side.