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“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.” Not murder, but something worse!
He waved toward the closet. “She’s in there, alive and well. But you’re no’ Isobel. She would’ve threatened to castrate me. You are the adorable brunette.” He performed a regal bow, as if I were royalty. “I am Tavish the Great, at your service.”
Tavish, the man who’d inspired such wrath in Callen. I gulped. “How did you sneak in here with guards stationed inside and out?” He must’ve had help.
“I have my ways.” The intruder smiled, revealing straight white teeth. “What have you heard about me?”
“Just your name. Of course, I then got to witness the reaction it caused.” My nerves sang louder and louder, really kicking up a fuss. Was I in danger? Was he a bad guy, as Callen believed, or a good one? Tavish was obviously well acquainted with Isobel; they’d discussed the soul-switch. But. Whatever he was, I’d mind my words. A betrayal could get me executed.
“Ah, yes. My name stirred up a fit of almost-rage, I’m sure. I’m not well-liked around here.” He spread his arms, allget a look at this. “Not by other males, anyway.”
“Or women you accost in their bedrooms.”
He waved a hand in dismissal. “I’m at a disadvantage. You are privy to my name, but I’m not privy to yours.”
“That’s a lie,” I retorted. “Clearly, you’re working with Isobel. What, did you scout for her that day outside the hotel, attempting to pick out a quote unquote adorable brunette?” So much for minding my words.
He flashed another smile. “I admit, I did herd you in her direction, hoping she’d choose you,” he said with a grin. “You were just so cute with your overstuffed suitcase, clomping along the sidewalks, gawking at the sights.”
I worked my jaw. “What can you tell me concerning the switch itself?” Self-perseverance forced me to add, “Not that I’m admitting there was any kind of switch.”
“Darlin’, I know everythin’. I’m the one who sold her the potion that made it possible.”
A potion. Finally, an answer to carry me to my goal!
“The way your eyes just lit up,” he said and chuckled. “Do you wish to switch back already? Does Mrs. Bruce not enjoy her new husband?”
“He’s not terrible.” And okay, yes, guilt flared. Despite everything, Callen had been kind to me. Mostly. I didn’t wish to cause him trouble. But. “I love my family, and I want to be with them again. As soon as possible.”
Tavish all but pulsed with glee. “You can return if I provide you with a potion and Isobel. For the switch to occur, you must be near each other. Something I can arrange. For the right price.”
Okay, so, he was a total sleaze. Buyable. I hated his type and didn’t appreciate the icky once-over he gave me as we stood in silence. But. With him, I had a possibility of success. “Out of curiosity and nothing more, what is the right price?”
“I’ll get back to you on that. In the meantime, we should get better acquainted.” He reached out, as if to pinch a lock of my hair, but I jumped away, avoiding contact. His shoulders hiked in a negligent shrug, as if my rejection didn’t bother him in the least. “I can be a verragood friend to you, darlin’. If you value your life, you’ll tell no one of your association with me.”
Let him intimidate me? No. I’d do whatever I thought was right. “Are you a rival berserker?” A question I never thought I’d ask. Who was he to Callen, exactly, besides an enemy?
Tavish grinned, his glee on full display. “No, sweet. I’m no rival, and I’m no berserker. I’m king of the wolves.”
Chapter
Ten
Planning Ahead: Locate The Nearest Emergency Exit Before Any Negotiation
FromA Beginner’s Guide to Berserker Bliss
Author Unknown
Tavish was long gone by the time Callen strode into my bedroom. The berserker king hadn’t shed an ounce of his icy rage.
I lay on the bed, reeling but trying to hide it as I pet Thora, who I had indeed found locked in the closet, alive, well, and royally ticked off.
“Come,” Callen snapped near the foot of the frame. He wore his suit jacket, his slash tattoos hidden. What did those marks represent? “You’re accompanying me today.”
“No, thanks. I’m staying here.” I had much to ponder and research. Were wolf-shifters awful to everyone, or just berserkers? Was Tavish my enemy too, or an ally? Obviously, his moral compass had cracks. I mean, come on. He’d helped Isobel switch souls with an innocentwoman. But. Even as creepy as he was, he believed he’d done me a favor, gifting me with a rich, handsome husband and the possibility of immortality. Plus, if crunch time arrived, and I required a collaborator, Tavish could be bought.
The biggest downside with greedy, morally compromised individuals? They screwed you over the second someone offered them more.
