Page 10 of Wrong Number, Right Unicorn

Decisions, decisions. Did I stay where I was and enjoy the birdsong or did I wander into the bedroom and get the phone?

It was unlikely Errol had the money, so he couldn’t have messaged. My departmental colleagues, like me, had a few days off, close friends knew better than to call just after I’d finished a project. I had no family to speak of, unless I counted distant cousins.

You have me.

I do. And thank gods for my beast. He got me through some tough times.

With the mug drained of coffee, I peered inside, considering whether it was too soon to make another.

Yes, unless we go for a run.

Too much caffeine affected my beast, and he needed to gallop it off. But that had to be planned, as humans wouldn’t look the other way at a unicorn gallivanting around town.

We can go this afternoon.

I had to drive a ways outside the city. Not only did we have to avoid people but also wild animals. Wolves and bears might attack my beast, though he was speedy and could probably outrun them. But I didn’t want to test that theory because of what had happened on my first ever shift.

Don’t think about that, my beast insisted.

As I picked up the phone, a bird I didn’t recognize landed on the windowsill. Birds fascinated my beast. They shared a love of sweet things, so they were often in the same place, nibbling fruit from a tree or bush.

It wasn’t until I was making breakfast, a treat that I never had time for on a workday, that I looked at the phone. There were a couple of messages on the display but one stood out.

Errol!

A jolt of what felt like electricity rocked my body. The message was a little weird because Errol had repeated what he’d said last night, that he promised to pay me back. It was a little disappointing, not because he didn’t have the money. Gods, it was less than twelve hours since I’d handed over the cash, so unless Julian had coughed up the money, Errol didn’t have it.

And I didn’t want him to borrow money just to pay me.

I was downhearted. A guy I’d just met texted saying he’d pay me the money he owed. I should be pleased he was so appreciative of what I’d done and eager to repay the debt.

But he wasn’t just a stranger who owed me money. He was my mate, and I’d vowed to give him time before flipping his world on its head.

I need to run, and you have to clear your mind.

My unicorn never quite grasped the importance of money to people. He had all he needed; a safe space inside me and plenty of opportunities to take his skin. I almost wished we could change places and I could live a life of leisure and send my beast to the office.

Okay, a run it is.

But during the drive, I pondered Errol’s response. We’d spoken a few hours earlier, so why did he feel the need to message me? I tried putting myself in his position. Sure, I would have beenfrantic, counting the days until I could pay back the money. And he had Grams to contend with.

Maybe… just maybe he sensed our connection.

I parked the car where I always did near orchards owned by a shifter family. They designated trees and a bunch of flowers especially planted for my beast, and I paid them a monthly fee. My unicorn wished he could roam around the forest, but I worried about prey. That first shift haunted me.

There was enough space for him to run after he’d eaten, as the rows of trees were far enough apart, but it wasn’t the same as drinking from a stream or clamoring up a rugged hillside and enjoying the view.

View? Bah!

Okay, you don’t care about the scenery. Got it.

Waving to the workers who were picking cherries closest to where I’d parked, I made my way to the farthest corner of the orchard and disrobed. Bunches of cherries were weighing down the branches, and in the next row, there were ripe mulberries. After I’d taken my skin, my lips would be stained purple.

Yum!

Giving my beast his horn and hooves, I let my mind wander, and it went straight to Errol, his grandmother, and whether I should reply to his text. If so, what should I say?

Okaywas kinda bland and might come off as rude.

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