Page 29 of As The Shifter World Turns

Except… except when the asshat wandered in like he owned the place. The walls started closing in and I wondered if this was how Neil felt when he went outside.

“Are you Ryder’s latest experiment,” Kellan barged in.

“He’s at a meeting. Won’t be back till later.” I kept my eyes on the spreadsheet I was studying. Kellan had a way with words that lashed at my skin, had my gut twisting and tied my tongue in knots. Breath rattled in my throat as I tried to calm myself by thinking of kittens or fluffy pink clouds.

Go away. Go away, I begged him. I stuffed my hands under the desk so he couldn’t see them trembling.

“I know why you’re here.”

“Okay.” He was pushing me to react and I was. I was a puddle of sweat.Please hurry up, Ryder. Your ex is being squirrely.He hated being late so he’d probably be peeved when he arrived.

“He hates being late.” Kellan plonked himself on the desk and I turned my nose up at his scent, all acidy and sour. “And I’ll tell you a secret. He hates sleeping alone.”

“Our relationship is boss and employee,” I replied even though I’d begun to question if that was true. I looked forward to coming into work and volunteered to stay late when he asked.

Ryder’s aroma was everywhere in the office and it reminded me of a crocheted blanket my grandmother had made when I was a kid. I even imagined him asking me out for dinner, and us going for a midnight run, just the two of us, me admiring his magnificent antlers before giving my wolf his fur.

But he was older than me, more worldly, and he and Kellan were still something to one another. No way he’d pay attention to Ivor, the poor student who he paid in cash.

“I know you’re lying.” Kellan’s irritating voice punched a hole in my daydream. I sighed, wondering what was keeping Ryder. Unless he’d seen Kellan’s car outside and was in hiding. “The tips of your ears are pink.” Kellan stared out the window. “He’s not interested in you. Maybe as a plaything to toss aside after he’s done. He’ll always come back to me.”

“Great.” My one-word response had my wolf rolling his eyes. Micah or Daire would have come out with a smart-ass answer. But not me. I wished I had the guts to tell him what I thought, but I stayed quiet. If he complained to Ryder, I might get fired.

“Tell him I was here.” Kellan leaned in closer. “But he’ll scent me for sure. Always has. Always will.”

“Okay.” He slammed the door.Ass!

I leaped up and opened the door to let more air in, and then grabbed a can of freshener from the bathroom. I straightened papers on my desk. Ryder didn’t like mess and he couldn’t work if anything was out of place.

But I couldn’t concentrate on the rows of information on the computer. At first, Ryder had me lugging boxes and organizing deliveries, and I still did that. That’s why I was studying the stupid spreadsheet. But he’d started asking my opinion about things. I wasn’t used to anyone doing that except in class when I dozed off and the professor made a fool of me.

A car pulled up outside. I sat up straight and tapped the keyboard, hoping he wouldn’t pick up on the sweat stains under my arms, thanks to Kellan.

He strode in. I wanted to glance up as my hands flew over the keyboard.

“What is that stink?” Ryder complained, and then he sneezed. And again. I took a peek. His eyes were streaming and his face was puffy.

I shrugged ‘cause I wasn’t going to say Kellan had been here. F him.

“Something wrong?” Ryder asked. “Other than a funky smell that feels like a bunch of flowers and a septic tank got together and had a baby.” Another sneeze.

As he headed to his desk, I sniffed under one arm. “Nope. Nothing. Just working.”

“You sure?” He wasn’t looking at me but moving the stapler on his desk. “If something’s bothering you, you can tell me.” He ran his fingers over a photo of him and Kellan.

“Yep.” I pounded the keyboard as I pictured me jumping up and down on that photo. “Just doing my job,” I said through gritted teeth.

12

MAKING IT RIGHT—OR TRYING TO

Micah

I slammed a fist on my desk and pushed the chair back. Walking to the window, I stuck my head outside and gulped mouthfuls of fresh air. Not being able to concentrate on work was one thing but my stomach was churning because thoughts of Archer and our night together kept creeping in and disrupting whatever I was doing.

Busy at the office. That was the last message Archer had sent. The morning after we’d slept together. Three days ago. Since then, radio silence. And I didn’t understand why. He’d said more than once that he’d taken his current job so he could help support his parents. I got that and admired the commitment to his family. And I’d told him directly that unicorns can only mate with other unicorns.

We were both on the same page but for different reasons. He had to focus on earning money. I had no choice about who I was and the limitations of being a unicorn. Not that I’d change anything if I could choose, though during the last few nights of tossing and turning, I’d cursed what fate had handed me.

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