Page 40 of As The Shifter World Turns

Everyone laughed at that. “Boo hoo,” Ryder shouted and clapped. “Boo hoo,” and everyone took up the chant. “Boo hoo.”

“You could rent out the roof for parties on the weekends,” I suggested. Looks of horror were plastered on everyone’s face. You’d think I’d kicked a puppy. Even Ivor’s mouth was gaping. “What?” I threw up my hands. “You asked for suggestions.”

“Not that,” someone muttered.

“That’s going too far.”

“Anything but the roof.”

“My babies.” That was Daire talking about his plants.

“Fine.” I shrugged. “Come up with a better idea.”

“What about dividing your apartment into two,” Neil said. “You and Ivor don’t need two bathrooms and three bedrooms.”

“That’d work,” Micah agreed. “Based on the layout, you’d need to add a kitchen and divide that huge third bedroom into two, plus take some of your existing living room. But you’d need to fork out money for the renovations.”

“And that I don’t have.” Daire made a face.

“I have an idea but it’ll hurt,’ I said.

“No!” Everyone glared at me.

“Daire. It’ll hurt Daire.”

“What is it with everyone tonight? It’slet’s make life hard for Dairenight.”

“You have a van and a sports car.” I waited while his expression told mehe’d blanked out and didn’t catch my meaning. “You can’t drive both at the same time.”

“No, not the sports car,” Daire pleaded.

I sighed. “Sell the van in that case.”

“But we use that a lot when we go to my parents’ place to shift,” he complained.

“Gotta make sacrifices.” I repeated his words back to him.

“I was thinking it’d be everyone else,” he complained. “Let’s think on it, family. If I have to sell the car, I’ll do it, but…” He grabbed his chest. “Getting rid of my baby’ll hurt.”

“Thought the plants were your babies,” Ryder quipped which had everyone laughing.

“Okay, family. Let’s get cooking. Whose turn is it to man the grill?”

“Yours,” Micah added.

“Man, I can’t catch a break tonight.”

Someone handed me a glass of wine and that someone was Micah. “Thanks.” I looked to Neil and Ivor for support but they were deep in conversation about makeup Neil was buying and scrolling through eyeliners on Neil’s phone. Daire was at the grill and Ryder was inspecting Daire’s herbs growing in the patio garden.

Now what? Micah was standing beside me staring at the moon. His aroma curled around my nostrils and my heart sped up. Damn you heart!

Nice, my wolf intoned.

Not you too.

“It’s a beautiful night,” he said.

“Yeah.” I took a sip of wine which gave me time to think. And of course, my mind went to how hot he was rather than thinking of something to say.

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