Page 54 of As The Shifter World Turns

“Oh, Daire, no.” Dad put an arm around me. “That’s awful.” He and Father shared a glance.

Father leaned forward.Here it comes. He’ll tell me I was stupid or careless and kick me out.“I was expecting you to ask for forgiveness long before this. But I’m impressed how you’ve stuck it out and kept Sunshine Manor running.”

I lifted my head. “You are?”

“We both are,” Dad interrupted.

“And we’ll give you money to tide you over—though the manor is still your responsibility—on one condition.”

I knew it. There had to be a catch.

Father's forehead creased. “We’ve heard you’re missing classes and close to flunking college.”

“How did you…?” I started. But father had donated money for a new library so of course he had the ear of the dean.

“Go back. Study and get your degree,” he ordered rather than suggested.

“No.”

Father’s face grew red. He wasn’t used to anyone telling him no. “What I mean is I love plants.”

That put a blank expression on both my parents’ faces. “I don’t want to sit in a lecture theater listening to a professor drone on about a subject I don’t care about. Community college. I want to study horticulture.”

Father gulped. “You want to be a gardener?”

“Yes, but more than that. I hope to have my own business one day.”

“If you’re passionate about it, then I say yes.” That was Dad. Father was still trying to get his head around me wanting to get my hands in the dirt. “But you’ll need to get a part-time job.”

“Not a problem.”

Later that afternoon, I had a job at a nursery not far from Sunshine Manor. I hadn’t been this happy in a long time.

Hey, I texted Neil when I got home.Wanna make dinner with me? We could make it a picnic and eat in the park.

I’d been neglecting Neil the last month or so. And our weekly get-togethers on the roof had been haphazard since Archer had been away. Micah was distracted. Neil said he was busy, though I was sure Ivor was often in Neil’s apartment and I’d seen the wolf shifter bringing in groceries for my old school friend. But now my future looked more rosy, I wanted to spend time with Neil.

Can’t. I’ve got a stalker.

I bounded up the stairs and pounded on his door, which probably wasn’t the smartest move as he’d told me there was some weird creepy shit happening. “It’s me.”

It took a while for my friend to unbolt the door and he opened it a crack.

“Have you called the police?” I asked as I strode inside while Neil locked the door again.

He shook his head as I took in his pale cheeks and bloodshot eyes. “It happened a while ago.” How was it I was only finding this out now? “He’s the father of one of the kids I coach. I almost stopped coaching but Ivor’s been coming with me.”

I put my arms around him and he sobbed, his tears wetting my shirt. “Martin,” he hiccuped.

“Good you have a name we can tell the police and… wait.” I pulled away and Neil wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand. “Martin, who has a son named Toby?”

“Mmmm. You know him?”

“He’s a friend.” Or he was. If he was harassing Neil, I’d be going full grizzly on him.

“Get your beast to tear him to shreds.” It seemed my buddy was thinking the same as me. And I got that he was rattled. I would be too if I was him. But that wasn't like Neil. He hated violence of any kind. But if whatever Martin was doing scared my friend, I’d arrest his ass myself. Citizen’s arrest. That was a thing. I’d seen it on TV. I’d do it after my beast had scared the shit out of him. His fox was no match for a grizzly. “Tell me what he did, Neil?”

“The guy followed me here to Sunshine Manor,” he sobbed. “It was weeks ago and while Toby’s been at soccer practice, he’s been dropped off and collected by another parent. And other than soccer, I haven’t really been out.”

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