Page 62 of As The Shifter World Turns

“I know,” he sighed. “And so does he.”

“Not good enough,” Micah added. “Sort it out and quick.”

“Yeah, will do.” The call ended.

Having no idea what I was supposed to do, I went back to the landing and studied my possessions piled on the floor while Micah knocked on the door of my place. Except it wasn’t mine. Not right now and maybe not ever. “No one home,” he said, though that was obvious. Unless the guy was doing an Ivor and hiding after listening to our loud conversation.

“What are you doing?” Micah had picked up two boxes and put them in his living room.

“Putting them here for the moment. We have no idea who this guy is. I don’t want your stuff lying around.”

“Okay.”

“And you can stay with me too.” He paused. “And while this is a shitty thing to happen, maybe it’s a sign.”

“Of what?” I snapped. “Sorry. I’m pissed at Daire and his parents and some poor hedgehog who thought all his dreams came true when he got an apartment in Sunshine Manor. Or perhaps he hates that it’s old and the pipes are noisy and the floors creak. I don’t know.” My voice was rising and getting close to shriek level.

Micah enveloped me in his arms and his unicorn aroma wrapped itself around me too. “Is it time to take the next step in our relationship and move in together?”

Yes. That was my wolf.

“Not now.” Once again, I’d blurted out what was in my head too fast and his face fell. “What I mean is, it should be a happy occasion where we celebrate with our friends and family. Not because we’re forced to.”

Micah nodded and gave me a peck on the cheek. “But your things can stay here, right?”

I grinned. “Yeah. I’ll help you.” I returned his kiss. “And thanks for being so understanding.”

“That’s me,” he quipped. “Easy-going, calm, understanding, Micah.”

“You wish.” I slapped his gorgeous unicorn ass before picking up bags and hauling them into 3B.

Neil

I poured wine for Ivor and Archer and sat on the couch. “Has Daire sorted out thewho lives in 3Aproblem yet?” I’d wanted to ask my old school friend. But when he dashed past me yesterday and his expression was more grizzly than Daire, I waved and kept quiet.

“Nope.” My friends clinked glasses with me and Archer drank half of his.He’d been turfed out of his place based on a misunderstanding. And Daire’s parents f-ed things up.

None of us had glimpsed the new guy and the only sign he’d been in the building was a door banging in the middle of the night

Archer was staying with Ivor and Daire. It was the least Daire could do after the mess he and his family made. But my friend spent most of his time in Micah’s place. I so wanted them to stay together and everything to work out. They both deserved a happy ending. We all did.

“I did it. Well, we did it.” Ivor took a big gulp of wine.

Archer almost spilled his drink as he sat forward. “And bydidyou mean, you and Ryder.”

“Mmmm.”

Oh no. He wasn’t all bubbly and excited, so something wasn’t right and I suspected I knew what it was. The one and only Kellan. Trust him to make a mess of Ryder’s life and now Ivor’s.

“It was everything I expected—and more.”

There was a but coming. I just knew it. But waited for Archer to say it. And he did.

“But?”

“In the middle of the night he was dreaming of Kellan.”

Archer’s mouth formed an O.

---