Page 124 of As The Shifter World Turns

“Do you think she’s okay?” Archer’s worried voice drifted along the street. “She’s irritable and insists on being held.”

Micah took the baby from his mate and handed him the car keys. “She’s fine. Go have fun.”

The unicorn shifter spied us and said to Archer, “I win. Pay up.”

I giggled because I knew what they’d been betting on and so did Neil.

“Very funny. Ha ha,” our human friend deadpanned. “You know I bring a lot of stuff when I go away.

“I said three suitcases and Micah went with two. Damn, I should have said two,” Archer groused. He turned his attention to his mate. “Don’t forget to video call before Elune goes to bed. I want to say goodnight to her.” He kissed his daughter’s brow. “She feels a little warm. Maybe?—“

“Go,” his mate told him.

With our bags in the trunk, we buckled up and Micah stood on the sidewalk with Elune and waved until we were out of sight. I was in the front passenger seat and took note of how Archer’s eyes welled with tears. I could only imagine how hard it was for a parent to leave their child.

But I needed this weekend and once we were settled in the house, we gathered around the pool and the housekeeper brought us fresh lemonade and snacks. “This is the life. Living at the beach and letting the sound of the waves lull you to sleep is perfect.”

We clinked glasses.

“Who’s going first?” Neil asked.

Neither Archer nor I needed to ask him what he meant. Whenever the three of us got together, we always had confession time and shared whatever was going on in our lives. And while I was certain they were tired of my Ryder updates, this was the last one.

“Me,” I put up my hand. “I'm enjoying the job and the paycheck. I’m exhausted. Also,” and this was the kicker, “I wanted to let you know that I love Ryder and he loves me but I ended it as we can never be happy.” Surprised I didn’t cry, I took another sip of my drink. “That’s it for me. Handing over the mic to someone else.”

“Whoa. Go back,” Archer said.

“Yeah. That must have been super painful even though it’s been obvious for a while—at least to me—that you needed to do that,” Neil told me.

“True, but Ivor had to reach that decision on his own,” Archer noted as he tapped away on his phone.

“I’ll go next as Archer can’t focus right now.” Neil gave my fellow wolf shifter a look.

“Sorry. But Micah says Elune won’t go in her crib and cries when he leaves the room.” He nibbled his bottom lip as he put the phone on the table. “Go on. I’m listening.”

“My job is causing friction between me and Martin. He doesn’t like other guys seeing all of me—both what’s on the inside and the outside—and he’s worried Toby will find out.”

“On the one hand, I understand where he’s comingfrom, but he can’t expect you to give up your job because he doesn’t like it,” Archer reasoned. “Does he want you to become unemployed and homeless to please him?”

“And how would Toby find out?” I asked and then stopped, knowing that even though Neil’s work was behind a paywall, things had a way of leaking out. “Don’t answer that. But I agree with Archer.”

“I have no advice other than talking to him about it,” Archer added.

Neil sighed. “We’ve been doing nothing but talking and going round and round in circles.”

“Sorry I can’t come up with a solution either, Neil,” I admitted.

“It’s okay. I just wanted to vent.”

“We’ve been asked to participate in a study at the university,” Archer informed us. “Specifically Elune.”

“Oh no,” Neil sat up. “They’re not going to probe and prod our little Elune. I won’t allow it.”

Both Archer and I laughed at Neil’s outburst. He was so protective of Archer’s daughter.

Archer patted Neil’s hand. “It’s nothing like that. We have to fill in a mountain of forms and once or twice a week we take her to the university and they watch her play and interact with us.”

“Are they looking for something specific?” I asked.

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