Page 19 of As The Shifter World Turns

Ivor may have hit on the perfect solution. The three of us, each with our own particular needs, sharing an apartment, strengthening our friendship, and supporting one another was an excellent idea.

But it came with a slice of disappointment and sadness. Not living opposite a unicorn shifter, one with a tantalizing scent who I wanted to get to know. Not just in bed. I lifted my head and caught Micah’s eye, his expression unfathomable.

Look away, I told myself.

No, don’t, my wolf interjected.

And when I should have averted my eyes and chatted to my two future roommates, my gaze dipped to his crotch. Why? How was it that I couldn't control myself around this guy?

I know. My wolf thought he had all the answers.

Unless my eyes deceived me, my neighbor, the unicorn shifter, he of the intoxicating aroma, was sporting a hard-on. “Maybe he’s thinking about me.” That was my fantasy taking over. Me believing he wanted me as much as I wanted him.

“Who?” Neil asked.

“Huh?”

“You mentioned someone thinking of you,” Neil added.

Oops!I’d said that out loud. My cheeks burned as I fibbed to Neil and Ivor. “Oh, just thinking about some guy at work. We’ve been making eyes at one another across the office.”

Once more my eyes wandered to Micah. He leveled a glowering look in my direction. Had he heard my lie? Fuck, fuckety fuck!

8

GETTING ON ALL FOURS

Micah

I’d finally found someplace I fit in. Sunshine Manor was a motley crew of rando shifters, sure… but we fit together. And maybe that was exaggerating things just a bit, but I was comfortable here and I didn’t want to leave, and just thinking about it had me on edge.

We didn’t stay on the roof long, all of us in a pretty shit mood pretending not to be. It would've been nice if Daire had told me about the potential for having the place sold early and for sure before he let the new guy move in.

Not that I was thinking about the new guy. Nope. Not me.

And really it wasn’t fair to be so harsh on Daire. He was doing the best he could given his shit parents. And yes, I judged them all the way to the fucking moon and back. They were messing with more lives than just their son’s, and they were toxic as fuck.

I fumbled with my keys, unsure why I even bothered to lock it when I went to the meeting. Our building was secure and no one here would steal. And if they did, what would they take? Anything I had of value had been stolen when my ex decided to fuck me the unfun way on his way out of my life.

Geez. Bitter much.

“Want some help?” Archer. Great. He got to see me fumbling with my door like I was drunk.

Like he had been when he tried to kiss me.

I so wasn’t going there.

“No.” I turned around and leaned back against the door; his animal was close. So close I could see him in his eyes, just the barest tinge of yellow. “I don’t know. I think I need a run.” It would do me well to get under themoonlight. Better than being all trapped in my head not watching the Netflix show running in the background.

“Yeah. I’d like that. Thanks.” He stuck his hands in his front pockets and blushed.

How did he think that was an invitation? I played it back in my head. Crap, I had invited him—sort of.

“You aren’t going to eat my ass, are you?” I needed to get a filter; his face was turning a brighter shade of red and my cock was crossing its—something—that he would say that was exactly what he planned to do.

“I don’t hunt a lot.” He pulled in his lip with his teeth. “Where can we go around here that we won’t get in trouble?”

“Same as before. It’s ours to use whenever.” And yet another great perk of this place.

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