Page 208 of As The Shifter World Turns

Martin sighed. There were so many unasked and unanswered questions and we drove in silence the rest of the way.

“Good to see Daire’s alive.” Not only my former school friend, but Nate was on the porch along with Ryder and Ivor. Dyani was in her stroller. Archer had waddled over from his place holding onto Micah who was carrying a sleeping Elune. Patch was with them and Toby took the dog’s leash.

The sun was barely up and I’d never seen the Sunshine Manor family awake so early except when they’d been planning on shifting.

“Good news travels fast.”

Ivor hugged me. “I’m so sorry about your friend. But now you’re a dad. You too, Daire.”

The word dad had never applied to me. I wanted a baby and thoughtMartin and I would have one together. Being pregnant for nine months gave both the omega and the alpha time to get used to the idea of being parents. But parenthood was being thrust on me and Daire. So where did that leave Nate and Martin?

We ended up in Ivor and Ryder’s apartment. Ivor made coffee and tea while Ryder ordered breakfast. Ivor agreed to come with me after we’d eaten and grab necessities from Adrian’s place. We could go through the rest another day.

“Isn’t it odd that Adrian never mentioned making you and Daire the baby’s guardians? Archer asked as he sipped his tea.

I was overcome with guilt at not seeing as much of Adrian as I would have liked in the last few weeks. “He probably meant to and never got around to it,” Ryder suggested. “When you become a parent, you end up with a long list of should haves and would haves. I’m sure he intended to.”

“Ummm.” The sheepish expression on Daire’s face alerted me to the fact that he was hiding something. “He did. I think.”

“You think he intended to?” Micah asked.

“No. He did say something. He mentioned it to me when I last spoke to him.”

Adrian would have assumed Daire had told me. “Why didn’t you say something?”

He made a face. “I forgot. He asked if I was okay with it and I said yeah, of course.”

This was one of those times I wanted to throttle my grizzly friend. But there was no point getting annoyed. Once Ivor and I had gotten the baby stuff from Adrian’s apartment, it would be time to pick up the baby.

“If you drive me, Martin, I’ll collect Charlie. You can meet him when I get home, Daire, if that’s okay.”

My friend nodded and appeared relieved I was taking charge. “How is this going to work?” he asked.

I couldn't answer that but it would. I’d make sure of it.

90

AND JUST LIKE THAT, EVERYTHING CHANGED…

Neil

Charlie was nothing at all like what I expected. I guess because I hadn’t seen him in a while, I thought of him as this tiny little thing that was immobile. He was not. Charlie could crawl like a boss, something I discovered when I set him down to open up his pack and play only to find him missing—ten minutes after he arrived. I’d been a dad for ten minutes and I was already freaking out while trying to find him.

And I discovered him in the hallway within seconds, but those seconds felt like weeks and I was pretty sure I aged a few dozen years.

“I need to childproof this place like yesterday.” I sighed, Charlie now asleep in my arms.

Daire was at my place looking every bit as frazzled as I with fear in the mix. He’d been great all day, trying to help, but more getting in the way. And as much as I tried to not be a snappy ass, I hissed at him quite a few times, which only made everything worse.

Not that I should be the one complaining. Charlie was the one whose life had been turned upside down. How could his alpha father reject him not once, but twice? He was a horrible human. Fine, not human, dragon and that was another thing I had churning in my head. I knew absolutely nothing about dragons. Maybe I’d luck out and Charlie’d be human and I’d know what to do. Flying was not in my range of expertise.

“We should ask Archer and Micah how to do it. Other than taking everything out of here, I don’t know what to do. Every place I look, I see somethingthat could hurt him.” Daire looked at the sweet baby and gave a sad smile. “At least we have money to take care of him.”

We’d already decided to touch none of the money from his father or the insurance policies we learned were coming. Not too long ago, we’d have had no choice. Daire had been struggling financially, after being cut off by his parents, and I was making enough to help, but not enough to fully support another person. We were both in much better places now.

Charlie had enough to overcome losing his father so young. He didn’t need the added burden of growing up with no financial padding as he entered adulthood. No, all of his money was being saved one hundred percent for him. That was one thing Daire and I agreed on.

“I know what you mean. Cords from lamps and doors that pinch and coffee tables that have sharp edges and curtains that can be pulled. It’s like the entire place is a hazard zone.”

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