Page 231 of As The Shifter World Turns

My mate had decided that as Lord Martin, he would wander in amongst the fighters, offering encouragement and giving what he said was a suitable wave for a man who lived in a huge mansion and kept many servants.

Daire’s parents took the battle seriously and were covered in mud when they clapped their son on the back. But it was Anthony who took on multipleroles. He fetched water, welded a sword, chatted to Lord Martin and rescued Prince Toby when he became stuck in the mud. I suspected it was good for him to be away from the manor and thoughts of Len.

In the end, Toby’s side was declared the winner and he was crowned king. Everyone cheered and headed for the long banquet tables groaning under the weight of the food. Our older son raced toward us, and we hugged him.

“I’m so proud of you, son. You and Jim organized all of this. Well done,” Martin said.

I kissed him. “Congratulations, sweetheart.”

Even Charlie was excited though he’d been in his stroller playing with his toys most of the time.

Thankfully, the food was a modern take on medieval food and by the time we climbed into the van, we were exhausted and very full. Toby fell asleep and we had to wake him up when we got home. He complained when I told him to have a shower, but he was caked in mud and there was no way I was letting him go to sleep like that.

I sat on his bed and covered him up when he was done. “Big day, huh?”

“Mmmm. I loved it.”

Martin came in and kissed our son good night.

When we crawled into bed, my mate was wearing Toby’s crown. “You shouldn't have taken that from his room. He’ll be upset in the morning.”

“I thought I could be the king and you can be?—”

“Asleep?”

“Really?”

“Love, I’m exhausted. It was a long day. You were there, right? Being a lord and all?”

“Okay.” He removed the crown and put it on the nightstand.

“But if you steal that crown tomorrow night, perhaps I can be the servant who has to do your bidding.”

“It’s a date.” He kissed me and we turned off the lamps and fell asleep in one another’s arms.

102

TACOS, PINK SLIPS, AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Martin

“Ready to go to lunch, Liam?” I stood in the door frame of my boss’s office. We were planning to do Taco Tuesday at our favorite food truck together, just like we did every Tuesday. But today he didn’t look ready. At least not ready for lunch. On his desk was a box and not much else. He was packing.

“Liam? Are you okay?” I stepped inside uninvited, worried about what I was seeing overtaking my sense of politeness.

“Oh yeah.” He slapped on a smile that was as fake as the sugar in diet soda. “We should grab lunch.”

“Taco Tuesday,” I said, unsure what else to do. He was obviously having a miserable time of things and he was packing his desk. Either he got an unexpected transfer or was being demoted. Neither was good. Liam might not be the best supervisor in the world, but he sure as shit was one of the good ones.

I waited until we were outside in the fresh air and away from listening ears before I asked him anything about it. Instead, we talked about the weather and which kinds of tacos we might enjoy as we wandered through the building and out the front door. Once we reached the corner, I stopped.

“Are you quitting?” It didn’t feel like quitting, but it felt less shitty than asking if he got demoted.

“No.” He kept walking, not offering more.

“Moving to a new office?” Because apparently we were playing twenty questions.

“Nope.” It was like pulling teeth.

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