Page 238 of As The Shifter World Turns

“You’ll understand if you ever have kids, son,” Martin told him.

“You were your dad’s starter baby,” I explained to Toby. “He’s gone through all of this before, but it’s new to me.”

“It’s okay, TD. We all love Charlie and worry when he bumps his head and stuff.”

“Wait, when did he bump his head?” I didn’t remember that.

Martin glared at Toby in the rear view mirror. “It was ages ago and it was nothing.”

“Oh yeah. I forgot I wasn’t supposed to say anything,” Toby announced.

Archer

“Something bothering you?” Micah asked as he wiped drool from Jasper’s face.

“Maybe. Maybe not. I keep thinking there was something I forgot to do such as turn off the iron.”

My mate gave me side eye. “Since when do you iron?”

I giggled at that. Any ironing that needed to be done in our house was done by Micah. I was terrible at it and left so many creases, there was no point. My mate was meticulous about that damned iron. It was almost as though he made love to the clothes as he got the iron to the exact temperature and then smoothed out the wrinkles.

Neither of us had wanted to cook and we’d had take out twice this week, so we decided to go to a vegetarian place Micah and I had gone before we mated. Even though we couldn't just jump in the car and go as we did before we had kids, it was nice to be out in the community, surrounded by the bustle of waiters and families talking about their day.

Working from home was what I enjoyed, but I missed being with people other than my mate and kids. And Daire. As Micah’s business partner, he was always in the house.

But I couldn’t enjoy our meal because I kept running my mind over what I’d had to do before leaving the home. I’d replied to emails regarding the motel project. Liaised with Nate about final video edits. My inbox had been dealt with and yet something niggled at me.

And then two things happened at once. Or maybe it was three. A little boy at the next table was playing with a toy fire engine, making noises as he pushed it back and forth across the surface. Almost simultaneously, Micah’s and my phone erupted with texts and in the distance a fire engine blared.

I leaped up. “I left a candle burning!”

There were horrified gasps from other people in the restaurant. Micah hated candles and warned me many times not to burn them, but I loved the scent in our bedroom. I never lit them with the kids around and always had the window open. My mate checked his phone and screeched, “Fire.”

We flung money on the table and grabbed the kids. And both of us groused at one another while trying to strap our little ones in their car seats.

“I told you, Archer,” my mate seethed.

“I know.” Tears spilled over my cheeks as my fingers fumbled until the kids were finally secure.

Micah drove. I was a mess and leaned forward, hands on the dashboard as we rounded the corner and laid eyes on our house. The house my parents had helped pay for. We’d paid them back before my alpha dad passed away and even though my omega father hadn’t lived in the basement apartment for ages, I often pictured the two of them there, arms around one another.

And there was smoke. No flames. But mainly smoke. There was a fire truck outside. The acrid smell of burning wood blanketed the air and the building, and the surroundings were a soggy mess.

Daire was there and I left Micah to stay in the car with the kids. “It was my fucking candle, wasn’t it?”Fuck!Daire nodded.

“This your house, sir?” a firefighter asked.

I nodded as I wrapped my arms around my body. Micah appeared at my shoulder and said, “How bad is it?”

“The kids?”

“Ryder’s driven them to the manor. They shouldn't be around the smoke.”

“You were lucky.”

“Lucky?” I stared at the firefighter, not understanding what he was saying.

“Your entire house could have burned to the ground. As it is, the master bedroom and part of the roof have significant damage.”

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