Page 39 of As The Shifter World Turns

“It’s not that bad.”

“Not as bad but still bad?” Micah had picked up on that one word as I had, and I sent him a quick glance but he had his gaze fixed on Daire.

“Well sort of but maybe not,” Daire replied, looking anything but comfortable.

“Oh, buddy, you’re not the best at delivering bad news,” Ryder complained.

“How do you deliver bad news in a good way?” Neil wondered, more to himself than the group.

“My parents are pissed at me, at us, for our stunt the other week,” Daire said.

“Not surprising,” Micah added. He shot me a look. “But we had fun.” He averted his gaze immediately as though he’d made a mistake. Too late. My dick reacted and my wolf awoke from his long slumber.Micah, he panted.

He wasn’t the only one. I licked my lips as my eyes roamed over the unicorn shifter.

“Eyes to the front, Archer,” Neil whispered as he tugged at my shirt and pulled me onto the bench beside him.

Tonight reminded me of my first Sunshine Manor barbecue. Me sitting with Neil and Ivor. The other three a little apart from us.

“And they handed the running of the building over to me. But…”

“Here it comes,” muttered Ivor, and Ryder turned his head toward the wolf shifter.

“But there’s no way the rent covers the expenses. I told you that a while ago,” Daire informed us.

“Yeah, we were up here. Doing the same thing we’re doing now,” Ryder interjected.

“Glad you remembered,” Daire said. “Gotta make sacrifices.”

Ivor put his face in his hands.

“So, I have to raise everyone’s rent,” Daire announced with a flourish as though he was delivering great news.

That hit me hard but poor Ivor was practically in tears and Neil was gnawing on a nail like a dog at a bone. “I’ll have to work longer hours,” Neil wailed. Even though he earned good money, his expenses were high as he was constantly buying clothes for work and makeup as well as updating his camera and recording gear. Plus he put a sizable amount away each month in case work dried up.

Ryder and Micah were muttering to one another. I assumed both couldafford it but they weren’t pleased. Which was understandable. No one wished for a rent hike. I was bummed, like Neil, at not being able to save as much.

Ivor was rocking back and forth, his eyes swimming with tears. “I can’t pay any more. I’m already stretched so thin…” he choked out the words.

“Hey, Ivor,” Ryder strode over and kneeled in front of him. He placed a hand on the wolf shifter’s back. “Look at me.” Ivor glanced up. “You’re doing so well at the office. I’ve been meaning to give you a raise.”

“You have?” Ivor asked in a small voice.

“Yeah.”

Neil nudged me and I got a little teary. Despite his own fucked up life, Ryder was thinking of Ivor and it was very sweet. Maybe the two of them did have a future or the stag shifter was just a really good guy. Or both things could be true.

“But we don’t know how much the increase is,” Ivor said.

“Guys I feel bad. This was supposed to be a fun night and now I’ve ruined it,” Daire groaned.

“Talking of money, especially asking people to pay more of it, will do that,” Micah told him.

“Fine. If I keep the rent the same, we have to come up with other ways to make up the shortfall. Anyone got a brilliant idea?”

“Rent out that third bedroom in your huge apartment,” Ryder suggested.

“But that’s where Ivor and I play our video games,” Daire protested.

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