Page 89 of As The Shifter World Turns

Someone knocked on the door.

“Must be Ryder.” Daire stood up and wove his way through the maze of takeaway bags and candles.

Of course it was Ryder. Martin and his son were on vacation. I almost forgot that.

Ivor froze up across from us.

“Hey, Ivor.” Ryder said weakly.

“You staying or am I?” Ivor snapped back.

Fucking Kellan. This whatever it was had Kellan’s name all over it. Why couldn’t he just disappear already… take a job across the country or something.

“You are.” Ryder turned on his heel and walked right out.

None of us said a word. There was nothing to say that wouldn’t put us smack dab in the middle of this mess. They needed to work it out on their own.

“This reminds me of Harmony Marie.” Neil clapped his hands then rubbed them together. “Is anyone here scared of ghosts?”

“I’d rather not run into one.” Archer reached for a fresh roll.

“Harmony isn’t here,” Neil reassured him. “She lived in the house where I grew up and is still there.”

We all listened intently as he regaled us with the story of unrequited love, aquilt, and a chicken. Only Neil could make all those elements work. We laughed in spots, went silent in others, and Archer crawled into my arms and onto my lap when it got a bit scary. It was exactly what we needed.

Once Neil started, there was no stopping us. Daire told about the weird things that happened in one of his parents’ homes, including the feeling of someone sitting on the edge of your bed while you slept. Ivor talked about the old church in his town that still rang its bell even though the bell had long since been removed. And Archer made up a silly tale of zombie fish seeking revenge on a fisherman. And then there was me who told the adventures of a shifter with no beast who finally found his one and only to live happily ever after.

I made up the last part because it was the ending I wanted and screw it; I was the story teller. I could have it end any way I wanted to.

If only my gut wasn’t telling me not to get my hopes up too high.

33

OVERCROWDED

Archer

“Ready?” Micah asked.

“I guess.”

“Wait, you don’t seem very excited. Don’t you want to look at baby stuff.” He held up the phone and scrolled down the long list he’d made. “We don’t have much time.”

While a shifter pregnancy wasn't as long as a human’s but with Micah’s unicorn genes being in the mix, we weren’t 100% sure how long the gestation period would be. Micah wanted one half of our bedroom—which would be for the baby—decorated and all equipment purchased so we weren't doing it at the last minute.

“No, I am, but are you sure we need all this?”

“Oh, yes, I’ve been on the Daddy and Baby blog and I’m convinced the baby needs each item here.”

If it made my mate happy, I was happy. I’d been prepared to buy a crib and stroller, diapers and diaper cream and call it a day. But Micah’s list had things on there I’d never heard of. “What’s a diaper genie?” I asked as I scanned the items. “Does it make the dirty diapers disappear?” I hoped so.

“Very funny,” he replied. “Though in a way it does.”

My mate helped me down the stairs and we dropped off Patch with Ivor. My unicorn shifter was so protective of me though I was well and not showing. And having a beast inside him had changed his outlook on life. He was actually chirpy some days. Who knew my unicorn mate could be so cheerful?

Daire and Neil were waiting by the van. “What’s this? I asked.

“Your chariot awaits, M’lord.” Daire bowed.

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