Page 26 of Finding Embers and Stars (Twin Flames Duet #1)
Chapter twenty-six
F inding Piper at my office door was the highlight of my day. I hated having to stay secluded in my work cave when my brothers were spending quality time with our mates, but it couldn’t be helped. I have a feeling that a serious discussion about finances is on our horizon, and I’ve been working on some day trading to bulk our portfolio back up. We were able to buy our house outright, but it took five years to save the cash, and it put a serious dent in our funds.
Considering the Moon Goddess guided us to a property next door to our mates, I can’t say I’m sorry for the years of hard work and patience it took us to get here.
All of us, but especially Maverick, feel like it’s our responsibility to support our mates. Though the more time I spend around them, the more I think they will be annoyed or even pissed about that outlook. Plus, judging by their home and cars, they’re doing just fine without us.
We step off the back patio and into the sand, and I offer Piper my hand to hold. She watches me for a moment, almost like she’s searching for the catch in every kind gesture she sees. Then again, maybe she is.
When I wait patiently and don’t rush her, she gives me a radiant smile. Her fingers slide across my palm and it’s a fight to keep my mind out of the gutter and from imagining what it would feel like to have her hand slide across my cock.
Desperate to change the subject, I force my eyes away from her curves and out to the waves. “How was your day? Did you enjoy the boat ride?”
I’m treated to another blinding smile. “It was wonderful. In all the years we’ve lived here, I’ve never been out on a boat before.”
I blink in shock. “Really? Why’s that?” The idea of living on the coast but never going out on a boat baffles me.
“Umm, well. I don’t get out much. I’m not comfortable around strangers, so the idea of going on a charter boat never really appealed to me. I love the sound of the ocean, but the mountains have always been my home.” Her cheeks are flushed with embarrassment, and I feel bad that I made her uncomfortable.
Squeezing her hand, I wait for her eyes to come up and meet mine. “Tell me something you want to do. Anything you’ve thought about but never had the chance to try.”
Somehow her blush intensifies. “It’s stupid, you will laugh.”
Cupping her chin, I lean in for a soft kiss. “I promise I won’t.”
“Well, I love to ride but our horses stay in Wyoming, so I’ve never had a chance to go for a ride on the beach.” Piper looks up at me, hope warring with fear on her face.
My stallion surges forward, forcing the fastest shift of my life. Hearing that our mate wants to go for a ride on the beach and I just happen to be a horse shifter, it’s one more way the Moon Goddess shows she knows how to bond the right people.
My stallion tosses his head, his long mane blowing in the breeze as he prances in front of her. For a moment I’m worried that our size will intimidate her. As a draft horse, my Clydesdale form is much larger than your average saddle horse.
“Oh Liam, you’re beautiful.” Tentatively, she reaches out to pet my nose and I shove my whole head into her chest. The way she wraps her arms around me and lays her cheek against my forehead melts my heart.
Stepping back, I drop to a knee before her. Even as tall as she is, I don’t think she could make the jump to my back, especially in the sand.
She steps up close but pauses at my shoulder. I curl my neck around to nudge her hip with my nose.
“Are you sure this is okay? I mean, it’s not rude to ride you while shifted?”
My internal snicker comes out as a soft nicker. Oh, my sweet mate, I’m perfectly happy to have you ride me in any form.
“Liam! You dirty little pony!”
Huh? I turn to look at my mate. She’s not wrong, but how on earth did she come to that conclusion?
“Because I can hear your thoughts and told her what you were thinking.” The deep, rumbly voice rolls through my head, and I instinctively look around in confusion. Who am I hearing?
“I didn’t realize this until now but when you’re shifted, it allows me to reach out and communicate with you, even though Piper isn’t shifted.”
“Atlas?! Oh my Goddess, you can talk to us when we’re shifted! That's amazing!” This is the best news ever. Even if this mind speech only works when we’re shifted, it will allow us to include Atlas in a way that wasn’t possible before. I never want him to feel like the odd one out of our strange relationship.
There’s silence for several minutes while Piper continues to run her hands along my forehead. I hope Atlas explained what was going on so she doesn’t worry, since I can’t speak to her while I’m shifted.
Atlas’s deep voice comes back, this time sounding just a little choked up. “Thank you, Liam. That your first thought was to include me and not anger that I could read your thoughts means more than I can express.”
“Atlas, we’re brothers now. We will be in and out of each other's heads and beds. There’s no room for secrets or jealousy between us. I think I’ve kept Piper waiting long enough. A beach ride is such a simple thing to give her, but I’m happy to do it every night if it makes her happy.”
Atlas goes quiet while I nudge Piper until she climbs up to my back. Gripping my mane tightly, she squeezes me with her knees. “Ready when you are, bud.”
Climbing to my feet, we take off down the beach and it’s clear that she’s ridden before. Her body is relaxed, and she moves with me, settling into the rocking motion of my gait.
Splashing through the surf, I revel in her shrieks of laughter. Spinning in the sand, I head back towards the house. As much fun as this is, I don't want to make everyone hold dinner for us.
When we approach the bonfire, I let out a loud neigh and rear up on my hind legs. Piper stays with me like she was born on horseback and when my hooves crash back to the ground, she throws her arms around my neck.
Sliding off my back, she gives me room to shift but as soon as I’m back on two legs, she launches herself at me.
I catch her with ease, my hands sliding over the lush curves of her ass as she wraps her legs around my hips. Kiss after kiss, she covers my face all while whispering ‘thank you’ over and over again.
Whistles and clapping from the patio finally break through and she hides her face against my chest as I walk us over to the bonfire. I’m excited to share the news that Atlas can communicate with any of us while we’re shifted.
Sitting around the fire with my brothers and our mates is absolute Heaven. After we all get done eating and put the food away, we return to the wooden chairs that surround the firepit for a game of musical mates.
Each time one of us finds Sage or Piper in our lap, we have the chance to ask silly questions to get to know them before passing our mate to the next chair. The stunned look on Piper’s face each time one of us picks her up breaks my fucking heart. I hate that anyone has made her feel less than gorgeous and cared for.
Sage is better at hiding her insecurities. She’s naturally more outgoing than Piper, but I think there are times she deliberately draws attention to herself to spare Piper being the focus.
For Piper, her physical appearance and having Atlas as her shift form seem to be the biggest hurdles. For Sage, it’s the idea that she’s somehow not wanted or needed in our bond. My brothers and I need to remember to treat them as individuals with their own needs and baggage. Goddess knows all of us have baggage that we always haul around with us.
Sage’s phone rings loudly, and the chorus of Witchy Woman by the Eagles catches Piper’s attention. She jumps out of Walker’s lap and runs to Sage just as she takes the call. Apparently, they both want to speak to whoever is calling.
Piper squeezes herself in beside Sage and Milo for what must be a video call. “Mama Rose! I miss you so much!”
I’m surprised, in a good way, to see Piper so animated. It gives me hope that once she’s more comfortable with us, we will get to see this giggling carefree side of our shy mate more often.
A light feminine laugh comes through the speaker, followed by a much deeper gruff voice. “What am I? Chopped liver? And who the hell is that with you girls?”
They both start laughing and when Sage gets her giggles under control, she pans the camera around the fire. “Papa Rhett, you know we met our mates.”
One by one, she introduces us to Sage’s parents. The love I can feel from this conversation is intense. There is no difference in how they treat Piper and Sage. If I didn’t know that Piper wasn’t related to them, I would never guess by how they treat her.
Mama Rose’s voice comes back on the call. “We just wanted to make sure you had a good celebration day, girls. Your papa wanted to grill your mates, but I told him it’s better to do it in person!!” The girls groan at that, and I notice that my brothers look slightly uncomfortable. “Good night girls, we love you and miss you so much!”
With the last goodbyes said, the call is ended and quiet descends on the group. Sage lays her head on Piper’s shoulder and they both hold the wooden charms that hang from their necklaces. They said that Felix made the pieces, maybe they are some kind of talisman that reminds them of home. Soon I hope to be included in the group they consider family.