Page 45 of Finding Embers and Stars (Twin Flames Duet #1)

Chapter forty-five

A tlas day is always a fun celebration but having our mates here made it even sweeter. I can feel Atlas’s happiness that our mates are including him and consider him another brother.

I’m not sure what he expected when we found our mates, but I can tell this easy acceptance and support wasn’t it.

Atlas’s growl of warning comes seconds before three women come into sight, walking down the beach.

We’ve just sat down to dinner on the patio to enjoy watching the sun set across the water after an intense volleyball match on the beach.

I don’t know what's about to happen, but I have a feeling dinner is going to be ruined.

When the women get a little closer, I can smell their wolves. Their ocean breeze scent marks them as part of the Florida pack. We’ve never had any issues with the local pack before, but there is always a first time for everything.

I have a small hope that they will keep walking along the beach, but that hope is short-lived when they angle towards us, specifically towards the guys.

I catch Sage’s eye and can see the way she’s watching the approaching women eye-fuck our men.

Opening my mental link to Sage, I let her feel my eyes roll. “Is it wrong that I have this insane urge to run around and lick all the guys and then shout, ‘We licked them, they’re ours!’”

Sage’s snort of amusement earns us side eyes from our mates, but by now all of us are studying the approaching wolves. Even though they aren’t from my father’s pack, he is still the Alpha Supreme, meaning he can impose his will on any shifter he chooses to.

The first woman walks up to Wyatt, who is standing at the edge of the patio next to the grill. She blatantly ignores Sage and I, instead she lays her hand on Wyatt’s chest, leaning in towards him.

Has this bitch never heard of personal space?

“Hey handsome, we saw you guys playing volleyball down the beach and had to come say hi. Do y’all want some company for the sunset?”

The look of disgust on Wyatt’s face makes my always insecure heart happy. It also helps curb the homicidal urges I’m trying to hold back. He moves to step away from her just as Sage wraps her arm around Wyatt’s waist and pulls him into her side. Effectively dislodging the grabby bitch’s hand.

“They have all the company they need. How about you three mosey back to the part of the beach that isn’t privately owned?” Sage’s words may have been framed as a question, but the steel in her voice leaves no room for misinterpretation.

I move to stand beside Sage. Even though I know our mates have our backs, after years of being her protector, it is ingrained in me.

“Ummm, girls? You know we aren’t interested in the skank brigade, right?” Liam’s hesitant tone is at odds with the jokes he’s cracking, but it makes me grin. Which I’m sure was the point.

Before I have a chance to open the bond to answer back, the blonde that’s been eye-fucking Maverick seems to take offense to my grin. “I think we can supply them with a much better time than the two of you.” Her eyes flick to Sage and then back to me. “A used-up, fat chicken and an abomination. Tell me, Piper, does your wolf fuck Sage while you’re shifted to get his rocks off?”

Atlas’s snarl rips through my human throat, but I can’t even be mad about how much it hurts. They think they can come to my home and insult Sage? I don’t fucking think so.

Their words confirm that even though they are Florida wolves, they’ve clearly been told about us. The abomination comment makes tells me that dear old dad is somehow involved in this cluster fuck.

I don’t even notice that the guys are all on their feet standing in a half circle behind us. I love that they are horrified at what the bitch said, but they are still letting Sage and I handle things.

The first woman that hit on Wyatt rolls her eyes. Like this is some huge inconvenience to them. “It’s time to go home, Piper. The Alpha grows tired of your games. He’s feeling generous, so he said you can bring the hybrid with you if you want. She will make wonderful babies.”

It feels like the universe itself holds its breath. Our bond floods with rage unlike anything I’ve ever felt before and it takes a moment to realize the majority of it is coming from our mates.

Luckily, I know Sage well enough to anticipate what she will do. In perfect sync, we slap our hands over the tattoos on our upper arms and whisper, ‘Meow’.

The magic swirls around us and we both shift into Florida panthers. I think the panther tattoos Zeke did for us are my favorite. Even though in nature the black coloring isn’t common, we asked that he make them black with a hint of tan spots beneath the darker fur.

When Shasta was making the spell, she asked us what kind of abilities we wanted built in for self-defense. We’ve never had a reason to use it before, but I love that I can call flames to my fur while Sage has brought forth an acid that coats her whole body.

The one thing we begged for was to make sure that our bonded would be immune to our magic. A fact that I’m twice as thankful for now when I feel them run their hands over my fur and through the fire as I stalk towards our intruders.

Sage is backing off the chatty blonde, snarling and growling at her. By the time they leave, they will all know how big our teeth are.

I stalk towards the other two, who seem frozen in shock. You would think that they would have shifted by now.

Awful screeching starts coming from the blonde Sage is stalking. A few drops of acid landed on her hand and now she’s having a cow.

Rolling my eyes, I focus back on the other two just as Wyatt steps up beside me. He lays his hand on the top of my head, my flames caressing his skin like a lover. The grin on his face is savage. “I suggest you three crawl back into whatever hole you came out of. While you’re at it, please send our regards to the supposed Alpha Supreme. Tell him we decline his decree. Our mates are staying here with us.” He starts to turn away and then pauses, looking over his shoulder. “Oh yeah, and make sure to tell him he can fuck all the way off.”

The two I’m watching leave their friend behind without a second thought. Sage shifts back and drags the blonde to her feet by her hair. “I think it’s past time you got the fuck off our beach. While you’re delivering my mate’s message, you can pass on one of my own. Tell the Alpha dick we’re coming for him and by the time we’re done, he will wish that Piper had let me curse his dick off years ago because now I’m going to make his suffering last as long as possible.” Sage shoves her away from us and she takes off, stumbling down the beach after her friends.

I shift back to my human form since there is no one left to make crispy.

Sage lets out a surprised laugh when Milo sweeps her off her feet and then tosses her to Liam.

I watch them with a little smile on my face. Pushing aside my longing, I focus on how happy Sage is with our mates. It doesn’t matter if I’m too big to ever be tossed around like a pinball between them.

No sooner has the thought crossed my mind, than I’m being swept off my feet. Wyatt kisses my cheek and then tosses me into Maverick’s waiting arms.

It’s so hard for me to relax and enjoy the moment. The little voice in my head that says I’m too big, too heavy, too masculine to be tossed around this way, is a loud cunt.

But when Maverick presses his lips behind my ear and whispers, “I’ve got you.” I fucking melt.

Wiggling in his hold, I get my legs wrapped around his waist, tilting my head up for a kiss. A chest pressing into my back has me purring. I love being pressed between my mates.

Walker’s deep chuckle sends shivers down my spine. “Let’s get our girls back to the fire so we can finish dinner, then end Atlas day with a puppy pile and a movie.”

“I love the sound of that, Walker. Thank you for always including me.” Atlas may keep his emotions out of his voice in the bond, but he can’t hide how much Walker’s suggestion touched him.

I was nervous as hell to meet my mates, but every day they prove just how perfect they are for us, all of us.

I grin at my cuddly bear, then turn back to Maverick. “Feed me! Please? I’m starving.”

Mav grunts when I bounce in excitement, the delicious friction between our bodies making him hard.

Offering him a wicked smirk, I drop to the ground and run back to the dinner table, leaving him growling behind me.

As the first hint of awareness brings me from sleep to wakefulness, I try to stretch. Try being the key word.

I’m surrounded by my mates in the puppy pile we ended the night in. My eyes aren’t even open yet and I’m grinning like an idiot. Puppy piles should be the rule in relationships, especially if you have multiple mates.

Atlas chuckles in my mind. “Agreed, Piper. I think puppy piles with my pack should be mandatory every night.”

Liam wraps his arm around my hips, tugging me back into his chest. The way he runs his nose along my neck and behind my ear has me shivering in anticipation of what could happen next.

Wyatt snorts from my other side. “You’ve got the right idea, Atlas. I also love the insight into Piper’s thoughts.”

I bolt upright, staring at Wyatt in horror. “That’s not fair! I don’t have a link to anyone else's inner thoughts!”

Before I can give Atlas a piece of my mind for blatantly flashing my inner thoughts to the world, the doorbell rings. Sage pokes her head out from between Walker and Milo, looking three quarters asleep and just as confused as I am about who the hell is on our doorstep at eight a.m.

We fight our way out of the tangle of limbs and head for the first door. When I pull it open, I freeze in place. My sharp intake is the only clue to Sage as to the level of mind fuckery I’m going through right now.

When Sage peeks around my shoulder, she lets out a string of curses that would make a sailor and a truck driver blush. The guys come running when they hear her and form a wall behind the two of us.

“Elder Luca, this isn’t a pleasant surprise.” As always, Sage’s first defense is snark, not that I hold it against her. I’m usually on the sarcasm train right along with her.

Right now, I’m struggling. My memories of Elder Luca are confused and conflicted. From time to time, he would leave food or medical supplies in my secret spot by the river. I saw him leaving the area once and all he did was shake his head and press a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture and keep walking.

He’s also the one that signaled for me to take Sage and leave the night of our first shifts. The night my father said he was going to kill me.

“You have two seconds to explain what the fuck you are doing here. If I don’t like your answer, I have no issues testing out my spells meant for the Alpha dick on you.” Sage is more than willing to jump into the silence since I can’t seem to find my voice.

Luca smiles at us.

He smiles. At us. What the fuck parallel universe are we in when he looks happy to see us?

“Girls, it’s a pleasure to see you thriving away from the pack. The Alpha did send me here, but this trip was one I’ve been waiting to make for years. I’m here at the behest of the Moon Goddess. I am her devoted servant.”