AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You kept part of our old name,” I said with a soft smile. We talked about combining but neither one of us truly wanted to just join the other’s business. We’d all worked so hard that those were already set in stone.
Our only other option was to create a hybrid bar that we ran together. We’d mix the vibes we wanted, using all of our skills combined with Lance’s business sense. This was going to be yet another way for us to meld our lives together.
Lance was also going to be working for his dad on the side. They had bought the property next to ours and built their house, but he’d also brought his business. He’d opened a new office and Lance loved working there. Thanks to their contributions to the house, we didn’t have a ton of bills and could pour all of our assets into this now.
Word had already spread on social media about us. So many had seen the drama that followed the competition and were dying to come check out the new place. I knew it was just them hoping to get a glimpse of us and maybe hear the story from our point of view, which we had yet to give anyone.
“Of course we did, a tribute to your dad,” Zath said with a gentle smile. I blinked away the tears as I continued watching, wanting to see it all.
“So, what do you think?” Riven asked eagerly. When I glanced up, all four men were looking at me.
It felt like they’d already made their decision and were just waiting for me to finalize the vote. I handed back the tablet and glanced around the old building before finally giving them an answer.
“We should do it.”
At this point, we hadn’t done anything by halves, so why not dive headfirst into this new adventure? It was the perfect way to combine our bars and I couldn’t wait to see these blueprints come to life.
“Good, because the realtor will be here in five minutes and we can get this process started.” I laughed at El’s enthusiasm. I wasn’t even surprised that they were already this far ahead. We’d barely been at a standstill for months while we were searching, slowly shutting our businesses down behind the scenes and waiting to pull the plug until we had something to move into. Another reason to be thankful for Lance, as shifting our assets around was more than a little complicated.
To me, this was the ultimate fresh start. A new home, a new business, a baby, and our lives exactly where we wanted them. For the first time, all of us were living for ourselves, with nothing holding any of us back.
A fluttering in my stomach was followed by a pretty powerful kick and I laughed.
“It seems Avery is quite happy with the choice as well.” That had all four of the men coming over to place their hands on my stomach. She happily kicked back at them.
The realtor came and Lance walked us through everything. It was wrapped up in thirty minutes and she was handling everything else for now.
“Okay, can we go home now?” I groaned as she left. “My horse is more than ready to stretch her legs.”
It was safe for us to shift all the way up until the final days of pregnancy. I could feel her anxiety and since I wouldn’t be able to shift until I fully healed, I was trying to give her as much time to run as possible.
“Come on, let’s go,” Zath agreed, leading me out of the door with a hand on the small of my back.
* * *
The sun beamedoff of my back as we ran through the forest, searching for our mates. El loved to hide from us and my horse thought it was hilarious. She was seeking him out now with her nose to the ground as if she could sniff him out like a hound dog. It was hard to hide from your mates when feelings were intertwined.
Just as she rounded the trees something launched out and landed on her back. She let out a shocked whinny and bucked into the air, nearly launching El into the air. He clung on as she landed back on all four hooves.
Their game gave our location away and Riven’s bear tore through the forest, coming out with a growl of greeting before he joined us. He nuzzled his nose along her belly and let out a soft purr just for the baby.
It was so funny to consider the group of animals that came together, and–not for the first time–I couldn’t help but wonder what hers could possibly be. We still had a lot of years before we would find that out, though.
As she took off again with a raccoon on her back, a raven soared overhead. We were flanked by a bear and an antelope, keeping pace with her as she tore through the trees and out in the field beyond.
When we ran together like this, all I could feel was the love and the safety of being surrounded by mates who cared about me. Lance was slowly healing from his trauma, Zath and I were learning how to be mates, and Riven and El were navigating the new phase of their own relationship.
Tension rose in the bond as we ran back home. I could feel Lance’s need rising and it spiraled through our connections. I had a feeling that there was going to be no going out to dinner tonight. Now they definitely had other ideas in mind and I was not opposed.
Just as we reached the backyard, Riven shifted.
“I know I wasn’t the only one feeling that, so get your asses in the house. I think we have a mate to please tonight.” His gaze shifted to the antelope whose steps faltered at his words. “Are you ready?”
It had to be his decision, his move. We’d never push him into something he wasn’t ready for.
I shifted so abruptly that El started to fall off of our back, shifting himself before he hit the ground and rolling, laying on the ground naked and staring up at the stars. Zath shifted next, laughing at our fallen comrade.
Goosebumps erupted on my skin as Zathrian walked closer, teasing his fingertips over my skin just enough to work me up even more.
