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Chapter 1

Ember

With a few more finishing touches, my presentation would be complete. I adjusted the photos and the graphic effects, purposely keeping it looking homemade. With my PowerPoint skills I could make it look professional, but I was trying to convince my family my idea was the perfect next step for our matchmaking business, and I didn’t want to oversell it.

“Easy” by Olivia Ruiz came on, and I tapped my foot.

I was alone in the conference room and thus had control over the music. I had excellent taste in music and my family ceded control years ago. I was a benevolent dictator and let them use their own playlists from time to time. I wasn’t a complete monster.

The double doors opened, and my cousin Luna stepped in. Her long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she looked tired. The reason she was tired was bundled in her arms, wrapped in a red floral-print blanket. Poppy, my second cousin, or cousin-niece as I liked to call her, was only three months old and kept my cousin and her pack up all hours of the night.

Halos, one of Luna’s alphas, came in with her. His black hair was messier than usual, and he had a matching set of bags under his eyes. He still managed to look deliriously happy and gave me a smile. “Still collecting lavender like it’s the secret to happiness?”

“Of course,” I said. I’d watched Halos and Luna’s courtship firsthand at the nursery, mostly involving them staring longingly at each other over shrubs. My cousin accidentally got pregnant from a one-night stand in Vegas and she’d assumed Halos wouldn’t want her. It was an adorable love story and made last year very interesting. Luna had a pack now, and they had Poppy to keep them all on their toes.

“Fantastic.” I slid a box of donuts over to the bonded pair. “Is my favorite cousin-niece still having a party all night?”

“Yes.” Luna took the seat next to me. I made grabby hands, and my cousin put the little bundle of joy in my arms.

Poppy was adorable, a small tuft of brown hair at the top of her head. She was tiny, with the smallest little fingers, and her eyes hadn’t finished changing color yet. She made a grumpy baby noise that melted my heart.

“I can’t wait for her to get older so I can spoil her.” I’d already bought more clothes and stuffed animals than any one baby could wear, but that didn’t stop me.

Besides, the rest of our family didn’t show restraint, so why should I?

Luna gave me a tired smile. “I’m trying to cherish these moments as they come. She won’t be this little forever.”

The reminder of time passing hit me like a slap to the face, and it was all I could do not to burst into tears.

I looked down at the baby to buy myself some time, even though Luna and Halos wouldn’t have judged me for being sad.

Out of all of my family, Luna might have understood the best, but I wasn’t ready to talk about my jumble of feelings.

Last year, my cousins Stella, Luna, and Sunshine found their packs.

And I wanted that for them. But the more things changed, the more I felt the loss of our parents.

I pushed the sorrow away and focused on my objective. It wouldn’t be easy to convince everyone this was the next step for our business, but it was time.

Halos brushed his hand over Luna’s shoulder. “You need anything? I know your meeting starts soon, but I can grab you some tea or coffee?” He looked at me. “You too, Ember.”

“I’m okay.” I gestured at my cup of coffee. “But thanks. You’re a good cousin in law.”

Halos smiled. “Of course.”

I passed Halos his daughter, and he gave Luna a kiss on the forehead before leaving. He’d stick around the Welcome Center, probably showing the baby the crystal room again. She had a fascination for anything shiny, something I wholeheartedly approved of.

The door opened, and the rest of our family poured in. Stella with her swinging skirts; Sunshine with her bouncy walk; my older sister, Raina, with her hair in its customary bun; and my two brothers, Zephyr and Terran. Holly arrived last, a sister in all but blood. She’d grow up alongside us.

Terran took the seat next to me, the other computer whiz in the family. I gave him a fist bump, enjoying his soft beta scent of blue skies and fresh grass, like a warm summer day.

“How did the update go?” Terran gestured at my laptop.

I minimized my PowerPoint presentation, wanting to save the surprise. “Updates are working well so far.”

When Terran and I designed the computer program that allowed us to match people, we didn’t think it would grow this big. But Cosmic Bonds had over twenty thousand people inthe matching software, bringing the company our grandparents started into the digital world.

“Are we ready to get started?” Raina looked around the room, her pink unicorn planner incongruous with her beige suit.