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Ember

After a few days of lying around with my men, I dragged myself back to work. I could have stayed out longer, but I wanted to get back to what was going to pass for normal. We went on a few dates as a pack, to the beach, where Rian and I argued over the best time to sit and look at the water, and then to a nice restaurant Alejandro wanted to try.

It was nice. Some of my nerves were soothed by having everyone around, but getting back to a routine was going to be the real test.

Case in point, West worked remotely. I didn’t have to ask him if he wanted to stay home or come to work with me and find an empty room.

We moved into Rian and Ben’s house, but I was still mentally thinking of it as theirs. And sitting around their house while no one else was home all day would have felt…weird. Considering it took months for West to get comfortable in my cottage, I could only guess how long it would take for him to adjust to Ben and Rian’s.

They suggested looking for a house for all of us, but that seemed dumb. I liked their house; I just hadn’t lived there long enough to make it feel like mine.

I walked into the reception room with West in tow.

My entire family was waiting for me. I’d expected them to be more chill about things, but boy, was I wrong. All of my cousins and siblings took turns hugging me—and West—and giving us presents.

Raina looked like a Valkyrie. “We will figure out who broke in, I promise.”

She also promised swift vengeance. I grinned. I liked it when my older sister came over all bloodthirsty.

“We’ve installed more cameras, even around the private residences, and we’re talking about a massive gate as well,” Zephyr added, furious.

“We’re okay.” I squeezed West’s hand. He looked…surprised at the show of support. Even now he was shocked when my family treated him like part of the family.

“We have presents,” Stella said, thrusting a shiny blue gift into West’s hands. “It’s not the same, but it’s a start.”

Everyone stared at West, waiting for him to open it. I grinned at him. “Go on. Just like at Christmas.”

West sighed. “Fine. But you didn’t have to do this.”

“Speak for yourself,” Terran said. “It’s the least we can do.”

West opened up the box, and it was a velvet blue pillow and a blue axolotl Squishmallow. Amusement creased his face. “Thank you.”

We sat in the reception room and opened our presents. We had new Squishmallows (which made me tear up a little bit), blankets, pillows, the nasty peach gummy rings West loved, and some quality chocolate for me.

“Thank you.” I hugged my family. “We’re doing okay, but this was perfect.” I kept a purple unicorn Squishmallow under my arm. “West is going to find a random room to work in.”

“Not your office?” West raised an eyebrow.

“If I’m not going to annoy you,” I said sweetly. Sometimes loud music and my random comments distracted him while he worked.

“If she’s too much, you’re welcome to use any of the empty offices,” Raina said.

We all set about our workdays, and I brought our bounty into my office.

I eyed the couch. Having West in my office all day was going to be distracting. Alejandro had done a massive amount of food prep so now we all went to work with packed lunches, snacks, and even some smoothies.

West settled on the couch, and I opened up my computer, feeling like it had been ten years and not barely a week since I’d been here.

Sitting in the middle of all his new Squishmallows and pillows, West looked really comfortable.

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. If I climbed in there with him, we’d have sex and get nothing done.

I was having a hard time seeing a downside. Nope, I had to catch up on work. So did he.

“Still okay with everything?” I shifted my mouse. “Moving in as a pack?”

He glanced over. “I wouldn’t have said yes if I wasn’t.”