Sunshine (Cosmic Bonds #3)

1. Sunshine

Chapter 1

Sunshine

M y high heels clicked across the intricate white and gold tiles as I made my way between the tables set at intervals around the massive ballroom. Most of the Californian upper crust were here tonight, dressed in sleek evening dresses and perfectly fitting suits. They gathered in groups, wheeling and dealing, or flirting with potential mates. Couples twirled on the dancefloor, the shimmery dresses adding sparkle to the already gilded aesthetics.

The event of the season was a roaring success. I paused to soak in the atmosphere and allowed myself a moment of satisfaction and relief.

I’d managed to pull it off, even though it had been a train wreck. The flowers had been reordered three times, the venue had to be changed four times, and every time we’d tried to finalize the menu, there’d been problems with suppliers.

But tonight, six months of hard work had come to fruition.

Too bad I couldn’t really enjoy it. I loved event planning, but I put so much into each one that by the time it arrived, I was exhausted and ready to move on. Everyone in my extended family had told me I needed to celebrate my achievements more, but that was difficult when the final event always felt more like a narrowly avoided disaster than an accomplishment.

I did another round, keeping to the wall, and this time checking to make sure everyone was playing nicely. There was an additional reason for the well-heeled and well-connected to mind their manners tonight—the influential Bancroft pack was here.

Their eldest son, Simon, was my new brother-in-law. My sister, Stella, an omega, had bonded him and his pack a few weeks ago. Being associated with a rich family made it almost guaranteed that no one would decide to insult a business rival and ruin the evening.

Most of the movers and shakers here would never actually make a scene, but that didn’t mean there weren’t still cutting remarks and power plays.

I slipped past some decorative urns, and a massive oil painting set up on an easel. The next event I was working on was an art auction for charity, so I’d asked the artist to pick some of his best pieces tonight to show off his work and generate interest in the auction. Having a mini gallery added a unique touch to the ballroom. Otherwise, it would have looked like every other expensive venue.

Satisfied, I headed toward the kitchen. Logan, the alpha head chef, wouldn’t need help. But it didn’t hurt to check in and make sure everything was running smoothly. As I turned my head, I caught sight of another familiar alpha. Logan’s packmate, Luca, was looking completely dashing in a three-piece tuxedo. His curly black hair was usually unruly, but tonight he’d managed to tame it.

Julian, their omega, stood next to Luca. The male omega was one of my closest friends. He was funny and flirty, and had a great smile. A blonde woman was standing beside him. As I watched, she laughed, leaning on Julian’s arm as if she needed support. The urge to march over there and pull the woman off him was so strong it stole my breath.

Julian was giving off clear “give me personal space” vibes, from the tight set of his shoulders and the way he angled his body away from the woman.

My heart lurched, and I wished I was standing between Luca and Julian, instead of making sure this fancy event didn’t nosedive into a disaster.

Julian shook his head, his low ponytail moving across his tuxedo. He had refreshed his under shave, so his silky black hair stood out. He laughed, his dimples showing, and my stomach swooped. The image of being between the two of them presented itself again, except this time we were caressing and kissing as we went to find Logan.

I bit my lip, wondering how Julian’s tattoos, currently concealed by his tux, would feel. And whether running my hands through Luca’s hair would mess up the soft waves.

I shook my head, trying to push my thoughts away. I could long to be part of a pack, but at the end of the day I was just a beta.

The twenty-first century was trying to be kinder to the three designations than previous eras. A popular sitcom, Omega in Love was getting traction because it turned the stereotypes around: the omega wasn’t just a sex-crazed bombshell, the alphas weren’t Neanderthals dragging the first omega they saw off to their cave, and betas got to do more than just be there for support or to bring snacks during the heat.

Modern culture could talk about how betas did it better, but in reality, all pack dynamics revolved around an omega finding their mates. Alphas had to make sure they found their perfect omega, omegas craved alphas and their knots, and betas were caught somewhere in between.

Despite this, alphas and omegas were far less common, so most of the world was still made up of betas paired with other betas. In comparison, my mom and dads had been a pack and so had my aunt and uncles. Everyone pointed out that’s why there were so many alphas and omegas in my family.

My two sisters, Stella and Luna, were omegas, as was my cousin Ember. My cousin Raina was a rare female alpha, and I had another alpha cousin, Zephyr. My cousin Terran and I were the only betas in the family.

If my parents had still been alive, I was sure they’d have advice for me. Dad had been a beta, and he used to make jokes about the two of us getting away from all the hormones.

“Where are you from?” I heard the blonde asked Julian, pulling my focus back to the present.

Julian was half Korean and half Hawaiian—idiots always asked him where he was from.

“Hawaii,” he said. “But we’ve lived in Half Moon Bay for years.”

Sometimes when someone assumed that, since he wasn’t white, he must be from China or something, Julian turned it back on the person. But apparently, he didn’t feel like playing the racial microaggression game today. The woman giggled, and I tore my gaze away. If I watched them for too much longer, I’d walk over there and snatch her off Julian.

Luckily, Luca was already wrapping an arm around his omega’s shoulder, subtly pulling him closer.

I continued my course for the kitchen where I could torture myself with Logan. I’d tried out pack life before, but the pack I’d been with had broken things off with just over a year ago.

After cheating on me.

Because I was a beta.

It was better for me to dream about Pack Kahele than to take any action that would end with my heart being broken.

Again.

Clouds of steam greeted me as I pushed into the kitchen.

Logan stood behind a massive stove, directing several sous chefs. All burners were going at once, one of the assistant chefs was setting up rows and rows of gleaming white plates, while another was stirring sauces.

“Everything okay?” I stood at the side of the kitchen, appreciating the delicious smells wafting over.

Logan didn’t look up when he heard my voice. Instead, he turned and grabbed a side plate then arranged a sample of the next course—seared scallops nestled next to baby spinach. After drizzling pomegranate glaze over the whole thing, he held the plate out to me with an intent look. “Try,” he said.

I walked over to the countertop, smiling as I took the plate. “It was delicious during the tasting. I was just making sure you don’t need more bus boys.”

Logan grunted in the negative as he flipped scallops onto plates and passed them over to the person in charge of appetizers. I got a slight waft of his herbal scent, blending in with the kitchen so well you had to know his scent to know the heady blend of thyme, bay, and rosemary was the alpha, and not a delicious dish he was cooking up.

I took a bite and sighed happily, the buttery scallop melting in my mouth along with the sharp and almost citrus taste of the pomegranate. “No wonder Persephone stayed in the Underworld.”

Logan shot me a grin.

It felt like winning the lottery. Gruff and terse barely covered Logan’s grumpy chef personality. I’d rarely seen him crack a smile, especially when he was working, and I couldn’t help but stare.

His short brown hair was mostly hidden under his bandana and his chef’s whites were pristine. The heat of the kitchen had given his normally pale skin a slight flush that revealed a smattering of freckles.

I kept my eyes on him as I took another bite, the combination of flavors became almost sensual and I found myself wondering if Logan’s skin flushed like that when Julian was in heat, and their bodies were pushing together. My breath caught in my throat at the sudden rush of desire.

I slammed a mental door on that line of thinking and ate the rest of my scallops. “Thanks. I hadn’t eaten yet.”

“I know,” he grunted. “You need to eat more. Julian and Luca eating?”

“Of course.” I’d barely had time to talk to them, but I had managed to keep an eye on whether they hit the buffet table. “Julian destroyed your Marsala Risotto.”

Logan nodded, then plated up some of the risotto for me, and I started on it happily.

Just as I was thinking I should head back out, the kitchen’s double doors opened again, and Julian and Luca came through.

“I didn’t know we were allowed to hide back here.” Julian grinned at me. “Hey, gorgeous.”

Warmth rushed over me, and I knew I was smiling like an idiot. Julian was an irresistible cross between adorable and sexy. I eyed the tattoos peeking over the edges of his crisp white dress shirt, wishing I could see more.

Julian and Luca didn’t usually come to the events that Logan catered, but Luca was a hot shot lawyer, and his firm had been invited by one of the hosts. Julian had come as his plus one, so it was a happy coincidence that we were all at the same event together.

My grandparents had started the family matchmaking business, Cosmic Bonds, when they bought a resort in Half Moon Bay. Me, my siblings, and cousins had all grown up helping our parents’ packs run the business. We planned on taking over, but didn’t know it would be so soon. When I was sixteen, our parents, aunt, and uncles had all died in a plane crash, and it had fallen to us to keep the place running. My older cousin Raina, barely eighteen at the time, managed to get custody over the six of us, and we pitched in to help so we could stay together.

Ten years later, and the business was thriving. In addition to personality tests and tarot readings, we also hosted events on the grounds of the resort. I’d started event planning when I was twenty, along with my adopted sister Holly, and six years later the scale of the work had increased immensely. When we realized we needed a regular caterer, we had offered an exclusive contract to Logan’s company, Talk of the Town.

Logan was still free to cater elsewhere, in addition to the restaurant he had in Half Moon Bay, but having him as our sole chef meant that Cosmic Bonds could say we offered nothing less than a three Michelin-starred menu.

It also meant that every now and then there were opportunities to spend time with them as a pack.

“I’m making sure Logan doesn’t need more busboys or waiters.” I took another bite of the risotto. The buttery rice was delicious, and I fought not to make a little moan of pleasure.

“Sure you are.” Julian gave me a side hug, enveloping me in his tropical scent of coconut and pineapple. Inwardly, I melted. “I’m back here checking on Logan’s service, too.”

“Smashing event as usual.” Luca winked at me, his warm brown eyes twinkling.

Having the three of them so close made me tense up, my face flushing from more than just the heat of the kitchen. It was too easy to think about what it would be like to date them. We’d decompress on the couch after a long day, and at night we’d climb into bed, touching and kissing.

My heart began to pound so hard it felt like it was going to come out of my chest, and yearning filled me. The heat I felt was one that never truly went away. I let out a breath and then pushed my fantasies away.

I could dream all I wanted, but nothing good would come from getting involved with a pack. Especially Pack Kahele. Julian was my friend, and I couldn’t stand the thought of losing him just because I wanted something I couldn’t have.

“Thanks.” I set the plate down and slid off my chair. “Speaking of, I’m headed back out to run the gauntlet.”

Julian pecked a kiss on Logan’s cheek. “See you later, hot stuff. We’re gonna go make sure the rich people behave themselves.”

“Good luck with that,” Logan grumbled. “Y’all come back for the dessert course.”

“Yes, sir.” Julian gave Logan a mock salute, and I found myself being escorted out of the kitchen by the men of my dreams.