Page 1 of Unravel Me

Chapter 1: JARED

Present day

Holding my son in my arms, I stare at the door behind which the matchmaker, Storm Nolan, has his office.

This matchmaking agency is one of those places people come to when they want to find a partner, a husband, a father for their children…

But I’m not here to find some random guy who checked the same boxes I did under ‘hobbies’ on a form and happens to have the same zodiac sign.

I’m here because this particular matchmaker has a certain… reputation. According to the people who know him, Storm Nolan can find people’s fated mates, their other half, their perfect match.

And it so happens I’m desperately in need of finding a man who can bring some kind of change to my catastrophe-of-a-life. I’ve truly reached a crossroads, and my whole world has fallen apart.

My gaze fixes on the nameplate.

So much depends on this. I can't live like this anymore, I’m at my limit. A deep trembling travels through my bones, my breathing is short and ragged, and my mouth is dry.

Next to me stands my cousin Alex, looking at me attentively.

"Do you really think he can do it?" I whisper to him, and kiss Tommy’s pale-golden curls as he clings tightly to me.

My son is tired; this day was hellish. I packed our things just minutes before the agents arrived to secure the property under the court order. My ex-husband's assets had been placed under a pretrial restraining order. Because of my prenuptial agreement, I had almost no claim to his property, and it was best for me to simply get out of there.

Alex offered me a place to stay and, seeing my desperation, almost immediately suggested we come here. I agreed, wanting to start dealing with my problems as soon as possible instead of just torturing myself over them.

But the longer we stay in front of Storm Nolan’s door, staring mindlessly, the stronger my doubts grow.

"My case is different from the ones he usually deals with, isn’t it?" I ask gloomily.

Alex’s amethyst eyes shift away, as if he were trying to hide his uncertainty. Well, no wonder. The outcome of this meeting is a big question mark.

The idea of being able to find someone’s fated mate from a distance… it sounds like magic.

I’ve never heard of anyone who could do that. As desperately as I want to believe it, the doubts gnaw at me hard. The only problem is… I’ve reached the point where I’m willing to give this madness a try.

"Let's stay positive," Alex whispers. "He’s helped four people find their True Mates lately." His small hand touches my son’s back, stroking it lightly. "The winds in your life have to change direction eventually, right?"

I stay silent. Tommy plays with my ear, gently tugging at it as if he wants to turn it into an elf ear. For a moment, we simply stand there, lost in our thoughts. Finally, Alex lets out a sigh and straightens up.

"So. Ready?"

Well, do I have any other options? I nod slowly. Too much is at stake, and I’m gonna fight for a better life for myself and my child.

Alex knocks, then presses down on the handle, and we walk into the office.

It’s a small, cramped space, and from what I know, it’s Storm’s temporary office. After the Fate’s Choice matchmaking agency ran into some problems, the employees had to move into little rooms like this one. It doesn’t exactly scream spectacular, top-notch service, but I try not to let it put me off.

Alex greets Storm with a wide smile.

They know each other well. Alex used to date Storm’s brother, Bay, and spent a lot of time at their house, but that was a few years ago.

As they exchange handshakes, I quietly stand just behind Alex, holding Tommy close.

The matchmaker is an absolute giant of a man, a purple alpha whose head almost brushes the ceiling. He’s classically handsome, and there’s an intense aura surrounding him.

Besides Storm, there’s one more young man in the room, an omega sitting silently on the couch, but I pay him no attention at the moment.

"This is Jared Ferguson…" Alex gestures toward me.