Swipe Right for Love

by DJ Bryce

  Swipe Right to Love

  Paranormal Mating, book 2

  DJ Bryce

  Terra Wolf

  Copyright © 2018 by DJ Bryce and Terra Wolf

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover by Cosmic Letterz

  Proofreading by KMS Editing

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Katja

  2. Bane

  3. Katja

  4. Bane

  5. Katja

  6. Bane

  7. Katja

  8. Bane

  9. Katja

  10. Katja

  11. Bane

  12. Katja

  13. Bane

  14. Katja

  15. Bane

  16. Katja

  17. Bane

  18. Katja

  19. Bane

  20. Katja

  21. Bane

  22. Katja

  23. Bane

  24. Katja

  25. Bane

  26. Katja

  27. Bane

  Untitled

  28. Katja

  Epilogue

  Keep reading for a peek at Book 3!

  Swipe Right for Passion ~ Chapter 1

  About the Author

  Also by DJ Bryce

  One

  Katja

  I slowed down to a jog and took the time to enjoy my surroundings.

  It was a beautiful spring day on the Florida coast. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and I was absolutely miserable.

  I kicked up the pace, focused on what was in front of me and tried to drown out the negativity in my head.

  It was seeing my ex that put me in this mood.

  The pretty boy asshole I’d dated all through high school and college. The man who loved to put me down, tell me how fat I was, and taunt me with food. Eventually I’d grown up, gained a little self-confidence, and kicked his ass to the curb, but unfortunately years of verbal abuse tended to stick with you.

  I guess I could thank him for my new, lean and toned body. After all, it was because of him that my workout obsession began.

  Now, it seemed like working out was the only thing I had going for me.

  I’d recently lost my nanny job when my charge’s father got a work transfer and they’d moved away. My roommate got engaged to her longtime boyfriend and was moving in with him at the end of the week. And, now… my ex was back in town.

  The hits just kept coming.

  It had been these series of unfortunate events that instigated my doing something completely out of character...

  After I’d seen my ex last week when I was going to pick up takeout, I’d come across an ad for a dating app that I’d never heard about before. Being in a vulnerable state, I’d decided to check it out.

  I’d made a profile and started talking to a couple guys online. It wasn’t that I was looking for love, or even a date, it was more like I was looking for a change… a drastic change, and I was willing to try anything in order to get my life on an upward swing.

  The Paranormal Mating App was actually an app for paranormal beings who were looking for mates.

  Now, I know, when you hear mate, you think of fate, predestined love, and things of that nature, but this app was actually for people looking for a myriad of things. I’d met one guy who wanted to find his mate to get his mom off his back. Another was looking for someone to help him with his farm because he was falling behind. While another was looking for someone to grow old with because he was tired of being alone.

  Sure, there were still some looking for love and happily ever after, but if I saw that in a profile, I kept going.

  The other cool thing was that you weren’t expected to say yes and boom, you had your mate. They actually had the option to hold a trial period, which gave you and your prospective mate the chance to get to know each other before you made a lifelong commitment.

  Make no mistake, that part of mating was still the same… the lifetime commitment. Once you agreed to mate with the other person, and had the claiming ceremony, there was no turning back.

  The only way you were getting out of it was death, so you’d better be damn sure you picked the right person.

  That’s why I had mandatory trial period listed on my profile. No way I wanted to get saddled with an asshole for the rest of my life. I’d already seen what living with one looked like, and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty.

  I used my last burst of speed when my apartments came into view, then walked down the block and back to cool off.

  I tilted my head back and closed my eyes.

  Unbidden, the memory of my ex sitting next to a woman at the restaurant assaulted the back of my eyelids.

  She was a mirror image of who I used to be. Blonde hair, medium height, and about fifty pounds overweight.

  I’d wanted to tell her to run for the hills, to warn her of what he was like, how he’d treat her, the things he’d say… instead, I’d stood there frozen for a good ten seconds, before I turned tail and run like a coward.

  By the time I’d gotten home I’d been sweaty, wide-eyed and shaking. Luckily, my roommate hadn’t been home to see me walk in and go straight for the liquor cabinet. I’d taken the bottle of tequila to my room and hadn’t come out until the next day.

  I let out a deep breath and stretched my arm across my chest.

  I looked around my neighborhood and wondered if I’d miss it. I was only going to be gone a couple weeks, unless the trial went well, of course, then I’d move to Indiana permanently.

  I’d never been to the Midwest and was interested to see what it was like. Plus, the man I’d met on the app, Bane, was a single dad. That was a big part of the reason I’d said yes to his trial. I missed the kid I’d been a nanny for, and often thought I was better with kids than with adults. Plus, he’d insisted on a trial period as well, and was not the type who was looking for the love of his life.

  All of these were pluses in my book.

  The first week it would just be me and Bane. We’d have a trial period with the two of us, making sure we got along and laying out what we both expected for our futures. If we decided we liked each other and wanted to move forward, then, and only then, would I get to meet his daughter, Sloane. The second week would be a trial with the three of us to see if we were all a good fit.

  I really liked this about Bane. The fact that he wasn’t introducing every person who answered his ad to his daughter and had added that extra measure to ensure she wasn’t subjected to someone who wasn’t going to stick.

  Other than that, I didn’t really know much about him.

  He was attractive, unless he used someone else’s photo on his profile, worked for Yonaweti Camping and Fishing, which was a major sporting goods chain, as some sort of travel guide, and he was a shifter.

  Wolf to be exact.

  I’d never actually spoken with a shifter in person, although I had made out with a witch one night when I was really drunk.

  I was excited at the prospect of meeting Bane and Sloane and seeing Indiana, but mostly I was just happy to get far, far away from here.

  Two

  Bane

  “Sloane, baby, are you ready? We’ve got to get going… I’d like to get to Uncle Gray’s before nightfall,” I called out.

  “Ready, Daddy,” my little angel replied as she came out of her room juggling three dolls and a baby bed.

  I chuckled and went to help her.

  “You’re taking all of these wi
th you?” I asked. “You’ll only be gone a week.”

  “They’ll miss me, Daddy,” she told me, looking up at me with her big eyes. “I gotta kiss them goodnight before bed. I have to take them.”

  I nodded, because, honestly, she could ask me to pack up her whole bedroom and take it to my brother Grayson’s house, and I would. I’d do anything in the world for her. My mate, Sarah, had died in childbirth, so it had always been just Sloane and me.

  She was my everything.

  “Okay, baby girl, let me get a duffel bag to put your dolls and their bed in, okay, then we’ve gotta go.”

  Sloane waited patiently while I went to get the bag and placed her dolls lovingly inside of it. Then I grabbed her overnight bag, pillow, favorite blanket, and grocery bag full of toiletries and Sloane’s favorite foods.

  My brother, Gray, was a bit of a recluse.

  He was a great brother and even better uncle, but he was used to living alone on his land and tended to be a solitary man. His love for Sloane was greater than his need to be alone, and although he hated to come in to town and be around the pack, he enjoyed it when we went to visit him.

  When I’d asked him to watch her for a week while I held a trial period to try and find a new mate, he’d happily agreed. Sloane was excited to spend time with her Uncle, she loved going to his farm, but I knew he wouldn’t have things like cereal, fruit snacks, or applesauce, so I was always sure to bring those items from home.

  “Ready?” I asked her once the jeep was loaded.

  Sloane nodded and reached out her arms so I could lift her up into the car seat.

  As I drove the hour to my brother’s place I thought of what I knew about Katja, the woman who was arriving tomorrow to begin the trial period.

  She was a couple years younger than me at twenty-seven. She’d been a nanny and said she loved kids, which was the biggest draw for me. I was looking for someone to be a mother, and good role model, for Sloane. That was my biggest objective.

  I wasn’t looking for love, or an honest to goodness mate… I’d already met mine and had no desire to replace her.

  Katja also said she liked to work out, be active, and enjoyed the outdoors. As a wild-life tracker, tour guide, and outdoor enthusiast, it was a plus to find someone to spend my life with who shared at least some of my hobbies.

  I didn’t care what she looked like, although her picture was attractive, but I hoped that she was kind, compassionate, and easy to talk to.

  Those were traits that I figured were necessary when raising a little girl.

  I looked in the rear-view mirror to see Sloane had dozed off in the back seat and smiled and my perfect little girl.

  She had her mom’s sunny disposition and my dark looks, but my daughter was also funny, kind-hearted, and full of love. I don’t know how I got so lucky, maybe it was God’s way of apologizing for taking my mate, but Sloane was an absolute gift.

  We finally pulled left onto the long road that led out to Grayson’s farm.

  My brother had moved here ten years ago and had never left. He didn’t go back to town for anything… pack meetings, shopping… hell, he hadn’t even attended my wedding, Sloane’s birth, or Sarah’s funeral.

  I understood, I really did, although there were times when I needed my brother and wished he were around. During those time, I came out here. The first three months of Sloane’s life had been spent at Gray’s farm. I’d been devastated and lost, and he’d helped me learn to cope... how to be a father.

  I saw him sitting on the front porch waiting as I pulled up to the house.

  “How’s it going?” I asked as I jumped out of the jeep.

  Grayson was coming down the steps toward me, a wide grin on his face.

  “Better now that my two-favorite people are here,” he replied, grabbing me and pulling me in for a quick hug. “She asleep?”

  “Yeah, but she’ll wake as soon as I unbuckle her. She’s excited to see you.”

  “Let me get her,” Gray suggested.

  I nodded and moved to get Sloane’s things.

  “Uncle Gray,” Sloane said when he lifted her out of the seat, her speech slurred from sleep. “I brought dollies for us to play with.”

  “I was hoping you would, Princess,” my brother told her, dropping a kiss on her head as he carried her toward the house.

  We went inside, with Sloane and Gray heading toward the living room, and me turning down the hall to put her things in the bedroom he’d made up for her.

  By the time I came back out with the bag of groceries, Sloane was telling him all about her last few days of Kindergarten. I unpacked the groceries, then moved into the living room to join them.

  “You need anything?” Gray asked.

  The plan was for me to turn around and head right back, since I needed to pick Katja up at the airport in the morning.

  “I think I’ll go for a quick run before I head out, if that’s okay… stretch my legs a bit.”

  “Sure thing,” Gray said with a nod, then added, “Just stay away from my chickens.”

  “Asshole,” I said with a chuckle and shake of my head, then I moved to give my daughter a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll come back in and say goodbye before I leave.”

  “Okay, daddy.”

  I went out the back door, put some distance between me and the house, and took off my clothes. Then I shifted and took off, making sure to go in the opposite direction of Gray’s chickens, so I didn’t tempt my wolf.

  Three

  Katja

  I walked out of the airport feeling a bit rumpled and out of sorts, but happy to have arrived safely. I wasn’t the best flyer, so every bit of turbulence felt like certain death. Luckily, there’d been very little, and the vodka tonic I’d had during flight helped my anxiety some.

  Bane had told me he’d be waiting outside of baggage claim, so when I stepped out onto the sidewalk, I looked for his Jeep.

  When I didn’t see any Jeep’s, I rolled my suitcase over to the nearest bench and sat down. With one bag at my feet and the other securely in my lap, I took out my cellphone and checked to see if I had any missed messages or calls.

  I did not.

  I lifted my head and looked around, noting the pleasant weather and green surroundings. It was definitely less humid than Florida, and it was nice to see all of the trees surrounding the airport.

  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, centering myself and letting all of the anxiety from the flight go.

  I heard a honk and opened my eyes to see a black Jeep pulling up to the curb in front of me. I smiled serenely and stood, shifting my bags and going towards the Jeep, as Bane hopped down from the driver’s seat and rounded the vehicle.

  The first thing I noticed was how big he was… not just tall, although he was probably six foot, but also broad and obviously in tremendous shape. He had short brown hair, scruff on his face, and deep brown eyes.

  His profile picture had not been a fake.

  My tummy tingled a bit as he moved toward me, and I mentally told myself to calm down. I was sure it was nerves at being here and trying something way out of my comfort zone, and not the fact that I found him attractive.

  I did, but that was not what I was here for… chemistry was one thing, and I guess it was better to find the person your spending your life with attractive rather than hideous, but I was not here to develop feelings for him.

  That was not in the cards for us.

  “Katja?” Bane asked, his deep voice causing those tingles to flutter.

  Shit.

  “Yes,” I replied, holding out my free hand to shake his and ignoring the flutters and I tried to look pleasant and non-threatening. “Bane?”

  He nodded and shook my hand, then took my bag off my shoulder and the rollaway from my hand.

  “Nice to meet you. Welcome to Indiana.”

  “Thanks,” I said, and followed him to the Jeep where he was placing my things in the back.

  “Hop in,” Bane said, as he did the same.


  We drove the first few miles in awkward silence, then when I couldn’t take it anymore, I turned my head slightly to look at his profile.

  “Have you… done this before? Cause, I haven’t,” I told him, my wavering tone conveying my nerves.

  Bane looked briefly at me before facing the road again.

  “No,” he replied. “I mean, I’ve spoken with other women online, but no one had made it to the trial… until now.”

  “If you don’t mind my asking, what made you pick me to come out?”

  I noticed his hands gripping the steering wheel, and I worried I was pushing too fast, but since we were only in a one-week trial, I figured the faster we got to know each other, the better. And, I wanted to know why he chose me.

  “You said you were a nanny, and that you love kids. That was the biggest reason,” Bane said, his eyes trained on the road. “But, I also liked that you’re interested in the outdoors and exercise, since both Sloane and I love outdoor activities. I thought it best if we shared at least some of the same interests.”

  I nodded, because that made sense.

  “What about you?” he asked. “If you’ve never done a trial with anyone before, why’d you agree to come here?”

  I fiddled with my hem as I replied, “Our reasons are pretty similar. I liked the fact that you have a young daughter, and that you’re an outdoorsman and a guide. I’ve never been to the mid-west and have always been curious to see it. And, to be honest, I’m ready to make a change in my life and to start building something real.”