Paranormal Dating Agency: Shifting Fate (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Breaking the SEAL Book 3)

by Wren Michaels

  Brawn closed his fists and reopened them, staring at his hands. “I don't know. I just have this… this urge inside me. I need to rip into something. Do we have new orders yet?”

  “Is this a testosterone thin, or a wolf thing?” Steel folded his arms.

  Braxton jerked his head. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I can't send you out if you're going to go rogue and not follow orders again. You seem to have some anger issues boiling, and if you can't figure out what's causing them, then you can't fix them. I can't have your ass in the field threatening to compromise a mission again.”

  “I promise. I've got it under control.” The lie pricked his heart. He had no idea what the hell was causing his anger, his need to claim, conquer, destroy. Something stewed inside him, an angst like he'd never known in his twenty-six years.

  Steel sighed and ran a hand along his bald brown head. “I have to give you leave. Medical orders.” He handed over a manila envelope. “You need to take some time off to find your zen and get your ass back to being a SEAL.”

  “Steel, come on, are you serious?” Brawn looked at the papers and rage boiled in his blood. A fiery heat flamed his body. It took everything in him not to throw a punch.

  Fuck. Maybe Steel was right. He had to calm the hell down. He had no idea where the firestorm inside him stemmed from.

  Steel's lips pursed to a thin line. “So, are we clear?”

  Brawn growled and managed a nod. “Crystal.”

  Steel gripped Brawn's shoulder. “Don't make me throw a blade at your ass. You're one of my brothers, and I want to keep it that way. You need to figure this shit out and bring back the Brawn we need on this team.”

  Brawn nodded again as Steel turned and stalked out of the workout room. He let a long sigh ride his lips as he plunked against a bench and scrubbed a hand along his face.

  Two more members of his team walked into the gym, Hound and Digger.

  “What's eatin' ya, Brawn?” Digger asked, slapping a hand on his back.

  He hated to admit he had a problem to himself. But he hated it more that he had to now tell his teammates. “Steel just put me on medical leave.”

  Hound spun around at his locker. “What the hell for?”

  “Anger issues, apparently.” Brawn chucked the paperwork to the floor.

  Hound glanced to the ground then to Brawn. “Can't imagine why. It was the car thing in Russia, wasn't it?”

  Brawn glared at him, then eased off. “I guess, something like that.”

  “Maybe you just need to get laid, man.” Digger punched him in the shoulder. “You need a release. You're punching your fists when you really need to be plunging your—”

  Hound raised a hand and cut him off. “We get it, Digger.” He glanced back to Brawn. “But, dude's got a point. I mean, maybe it's just pent up sexual frustration brewing. You don't have a girlfriend. You haven't even hit a Frog Hog in forever.”

  “Easy for you to say, now that you're with Jayla. You can get some whenever you want.” Brawn shook his head with a laugh.

  He hadn't had a girlfriend in so long, he wouldn't even know what to do with one. He was used to the Frog Hogs, the SEAL groupies who hung out at bars just waiting for a sailor to come to port and order her up like a menu item. But for the last several months, Brawn had zero interest in one night stands. Maybe he did need to get laid.

  “Hey, it took us a while to get where we are. You know Jayla and I had our share of issues. But I'm definitely a better man because of her.”

  Brawn chuckled at the goofy grin plastered on Hound's face as he talked about his girlfriend. Yeah, he'd like to eventually settle down himself someday, but he was a SEAL. At least Hound's girl was a CIA spy. She knew the game and was gone as much as he was. Finding a girl willing to deal with a military life wasn't always easy.

  Not to mention he was a shifter, and once they mated, they did so for life. Brawn wasn't sure he was ready to give up the girl in every port lifestyle, even though lately it had worn thin on him. The same types of women always showed up, and he needed something new. Something different. Someone worth fighting for.

  Brawn grabbed his gym bag and shook hands with his teammates. “Don't miss me while I'm gone.”

  “You could always get a blow-up doll,” Digger shouted after him with a laugh.

  “I wouldn't want to take any away from you, asshole.” Brawn whipped him the finger while laughing in return.

  Hound slapped him on the back as he walked out. “Later man. Take care of yourself.”

  Brawn nodded and headed to his car just as his phone rang. Great, his mom. While he loved his mother dearly, the last person he wanted to talk to right now was his momma, especially about getting put on medical leave from the Navy for his anger issues.

  With a grunt, he begrudgingly answered. “Hey, momma.”

  “Oh, Braxton, so glad I caught you. I need you to go see Gerri right away,” she said.

  “Gerri? As in the odd shifter lady who runs the Paranormal Dating Agency?” Shit, did everyone know he needed to get laid? Coming from his momma, that was just fucking creepy.

  “Well, yes. She called me and wondered if you were available to help her with a client. She has a human who needs a bodyguard for a couple days. I know you just got back from a mission, so I thought maybe you'd have some leave time. Gerri's helped our family in many a pinch. I would appreciate it if you could do this for her.”

  Nothing like mom laying down the guilt trip. Gerri had a penchant for matching shifters with their mates. If that was indeed where his angst issues stemmed from, then maybe she could help him if he helped her with this bodyguard issue. “Oddly enough, I do have some leave time now.”

  “Oh, good. Stop by and see her. Then you come home and see your momma.”

  “Yes, ma'am.” Braxton's lips curled to a smile. He did miss his family, and since he now had the time, he might as well make an effort to see them if he could. Tomorrow was never a guarantee for a SEAL.

  Braxton knocked on Gerri's door.

  “Come in. Come in,” Gerri yelled from inside.

  He shrugged and let himself in. “You know, that's not very safe. What if I was planning to rob you?”

  The short white-haired woman stalked out of the kitchen and into the living room. “Really, Braxton, like I couldn't smell you a mile away, even buried under all that unnatural Eau de Stink you men like to call cologne. Besides…wolf.” Her bright blue eyes flashed to gold and back again.

  Braxton nodded. “Right.”

  Gerri walked a circle around him. “Well, you certainly grew up well. Look at you. A SEAL and everything. Mariana raised herself a good boy, even if he hides his true nature.” The smirk covering her lips oozed disapproval. His mother must have held nothing back in their conversations. He didn't remember meeting Gerri, but she and his mother were friends from different packs.

  “It's not so easy in the military, Ms. Gerri. Guys get hazed enough, let alone if they knew I was a wolf. I don't want to do special bomb retrieving bullshit missions. I want to be a SEAL, a normal one, like the rest of my team. Doesn't mean I'm not proud to be a wolf. I just want two separate lives.” Brawn planned on eventually telling his team, somehow. He just didn't know when. All his life he'd been the smallest of his pack, the runt of the litter. But as a SEAL, he stood out among the humans, bigger and stronger. Able to run faster, swim better, harness his advantages. He was like a machine, and people counted on him. In his pack, he was nothing. In the military, he saved lives.

  “There'll come a time when those lives will merge, and you'll find that hiding who you are will be a disadvantage. You should flourish in all that you are, Braxton. Not hide from it.” Gerri handed him a note with an address on it.

  “I'm not hiding. I'm just not flaunting my shifter nature like some do.” Brawn scanned the paper with the address and name Sylvia Schneider on it. “This the girl who needs a bodyguard?”

  Gerri nodded. “Meet her there at eight tomorrow mornin
g. You'll be accompanying her to a convention. She works for my godson's company. There have been internet threats against her recently, and he's worried someone could do something while she's Vegas.”

  Seemed easy enough. Usually threats were just internet trolls wanting attention. Most of them didn't come out of their parent's basements long enough to actually do anything. And, Vegas, it was sounding better already. “Got it. She'll remain unharmed. So, I was thinking…you know…about your dating agency, that after this mission maybe we could talk about—”

  Gerri held up a hand and brimmed a wide grin. “Don't you worry about a thing, I've got it taken care of.” She winked.

  Now he just had to make it the next couple of days without hulking out on anyone and maybe Gerri would help him find a mate. “Cool. Thanks, Ms. Gerri.”

  “Oh, no. Thank you, Braxton.” She smiled and closed the door behind him.

  3

  Sylvia tossed her long blond locks into a messy bun before shoving a Xanax into a cupcake and chowing it down. She hated flying, and now she'd have to do it with a total stranger. This whole trip had bad idea written all over it.

  Her doorbell rang, and she just about threw the cupcake back up. Maybe she still had time to tell Noah he needed to go.

  The bell rang again. Impatient much?

  With a sigh, Sylvia opened the door. One look at the man and dizziness swept through her head like a storm, swirling until everything blurred in front of her and her body involuntarily listed. He dashed to her side and caught her in his arms before carrying her to the sofa.

  With a feather-light touch, he brushed the stray hairs away from her face. “Are you all right, ma'am?”

  “Ma'am? How old do I look?” she asked with a groan. Because practically fainting in front of him wasn't enough, now she looked old. Just perfect.

  And that was the whole problem. He was perfect—the man was the spitting image of the Navy SEAL character she just finished putting the final touches on in the game. Chin-length sandy-brown hair swept across his face, gently shading his grayish-blue eyes. Day-old scruff covered his cheeks and angular chin. Exactly how she drew him. Right down to his husky, line-backer shaped body. Damn he made her feel small, and she had all the curves to prove she wasn't. Yet he carried her like she was a doll.

  “My apologies. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to be polite. I assume you're Sylvia?” He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and cheek, as if he were checking her temperature.

  “What I am is embarrassed. But yes, let's go with Sylvia for now.” She pushed herself up to a seated position on the sofa and ran a hand through her hair.

  He stared at her, perhaps concerned she may make another attempt at a swan dive. “Are you sure you're all right?”

  She managed a nod. “Yeah, I'm fine. Just got up too fast, I suppose.” She hoped he bought it. Because telling the man she'd drawn him in detail from her imagination and he showed up on her doorstep in person would be a little hard to explain. It was as if he walked right out of her dreams, or at least her computer screen. How was it possible?

  He quirked an already high arching brow. “Well, Ms. Sylvia, I'm Braxton, your companion for the next few days. Ms. Gerri sent me.” He extended a hand.

  Sylvia stared at it, afraid that if she touched him he'd disappear. He couldn't be real.

  Braxton hitched a shoulder. “Is something wrong? You keep staring at me. You don't have to be afraid. I'm a shifter, but I promise I won't harm you. I'm here to protect you.”

  His words pierced her heart, each one like a sizzling arrow burrowing into her soul. Her protector, just like she made him to be. Not to mention his gruff, sexy voice that also shot fire straight to her vadge. Air hitched in her throat, almost choking her.

  “I…I know. It's just…” How the hell would she explain to this complete stranger that she'd practically dreamed him up and just put his very likeness into a video game without even knowing it?

  “Why don't you lay down for a few minutes, and I'll load the car with your bags.” Cupping the back of her neck, he eased her against the pillows. The warmth of his hand on her skin skirted a tingle straight to her belly. His touch unnerved her.

  He was hot. Hotter than hot. And so was she. Heat blazed her cheeks like she was on fire. Who the hell was this guy? Obviously a shifter, but she'd never in her life met a man who almost literally set her ablaze. She shirked out of her jean jacket and laid back on the sofa, brushing a hand across her flushed cheeks. Shit, was it obvious how turned on she was? There was no way she could board a plane with the man, let alone sit next to him in such close proximity for a couple of hours.

  She couldn't even remember being that sexually attracted to Mark, and they had been together for three years. Shit. Mark. Somehow thinking about him tamped down her hormones and brought her back to reality. How could she possibly be so attracted to this guy when she still loved Mark?

  Everyone had told her to move on, including Mark's family. She knew she eventually would have to. But her heart still didn't feel ready to let go of him. Like it would destroy his memory if she opened herself up to dating, let alone loving someone else. And with a shifter?

  She got way ahead of herself. She just met the guy, and she'd already berated herself for getting a hot flash over the dude. There was no way he'd date her anyway. Someone as hot as him was probably already poking his penis into something way more beautiful than she was. So why would she even worry about it?

  He walked back into the room. No—he owned the room, and all the space around him. Just his aura, mere presence filled it with warmth and security.

  “You feeling better?” he asked, dropping to a squat next to the sofa. The muscles bulged in his thighs, threatening to burst right out of his already tight jeans.

  “No,” she whimpered and wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug, desperately trying to hide her hardened nipples.

  “Do you need to call off the trip?” He eased himself onto the sofa next to her.

  She shook her head. “No. I need to go. I owe it to Noah. Truth is, I'm afraid to fly. I took some meds, and I think they're just making me feel weird.”

  A small smile curled over his lips. “I tell you what, you can just fall asleep on me. Then we'll be there before you know it.”

  Sylvia's heart nearly hammered out of her chest. Seriously, she had to be dreaming, and if she was, she didn't want to wake up. Could he be for real?

  “I'd hate to drool on you, so I'll try and remain upright.” Real suave, Sylvia. Because of all the things you could have said back to him, you decided to fill his imagination with images of you drooling all over him. As if he couldn't probably already sense it.

  A low chuckle rumbled in his throat, and it was the sexiest sound she'd ever heard. There was no way she'd survive this trip unless she packed a stash of extra panties.

  “You okay to walk to the car, or do you need me to help you?” He held out his arm and she slipped her tiny hand into his large one. Never in her life had she felt so petite and almost dainty.

  “I think I'll be fine.” Sylvia forced a smile over the lie. She was far from fine. She was in far more danger with Braxton than she was with the email threat.

  * * *

  Braxton set Sylvia's luggage on the floor of her hotel room. He caught her reflection in the full-length mirror as she bent over the desk, setting up her laptop. Her full, round ass was like a beacon, calling out to him. So many soft, wonderful curves on her body that his fingers ached to caress. He had a thing for voluptuous women, and Sylvia hit every single one of his hot buttons. Long, blonde curls draped down her back like a waterfall. Full lips and fantastic breasts, it was like she was made for him. A growl clawed its way up his throat, and he forced back his inner wolf.

  The moment he laid eyes on her at her apartment he knew she was his mate. Her scent hit him, and nothing had ever smelled so good in his entire life. Like lust, sex, heat, heaven and hell burning deep inside that beautiful wo
man who nearly fainted in his arms.

  Fuck, Gerri totally set him up. The thought of it frightened the hell out of him. Of Sylvia being his mate, not Gerri. Though how the hell she managed to pull that off freaked his shit out a little, too. She had it planned before he even asked her to.

  The wolf inside him howled and scratched to get to the surface, to have its way with her. It was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do to fight back the urge to claim her right there on the spot. Now he understood the lore of finding your mate. His brothers had always told him he'd know when it happened. Up 'til now, he thought it was a joke, and that they merely just fell in love with their “mates” and called it so. But one look at Sylvia, one smell of her was all it took to know, she was meant to be his. One taste, and he would claim her forever.

  Adding fuel to his fire, Sylvia was attracted to him as well. Her delicious arousal told him so. Not only did her scent make his dick twitch, but the smell of her rich amber and musk perfume tangled with it, driving him crazy. It took everything in him not to throw her against the wall and lick every inch of her body.

  Sylvia turned around, and Braxton glanced away from the mirror and cleared his throat. “I'm, ah, in the adjoining room. Right through this double door.” He pointed to the door, as if she wasn't already staring right at it. “You can keep it locked if you feel safer. Just know though, in the event of an emergency, I'll have to bust it down. But ah…I'd like to try and keep repair costs down if I can. So if it's okay with you, we should probably keep it unlocked.”

  He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets unsure of what to do with himself. Her mere presence had him nervous, which was a first. Normally women fawned over him, especially when they found out he was a SEAL. He never had any trouble flirting, or nailing one. But Sylvia threw him for a loop, quirky and almost shy and unsure of herself, he had no idea what to say to her. It was like a challenge.