Swipe Right: Paranormal Mating Bundle

by DJ Bryce

  “Meet me at my place at seven?”

  Katja’s grin widened and she said, “I’ll be there.”

  Grayson

  The days were longer, the weather hotter during the day and warm in the early morning and late afternoon. This meant I had more daylight hours to get things done on my farm. Fix what needed fixing, tend my crops, and spend the majority of my waking hours outdoors.

  It also meant I had more time to focus on the fact that I was lonely.

  Oh, I’d been alone for over a decade. Preferring my own company, and the company of my animals, to human contact.

  I was happy that way, had been for years, but recently the urge to have a companion, a mate to share my life with, had become almost stifling.

  I was a pack animal, had been raised in a pack full of robust personalities and tons of chaos, and I’d always loved it.

  Until I didn’t.

  I’d done just fine on my own, enjoying the occasional visit from my brother Bane and his family, but not living for them. I was content. Then my wolf started to become discontent.

  The nightly runs on my land were no longer enough.

  I started dreaming about a family. Of having a wife to worship and cubs to raise.

  As a young man, I’d had an active sex life, and had enjoyed the act just as much, if not more, than any other guy in my pack.

  But, since leaving the pack, settling on my land, and refusing to leave, I hadn’t touched a woman. It was really surprising that I hadn’t been plagued by dreams before now. I tried not to think about what I was missing, instead, choosing to focus on those I was saving by living like a hermit.

  That was getting harder to do.

  The dreams and my restless animal, coupled with Bane’s successful match using the paranormal mating app, had caused me to do something so out of my comfort zone it wasn’t funny.

  Bane had helped me set up a profile on the app a few weeks ago. Then, after he’d left, I’d forgotten all about it.

  Yesterday, I’d logged back on to find over twenty new messages from women who’d read my profile and wanted to connect. To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement. Rather than reading each of their profiles to see if any of them interested me, I wrote out a blanket statement and replied back to all of them.

  Thanks for contacting me. I feel like I should be up front with you before this goes any further… I’m a shifter in my thirties. I live on a farm on twenty acres. I have cows, goats, chickens, a dog and a pretty substantial garden. I live alone and don’t leave my property. Ever. I’m looking for a woman to be my mate, raise a family, and tend to the land with me. Again, I want you to know, that even when I find my mate, I will not be leaving my land. If after reading this you’re still interested in learning more about each other and setting up a trial period here, with me, then I’d love to hear back from you. Thanks.

  Only two women had answered back.

  This morning I read their profiles. One was a widow with two children. She said they all loved the outdoors and said although she understood that I didn’t want to leave my property, did that mean she and the children would be expected to do the same.

  It was a valid question, and one I hadn’t thought of. I’d replied no, that I didn’t expect them to become hermits like me. The kids would need to go to school after all…

  The other woman was a human who’d never been married or been around shifters before. Her profile listed her favorite things as going to the movies and hanging with friends, and said she loved going to the beach.

  I took her off the list.

  I wasn’t worried about bringing a woman or children onto my farm with me, I knew my wolf would be protective of any potential mate I may have and was always careful around children.

  It was men and crowds that I couldn’t be trusted around.

  My wolf was a dangerous creature, and although we had an understanding, and a bond that could never be broken, I knew I needed to keep him away from the rest of the world. I needed my freedom, and I wanted to keep others safe.

  Sure, sometimes I recalled what it felt like to be at a barbecue with the pack, to flirt with beautiful women and drink beer with my brothers, but those memories were always followed by the horror of the one night when I’d lost control of my wolf.

  That was the memory brought to my mind anytime I got curious about the pack or felt the urge to leave.

  The memory of waking up surrounded by blood and death.

  I’d left everything behind that day. My job, friends, pack, and even the pretty girl I’d been working up the nerve to ask out.

  I’d segregated myself from the outside world, allowing only my brother, and eventually, the people who made my deliveries, access to my land. I wanted to ensure that I never woke up to another tragedy, so it was best to keep my wolf, and myself, away from any potential danger.

  I knew I’d eventually have to tell any woman who answered my ad and came out for a trial period about my past.

  But first, I wanted to meet someone, see if we had a connection, and if I was honest, finally be with a woman again.

  It had been so long, I worried that I wouldn’t remember how.

  With a spring in my step and hope in my heart, I went back inside to check my messages once more. I was finally ready to take the next step and start inviting women out for the trial period.

  I had no illusions that I’d be as lucky as my brother and find the perfect woman on the first try, but for the first time in a long time, I was excited about meeting someone new and allowing them to get to know me.

  Shonda

  “Holy shit!” I exclaimed as I zoomed in to the picture Grayson had posted on his profile. “How is it possible that he looks better than he did when we were younger?”

  I looked over his photo with greedy eyes, taking in his dark hair, chiseled features and strong jaw.

  “Yeah, he looks great,” Katja said with a sigh. “And… that voice… all deep and rumbly.”

  I shot her a look.

  “What? I can look.”

  “He’s your mate’s brother,” I replied wryly.

  “What can I say? They’re a hot family,” she said with a cheeky grin.

  “He looks so buff,” I murmured as I focused back on the screen.

  “All that manual labor,” Katja said, popping a grape in her mouth. “You should see him chop wood shirtless.”

  “Jesus,” I muttered, shaking my head.

  “Sorry, I guess pregnancy makes me horny,” she said gently.

  My head swung up and I saw her watching me carefully, a happy smile on her lips.

  “You’re pregnant?”

  Katja nodded and I jumped up with a whoop!

  “Oh my gosh, congratulations,” I cried as I pulled her in for a hug.

  “Thanks. We didn’t mean to get pregnant so soon, but when you’re getting your freak on as much as Bane and me, it’s bound to happen.”

  “I’m so happy for you,” I told her as I took my seat.

  “Now that you’ve seen his profile and know what he’s looking for, we can set up your fake account, then you message him and let him know you’re interested in learning more about him and setting up a trial.”

  I gulped, nerves bouncing in my stomach as I thought about lying to Gray.

  “Okay, let’s do it,” I said, knowing I at least had to give it a shot.

  Katja walked me through the steps of setting up a profile, and we purchased a stock photo from a website. I wanted someone who at least resembled me, so it wouldn’t be a complete farce, and settled on a pretty dark-skinned woman with long hair and a pretty smile. She was a few years younger than me, but not enough to make me feel like a complete cheat.

  Once it was live, I went back to Grayson’s profile, clicked the button saying I was interested in him and sent him a message.

  Our pizza was delivered and I poured myself a glass of wine. Katja obviously abstained.

  Katja was telling me a story about the last time she,
Bane and Sloane went camping, when my phone dinged with a sound I’d never heard before.

  “That’s the mating app’s notification,” Katja said and rather than going back to my computer, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and pulled up the app.

  “He messaged me back,” I told her, voice shaking.

  “What does it say?”

  “It’s a statement about how he doesn’t leave his property and never will… he wants to make sure anyone coming for a trial period knows his limits. He also said he wants to raise a family,” I pause and clutch my phone to my chest, then whisper, “He’s really doing this…”

  Katja nodded.

  “I told you, he’s serious.”

  I message him back and tell him I understand, and that yes, I’m still interested in getting to know each other better and setting up a trial.

  A few minutes later, my phone sounded again.

  “He asked what dates I’m available, says he has another woman interested in setting up a trial as well.”

  “Damn, go Gray,” Katja said with a grin, then caught my expression and sobered. “Sorry.”

  “Shit, what if the other woman gets there first and he likes her? I may never even get my foot in the door.”

  “Tell him you’re available ASAP.”

  “But, am I? What about work? I’m sure I have to give them notice that I want to take vacation.”

  “Have you ever taken vacation?”

  “Well, no,” I admitted. “But still, I don’t want to piss anyone off and lose my job.”

  “Shonda,” Katja said, placing her hands on my shoulders and looking directly in my eyes. “This may be your only chance to go after what you want. To be with the person you’ve always wanted to be with. Do you want to miss out on your shot at happiness, or do you want to keep your job?”

  Practical me knew keeping my job, and therefore my paycheck, should be my priority. But… Katja was right. This was my only opportunity to finally tell Gray how I feel and go after my happy ending.

  I lifted my phone and messaged back.

  I can start the trial as soon as you’re ready for me.

  I waited, my heart in my throat, to see if he was still online and would respond right away.

  After a few minutes, I started to worry that he either already set a date with my competition, or he’d logged off for the night and I’d have to wait for his reply.

  Then my phone pinged.

  Can you be here Tuesday morning? I’ll send you my address and a list of items you may want to pack.

  “He invited me for Tuesday,” I told Katja excitedly.

  Tuesday it is, I replied, then looked at Katja with wide eyes.

  “Holy crap, am I really going to do this?”

  “Yup,” my friend said happily. “Now I just have to figure out how to break it to Bane that he’s going to be in on the secret.”

  Grayson

  I hadn’t been this nervous since I’d gone off on my own and left everything I knew behind.

  I’d cleaned my already immaculate, modest four-bedroom ranch home.

  I’d fed the animals, took the dog for a walk, and picked flowers to put in what would be Shannon’s room. Then I’d gone back and taken the flowers out of the guest room and placed them in the living room. I’d changed it again, going from one room to the other about ten times, before putting them back on the end table next to the bed in the guest room.

  I glanced at the clock for the zillionth time and forced myself to go make a sandwich. I hadn’t eaten all day.

  I was just finishing up my triple decker ham, roast beef, and pastrami, with a pickle on the side and a bag of chips when I heard the familiar crunch of tires on gravel. It sounded just like my brother Bane’s Jeep, but since I wasn’t expecting him, I knew it had to be Shannon arriving.

  I looked at the clock again and saw that she was three hours early. Figuring maybe I was wrong and it was Bane coming up without calling for some reason, I started toward the door to head him off and send him packing.

  I didn’t want anyone else here when I met Shannon. It was embarrassing enough being the hermit who hadn’t been around a woman in over a decade. I didn’t need any witnesses. Especially my smart-ass brother.

  When I reached my door and opened it, I paused, surprised to see it had in fact been Bane’s Jeep, but that he was tearing down the street away from my house, instead of toward it.

  “What the hell?” I muttered as I stepped out onto my porch.

  When I could no longer see anything but dust, I was about to go inside and call him to ask what was going on, when I noticed a woman walking down my driveway toward me. She was pulling a medium sized suitcase on wheels and looked familiar.

  Still confused, I walked down the steps and to the woman, until I stopped in my tracks.

  “Shonda?” I asked, when her face finally registered.

  It was a face I hadn’t seen in forever. One I’d missed, but had never expected to see again.

  Shonda smiled shyly, not stopping until she was right in front of me.

  “Hey, Gray,” she said softly.

  I felt the crazy urge to reach out and pull her to me. But I didn’t. I’d known she had a crush on me when we were younger, and I’d even thought about acting on it a time or two, but after the incident that sent me fleeing from my pack, I’d told her in no uncertain terms that nothing would ever happen between us.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, looking back up the road where Bane had disappeared.

  “I’m here to see you.”

  I scratched my head, wondering what the hell to do with her.

  Shannon would be here in the next few hours, and Bane had obviously abandoned Shonda here.

  “What’s going on? Are you in some kind of trouble?” I asked.

  The only possible reason I could think of for Shonda to be on my land, was that she needed sanctuary.

  “No, no trouble,” she replied, looking over my shoulder at my house. “Can we go inside?”

  “Uh, sure,” I said, turning to stalk inside.

  I needed to call Bane and tell him to come get her. Three would definitely be a crowd.

  “I’m not sure why you’re here, Shonda, but you can’t stay. I thought I’d made my position on people other than my brother visiting my land pretty plain, the one and only time someone from the pack had tried to drop by.”

  I’d punched him in the face and ordered him to leave and never come back.

  Shonda nodded.

  “I know. I know you wanted to be alone, which is why I stayed away until now…”

  I picked up my phone and pressed Bane’s name.

  “Sorry, brother,” he said when he answered. “I can’t come back and get her. She’s there for the duration.”

  “The duration?” I asked, looking at Shonda quizzically. “The duration of what?”

  “The trial,” Bane said, then hung up.

  A lightbulb went off in my head, and I suddenly felt like the biggest fucking fool on the planet.

  “Shonda,” I asked roughly, not holding back my anger. “What are you doing here?”

  Eyes wide, she blinked nervously.

  I thought about the messages I’d shared with “Shannon”. The conversation we’d had and the terms of the trial.

  She was going to be here for two weeks.

  But, no, not Shannon. It was Shonda who was going to be here for two weeks.

  She’d set me up, and my brother went along with it.

  Betrayal flooded through me, and I slammed my fist down on the counter in an effort to get out some of my rage.

  “You lied to me,” I accused, not caring that Shonda looked terrified.

  “I’m sorry, it was the only way,” she stuttered.

  “The only way to what, make me feel like a fucking idiot?” I roared.

  Shonda shook her head and clutched the grip of her suitcase.

  “The only way to have a shot at being your mate,” she whispered.

&n
bsp; “That’s never going to happen,” I countered, and stormed out of the room.

  Shonda

  I let out a shaky breath.

  Gray was really pissed.

  I went into the living room, set my suitcase against the wall and sat gingerly on the couch.

  I looked around, taking in Grayson’s clean, masculine house.

  It suited him. The wood, dark colors, and the feel of being outdoors even though you were inside. I could see that this was a home, his home, and that he’d made a place where he could be comfortable and happy, which pleased me.

  I don’t know why, but in my head I’d always pictured Gray alone in a sparse cabin in the woods. Complete with an outhouse out back and a firepit to cook his meals.

  Yes, that was a naïve picture. It wasn’t the eighteen hundreds; of course he’d have a regular home with indoor plumbing. Otherwise, he might not have stayed away as long as he had.

  God, he looked great.

  He was bulkier than he used to be. More muscular. And he had dark stubble covering his jaw, which made him look just a little dangerous, and wholly male.

  I bit my lip and stood, crossing to look out the window.

  I wasn’t sure if he was still in the house or had gone outside. I hadn’t heard any doors, but he could have left quietly, although, with the state of his mood, I would have at least expected some slamming doors.

  The Grayson I’d known had been mellow and easy going. More interested in hanging with his friends and hunting with the pack, than spending any amount of time indoors. He’d been quick to laugh and always willing to lend a helping hand.

  Those were the things I loved about him, and as I stood there waiting, the memory of his fist slamming down on the counter jarring my mind, I wondered if I’d been foolish to believe that I’d come here to find the same man I’d fallen in love with as a young woman.

  Maybe that man didn’t exist anymore.

  I was about to go outside and take a walk, see if I could find him, when I heard Gray enter the room behind me.