The sign-up process seemed straightforward enough. Just basic information and some personality questions. Nothing too personal or embarrassing. He could always delete it.
He created a profile without much thought, selecting a professional photo that showed his face clearly but didn’t include any motorcycle or military imagery. The personality questionnaire was longer than expected, but he answeredhonestly about his protective instincts and desire to serve communities.
His finger hesitated over the submit button. This felt like admitting defeat, like seeking personal comfort when he should be focused on the mission.
But leadership was lonely, and tonight that loneliness felt crushing.
He hit submit.
The screen changed to show a loading animation, the progress bar crawling forward as the algorithm cross-referenced his profile with thousands of others. Dom closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, wondering if he was making another mistake in a day full of them.
A soft chime made him look up. The results page displayed several partial matches from neighboring towns, but at the very top, highlighted in bold, was something that made his breath catch.
“100% MATCH: Rookie Bear”
Chapter
Four
Valeria’s alarmbuzzed at six-thirty, and she reached for her phone. After she tapped off her alarm, a notification banner popped up on the screen.
“Congratulations. We’ve found your fated mate!”
She shot upright in bed, suddenly wide awake. Her bear growled inside her mind, making her pulse race. With trembling fingers, she opened the app. Her mate’s profile photo filled her screen, and she forgot how to breathe. He was gorgeous, and his face made her chest tight. Dark hair, piercing blue eyes, a professional headshot that showed him in a button-down shirt.
His username was “Alpha Wolf.”
Valeria stared at the screen, her bear purring with satisfaction.
Her coffee maker gurgled in the kitchen while she studied every detail of his photo. Looking at his face made her feel like she’d been waiting her whole life for this moment. It was as if she knew him already.
She started typing a message, deleted it, and started again. Everything sounded stupid or desperate or not nearly important enough for this monumental moment. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard as sweat beaded on her palms.
Finally, she settled on simplicity and forced herself to hit send before she could change her mind: “Hi. So, we’re fated mates.”
She immediately wanted to throw her phone across the room. What if he didn’t respond? What if he thought she was lame? What if this was all some cosmic joke?
She stumbled to the bathroom; phone clutched in her hand and reached for her toothbrush. She squeezed toothpaste onto the bristles and had just started brushing when her phone chimed.
Alpha Wolf:“I’ve been staring at your photo since last night.”
Valeria’s laugh came out shaky and breathless. Toothpaste foam splattered on the bathroom mirror as she fumbled for her phone with wet fingers.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and typed: “I can’t stop looking at yours either.”
The response was immediate:Alpha Wolf:“I don’t understand how I can miss someone I’ve never met.”
Her chest ached with the truth of it. She pressed her free hand to her sternum, where her bear was vibrating with recognition. “That’s exactly what this feels like.”
Valeria stood in her bathroom, wet toothbrush in one hand and her phone in the other, staring at their conversation in amazement. How could a stranger put into words exactly what she was feeling? How could someone she’d never metunderstand the ache in her chest that felt like homesickness for a place she’d never been?
Alpha Wolf:“I can’t concentrate on anything.”
“Same. This is... overwhelming.” She set down her toothbrush and gripped the phone with both hands.
Her morning routine became a series of interruptions as she checked for new messages. Shower with the phone on the bathroom counter, jumping at every notification sound. Blow-drying her hair while staring at his photo, memorizing the line of his jaw. Choosing her uniform while wanting to know every little thing about him but not knowing how to ask.
As she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn’t help but think she looked different somehow. Lighter. More alive. Like something inside her had finally switched on.
