Page 7 of Delivered to My Shadow Unicorn Alphas

Taking a deep breath, I brought up my home page and found the icon for the Mail-Order Matings app. Right there on the screen. And when I opened the app, there was a notification waiting for me to see. I was surprised that I hadn’t heard it come in—must have been really out.

I hoped it wasn’t from the unicorn wanting to give me more details about his job. I needed to get to work soon, and he would just end up putting me to sleep. Again.

But instead, the message was from someone new. In fact, two messages, one from each, and while they were unicorns, they described themselves as shadow unicorns. In their human forms, they just looked like very hot guys, but when I researched for a ridiculous amount of time, I found some very interesting facts about shadow unicorns.

Most of the “research” I found was more fantasy than science. They were believed to be extinct by most. But after everything I’d seen so far, I was ready to believe they were still around. I even found a few pictures, although they were almost as blurry as Bigfoot shots in the woods.

A glance at the clock told me I didn’t have another minute to waste in online searching. I didn’t like to be late for work, and I’d already used up most of the time I could spend in the shower, meaning, my hair would not be styled very much. But as I shampooed, I wondered what it would be like to meet these guys for real. Even if they hadn’t had a second form with three horns—three horns!—they were better looking than anyone I’d ever gone out with. Certainly the kind of guys who showed up at clubs with models on their arms.

I combed conditioner through my hair, wondering what had made them contact me. What about boring me would attract them? All those books I read about paranormal romance, the shifters wound up with their mates. And mates were sent by Fate. Supposedly the app was matching people with their fated mates, although I’d pushed that thought aside for the most part because didn’t that just apply to the shifters?

Not to humans?

I rushed to dress, grateful that as a research librarian, I wasn’t in the public eye much and didn’t have to get very fancy. Nice jeans and a blouse, low boots, and I was ready to run out the door with my damp locks on my shoulders.

All day, as I data mined for clients, I thought about the messages I’d received from the two dark unicorns. I wished I’d had time to reply to them, but as it was, I didn’t even get to take lunch. And by the time I left the library, I was half excited and half ready to be disappointed. If they were like the other unicorn in personality, I would definitely cross unicorns of all kinds off my dating possibilities list.

And who ever thought I’d say something like that?

Not me!

That alone made me a more interesting person, didn’t it? A little?

Chapter Seven

Shaman

I was so preoccupied with Amber and this app that I’d burned our burgers for lunch and forgotten to turn off the sprinklers in the greenhouse. I was beside myself. This app was a menace. It showed us all kinds of possibilities for a mate, but the one I wanted, the one we both wanted, well, she didn’t reply.

It was time to talk about it either way.

“Her profile says she works, Juven. She has a job. Maybe she works a late shift and she’s not in a position to check her phone.” He offered the excuses, hoping to calm me down. Through our bond of brotherhood and friendship, I could feel his unicorn vibrating with anxiety.

I truly believed Amber was our mate. Not a chosen one either. Our fated mate.

“I know you’re right but I can’t stop checking the app.”

“Let’s distract ourselves. How about we go over to Tucker’s place? He needs his fences mended. His sheep got out again last night.”

He braced his hands on the counter of the island and nodded. “Yeah. That’s what I need.”

We got dressed for outdoor work and walked down the mountain a bit to our friend Tucker’s home. He raised most of the animals in our community with the exception of rabbits. Rabbits were raised by Elizabeth. We worked together to make sure everyone had everything they needed. We lived in peace and harmony. Everyone was included, and we celebrated and mourned together. All shifters should live like we did, in my humble opinion. Humans as well. But there were fragile egos and nonsensical laws that caused division and pitted people against one another.

Which was why we made our home here, in the mountains, under the shroud of fog and the peace that came with it.

“We should’ve thought this out more,” I said before we opened Tucker’s gate. From here, I could see where his sheep had breached the fence. Not a big deal to mend but more than one person could handle.

“Thought what out more? He needs help, right?”

I chuckled. “I meant about the app. About Amber. We should’ve talked about it.”

“We did talk about it, Juven. I talked about it to you last night and then this morning. What’s there to talk about anyway? She’s there. A match on the app and my unicorn…”

“He wants to mate. Period.”

“That’s not it and you know it. He’s never called outmatebefore. Not before her. And there’s a reason you and I are best friends. Why we chose to live together instead of on our own. Can’t you see?”

I did, but it was hard to admit. Especially when not hearing from her was having such a big impact on me.

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