Page 4 of Swipe Right on the Alpha
What message am I trying to send anyway?Dylan wondered, fidgeting with the silverware.“Hello, I’m a werewolf alpha and I think you might be my fated mate, but surprise! You didn’t know supernatural creatures exist!”
The hostess approached with a smile. “Your dining companion has arrived, Mr. Silverwood.”
Dylan’s head snapped up, his senses immediately on high alert. And then—there he was.
Aiden walked through the restaurant with the easy confidence of someone accustomed to being watched. In person, he was even more striking than his photos—lean but toned, with perfectly styled hair that looked effortlessly tousled, and green eyes that caught the light. His scent hit Dylan like a physicalforce—clean cologne layered over something uniquelyhimthat made Dylan’s wolf stir possessively.
Dylan stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. Several nearby diners glanced over, but he barely noticed, his focus entirely captured by the man approaching his table.
“Dylan?” Aiden asked with a smile that transformed his entire face.
“You smell incredible,” Dylan blurted out, then immediately wanted to sink through the floor.
Aiden blinked, then laughed—a genuine sound that made something in Dylan’s chest tighten pleasantly. “That’s definitely a first as far as opening lines go, but I’ll take it. New cologne, so I’m glad it’s working.”
It’s not the cologne, it’s YOU,Dylan’s wolf wanted to howl. Instead, he awkwardly gestured to the chair across from him. “Sorry. I’m… not great at this.”
“Dating?” Aiden asked, sliding gracefully into his seat.
“Human interaction,” Dylan admitted, which was closer to the truth than he could explain.
Aiden’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Well, you’ve already set yourself apart from my usual disasters, so you’re ahead of the game.”
A waiter appeared with menus and a wine list. Dylan watched, fascinated, as Aiden charmed the server with easy banter, ordered wine with confidence, and somehow made the entire interaction seem effortless. Everything about him was magnetic—the way his hands moved when he talked, how he leaned forward slightly when asking questions, the subtle shifts in his scent that Dylan’s enhanced senses picked up with each emotional change.
“So,” Aiden said once they were alone again, “your profile was intriguingly minimal. Tell me about yourself, Mountain Man Dylan.”
Dylan shifted uncomfortably. He’d rehearsed this part with Theo, carefully constructing a human-friendly version of his life. “I work in… wildlife management. My family owns land outside the city where we… monitor forest ecosystems.”
“Vague but environmentally responsible. I like it,” Aiden teased. “And what brought you to LunaLove? The app’s a bit… unique.”
My pack elders threatened to start arranging mating ceremonies if I didn’t find a partner soon,wasn’t an acceptable answer. “My friend recommended it. Said it had a good… matching system.”
Aiden cocked his head slightly. “You don’t talk much, do you?”
Dylan grimaced. “Sorry. I spend most of my time with people I’ve known my whole life. My communication skills are rusty.”
“Hmm, the strong, silent type. Works for me,” Aiden said, his heartbeat picking up slightly in a way only Dylan could detect. “I talk enough for two people anyway. Occupational hazard.”
“Your occupation—you make videos about dating?” Dylan asked, genuinely curious but trying not to reveal he’d spent hours last night watching Aiden’s content after matching with him.
“I document my disastrous love life for the entertainment of the masses,” Aiden confirmed with a self-deprecating smile. “Started as therapy after a bad breakup, turned into a career. Now I have sponsorships, a book deal in the works, and 347,000 people waiting to hear about my next romantic failure.”
Dylan frowned slightly. “Isn’t that… difficult? Sharing private moments with strangers?”
Something flickered in Aiden’s eyes—surprise, perhaps, at the directness of the question. “Sometimes. But I control the narrative. And honestly? It’s easier to laugh about disaster than admit I might be sabotaging myself.”
The honesty was unexpected, and Dylan found himself leaning forward, drawn to the brief glimpse beneath the polished surface. Before he could respond, the waiter returned with wine and to take their orders.
When Aiden excused himself to the restroom a few minutes later, Dylan took the opportunity to text Theo:
DYLAN: He’s perfect. And human. And has no idea supernatural creatures exist. I’m fucked.
THEO: So he’s hot in person too? Sniff check? Compatible?
DYLAN: Beyond compatible. My wolf is going crazy. I almost growled at the waiter for standing too close to him.
THEO: DUDE. That’s mate behavior. Did you scent him yet?
