Page 26 of Swipe Right on the Alpha
The simple observation carried more weight than Mason could possibly understand. Aiden was beyond serious—he was contemplating a supernatural bond that would fundamentally alter his life path, tying him permanently to Dylan and his pack.
“Yeah,” he admitted quietly. “I really am.”
Chapter 14
The gathering was in full swing by the time Aiden arrived with his friends. Dylan’s city house—a spacious modern structure with enough room to accommodate pack gatherings—was filled with music, conversation, and the tantalizing aroma of Theo’s legendary cooking.
Dylan met them at the door, his face lighting up at the sight of Aiden in a way that still caused butterflies in Aiden’s stomach. He greeted Aiden with a brief but possessive kiss before turning to welcome the newcomers with careful restraint of his more wolfish tendencies.
“Mason, good to see you again,” Dylan said, shaking hands with Aiden’s roommate. “And you must be Olivia, Sam, and Jess. Aiden’s told me a lot about all of you.”
Aiden watched with amusement as his friends registered their first impression of Dylan. He’d shown them photos, of course, but Dylan’s physical presence—the height, the muscles barely contained by his dark button-up shirt, the intensity of his amber eyes—tended to have an impact in person that images couldn’t capture.
“So you’re the reason Aiden’s been disappearing every weekend,” Olivia said, recovering first. “Can’t say I blame him.”
Dylan smiled, the expression warming his usually serious features. “Come in. Everyone’s excited to meet you.”
As they moved into the main living area where both groups were beginning to mingle, Aiden felt a momentaryapprehension. The werewolves were making visible efforts to appear normal—restraining their enhanced strength when shaking hands, moderating their usually tactile behavior, carefully sipping drinks instead of consuming them with typical wolf enthusiasm.
Mason leaned close to whisper in Aiden’s ear. “You didn’t mention they were all ridiculously attractive. Is being hot a requirement to join this friend group?”
Aiden smothered a laugh. “Genetic luck,” he said, which was true in a way Mason couldn’t possibly understand. Werewolves naturally possessed physical vitality that humans found appealing—an evolutionary advantage for a species that sometimes needed to integrate with human communities.
Sofia approached with a tray of sangria glasses, offering them to the newcomers with a gracious smile. “Welcome to our home,” she said, her slight accent adding elegance to the words. “This is my special recipe. Quite potent, so pace yourselves.”
Aiden accepted a glass, knowing now to sip slowly. The first time he’d tried Sofia’s enchanted sangria, he’d gulped half a glass and found himself experiencing euphoria so intense it bordered on hallucinogenic. Dylan had later explained that supernatural metabolism processed magical ingredients differently than human physiology—a lesson Aiden had learned the hard way.
As the evening progressed, Aiden observed the careful dance between the two worlds. His human friends gradually relaxed as the magical sangria worked its subtle effects, while the werewolves grew more comfortable calibrating their behavior appropriately. Conversation flowed easily between the groups, finding common ground in shared interests rather than focusing on differences.
Theo, naturally, appointed himself cultural ambassador, regaling Aiden’s friends with slightly sanitized versions of packstories. “—and then Dylan, Mr. Serious Alpha himself, fell straight into the creek because he was too busy giving orders to watch where he was walking!”
Dylan rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Theo enjoys embellishing for dramatic effect.”
“It’s not embellishment if it’s true,” Theo countered. “You should have seen him, soaking wet and still trying to maintain dignity while fish were literally swimming around his ankles.”
The laughter that followed was genuine, bridging the hidden divide between human and supernatural in a way that warmed Aiden’s heart. This was what he’d hoped for—his two worlds finding harmony despite the secrets necessarily maintained.
Later, as Aiden was helping Dylan retrieve more wine from the cellar, he found himself pressed against the cool stone wall, Dylan’s body a heated line against his front.
“You look too good in that shirt,” Dylan murmured, nuzzling the sensitive spot below Aiden’s ear. “Been wanting to do this all night.”
Aiden tilted his head to allow better access, a response that had become instinctive. “We have guests upstairs,” he reminded Dylan, though his body was already responding to the attention.
“They’re fine,” Dylan insisted, his hands finding their way beneath the aforementioned shirt. “Theo’s telling embarrassing stories about me, Sofia’s sangria is working its magic, and no one will miss us for five minutes.”
“Five minutes?” Aiden teased, fingers threading through Dylan’s hair. “Not very impressive, Alpha.”
The challenge had its intended effect—Dylan growled softly, his eyes taking on that amber glow that indicated his wolf rising closer to the surface. “Careful what you ask for,” he warned, teeth grazing Aiden’s neck in a way that sent shivers down his spine.
Their mouths met in a hungry kiss, familiar yet still thrilling after months together. Aiden surrendered to it willingly, his body arching into Dylan’s touch as strong hands explored with possessive intent.
When Dylan suddenly froze, Aiden was momentarily confused—until he registered the sound of footsteps on the cellar stairs.
“Aiden?” Mason’s voice called. “You guys find that wine yet? Theo’s threatening to start telling childhood stories about you if we don’t get more alcohol soon.”
Dylan stepped back with visible reluctance, adjusting his clothing with a frustrated sigh. “We’ll continue this later,” he promised, voice low enough for only Aiden to hear.
“Count on it,” Aiden replied, quickly rebuttoning his partially opened shirt before calling out, “Down here, Mason! Just, uh, trouble with the cork!”
