Page 19 of Stripe for the Picking (Paranormal Dating Agency #92)

SIXTEEN

RYLAN

R ylan reluctantly released Wren from his arms as the warm water cascaded around them in his shower, his body still humming with satisfaction from their explosive sexual encounter.

Every nerve ending felt alive, electrified by her touch and the way she'd responded to him with such uninhibited passion.

She's mine. Completely, utterly mine.

He turned off the water and reached for the towels, wrapping one around his waist before tenderly enveloping her in another, his hands lingering on her shoulders as he absorbed the sight of her flushed cheeks and kiss-swollen lips.

"Come on, beautiful. We need to get moving before I decide to keep you in this bathroom all day."

They stepped out of the steamy sanctuary, and Rylan immediately felt the shift back to reality as he moved to his dresser.

He pulled out a fresh black shirt and matching pants—his standard Defense Nexus uniform that commanded respect throughout the building.

As he dressed, his tiger practically lounged in contentment, finally feeling true happiness after years of fighting the inevitable.

"I'll run over to your apartment and grab all your things," he said, buttoning his tactical pants with practiced efficiency. "If that's okay with you."

Wren's face brightened with relief. "That would be extremely helpful. I don't exactly have any clean clothes here at your apartment yet."

"Consider it done." He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, inhaling her lavender scent. "I'll be right back."

Rylan walked over to Wren's apartment with purposeful steps, his mind racing.

General Kael had been absolutely right—Rylan had been an idiot for resisting the mate bond these past four days.

What had he been thinking, convincing himself that love was a weakness when Wren made him feel more powerful than he'd ever felt in his life?

She chose me. Chose us. Chose Nova Aurora.

He used his security clearance to access her apartment, moving efficiently through her space.

Her clothes hung neatly in the closet—professional blouses, fitted skirts, casual wear that smelled faintly of her lavender perfume.

He folded everything carefully into her suitcase, treating her belongings with the same reverence he'd shown her last night.

Her backpack sat on the desk, loaded with sophisticated Earth tech gear and her laptop. His mate was beautiful and brilliant beyond comprehension, and she was staying. With him. Permanently. The thought sent a surge of possessive satisfaction through his chest.

Mine to protect. Mine to cherish. Mine to claim every single night.

He returned to his apartment in under ten minutes, and set her suitcase and backpack down with a flourish. "Your belongings, all perfectly folded and neatly organized."

"Thank you for doing that so quickly. You really are the perfect man," she said as she opened her suitcase and grabbed a matching black lace bra and panties, a sheer blue blouse, and a tailored black skirt.

Rylan couldn't help but watch and admire the view as she got dressed in front of him, and he had to resist the urge to lay her back onto his bed and forgot all about work today.

But five minutes later, as they prepared to leave for Defense Nexus, Rylan felt the familiar weight of professional responsibility settling on his shoulders. "We should probably keep things professional at work. No public displays of affection around the personnel."

"That's probably best," she agreed, adjusting her blouse. "We'll have plenty of time to show our affection at night in your apartment."

Our apartment now.

"Although," he said boldly, "if we win the Protocol Trials, I don't care who's watching. I'm going to kiss you right there in the arena and announce to the entire Defense Nexus personnel, the Council, and the entire planet that you're my mate."

Her smile was pure sunshine, that infectious confidence sparkling in her green eyes. "Well, get ready to do that, because we're going to win those Trials."

God, I love her certainty.

As they walked toward Defense Nexus, the twin suns casting their familiar glow over the city of Nexus, Rylan found himself opening up in ways that surprised him.

"So, the Council has been pressuring me for ten years to find my mate," he admitted, his jaw tightening. "Ever since I won the Trials that first time a decade ago. They've made it clear that a mated leader is more... stable. More effective."

Wren squeezed his hand gently. "Well, I'm by your side now. And the Council will be more than pleased when we blow the competition away at the Trials and they realize we were mates all along."

Her enthusiasm was infectious, casting away the doubts and fears that had plagued him for years. "It will truly knock their socks off, won't it?"

"Absolutely." She grinned up at him, her confidence unwavering. "They have no idea what's about to hit them."

Ten minutes later, Rylan's console at his workstation hummed to life as he logged into the Defense Nexus systems, muscle memory guiding his fingers across the holographic interface.

Beside him, Wren logged into their systems with the fluid grace of someone who'd been born to command technology, her eyes soon scanning multiple data streams with laser focus.

The overnight security logs painted an eerily pristine picture—no breach attempts, no probing attacks, not even the faintest whisper of the hacker syndicate that had been relentlessly pummeling their security systems for weeks.

Way too quiet.

"This doesn't make sense," Rylan muttered, his jaw tightening as he cross-referenced the data. "Three days of radio silence after weeks of constant assault? They should've tried something by now."

Wren leaned closer, her scent momentarily distracting him from the ominous implications. "I'm thinking the exact same thing. Either they're building up for something massive, or someone's holding them back for strategic reasons."

Arvox. The name slithered through Rylan's mind like a poisonous snake. Every single instinct warned him that the Prime Minister was orchestrating this unnatural quiet, manipulating events from the shadows with the same calculated precision he'd used to sabotage Rylan's previous Trial attempts.

"Both scenarios point to the same puppet master," Rylan said, his tone holding a deadly edge. "And neither scenario ends well for us."

Wren's hand brushed his arm, sending a jolt shooting through his nervous system. "Hey, let's focus on what we can control. Take me back to the arena—I want to run through another simulation before the opening ceremony. Something harder this time."

Smart mate. Always seems to know how to redirect my restless energy.

"The final simulation from last year's Trials," Rylan decided, pushing back from his workstation. "If we can master that level of complexity, we'll be unstoppable for sure."

He guided Wren to the elevator and soon it descended toward the basement command center, carrying with it the weight of anticipation that made Rylan's tiger start to pace.

General Kael stepped aboard on the first floor, his weathered face breaking into a knowing grin that set off alarm bells in Rylan's head.

"Mind if I observe your preparations today?" Kael's sharp eyes flicked between them, lingering on the subtle changes in Rylan's posture. "Fresh perspective never hurt anyone."

"Of course, General," Wren said before Rylan could respond. "We'd appreciate your input."

He knows I claimed her. Kael's enhanced senses had undoubtedly picked up on the mated scent clinging to both of them in this close proximity. The older tiger shifter's satisfied expression confirmed Rylan's suspicions.

The command center's dim lighting welcomed them like an old friend, banks of holographic displays casting ethereal blue glows across the curved walls. Rylan moved to the central console with predatory purpose, his fingers dancing across controls that could reshape reality itself.

"Arena activation sequence initiated," he announced, watching as the massive space below transformed from empty chamber to treacherous landscape.

Jagged mountains erupted from the floor, dense forests of crystalline trees sprouted in seconds, and a network of bridges and platforms materialized across a churning river of molten energy.

Wren settled into her command station with the confidence of a goddess claiming her throne. "This is last year's final simulation? You're not messing around this time."

"Never do when it comes to winning," Rylan replied, his voice carrying the alpha authority that had earned him his position. The weight of expectation pressed against his shoulders—nine years of second-place finishes, of watching lesser shifters claim victories that should've been his.

Kael positioned himself beside Wren's command station, his experienced gaze cataloging every detail of the arena layout. "Impressive course design. Multiple choke points, environmental hazards, and what appears to be at least fifteen civilian rescue scenarios scattered throughout."

"Seventeen," Wren corrected, her fingers already mapping optimal routes through the holographic display. "And three of them are decoys designed to waste time and resources."

Damn, she's incredible. Rylan's tiger preened with pride as his mate dissected the simulation's complexities with surgical precision. Her mind operated on levels that still amazed him, finding patterns and solutions that his methodical approach might miss entirely.

"How can you tell which ones are decoys?" Kael asked, genuine curiosity coloring his tone.

Wren's smile was almost wicked, her green eyes gleaming with intellectual hunger.

"The placement algorithms follow predictable patterns once you understand the underlying logic matrix.

These three—" she highlighted specific locations with swift gestures, "—are positioned to draw competitors into tactical dead ends. "

Rylan felt his chest swell with possessive satisfaction. In forty-eight hours, the Council and esteemed spectators including Arvox, would witness her genius in action, and would see exactly why fate had brought them together right now.

"Rylan, are you ready to show me what you've got?" Wren's voice carried a playful challenge that made his blood sing.

"Always ready for you, beautiful," he replied, the endearment slipping out before his professional filter could catch it.

Kael's knowing chuckle echoed through the command center. "This is going to be interesting."

Rylan activated his comm unit and headed for the arena entrance, every muscle in his body coiling with anticipation. The Protocol Trials would determine everything—his promotion, his public claim on Wren, and his future as a leader worthy of Nova Aurora's trust.

Time to show them what a tiger can accomplish with his perfect mate by his side.