Page 21 of Stripe for the Picking (Paranormal Dating Agency #92)

EIGHTEEN

RYLAN

R ylan crossed the finish line with his chest heaving and sweat coating his muscled torso as the arena erupted in thunderous applause.

Forty-two minutes. A record-breaking time that sent electric energy through the crowd and made his name blaze at the top of the leaderboard with a commanding twenty-point lead.

Wren did that. My clever, impressive mate made that possible.

Pride surged through him as he jogged toward the arena exit, his tiger still prowling beneath his skin with triumph.

Every precise direction she'd given, every trap she'd spotted, every barrier she'd dismantled—her genius had turned what should have been a grueling obstacle course into a masterclass in strategic partnership.

The locker room buzzed with post-competition energy as the other twelve competitors filtered in. Several approached him with genuine respect, their voices filled with admiration that made his chest swell with territorial pride.

"Incredible run out there, Kaedor," called Damien, a dragon shifter from the city of Dragos. "That route through the energy maze was pure brilliance."

"Your partner's got eyes like a hawk," added Elina, a lioness from the eastern territories. "Never seen anyone read the arena like that."

Rylan accepted their praise with controlled grace, but his focus remained locked on getting back to Wren.

She deserves to hear every word of this. She deserves to know how extraordinary she is.

But not everyone shared the congratulatory mood.

Prince Zarik, the wolf shifter from the Ice Mountains, lounged against the lockers with calculated indifference, his pale eyes tracking Rylan's every movement with predatory intensity.

The bastard had harbored a grudge since their academy days, when Rylan had consistently outperformed him in almost every area.

Still bitter after all these years. How pathetic.

Rylan stripped off his sweat-dampened uniform and stepped into the shower, letting the scalding water wash away the arena's grime while his mind replayed Wren's voice guiding him through impossible challenges.

The way she'd noticed threats he couldn't even see, and the calm confidence in her tone when lesser minds would have cracked under pressure?—

My mate is perfect in every way.

Steam billowed around him as he reached for his towel, already planning how they'd celebrate their victory. Maybe dinner at that rooftop restaurant overlooking the pink ocean, followed by?—

WAAAHHHH! WAAAHHHH!

The Defense Nexus emergency alarms shrieked through the building with ear-splitting intensity, their red strobing lights painting the locker room in hellish hues. Every muscle in Rylan's body coiled with instant alertness as his tiger roared to life beneath his skin.

Breach.

"Son of a bitch," he snarled, yanking on his clothes and boots with military speed. His wet hair dripped onto his shoulders as he grabbed his comm unit, but the device crackled with static interference.

This timing is too convenient. Arvox's little tantrum just escalated.

He burst through the locker room doors and sprinted toward the elevators. His heart hammered, but not from physical exertion this time—raw fury burned through his veins like molten steel.

If that manipulative snake thinks he can threaten my mate or my territory while I'm not there...

As he rounded the corner to the elevator bank, he saw Wren standing there waiting for him.

Thank God, she's alright.

"Rylan!" She stepped toward him, her green eyes bright with urgency. "We need to get to our workstations now."

"What's the situation?" he demanded, his commander instincts taking over as they stepped into the elevator.

"I think Arvox is up to no good again," she whispered, moving closer until her scent filled his senses. "He left the observation deck pretty pissed off after our dominant performance today."

Rage and irritation burned in Rylan's chest, his tiger clawing for release.

Of course that bastard would want to ruin our celebration tonight. Of course he'd put the entire planet at risk because his fragile ego can't handle us succeeding.

"That piece of work," he growled. "I should have seen this coming today."

The elevator doors opened onto chaos. Officers rushed between workstations while holographic displays flashed critical warnings in angry red text. The familiar hum of their security systems had been replaced by an ominous silence that made Rylan's skin crawl with dread.

They reached their adjacent workstations and Wren's fingers frantically maneuvered over her interface, her mind processing data that would overwhelm normal intellects. Her face went pale as the scope of the cyber attack became clear.

"This isn't good," she said, her voice tight with controlled urgency. "The cyber attack has completely locked up our defense security grids. The hackers have basically overridden our control and blocked our attempts to regain access."

They're not just attacking us—they're trying to leave us utterly defenseless.

"How bad is it?" Rylan asked, though he already knew the answer would make him want to shift and hunt down every threat to his planet.

"If we don't regain control soon, they could completely inactivate our security systems and defense grids," Wren continued, her fingers never stopping their dance across the holographic interface.

"Everyone at Defense Nexus would be vulnerable, and we'd lose our ability to protect Nova Aurora.

The whole planet could be at risk shortly. "

What the hell is Arvox trying to accomplish besides chaos?

Around them, other cybersecurity specialists worked frantically at their stations, their faces grim with the knowledge that conventional countermeasures had already failed. The cyber attack was too sophisticated and too precisely targeted this time.

For six agonizing minutes, Rylan watched his mate work with the focused intensity of a surgeon performing life-saving surgery.

Her brilliant mind raced through possibilities that others couldn't even comprehend, her green eyes reflecting the holographic displays as she searched for the one solution that could save them all.

Then, suddenly, her fingers stilled.

"Got it," she breathed, and something in her voice made every person within hearing distance turn toward her workstation.

She found something. My genius mate found the answer.

"What do you have?" Rylan asked, leaning closer until her warmth penetrated his skin.

"A method that absolutely nobody would ever think of," she replied, her voice gaining strength as certainty replaced desperation. "I'm going to deny their access by building a firewall that's never been created before."

Rylan watched in fascination as Wren's hands moved with total precision, executing a strategy that seemed to defy the laws of cybersecurity. Code flowed across her screens like music, each command building upon the last until?—

The alarms stopped.

Silence descended over Defense Nexus like a benediction, broken only by the soft hum of restored security systems coming back online. Green lights began replacing red warnings across every workstation in their vicinity.

She actually did it.

Then the cheers erupted. Officers throughout the floor burst into applause that echoed off the glass walls, their voices raised in celebration of the woman who'd just saved them all. Wren's eyes widened with shock as the praise washed over her, her cheeks flushing with adorable surprise.

General Kael appeared beside their workstations as if materialized from thin air, his face split by a grin that made him look decades younger.

"Wren," he said, "you are truly the best thing that's ever happened to Defense Nexus."

She beamed at the compliment, her entire face lighting up with joy that made Rylan's heart clench with possessive pride.

That's my mate. That's my remarkable, gifted, perfect mate.

After the applause and praise died down at their workstations, Rylan watched Wren methodically verify her firewall's integrity with the same precision she'd used to create it.

Her hands floated across the console, cross-referencing security protocols while he monitored threat assessments from his adjacent workstation.

"Systems are holding steady," she murmured, her green eyes reflecting the soft blue glow of successfully restored systems. "No attempted breaches detected. I think we've actually locked them out completely this time."

Rylan's chest swelled with fierce pride as he confirmed her assessment across multiple security grids. Every indicator blazed green—a sight that had seemed impossible thirty minutes ago.

"Outstanding work," he beamed. "The hackers are completely shut out and Nova Aurora is secure again."

His tiger purred with possessive satisfaction as he turned toward her. The workspace around them buzzed with relieved chatter, but Rylan's focus remained laser-locked on the woman who'd accomplished the impossible twice in one day.

"That's it," he declared, standing and extending his hand toward her. "I'm taking you out for a much-deserved celebratory dinner. Not only for your superiority today at the Trials, but for saving Defense Nexus and refusing to let those bastards terrorize Nova Aurora."

Wren's face lit up with that smile that made his heart slam against his ribs. She placed her hand in his, and the contact sent those familiar electric tingles racing through him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, rising gracefully from her chair.

"Somewhere I know you'll love," he promised, guiding her toward the elevator.

"But my apartment first, so you can get dressed into something fancy.

I'm taking you to that rooftop restaurant overlooking the pink ocean that you said you gushed about on your tour with Kael—the one with the perfect view of the full moons. "

The elevator doors closed around them, creating blessed privacy. Rylan's control snapped like a frayed cable. He backed Wren against the polished wall and captured her lips in a kiss that poured every ounce of his pride, gratitude, and overwhelming desire into her mouth.

His hands framed her face as he deepened the kiss, his tongue stroking against hers with desperate hunger. She melted against him, her soft moan vibrating against his lips and making his tiger roar with primal satisfaction.

Wren finally broke the kiss, her cheeks flushed and her breathing uneven. "If we keep doing this, we'll never make it to the restaurant."

"Fine," he growled against her ear. "I'll save it for after dinner."

Her green eyes darkened with heat that made his blood surge. "I'll hold you to that."

God, I love this woman.

Back in his apartment, Rylan watched Wren disappear into his bedroom to change while his mind raced with sudden, overwhelming certainty. Six days. She'd been in his life for exactly six days, and already he couldn't remember what existence had looked like before her.

She's woven herself into my world so completely.

As he heard the soft rustle of fabric from the bedroom, a wild idea crystallized in his mind with startling clarity. His tiger stirred with absolute conviction, pushing him toward a decision that should have terrified him but instead felt like the most natural thing in the universe.

Do it. Claim her completely. Make her yours forever.

Rylan strode into his office and knelt before the titanium safe hidden behind his photography books. His hands trembled slightly as he input the biometric code and retrieved the small velvet box he'd never imagined touching.

His mother's ring. The one piece of her legacy he'd sworn to save for his fated mate.

This is insane. We agreed to keep our relationship secret until after the Trials.

But as he stared at the elegant platinum band with a rare Nova Aurora crystal that shifted from blue to silver in the light, his tiger's certainty overwhelmed every logical objection.

I can't wait another moment. I need her to know exactly what she means to me.

He closed the ring box and returned to the bedroom to change into his suit.

Within minutes, Wren emerged from the bathroom.

She wore a flowing emerald dress that highlighted her curves and made her skin glow like moonlight.

Her dark hair fell over her delicate shoulders in soft waves, and Rylan suddenly forgot how to breathe.

Beautiful doesn't even begin to cover it.

"You look like a masterpiece," he said, his voice thickened with emotion.

"Thank you." She smoothed the fabric nervously. "You clean up pretty well yourself."

Rylan glanced down at his charcoal suit and green tie, then back at her radiant face.

His new life stretched before him—filled with laughter, passion, and the kind of joy he'd never believed possible.

The man who'd once considered love a weakness now understood it was the greatest strength in the universe.

I was such an idiot for resisting this.

They left his apartment and approached his sleek hover bike parked in the residential parking lot. The vehicle's glass dome retracted as Rylan helped Wren settle into the passenger seat behind him, her arms soon wrapping around his waist and sending heat through his entire body.

As they lifted off and soared toward the city's edge, Rylan glanced back at Wren's wonder-struck expression. The setting twin suns painted the landscape in gold and crimson, while the pink ocean stretched endlessly beneath them.

Tonight, I'm going to tell her I love her. Tonight, I'm going to ask her to be my wife and mate forever.

The ring box felt warm against his chest as they flew toward their destiny.