Paranormal Dating Agency: Taming Their Talons (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Marianne Morea

  Solar window? Valerie raised an eyebrow at that, but didn’t push. She swung through the kitchen door in a flash, coming back with the pizza box, two plates and a stack of napkins, making room for them on the end table.

  She put a slice each on two plates and then handed one to Gerri. Val wrinkled her nose and glanced toward the office kitchen. “I should have cleared out Camille’s pantry sooner, but I didn’t want to believe she was truly gone.”

  Gerri put her plate next to her laptop and then poured the wine, sliding a glass toward Val before patting the seat cushion. “She’s not gone for good, Valerie. Sit. Drink. In a moment you’ll see what I mean.”

  Valerie did as she was told, eating her pizza while Gerri punched a series of symbols into the strange computer.

  “Lyra, open communicator.”

  Rhythmic beeping followed her command, and the screen moved from a muted shade to a vibrant, glowing blue. “Communicator ready,” the digitized voice replied.

  “Upload data, then plot coordinates for a jump at 2300 hours tomorrow tonight. Send jump stats to base for a weather check. Standby for link to Nova Aurora.”

  “Affirmative.” More rhythmic beeping followed. “Upload ready.”

  Valerie stared at the older woman. “2300 hours? Jump coordinates? Where did you come from, NASA?”

  Gerri flashed a quick smile as she keystroked more symbols into the laptop. “I’m just a humble matchmaker trying to bring happiness and hot sex to the lonely world.”

  Snorting, Val sat back against the couch cushions. “Yeah, right. And I’m an Amazon Queen.” She gestured with a piece of crust. “Just for shits and giggles, how does the matchmaking gig work? You don’t usually show up on the doorstep with a matching set of dragon shifters, right?”

  “No.” Gerri chuckled. “You are an unusual case. Most people contact me through my ads, as you did with Camille, or through a referral.”

  Valerie reached for a second slice, studying Gerri as she blotted the excess oil with a napkin. “It’s fast. I mean, that’s normal, right? Like, one minute Camille answers an ad for the Paranormal Dating Agency and the next, poof, Ryker shows up all sexy and supernatural. Next they’re riding off into the sunset together. Is that how it usually works? The hairy and horny hook up with the human and hopeless via insta-Love Connection?”

  “Waiting,” the computer prompted.

  Gerri pressed an odd-shaped key on the computer’s console. “Lyra, sleep.”

  The screen faded to black and a soft snoring emanated from the communicator.

  “Your laptop snores?” Val grinned, surprised.

  Gerri lowered the communicator’s lid and the snuffling quieted. “I’m surprised at you, Valerie. Especially after the way your body reacted to the Gemini. Not every human that contacts me is hopeless. Most are extraordinary in their own way, and simply looking for something special. You scraped the surface of what could be waiting for you with Arin and Xavier.”

  She picked up her pizza, gesturing with it to make her point. “I have one question, though. Are you really interested in how I work my magic or are you asking because you wish you’d called me first and are too afraid to admit it?”

  “Why should I be afraid?” Val answered her question with a question. “I’m curious, that’s all. Especially after my encounter with the hot and the hulky. When Camille answered your ad in the paper, the last thing I expected was for her to up and leave. I guess I’m asking is that normal?”

  “Without a doubt.” Gerri nodded. “To be honest, it’s pretty commonplace for shifters to bond quickly with their chosen mates. That instant attraction you felt with Arin and Xavier is part of it.”

  “You mean crazy and his keeper?” Valerie snorted. “No, thank you. I appreciate what you tried to do for me, but polite pass, at least with those two. Now, you have another pair of hotties you want to send my way, go for it.” She grinned. “As for Camille, you’re right. I pushed her out of her comfort zone when I handed her your ad, but I never expected her to pick up and leave. I wanted her to hook up with a flesh and blood man instead of burying herself in books, even if it meant taking a chance on an ad for a dating agency.

  “Camille wanted the whole fairytale. Needed it. I don’t. I’m fine with my reality, unlike my romantic, bookworm best friend. I rock my curves, and if some guys don’t get that they can fuck off.”

  Gerri flashed a quick smile. “I wish more big beautiful women felt that way.” She tipped her glass in salute, keeping her eyes locked on the young woman.

  “Okay, magic matchmaker.” Val shifted in her seat under Gerri’s persistent gaze. “What’s with the Vulcan death stare?”

  “You talk a tough game, Valerie, but my Spidey senses are calling bullshit.”

  Val blinked. “Excuse me?”

  “When it comes to the Gemini boys, you want them so bad you can’t see straight, and no matter who else I dangle in front of that cute little nose, you’re always going to wonder.”

  “Hey!”

  Gerri ignored her. “Valerie, whether you want to admit it or not, you’re jealous Camille gets to straddle her real life fantasy any time she wants, and you get left behind with batteries required. That’s one of the reasons you were ready to wiggle your sweet ass as dragon bait this afternoon.”

  “I am not jealous!” Valerie balked. “And we were talking about Camille and her situation.”

  “Camille’s situation is very situated. If you get my meaning.” She angled her head at the stunned look on the Valerie’s face. “Honey, what Camille has with Ryker is as real as anything you imagine real to be. And you could have it, too. Attaining that special bond with a mate is different for shifters. There are factors human senses don’t take into account, at least not consciously. Scent, for one. Plus a shifter’s inner animal plays a huge part. It’s primitive. Carnal.

  “Intense physical attraction is a given and just as important as any emotional pull. Because the speed and process are different from what you’re used to, doesn’t make the connection any less real.”

  Gerri lifted a casual hand. “You know I have a sixth sense about who belongs together and who doesn’t. Sometimes opposites attract, and other times like draws to like, and sometimes it takes more than one mate to fit the bill, but whatever the combination, the signs are there for me to see and feel, and my track record hasn’t missed yet.”

  Toying with the stem of her wine glass, Val’s gaze dropped to her hands. “Maybe you’re right about the jealous part.”

  “I see,” Gerri replied softly.

  Valerie drew a sharp breath. “I’m the one who always put herself out there, not Camille. She was happy with her quiet life and her books. But me?” She shook her head. “Every day, I live my life with the attitude I deserve passion the same as anyone else. I’m the one who picks myself up after getting knocked down by assholes, the one who gives her reflection a pep talk about big beautiful women deserving more than just the friend zone. So, yeah, I guess I’m jealous my quiet friend got herself a hot hunk without even trying.”

  She exhaled, lifting her eyes to meet Gerri’s soft gaze. “I know I sound peevish and petty. I’m happy for Camille, but I still have to hear it from her lips. You know?”

  “Your loyalty to your friend was never a question, Valerie, and sometimes a little jealousy is a good thing.” Gerri paused as if assessing her. “How about we make a little bet? An experiment of sorts.”

  “What do you mean?” Val asked, warily

  Grabbing a handful of Doritos, she munched thoughtfully. “You’re a bundle of conflicts, girl, and that makes you a challenge. Why not let me finish what I started? Just for shits and giggle, as you put it. Control is not an attractive quality, except when training a lover how best to fuck you.” Gerri clicked the inside of her cheek.

  “Jeez. Filter much? Besides, you already tried and it didn’t work.”

  Gerri eyed her. “Didn’t it? You’re fiery and passionate, with a romantic side you don’t like to put
on display. You have a hard candy coating, but are soft and sweet on the inside. That you reacted to the Gemini boys shows you’ve got cravings deep inside just waiting to be released. Waiting for the right match to make your body shake and your pussy drip, but that sort of bone-melting climax only comes when you give over control.”

  “I don’t know, Gerri.”

  The matchmaker chuckled. “I do, and I promise you won’t be disappointed. You need a force twice as strong as yourself to free the kind of desire sleeping in you.”

  Twice as strong? Valerie knew what the old broad hinted at and she sucked in a breath remembering how her body quivered without a single touch being near Arin and Xavier. Gerri Wilder was both psychic and psycho with the way she saw right through her.

  “Uhm,” Val stuttered, “how about we make that call you spoke of, remember?”

  Gerri took a quick sip from her wine and then put the glass on the side table. “Okay, but promise me this,” she said, lifting the communicator’s lid. “Once you see Camille is where she wants to be, you’ll think about what I said.”

  Chapter Four

  The communicator hummed to life and Gerri pressed a different sequence of keys. The rotating cube stopped, and the screen faded to a dull gray. The humming stopped and the silence was almost ominous. Pieces of disjointed images formed and froze on screen, like trying to watch a movie on satellite during a thunderstorm. Valerie leaned closer, squinting to make heads or tails of the erratic pixels, jerking back when a man’s face popped on screen big as life.

  “Dragosarra! We’ve been waiting for hours for your call,” he exclaimed, moving to sit on what looked to be a deck chair.

  Valerie sat up straight, her mouth dropping open slightly. “Holy shit! Is he for real?”

  Gerri’s lips pushed up in a side smirk and she spared a glance for Valerie. “Yes, honey. He is very real.”

  The man was a romance cover model come to life. Rippling muscles and long dark hair and a smile that would make any woman weak and wet.

  “Dragosarra?” he said again.

  Gerri looked back to the screen. “Sorry I kept you waiting, Ryker. I came into some resistance on this end. Not everyone is as agreeable as Camille.”

  Ryker’s eyes flicked to Valerie and he chuckled. “Camille told me you were a tough cookie.”

  A gorgeous grin spread on his too perfect face and Valerie had to stop herself from staring.

  “I know we haven’t been properly introduced, but I’m Ryker Dragos, Cami’s mate. It’s nice to finally meet you…well, sort of. Camille just left. There’s a baby shower at the palace today, but I can grab her. She’s not far and has been dying to talk to you.”

  Dragos. Valerie’s eyes jerked toward Gerri, and the woman nodded.

  “It’s complicated, honey, but I promise I’ll explain everything. You need to trust me,” she answered.

  Valerie didn’t reply. Instead she watched Ryker jog to the edge of the deck, calling for Camille somewhere they couldn’t see.

  “Wow. So, he’s the dragon shifter Cami found in her living room naked and willing to service her stupid? No wonder she left everything behind.”

  Gerri nodded, sipping her drink with a smug look on her face. “Yup, and you could have your own shifter hotties if you want.”

  Valerie spared her a quick look, letting a smirk take her face. “Give it a rest for now, okay, old lady?”

  “Fine,” Gerri grinned.

  Val absently adjusted the laptop to accommodate the man’s utter size. He was just as big as Arin and Xavier. “Are they all that big? I know I shouldn’t be checking out my best friend’s man, but damn!”

  Gerri flashed a proud grin. “Well, it’s definitely not the camera angle. In fact, most shifters from Nova Aurora are that large, regardless of dual-natured species.”

  “Nova Aurora?” Valerie questioned, taking her eyes off the laptop for a moment to look at Gerri. “That doesn’t sound familiar.”

  The matchmaker eyed her. “Didn’t I say it was funny you said Camille ‘fell off the face of the Earth’?”

  Valerie lifted one eyebrow. “Are you telling me Camille is on another planet? A planet with giant shifter men?”

  The matchmaker nodded and both Val’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. She blinked twice, disbelieving, before slowly turning her eyes to the screen again.

  “Does that mean Arin and Xavier—” she didn’t finish the sentence. Instead she took in the odd landscape in the distance, and the trees along the bluff.

  The gentle water as it lapped against the far shore. Pink water. The trees with their violet bark and amethyst colored leaves dancing in the breeze, and the dual suns shining in the unusual blush-colored sky.

  “Impossible,” she whispered.

  Before Gerri could respond, Camille rushed up, breathless, a huge smile on her face. “Val! Oh my God! You would not believe this place! It’s out of this world!” she gushed.

  “I’m beginning to see that.” The surreal feeling of Twilight Zone bit into her stomach and Valerie didn’t know what to think or say.

  Cami nearly giggled. “Pretty wild, huh?”

  If her senses were to be trusted, then her best friend was light years away and most likely never coming back.

  She nodded, choking back a sob. “You look good, Camille.” Valerie dragged in a breath, shrugging to make light of what was almost too incredible to believe.

  “So the naked guy that showed up in your living room turned out to be the real deal, huh? Your own personal prince charming,” Val teased, trying to sound light. “Live and in 3D Technicolor.”

  Camille laughed out loud. “In the living room, in the bedroom, on the kitchen floor, in the shower, you name it.” She grinned, cocking her head. “Funny you should call him my prince charming, though.”

  “Why? For a book nerd like you it doesn’t get any more fairytale,” Val chuckled.

  Camille smirked, eyeing her friend. “Yeah, well. Royalty is more than just a state of mind when it comes to Ryker and his family.”

  “Seriously? Hot, hunky and a royal? Of what country?” Val asked, forgetting for a moment Camille didn’t mean from Earth.

  Cami’s gaze flicked to Gerri and then back again. “I think I’ll let Mrs. Wilder explain. Like I said in my note, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Her eyes scanned the part of the living room she could see through the communicator’s camera. “You did get my note, right?”

  Valerie nodded.

  “The owners have re-sublet the townhouse and the new tenants take possession at the end of the week, or so I think,” Camille replied. “There’s a huge time differential from home to here, so I hope you had time to pack my stuff.”

  Valerie rolled her eyes. “Have I ever let you down? Let’s just say Mrs. Wilder was harder to get in touch with than I expected, and until I heard from you in person I wasn’t packing a single box. What are you worried about, though? You sublet the place furnished, and it’s not like UPS delivers to the Twilight Zone.”

  The realization her best friend wasn’t around the corner anymore made Val’s chest hurt, but she forced a smile anyway. “You look happy, Cam. Really.”

  Camille’s answering grin was soft. “I am, Val. Truly. Ryker and this place are more than even I could dream up. I wish you could see for yourself, though, but I suppose interstellar facetime is as good as it’s going to get. I wish you could see this. It’s amazing.”

  She turned the camera on the communicator toward the water and the trees beyond. “See what I mean? The ocean water is cotton candy pink and always warm. You can float weightless the same way as in the Dead Sea on Earth, except here the water is vibrant with life. The trees are purple and smell like fresh lavender, and dragons fly in the distance over icy mountain peaks.”

  With a laugh, Camille turned the camera back around. “Isn’t it great? When I say it’s out of this world, trust me, I mean it.” She leaned in, coming so close to the laptop lens her face got huge. “Val, promise me
you’ll give Mrs. Wilder a chance to explain all this before you freak or threaten her with bodily harm—that you won’t get the way you get.”

  Valerie cringed and Camille burst out laughing. “Val! Seriously, dude. Tell me you didn’t!” Shaking her head, she spared a look for Gerri. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Wilder. I should have warned you about my hot-blooded friend.”

  “Everything’s fine, honey.” Gerri chuckled. “If I can deal with mule-headed shifters, I can handle a little human sass. In fact, Valerie and I came to a meeting of the minds. She’s even agreed to let me match her.”

  Eyes wide, Val sputtered half her wine. “I did no such thing!”

  “Val!” Camille laughed. “Respect, dude. Besides, what have you got to lose?” She sighed. “I’m so happy, Valerie. Please let Gerri work her magic for you, too.”

  Valerie smirked, lifting one shoulder. “Maybe.”

  “It’s your choice, I suppose.” Cami sighed again. “But I never thought you the type to go back to those skinny-jeaned, man-bunned metrosexuals and their lattes at the coffeehouse. Not when you pushed me to go for more.”

  Valerie snorted. “Look at you turning the tables.” She watched Camille’s lip curl and she had to laugh. “I’ll make you a deal. Mrs. Wilder challenged me to a bet. I’ll accept and give the whole shifter thing an honest try, but only if my hook-up is twice as hot as Ryker. You ended up with Mr. Universe, so why not me?”

  “Literally!” Camille laughed even louder, sparing a glance for her mate at the edge of the deck overlooking the pink water.

  Following her friend’s line of sight, Valerie tapped on the screen. “Seriously, bookworm. Do they all look like that?”

  Nodding, Camille giggled. “Pretty much, yeah.”

  “Damn. There aren’t enough batteries in the world.” Val whistled low.

  Camille’s brows knotted for a moment. “Batteries? For what?”

  “For the adult toys necessary to deal with that kind of hotness day and night. Especially if it’s all lookee-but-don’t-touchee.” Val winked.