Fuck, I needed to get laid.

And not in the “find your soulmate” kind of way. 

For all its charms, work as a Gemstone Guardian was draining. Didn’t leave a lot of time for socializing. Much less dating.

And yet Chester had the nerve to tell us we were supposed to ‘fulfill our destiny’ and ‘find our mates’? Give me a break.

It was my first break in a long time, and to while away the hours I decided to download the dating app I’d heard a few classmates talking about — Supr. Apparently it was a ‘super-friendly’ dating app, now in public beta after the news had gone out about the paranormals in the world. 

And maybe, just maybe — I could find a little fun for the night. Nothing serious. No strings attached. Just needed to burn off a little steam, and my ‘right hand man’ was no longer cutting it.

As I swiped past picture after picture of generic shirtless guys, I wondered if this was a good idea after all. The app definitely attracted a certain “type”, and while they were nice to look at, they didn’t really do anything for me.

Then again, if I had to go another day without getting off, I’d take what I could get.

I was just about to close the app in frustration when a new photo appeared on my screen. He caught my eye instantly by how different he was than the other guys on this site. Where most of them were ripped and shirtless, making come hither eyes at the camera, this one was more of a twink. Messy blond hair hung over his forehead and he wore a simple red sweater that was a little too big for his slim frame.

What really caught my eye, though, were those pale ice blue eyes. He was looking right at the camera when the shutter clicked, but it wasn’t the same cocky glance I’d seen a million times before. This one was different. This one was almost...sad.

I stared at it a moment longer. That soft, cherubic face didn’t look a day over 20. Surely he had alphas falling all over him. And yet...I couldn’t look away. My heart skipped a beat and thudded in my chest, as if he were looking directly at me. I had to admit: I was intrigued. And not for the usual reasons. I scrolled down to read his description and my fascination only grew:

I blinked and read the description again. He wasn’t trying to show off, promise what a “good time” he’d be, or talk about how much money he had. None of that. In fact, he looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. But here he was, on this app, his soft, kind face seeming to peer into my soul. 

He’d said it was part of a bet with a friend...did he really find himself so unattractive? The thought of that hurt my heart. He was far from my usual “type”, but maybe that’s why he intrigued me so much. I stewed on it for a few moments, then pressed the ‘message’ button. 

I had to know more.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I accidentally fat-fingered the ‘send’ button, watching in horror as it whisked off into the digital ether.

Well, that could have gone better.

“What?” I asked, slightly annoyed. 

“If you can get off your phone for two seconds, we’re giving Wes his gifts for the baby shower. Come on.”

Oh, right. I stood a little too quickly and cleared my throat, shoving my phone into my pocket. Hopefully he hadn’t seen that. 

“Sorry,” I muttered. “Distracted.”

So I pushed all thoughts of my sad little angel out of my mind, and went to join the festivities. 

I excused myself from the party early that night. I was happy for Wes and Dan, of course, but I just wasn’t feeling very social at the moment. 

Letting out a relieved sigh, I closed the door to my room and plopped down on the bed, burying my face in the pillows. Something was nagging at me, right at the back of my mind, but the more I tried to figure out what it was, the more it eluded me. Like one of those optical illusions that disappear as soon as you try to focus. 

I rolled over and stared at the ceiling, thinking back to the omega I’d seen on the Supr app and the message I’d sent him. He probably wouldn’t respond. Most guys didn’t. And this one seemed especially skittish.

So why couldn’t I stop thinking about him?

What I wouldn’t—couldn’t admit to anyone was that seeing Wes large with child, seeing him so happy and radiant around his mate...it touched me in a weird sort of twisted way. I’d never planned on settling down, much less having children, but seeing the way they worked together and the pure love that flowed out between them...

Could be nice.

For someone else, that was. Not me.

As it stood, I still ached for release. And that sweet little omega, fascinating as he was, couldn’t be the one to give it to me.

So I slipped off my pants, threw the covers over my lap, and reached down to grab my cock. It wouldn’t be as good as the real thing—never would be—but if I didn’t come soon I wouldn’t be able to think of anything else.

The harder I got, the more I thought about Beck. His soft little smile. The slight curve of his chin, leading down to his neck and shoulders. The bare patch of untouched white skin right at his collarbone.

That thought stopped me in my tracks. I didn’t mate, and there was a good reason for that. Especially after what happened to my brother...

I bit my lip and grumbled in frustration. The hand around my cock weakened and fell slack. Guess I wasn’t getting off right now, either.

Ping!

The phone buzzed next to me and I rolled over to check the notification. My heart went into double-time the minute I saw the text.

Holy shit. He’d actually messaged back. And so fast, too. Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach, I held my breath and opened the app.

I pondered that for a moment. 

Horny.

Hungry.

Lonely.

Frustrated.

But he didn’t need to know any of that. I couldn’t put those burdens on him, not when he looked so fragile already. 

Yeah, I tapped out. Like the inventor. Everyone says that. Lazy evening here. Relaxing and trying to find something to do. You?

I read over the message at least a half dozen times before sending it. This was so unlike me. My usual charm and charisma had flown out the window, and that made me want to connect even more. What was it about this guy? Why did I feel like a lovestruck teenager all over again?

The “...” typing indicator popped up on the screen and I smiled despite myself. 

He attached a location link and I recognized the place immediately. Club Aether, a local hotspot not far outside of town. Beck didn’t seem the type to go clubbing, but I was starting to see the larger picture. Outgoing, flirty friend drags his shy bestie to the club for a bit of “fun”. Classic. 

The phone pinged again with a new message.

I huffed out a laugh and rolled my eyes. Beck was awkward, yeah, but it was kind of endearing, in a way. I looked at the map link again. I could get over there in half an hour, if I really wanted to. 

Did I?

No. I didn’t want to be “that guy” and give his friend even more ammunition to tease him with. Even if everything about him called out to me in the weirdest way.

I popped open the message screen, enthralled. “Adorkable” was the word that came to mind. I wanted to keep talking to him. It didn’t matter about what or how stupid I sounded, but I wanted to know more. I tapped out the message, held my breath, and hit send:

I bit my lip, cursed under my breath, and added:

A pause that felt like eternities. I watched the screen, watched that stupid “...” typing indicator appear and disappear, over and over again.

I’d gone too far. Of course he wouldn’t want to meet some random internet stranger. It was late, and he probably just wanted to go home.

Then there it was.

Oh. Oh. I swallowed the lump in my throat and a chill raced up my spine. The bedside table rattled, knocking the mug I’d sat there onto the floor with a crash. 

And all the while, the topaz gem throbbed against me. 

Was I really going to do this? Totally not how I’d planned for this night to go, but...

The gem’s warmth spread and enveloped me with a sort of hazy high. My heart pattered against my chest faster than ever, and again I glanced down at the Supr message.

If Milo or Chester were here, they’d say something wise about listening to the gem and listening to our hearts. All the stuff I’d heard loads of times before and thought was total bullshit. 

But this? Whatever was happening to me, I couldn’t understand it. And the only way I was gonna get any answers was to trust my gut and go see this guy.

Guess I had a date.