Chitose When our parents died, I thought for sure my university days were over. I had a younger brother to look after, and he needed me. I couldn't turn him over to someone else just so I could work more hours in order to attend classes at least part-time. The Mylos scholarship program's expansion to include gay males sounded just the ticket! I currently didn't have a boyfriend, so there was no one to object to them checking if I was a one in a gazillion chance match to one of their warriors. The scholarship money would pay for my schooling, housing, and provide a stipend for food and other expenses for us both. It was too good to pass up. It was the solution to most of our current problems, I was sure of it. Braevan When the Bride Treaty's program was expanded to include males such myself, my hearts and mind became filled with hope. Was my mate one of the males below, thirsting for knowledge and open to finding their forever love? Matches were rare, and I knew that the odds of it happening were only one out of so many billions. One chance in however large a number was still one, though, not zero, and so every single day, I gaze out the windows as I walk down the corridors to my duty station. Please, let him be there. I am ready, my arms and hearts open.

Richie's mom has a heart of gold but terrible taste in men. When his mom calls him at college in tears after her most recent boyfriend empties both her bank account and her rented house of anything remotely valuable, he's had it. Sachuu is the head of Fleet Security and Intelligence. Getting the call that his mate has been found, he's elated. Then he becomes enraged when he discovers the reason his mate applied was that he couldn't afford to help his mother and pay for his tuition on his own. What kind of male steals from a mate and leaves young going without? Sachuu and Richie are agreed. The ex-boyfriend can't be allowed to get off scot-free. Before their family can settle in, his debt must be paid so they can all move forward. But finding the con man turns out to be not quite so easy.

Carl One minute I’m talking with my Mylos colleagues about the case we’re working on and Jolar’s upcoming wedding plans. The next, I’m off with my FBI partner, Peterson, to see about transferring us permanently to Commander Sachuu’s team within the Bride Fleet. The only snag is, to qualify, one of us has to apply to be matched, and given that I’m the gay one out of us two, that means me. Not that I really mind. I’ve not had much luck dating, with people either horrified that I’m in law enforcement, or wanting to know gruesome details of past and current cases, or getting fed up with the sudden call outs and sheer amount of time working active cases can take. Seeing the truth of how perfectly suited all the matches have been, I’m game. If Mr. Perfect truly is here waiting for me, I’m ready to sign on the dotted line. Polmar When the Council expanded the mate matching programs so that I was included, I felt a glimmer of hope that somewhere, down on that bright blue and white planet far below, my mate was just waiting for us to discover each other. I just hoped whoever he was, he wouldn’t be disappointed. I’m a pilot, but I don’t fly anything as cool as a fighter. No, I fly a shuttle and not one that usually ferries passengers. I’m what one of the human males aboard I’ve befriended calls a ‘space trucker’. That is, I fly cargo shuttles back and forth to bring goods up from Earth and between cargo ships from our home space. Occasionally, I deliver goods from one ship within the fleet to another too. It’s not exciting, but I like it. It’s predictable enough to feel comforting. Actually getting matched was surprise enough. Neither of us ever expected what came next. word count: 35,582

Korah Korah and Oshar. Oshar and Korah. Almost since birth, we have been inseparable friends. When Oshar decided he wished to leave his family’s farm and depart Sanguinis altogether, there was no question that I would follow him. When I decided it was best to embrace the Mylos heritage of our fathers and join the Fleet, there was no question that he would also join. Mates were the farthest thing from our minds - we were eager to experience the wonders of the universe. Chris So I’m a hopeless romantic who spends far too much time devouring romance novels, watching the Hallmark Channel and Netflix, and writing stories on AO3 featuring aliens and guys who look suspiciously like the dude I see in the mirror every morning. Stories I knew would land me in hot water if my father ever found out and thanks to my latest stepmom snooping, that ship has now sailed. It doesn’t matter that I’ve never even gone out on a date with a human, nor so much as met up for a coffee as friends with one of the real aliens present on our planet. I’m in water so hot, my goose has been boiled until all the meat has fallen off the bone. “If you’re so in love with the Mylos,” he said, “you might as well see if one of them even wants your sorry ass. I’ll drive you there myself.” I found myself frogmarched to his truck and driven to the nearest Scholarship Center even though I didn’t want to go to college. I liked my job as a professional dog walker just fine and if he wanted to kick me out, I knew the local gas station was always hiring and would pay me enough so I could find myself able to cover rent in a roommate situation. My pride however, had other ideas. It flounced my ass right out of the truck and through the door of the Center. Oshar For six years, Korah and I have trained warriors for the Fleet in hand to hand combat. It’s our solemn duty to keep our brother Mylos in fighting shape in case of a worst case scenario. Our current assignment is within the Bride Fleet attached to a world known as earth to its inhabitants, in a system they named Sol. We’ve been here eighteen local months and life has been predictable. Korah and I rise together, train the males under our command together, eat together, and even spend all our leisure time together. Then the unexpected happened - our kunnarskyns alerted us that we each had a match. Thank the stars, even in this, we are together to welcome him to Clan Drani.

It was just supposed to be a fun field trip. Adrian I am in so much trouble. I was the one who talked the principal into letting my fourth grade class invite kids in the same grade from the Mylos Fleet into joining us for a picnic on Friendship Day. It’s all gone horribly wrong. Humans First turned up to protest and things got ugly real fast. Worst of all, one of the Mylos children and I were snatched! I managed to get us away, but that hasn’t stopped me from being eyed as a possible accomplice or something. Oh, and I'm crushing on one of the insanely hot alien investigators, as if everything else wasn't bad enough. Klora I have so many questions. How did Humans First even discover that children from the Fleet were attending that field trip? How did they know which children to target? How did Adrian Morris manage to get himself and Tyrone away from the kidnappers? And finally, just why has my mating display kicked into gear? I haven’t been notified of a match…

A down on his luck actor and a battle scarred warrior hoping for love Thomas I have a huge problem. My rent is three months past due, and there’s an eviction notice taped to my door. The best paying roles I’ve tried out for all seem to go to someone else, and the payday loans I took out are long past due. Payday loans, which did not come from anywhere reputable, seeing as I’d defaulted on two of those previously and took out one of the shadier loans from ‘a guy who was a friend of a friend of a chick a former castmate met at a party’ to repay them. I called my agent and spilled my woes in desperation, she had a go to the local Scholarship center and apply to try out for the new educational TV series soon to begin production within the Mylos Fleet. The job comes with some definite perks, free housing and all living expenses paid, free healthcare and dental, and a decent salary. It does have a few catches, however. The first is that there is a five year commitment attached to all of the adult roles. The second is all cast members must relocate to the Fleet. The third is what gives me a moment’s pause, all unmarried adult applicants must submit to a mate matching test, with all the legal ramifications should a match be found. Redondo I’m Mylos only by adoption, taken in by a Mylos warrior after finding me hiding among a stack of crates after responding to a distress call at a Dragonii colony outpost. I’m larger than most Mylos, nearly a full head taller as well as broader. I’m scaled all the time and my fangs are always present. I’m also winged, and capable of flight. Humans always react in fear when they first see my battle scarred body, so I’m doubtful that my match will be found among them. Mine is probably somewhere else, and I’m unsure if I will ever find him. If I do, I will love and cherish them as only a Dragonii and a Mylos can- giving them my heart and sharing my hoard while fiercely protecting them against any who would come against them. Anyone at all. All I ask is that they love and cherish me back

Piloris and Eric expected their wedding and subsequent honeymoon to be epic. Eric After having all my dreams come true by getting matched at the same exact moment as my sister, followed by a super romantic double wedding in Hawaii, I thought life was going to be smooth sailing from now on. First we had our friend Klora’s wedding to attend, which was a fun highlight of our week-long honeymoon portion in Hawaii. Then we moved onto Basse-Terre, one of the two main islands of the French Caribbean archipelago, Guadeloupe. It’s an absolutely gorgeous place and having Stella and Kailirex along has been great. We each get enough couple alone time, and in between we hang out together and explore. None of us expected a murder. Piloris I’d half expected to see Klora show up here as soon as we realized just where we actually were. Sure enough, halfway through our stay, he arrived with his mate, Adrian, in tow, unable to resist after Eric and Stella shared photos of us posed in front of the actual buildings used in one of his current favorite TV shows. Then a tourist who happens to also be a Mylos citizen by relation to a bride is found dead in the swimming pool of our hotel and it’s declared a possible homicide by local police. Klora can’t help himself and soon, we all find ourselves drawn in as he plays detective and ‘deputizes’ us. This is definitely not a game, and the stakes could be deadly for us all. word count: 80,342