Page 14 of So I Dared a Dragon

Then he jogged up the stairs, disappearing onto the stage. The crowd even cheered for him.The Mating Gamewas a family, and it was time for me to become a part of it.

Marissa squeezed my hand. “Are you ready?”

I choked out a nervous laugh. “Hell, no.”

She grinned at me. “Trust the process. And have fun. Your life will never be the same.”

Then she let me go. My knees were rubber as I climbed the stairs. Sweet moon, there were so many people in the audience, and they cheered as I came into view.

“Please welcome Calista to the stage!” a familiar voice said, and as I made my way to the velvet chair in the middle of the stage, I realized it didn’t belong to Bibi.

Hannah beamed at me. What was she doing here? Don’t get me wrong, she looked amazing in her black gothic mini dress, fishnets, and knee-high platform combat boots. Wait, was that a microphone in her hand?

I scanned the stage…realizing a very important person was missing.

Where was Bibi?

five

. . .

Bibi

“I can’t believe we get to meet you!” a woman gushed. “This is already a dream come true. I don’t care if I even make it to the stage.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.” I was in what we lovingly called The Pit, where we rounded up our finalists before we chose the final three to go on stage. Traditionally, I paid the contestants a quick visit to wish them luck before the festivities began. They still didn’t know I had a number this time, just like they did.

“It’s hard to do anything but when I’m around someone so fabulous. This outfit is everything.” She motioned to my dress.

“Isn’t it great?” I’d dressed for the occasion with a strapless silver ball gown and silver crushed velvet opera-length gloves, a light purple wig that I’d grown particularly fond of during my Hot Hannah Era, and dark purple lips that were positively royal.

The woman raised a concerned brow. “Has there ever been a lady on this side of the stage?”

“No! You’re making history onThe Mating Game!” I held out my arms, letting the cheer of the small crowd that gatheredaround me soothe my nerves. This felt normal. Like any other episode.

Even though I should know by now, there was no such thing as a typical episode.

But I had to admit, I loved the idea of flipping the script and having a man in the hot seat. Maybe next season, we could give that a try. There was no reason to limit ourselves, if there was a next season.

“Can I get a picture with you?” one of the guys asked.

“Absolutely. You just have to pinky swear that you won’t share on socials until the episode airs.” Of course, they had all signed an NDA, but I knew that didn’t guarantee anyone’s discretion.

“Are you here for Calista?” someone else asked.

My heart jumped into my throat. “Aren’t we all?”

“Can you give us some pointers?” the first woman asked. “If the forums are right, you know Calista better than anyone.”

“Are you sure you’re ready to let her loose on this pool of contestants?” Another gentleman chuckled.

“You’ve all been thoroughly vetted,” I reminded them. They were all shifters—wolves, lions, and a bear. I’d handpicked them myself. Now all I could do was trust my instincts.

Tina arrived in The Pit at the absolute perfect time, before I gave away any secrets. “Calista is ready for you and it’s time to announce who will be joining us on stage. You’ve all been wonderful participants so far, and if you aren’t chosen this time, we may reach out to you if we think you’re a good fit for a future contestant. But today, we’ll be taking contestants number fourteen, seven, and one on stage.”

One of the she-wolves let out a gleeful yelp, bringing her hands up to her mouth in surprise. She was adorable, and I hoped Calista was open to it. Every time we asked her, she was steadfast in her insistence that I was her mate.

Going on stage would be the riskiest thing I’d ever done.

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