Page 66 of So I Dared a Dragon

Bibi didn’t need anyone to fight for her, but I loved that this wolf literally had her back.

“I assume it was a good night, since there are murder robe feathers everywhere.” Bibi laughed, but her face fell as I came closer.

All those badass things I’d just declared about hiding got put to the test immediately.

“You look so different,” she said, taking a few tentative steps away from Hugo toward me. She was just in one of her velour tracksuits this morning, and I didn’t need to see the back of it to know her name was in rhinestones on her bum. But she slowly walked around me, taking everything in, with her purple lips in an astonished O. “More than that, you feel different. Your energy has totally changed.”

Aarix beamed at me, so proud.

“Thanks for noticing,” I said playfully, like I’d simply bought a new eyeshadow palette. “So we need to talk. Maybe we could have a girls’ day today?”

Hugo let a low growl loose at my suggestion. He might have forgiven Bibi, but he had a way to go with me.

Which I had a whole new set of questions about.

Why did this wolf hate me so much, and why would he go to such lengths to keep me from Bibi?

Something told me it went much deeper than jealousy.

“You simply must tell me every single detail of your alone time with that hot dragon!” Bibi sipped her mocktail as she settled onto the couch.

I had to hand it to her—she could whip up girls’ day in on a literal moment’s notice. Not only had we changed into brand new athleisure wear that gave off serious retro jazzercise vibes, we both had our hair piled on top of our heads to make way for the thick, luxurious mud masks. It was so soothing to my sore skin, I wished I could have bathed in it. On the coffee table in front of us was the most elaborate charcuterie board I’d ever seen. It was a work of art and almost too pretty to eat.

After being ravished by a dragon all night long, I was starving.

As I slathered fancy cheese on an artisanal cracker and topped it with locally made jam, I recounted every detail. At least, the ones I could remember. How scales erupted from my skin, and fire had blossomed from my very core.

“I’ve shifted many times, but I’m familiar with my animal. To have something completely unexpected come out of me, I don’t know what I’d do.” Bibi popped a grape in her mouth. “How does it feel different than being a wolf?”

“It feels like someone finally turned the world on. Like my life just started.” It was time to flip the script. If this feeling were true, real, it meant that someone had intended to keep me in a box, away from my true potential. Which meant we needed to have an uncomfortable conversation. “Speaking of wolves, we need to talk about our pack.”

She furrowed a brow. “Colorado Ranch?”

I shook my head. Not in my wildest dreams would I ever claim to be part of this new pack. They’d been gracious and kind to me, but also cautious.

“No. Montana.” I expected her to brace herself. “Specifically, how did they talk about me when I wasn’t around?”

She took a moment.

“I’m not sure what they said to you when I wasn’t there, so I can only share what I remember,” she finally said.

“That makes sense. My life with the pack already feels like it had happened to another wolf, and that was before I transformed into”—the scales on my arms would forever catch me by surprise—“whatever I am now.”

“A badass.” Of course Bibi could make it that simple. “They wanted me to protect you, but I always thought it was because you were important to them. You were so involved in the pack, always in the middle of everything. I never thought of it as anything else, to be honest. Montana was very good at making enemies, so I never questioned that they would want me to protect one of our own.”

“Aarix thinks they knew what I was all along, but why would they agree to protect a dragon?” Which also made me wonder—was Bibi something more than what she’d been told? There was a reason we’d been so drawn to one another.

“Money. Our pack loves nothing more.” Bibi sighed. “But last night’s searches came up empty. Luca and Magnus found no evidence that dragons had ever lived near Sunset Springs.”

“Really?” I wished we were drinking something stronger than mocktails. “Because I did in the very first display that we looked at. Aarix confirmed it. I had planned to share it with you, before the second exhibit was totally wiped from existence.”

“Are you sure? Because we had a big conversation with Laura, Wendy, and the rest of the curators. The dragons were discouraged when the left. My heart went out to them.”

“Aarix had a bunch of notifications from Luca on his phone this morning. Not that I had a chance to read them, but they definitely didn’t seem like he’d come up empty-handed.”

“That’s very interesting.” Bibi sounded skeptical, and I wasn’t sure if it was Luca or me she doubted.

You’re telling the truth, a brand-new voice inside me said, loud and clear.Why would the dragon be dishonest?

---