Page 68 of So I Dared a Dragon

“Is she still with you? Our trackers have lost her. Like her scent has been wiped clean off the map.”

“You’ve been tracking her?” Now I was even more thankful this wasn’t a video call. If he could’ve seen the look on my face, I would’ve lost any upper hand I had in this conversation.

“Ever since she left Montana,” he said, like it was something to be proud of.

“She’s been in danger ever since she left the pack,” I managed through gritted teeth. “Why were you tracking her if you had no plans to intervene?”

This gave her theory that the pack had known what she was all along a serious backbone.

“Because it was our only way of keeping tabs on you.” He sighed. “Have you had contact with her? We’re concerned she could be in serious danger, if not dead. Last we knew she was a contestant on your show, and then she disappeared.”

Wait.

“Have you seen our online forums? They’re fan run, but our official website hosts them. It’s the place to find the most up-to-date news about our couples while they’re filming.”

Declan snickered. “Of course I know about your little chat group. I’d share my handle, but that would ruin all the fun. I’m concerned you’re not moderating them, since you just said they’re hosted byThe Mating Game. All news on Calista hasgone cold. The fans are concerned. So if you know where she is, you need to tell me now or we’re going to blow this story wide open.”

“She’s safe. That’s all I can say.” But my mind was reeling. I needed to get onto those forums ASAP and see what the hell he was talking about. The last things we’d posted about Calista’s episode were a photo of her and Aarix entering the museum and a fun teaser about them spending the night together in the mountains. That was a few days ago. A completely normal timeline in an episode that had been anything but.

Nothing to be panicked about.

I needed to keep telling myself that.

“I want proof, Bibi,” Declan growled. “We’re coming for her. We believe she’s in danger, and she needs to be home.”

“She is perfectly safe here with me. She’s with her pack, and sheishome,” I growled. I hated that this wolf was getting under my skin enough to make me lose control.

“With herrealpack.” He paused to give the insult a chance to land. “Not with a traitor who runs the second things get hard. We’re coming for her. And I promise you, there’s nothing you can do to stop us.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.” Sweet moon, did I miss the days when it was possible to end a phone call with a satisfying slam. If Declan deserved nothing else, it was that.

I leaned against the cement wall for a moment to compose myself. Calling Declan had been a dangerous move, and while I didn’t get to ask any questions, he’d given many more answers than I expected. If he’d been wavering on taking action before, he’d definitely do it now, if for no other reason than to spite me. He’d always been a mediocre fighter, too willing to put himself into danger to try to win favor. The fact that the pack had nowhere better to look for leadership than him was troubling. Imight not identify as a Montana wolf anymore, but I still wanted so much better for them.

Of course, I couldn’t confirm anything, but I could deduce that the Montana pack knew beyond a shadow of a doubt Calista hadn’t been pure wolf all along. Calista never had a prominent role in the pack. She was the middle child in a family of five. A dreamer who resented her everyday reality. It was why we connected. We didn’t belong, but our pack had been determined to make us fit.

Before the phone call, I would’ve bet money Montana had been the one sending those threats. Now I wasn’t so sure.

But there was no way the forum posts should be succumbing to the same curse that had erased every piece of history Calista laid a finger on. They were constantly updating, more of a living, breathing way to document the show than ancient history.

After stopping in the lobby to get a cup of green tea and make a coffee the way Calista liked it, I headed back to our hotel room.

Calista was still in bed. My fairy dragmother instincts wanted nothing more than to let her rest.. But we didn’t have time for those kind of luxuries.

I put my hand gently on her shoulder, and barely had enough time to jump out of the way before she breathed fire.

The smoke alarm protested loudly.

“I’m so sorry,” she said as she jumped, quickly rising to stand on the mattress and wave her pillow to make the screaming stop. “I haven’t learned to control everything yet.”

“It’s okay,” I lied. It had been terrifying. “If you feel threatened, you shouldn’t hold back.”

The knock at our door was no surprise, but after three shocks in a row, it took all I had to keep my wolf from jumping out of my body. I should’ve never let Calista convince me to take this trip without at least one guard watching over us.

Darcy, as far as we knew, was a harmless human.

On paper, this was a quick, easy girls’ trip.

Maybe it was time for the fairy dragmother to become rooted in reality, no matter how ugly and inconvenient it threatened to be. I fluffed my wig and gave the hotel employee on the other side of the door the most stageworthy smile I could muster under the circumstances.

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