Page 10 of So I Won a Werelion

Chapter

Three

Bibi

I have a terrible confession to make.

I’d broken one of the most important rules ofThe Mating Game.

When Gabriel came to me the morning after Cindy and Logan’s mating ceremony and told me he wanted to go on stage and compete for Wendy’s heart, I was nothing short of delighted. By granting his request, I’d manipulated the results of the show.

AtThe Mating Game, we promise our viewers that the shifters competing for our contestants’ hearts are chosen at random. Of course, they pass background checks, and got through rounds of interviews with our production staff to make sure we’re providing each of our brave ladies with the best possible options.

I could have placed Gabriel in the general pool of interested contestants and let the chips fall where they may.

Instead, I gave him VIP access to the stage.Why did I do it? Because I saw the way he looked at Wendy at Cindy and Logan’s ceremony. It gave me goosebumps. More important than any rule was to make sure I did the best by my contestants.

And I genuinely thought Gabriel was the best choice for Wendy.

“I thought this was a brilliant idea when you first proposed it.” I didn’t have to add thebut.

Gabriel growled. He looked so handsome in his black suit with a black silk shirt underneath. His hair was long, wild, and free. Wendy was probably the only human in this town with the willpower to say no to him.

“Don’t get grumbly with me yet, lion. I’m on your side. Everyone in that audience wants to see your mark on Wendy’s shoulder when we reconvene in a few weeks. Stay with me. This episode will look a little different than we imagined, but I’m confident we can make this work.”

His gaze was glued to her trailer. “I need to talk to her.”

It was impossible not to feel for the big cat. He wasn’t used to being told no. Not only had he been a championship level snowboarder, he was absolutely gorgeous. Tall and muscular with hair that had been bleached by the sun. The shifter was truly one with nature. And those eyes—they were green and gold, and a mere mortal would be hard pressed to resist getting lost in them.

But I was no mortal.

And I was about to lose control of this situation if I didn’t jump back into the driver’s seat at this very moment. “Tell me what you’d say to her. I’d ask you what you’re feeling, but I think that’s pretty obvious.”

Gabe startled, like I’d brought him back to reality. “Wait, you’re filming this now?”

He sized up Bjorn, looking for his camera.

“All ofThe Mating GameHeadquarters is wired for filming. There are cameras everywhere. Bjorn’s good, but he can’t be everywhere.” I cautioned a smile at Gabe, hoping he’d be ready to return it, but he wasn’t yet. “We’re still mic’d. Only thing that’schanged is it’s not being broadcast over the PA system to the audience. And this will be a pivotal part of your story. So like I said, we need a plan, and I need to know what’s on your mind before I knock on that trailer door and talk to her.”

“I’m coming with you—”

“No.” Fierce wasn’t just a fashion statement. I had no problem being firm with my contestants when they needed it. “If I send you in there by yourself, and something goes wrong, we can’t fix it. And before you say nothing will go wrong, that you know her better than anyone—”

Gabriel growled again.

“Neither of us ever imagined that we’d be in this predicament. Full disclosure, I plan to ask her the very same question. Then we can put together the very best plan to overcome this obstacle.”

Gabriel tensed, his gaze still fixed on Wendy’s trailer. He shifted his eyes to me, and I gave him the most promising, can-do smile I could manage under the circumstances. Truth be told, I never thought Wendy would reject Gabe. Not that I expected their episode to be smooth sailing. They were entering uncharted territory with their relationship.

Finally, he relaxed. His guard didn’t come down all the way, but I had a feeling the big cat was ready to show me a little bit of his heart.

“I laid it all on the line on that stage,” his voice had a slight rumble to it. Good. I liked my shifters a little untamed. It meant he was willing to fight for what he wanted. “But I guess it wasn’t enough. Maybe I’ve taken Wendy for granted.”

That was just the kind of candor that gave a fairy dragmother the hope she needed.

“Oh, that’s good. So let’s say we do as you suggested on stage and start with a clean slate. What would you do next?”

He took a moment to consider his answer. My heart broke for him. He had to be second guessing every thought right now. This was why I wanted them to give each other some space. We couldn’t chalk this up to a bad match and walk away like nothing happened.

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