Page 11 of So I Won a Werelion

“My plan had been to take her to some of the old places that we used to love. Kind of a do-over. But she’s different now, and when I was all the way on the other side of the world, it was easy to still think of her as the kid that I left in Sunset Springs.”

“Not the woman she is now,” I finished the thought for him.

“Yeah. We had a rhythm in our long-distance relationship. And seeing her again after all these years…” He shook his head. “It’s different.”

“In what way?” This was gold. I had a feeling that Gabe had no one to talk to about this, because he was in love with his confidante and had no idea how to tell her.

“Not a bad way. My feelings for her are intense. I could kick myself for waiting so long to come back, but at the same time, I know why I did.”

“Maybe you have to treat this like a brand-new relationship. Get to know her all over again.”

There was the smile I’d wanted from him so badly. Only one side of his mouth curled, but it was enough. “Could be a lot of fun.”

“It will be.” I brightened, satisfied that I had what I needed from Gabe to make this episode a success.

“I’ll need your guidance, because you see something in Wendy very few people do.”

“When I look at Wendy, I see fire, determination, frustration, and a lot of heartache. My mission is to make sure we accentuate the former and eliminate the latter.” I reached for his hand and squeezed it. “We’ll let you know when we’re ready to proceed with the episode.”

His mouth parted. “What do you mean? I thought we were going to talk to her.”

“I’m going to talk to her. You’re headed back to your pride to figure out your new plan about how to make your best friend your forever mate. Emotions are running way too high to proceed with business as usual.”

“But—”

I waved my hand. “Fate is forever. Time is not an issue.”

He grumbled.

I tipped my head. “Remember when you asked for my help? This is me, helping you.”

“I trust you.” The big cat was less than convinced.

I turned to Marissa. “Put Plan B into action.”

She furrowed her brow. “But that was if Wendy—”

“Trust me.” Plan B was if Wendy had chosen another shifter. We’d offer Gabriel an exit interview. Give him and the viewers some closure. There was an all too real chance that Wendy wouldn’t change her mind, but I’d do whatever it took to make those dates happen. It wasn’t often that I felt nervous, but knocking on Wendy’s doors sent the belly butterflies into overdrive.

“It’s just me. No cameras,” I said when she didn’t answer. “You can’t tell me you don’t need to talk about this.”

After all, she’d just sent her confidante packing.

The door creaked open. Makeup was smudged under Wendy’s eyes, but otherwise, she was still perfect. She took a shaky breath and stepped aside to let me in.

“I’m sure the forums are on fire over this,” she grumbled.

A surprising first concern, but Wendy already had quite a reputation with our viewers after her brief stint onThe Real Werewives.“Probably. Do you like that they’re talking about you?”

Her mouth parted.“Not if they’re talking shit.”

“You can’t control what others think about you. Not when things are going well, and not when they’re a complete disaster. All that’s certain is that they will talk about you.” I took a seat in the fluffy white chair in the corner. I’d decorated the contestants’ trailers myself to set the vibe for the show. I wanted them to know things would be different the moment their episodes started. I motioned for Wendy to take a seat across from me on the hot pink couch. “I didn’t come to talk about the forums. An hour ago, I interviewed a confident woman in a fabulous dress who was ready to conquer the world. I believe she might have mentioned having feelings for her best friend, a gorgeous lion named—"

“I amnotGabe’s mate.”

“Why not?”

She pressed her lips together and didn’t answer right away. “You weren’t here when Leo and Dylan claimed their mates. Everyone was in shock. A lion with a doe? Another lion, claiming a human? They had to form their own pride. Start from scratch. We all thought they were crazy, but no one ever questioned those ladies were their mates. And what did Gabe do? He tucked tail and ran.”

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